Bernard Kron

Thanx Bill. Much appreciated. By now we both know all too well that's what it's All about!

Thanks so much to you all for the kind comments. I'm glad you dig it! ? This came out OK despite it fighting me big time at the 90% stage - which is typical for me. At least this time it came out relatively unscathed. The trick for z'ing the rear end and still keeping the stock gas tank is one I'll use again.

The Krylon Chrome is, I believe, an acrylic paint and extremely mild. My practice with most metallics that purport to imitate a bare metal finish, is to apply them without a primer directly to a very smooth base finish. This seems to give the best results. This was my practice when I could still use Testors Metalizers (R.I.P. and dearly missed) and now with the various Vallejo paints I've started using to replace them. I've always had a cheap craft "chrome" paint in my metallic paint arsenal for a polished aluminum look like this one - they generally fail as true chrome finishes, LOL. It used to be Duplicolor chrome but that is no longer cheap, and, frankly, no better than the Krylon stuff. In this case the hood sides, firewall, interior details, and trunk lid are bare styrene, while the hood top and the roof panel are resin. But in every case the paint was applied directly to the bare plastic. The Krylon chrome, if you let it cure thoroughly (24 hours, minimum) is quite tough and stands up well to handling. But it will tarnish from skin oils. I freshened up the exterior parts (firewall, roof panel, trunk lid and hood panels) with a second coat just before final assembly.

Chopped ’32 Ford 5-window Highboy Competition Street Coupe prepared for the Custom Car circuit One of the highlights of photos from the classic indoor Custom Car shows of the 1960s are the color pictures of competition cars which have been especially prepared for these shows – "show ‘n’ go” was the expression often used for these types of cars. They featured special paint and lots of polished aluminum and magnesium and chrome plating. Some of the era’s top competitors, such as Tommy Ivo and Tony Nancy were almost as well known for their prowess on the show floor as on the ¼ mile. This project was inspired by these cars. A few months back Jason Lookabill (lookabillj@gmail.com )produced a series of louvered hoods for the Revell ’32 Ford 1/25th scale kits, He also introduced a louvered roof panel for the Revell ’30 Ford coupe. The louvered hoods in particular I consider these an important addition to any hot rod modelers’ tool kit. As far as I know, louvered hoods to match the Revell kit louvered hood sides (in the original 1/25th scale street rod roadster – now unfortunately no longer produced in the latest version) and rear deck (5-window coupe) have never been offered before A Show ‘n; Go street class drag coupe seemed a perfect project to feature these parts. I settled on a Revell ‘2 Ford 5-window coupe. I decided to feature the louvered panels in polished aluminum to contrast with a custom paint job. It turns out that Krylon Chrome Spray does a good job of imitating freshly polished aluminum. The top was chopped about 3 ½ scale inches and hole cut in the rood to fit Jason’s louvered roof panel. The main body color is Tamiya TS-96 Fluorescent Orange over white primer and a single coat of Tamiya TS-31 Bright Orange. The gold leaf numbers are from a set I had custom printed a few years ago. The aluminum louvered panels were left bare but the orange body parts are all sealed un a several coats of Tamiya TS65 Pearl Clear. The fenders are from the Stacey David Rat Roaster. I gave the car a low stance by z-ing the rear of the frame about 3 scale inches and lowering the Revell Deuce kit front suspension a similar amount by shaving the front spring. The Stacey David kit provided most of the interior panels which have had the recessed “holes” drilled out. I fabricated a custom dashboard and roll over bar. The seats are from the Revellogram “Rat Rod” ‘29/’30 Fords. The wheels and slicks are from the AMT Double Dragster kit with front tires from the Revellogram ’30 Ford Sedan kits The motor is the Chevy Small Block from the Stacey David Rat Roaster kit with a 60’s period correct GMC 6-71 blower from a Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit. The headers are from the AMT ’65 El Camino kit and were bought on eBay. Thanx for lookin’ B.

Thanks Greg. This project is now completed. The only new parts not covered in earlier posts are the grill which is the stock Revell ’32 Ford piece and minor trim bits, also stock Revell Deuce kit stuff. Still learning how to photograph this thing, but the color is fairly accurate in the pics below. But I must remember to make sure the roof panel, which isn’t glued down, is properly seated. Final photos as a completed model will be posted tomorrow. Thanx to all who followed along, B.

Nicely done, indeed! The wheels work a treat, and now I know who to fo to for a louvered '4 hood. Imptessive that you included tackling an engine swap with it, as well. Or is it the AMT the street rod variant. Either way it all goes together really well.

Thanks so much, guys. Jason, your Halibrands were the key to this one! ??

I started this project in December but then got sidetracked building a couple of cars for the TRoG California Drags community build. For 2023 I better assume they’ll be more “sidetracking” since I’ve got more cars planned for the TRoG build-off, LOL. But for now I’m back to the world of shine and bling for this show ‘n’ go racer. When I put this project back on the bench I was surprised how much I had already gotten done. Even while building the 2 TRoGsters I managed to get the motor completed and the racing numbers applied and the paint clear coated. The gold numbers are part of a sheet I designed and which a friend printed for me a few years back. The scoop and injector plate on the motor are from the Revell Tony Nancy double dragster kit, finished in Krylon chrome. The headers are from the AMT ’65 El Camino kit and were bought on eBay. In the last few days I managed to finish up the chassis, mainly the front end and the exhaust system. The racing pipes are aluminum tubing while the car also has a street system adapted from the Revell Tracey David Roadster. The front axle is the Revel Deuce tubular dropped piece which got my usual workover to drop it in the weeds- shaved spring and cut down mounting tab. The chassis pictures below show how low the overall stance is now, much more on the Show side of the Show ‘n’ Go equation. This is the first time I’ve attempted a rear end “z” lowering that is limited to the immediate rear axle area, allowing the use of the stock Deuce fuel tank location between the rear chassis ends. I also finished up the interior with a dashboard which is reworked from the Revell 5-window kit dash, and a steering wheel from my parts box. Basically, it is time for final assembly, which, the way I build, involves a fair amount of last minute fabrication for things like lighting and engine cooling and various other small details. Thanx for lookin’, B.

Neato! TROG started as a mainly bike affair and its still a major part of the events. TROGster bikes have plenty of character, Looking forward to watching you have your way with this kit. Choosing the Triumph is ideal for this sort of thing.

Lovely, lovely model. ? And beautifully photographed, too. A measure of the quality is how well it stands up to those merciless closeups, LOL. Is there a W.I.P. for this? The motor is especially nice. Given the level of detail (you even reversed the rims to take the slicks) the only thing missing is brace wires between the firewall and the grill.

IMHO, for a true-to-type TROG build there's probably no other way, LOL!

Nicely done, no-nonsense TROGster.

I like the no-nonsense straightforward approach to the job at hand. Nicely weathered and the stock Stude V8 and the stock stance from the backdated suspension are significant and effective changes. I assume this is the Revell 5-window and that some sort of Revellogram '37 Ford provided the suspension and rolling stock.

Thanks Tim. I've used those solid Halibrands twice. Once in the full chrome version found in the Orange Crate kit and then again with these really nice resin versions that Jason Lookabill has created. They're always very impactful, just as they were on 1:1's when they first were introduced. Officially I've built 4 TROG cars, 2 for the 2017 NNL West Theme table and 2 for the current MCM community build. But in actuality I've built several more, especially '29 Model A Roadsters. I've found that building roadsters both on the original Model A frame rails and on '32 Ford Deuce rails each presents its own challenges. When Revell released it's kit with both frame sets I really hoped it would solve those issues, but, as you know, many of us have problems with the stance and the more contemporary chassis details as well as the liberties they took with the rear wheel arches. Which is not to say that it isn't an extremely well engineered kit that, out of the box, results in some pretty satisfying build. So, in my case, I find myself going back to the old AMT A-Roadster body and some pretty heavy duty kit bashing. The Gilmore Special you asked about is probably my best effort on stock rails. With it's AMT '34 Ford rollings stock and stock suspension it's also represents the pre-war 4-banger cars that pioneered dry lakes racing in southern California. The Sta-Lube A-V8 is my best effort so far on Deuce rails. I found the stance and overall realism to be among the things that came closest to what I was going after. Here they are paired as you asked for: And here are all 4 official Trogsters. Sta-Lube No. 1, the Deuce coupe, is from a Jimmy Flintstone resin body and is obviously a kind of prototype fr Sta-Lube No. 2, just completed. I used the same decal art and number font and similar paint treatment, although the coupe is far more weathered than the A-V8. I never really got the stance on the coupe dialed in and I didn't like the chop on the Flintstone body. I definitely built Sta-Lube No. 2 to settle some scores with the coupe build.

I can't believe I never said thank you to you all for your very kind responses! Thanks so much. It means a lot.

Cloudflare says my photo hosting service seems to be down right now, although other "website down?" services say it's up. My other photos seem to be posting OK but not these photos of my 2017 TROG build. . I posted a picture of this car way back on page 2 or 3, I think. but it won't show right now. Apparently I can post pics directly to MCM, which I don't normally do, so I'll give it a try right now... (it worked, LOL)

Thank you Charles. To be mentioned alongside RRR is indeed a compliment. UR2Kind! It's my plan to do a few more for the Flabob Community Build but it's probably time to take a break from the TROGness for a bit, LOL. I must admit, though, that .doing these is Big Fun...

Many thanks to you all for the exceedingly kind comments. They are always much appreciated! ?? This is the 4th Ford Model A in a row that I've built. And, as if I wasn't hung up enough, it's the 3rd in succession that has a patina finish. I find this somewhat frustrating actually. I'm a charter member of the "grass is greener on the other side" club, so the builds that I often admire the most are those in styles and approaches that emphasize technical excellence - you know, the proverbial "clean build". As an example, showroom stock replica modeling totally floats my boat, the more detail and precision the better. And yet there is no way I'd ever attempt one myself! For me technical control is a powerful means to the end of successfully complete self expression in both the arts and sciences. Unfortunately I seem to have a small gift for doing these patina finishes and recently it's been a fall-back crutch of sorts. The rationale, of course, is that it represents a kind of realism. But any visit to a motorsports museum will reveal that the technical execution of most of the iconic cars, whether they are straight line or road racing machines, is invariably at a very high level. Capturing that combination of precision and discipline in execution while maintaining realism in overall impact remains an elusive goal for me. Having said that it's nonetheless very satisfying to be appreciated for what I have attempted to achieve with a model like this .Thanks so much, David and Al! Realism is always something I admire in the work of others and something I generally strive for. Thanks Bob. You know how much I admire the quality and range of your modeling. And capturing the spirit of a type of car is certainly one of my primary goals. Once again, thanks so much to you all!

Here's my latest '29 roadster (AMT body), a classic A-V8: a flathead Ford (Revellogram '37 Ford truck) on (Revell) Deuce rails, built in the "Preservation" style in as-found patina for the current The Race of Gentlemen (T.R.O.G.) community build.

Talk about money shots, WOW!!!, now that's some model building. I remember following the w.i.p. and thinking what a challenging project you has set for yourself. The result sure delivers. Bravo!

The Race of Gentlemen ’29 Ford “A-V8” High-Boy Roadster (More photos below) This is a classic “A-V8” hot rod, a 1929 Ford model A roadster body perched on 1932 Ford chassis rails powered by a hopped up flathead Ford V8. This style was hugely popular in the early years of hot rodding on either side of WWII. The small, lightweight Model A body combined with power of the V8 and the stiffer, more modern Deuce chassis provided an ideal package for both cruising around town and the street racing and dry lakes speed runs that were the standard back then. The Race of Gentlemen (or T.R.O.G.) is a celebration of those early days. Starting as a beach racing event on the shores of Wildwood New Jersey more than a decade ago, the founders have stretched out to organize various beach racing and 1/8th mile drag racing events on both coasts of the USA and even traveling to Europe. The most recent event was last December at the Flabob Municipal Airport near Riverside California, recreating the spirit of the first drag racing events. The T.R.O.G. rules are quite strict and specific, limiting chassis and powerplant to pre and postwar war 4 cylinder and flathead V8s. More recently hey are allowing early pre-1956 OHV motors,. If modified they must use era-correct speed equipment. The prevailing aesthetic of the typical T.R.O.G. racer is the “Preservation” style where the as-found patina of these old cars is maintained while the machine is restored to its full potential of safety and performance using original, period vintage parts wherever possible. This model represents the prototypic T.R.O.G. A-V8 as raced at Flabob. I started with an AMT ’29 Roadster body and interior and Revell ’32 Ford chassis rails. The front and rear crossmembers are Revellogram ‘29/’30 Model A pieces as is the rear spring. The front spring is AMT ’29 Ford while the 4” dropped I-beam axle is a wire-reinforced resin piece from ThePartsBox.com. The center X-member and rear axle, brake backing plates and the Houdaille hydraulic lever shocks are Revell ’40 Ford pieces. Those sexy solid faced Halibrand mag wheels and tall, skinny repops of the Monogram Lincoln bias ply rear tires are aftermarket pieces created by Jason Lookabill (lookabillj@gmail.com). The front tires are AMT Goodyears modified to fit Jason’s wheels. The wheels are finished in Vallejo Acrylic Bronze Mecha Color to simulate a Dow 7 coating. The Ford flathead V8 is built up from Revellogram ’37 Ford truck block and transmission and Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland Offenhauser finned heads, Fenton headers and high rise intake manifold. The AMT kit interior bucket had its seat removed and replaced with a bolstered tuck ‘n’ roll unit from the Revell ’32 Ford .5-window kit. The interior is finished in Testors Acryl British Crimson worked over to simulate worn leatherette. The dashboard is a refaced AMT ’29 Ford piece with a photoetch guage panel from Model Car Garage. The steering wheel and interior details are from the AMT ’29 Ford kit. The chassis and body are finished in Tamiya AS-29 Grey Green over red oxide primer and metallic silver in preparation for the light sanding that yielded a mildly weathered “as-found” effect. The numbers and Sta-Lube decals on the rear deck and hood sides are homemade. The grill is finished in British Crimson to echo the interior. Thanx for lookin’, B.

The Race of Gentlemen ’29 Ford “A-V8” High-Boy Roadster Here are the final Presentation Photos of the Sta-Lube T.R.O.G. Special, Flabob Edition Thanx for lookin’, B.

Thanks Bill! The TROG Flabob Drags Sta-Lube Special is now done! Below are a couple of photos showing the final details. I’ll post final presentation pictures Under Glass tomorrow. Thanx to all who followed along, B.

The TROG Flabob Drags Sta-Lube Special is now done! Below are a couple of photos showing the final details. I’ll post final presentation pictures tomorrow. Thanx to all who followed along, B.

I’ve completed the chassis, including the exhaust system, suspension and steering. In keeping with the vintage A-V8 theme I’ve used lever shocks (often mistakenly called friction shocks – they’re actually hydraulic) courtesy of Replicas and Miniatures Co. of Maryland. Most of the parts used for the steering were adapted from the AMT ’29 Foord roadster kit. The exhaust system is fabricated from butyl coated wire and mufflers from the Revell ’40 Ford kits. The wheels have been glued into place. At this point the stance is locked in. The pictures below constitute a final stance check. With a fairly aggressive Z at the rear and a 4” drop on the front axle the car is a kind of low highboy. I’ve always liked that look. The smaller body of the Model A when compared to the ’32 ford, combined the depth and shape of the Deuce rails and the low stance create an aggressive race car look that’s hard to beat. I’m at the point of final assembly with only minor details left like door handles and taillights. I should have this done in the next several days. Thanx for lookin’, B.