Bernard Kron

Doesn't appear to be half as much work as I had supposed. Far less filler and plastic involved... (and instant rolled pan, too). Nice job! Looks like the deck lid from the 5-window needs some adjustment. Interesting, I hadn't checked that fit out. Both cars are progressing nicely. The gunmetal metallic looks first rate on the highboy.

The Wayne head (later developed by Fisher) was a 12 port cross flow design with the intake on the left side and the exhaust on the right. If you want to use the stock Chevy six head and make a crossflow design you'll have to modify it.

Early 50's drag car using the injected six with Fisher 12 Port Head from the AMT '51 Chevy Hardtop kit. I changed out the kit injectors for a set made from parts taken from the Revell Tommy Ivo Showboat kit. The front accessory drive has also been modified. For tons of information about the Wayne and Fisher heads for the Chevy and GMC motors got to Inliners International: http://www.inliners.org/ .

After Dinky's killer black Willys modern rod I just had to move my '41 project to the front burner. I was inspired. But the problem was that although I believe that Revell's Street Rod was meant to be lowered I felt that model's as good as Dinky's pretty much say it all when it comes to the modern look. So what to do? First some background. I've had this kit sitting ready to be built for a couple of years now. I bought it from a good friend and modeling buddy when both of us attended the NNL West in 2011. I fly down there each year to hang with my buddies Raul and Curt. I bought the kit from Curt that year and it included a resin lowered chassis from a now notorious resin caster known for his high quality work and the unbelievably long waits to get your order filled (we're talking years in some cases). It's a shame because it is a full transkit with narrowed rear end, modified tubbed interior piece and a beautifully engineered chassis. So... I decided I wouldn't actually use the trick resin chassis, but that I would employ it as a model for my own modifications, since, based on the caster's terrible reputation it was highly unlikely I could ever replace it. With Dinky's inspiration the time has come to build my own lowered '41. Up to now I mainly build Old Skool, But lately I've thought about easing into a more modern style. But, as I said, Dinky's build pretty much nails the modern style. So I decided to do a project that's my take on "Retro-Mod" but with the emphasis on the "Retro" part, rather than the "Mod" part, which Revell has already handled quite well in the basic kit. So here's the plan. The body remains stock with the stock grill. But all the 90's billet era bling and design cues have to go! And yet I want to retain an aggressive Big Power look and start to include some more contemporary design aspects. So this will be a sort of Post Modern street rod. The only body modification is a hood scoop from an AMT ’49 Ford kit. The motor will be the kit Hemi, but it will have Hilborn injection instead of a Jimmy blower. I chose a real Retro color, a Depression era light blue, a Tamiya military color, but it will have a somewhat Billet Era monochrome look, but with Retro design cues: The front end is lowered about 3 ½ scale inches by raising the suspension as shown below: For now the rear end stays kit stock until I can see the rake and determine if any further dialing in is required. To “sell” the Old Skool, bling-free aspect I’ve decided to go with steelies. The fronts are AMT ’40 Ford items and the rears, in order to conserve the kit’s monster meats, were made by using some junk wide chrome reversed rims from an AMT ’29 Ford Roadster kit with the centers hogged out to adapt a set of Baby Moons from an AMT ’40 Ford Sedan Delivery kit. I used the worst ones I could find in my parts box since they would be stripped and painted body color. Even then I needed to use some giant rear wheel halves from a Too Much kit to provide adequate width for the huge rear tires from the Revell kit. I used matching Baby Moons on the front as well. And finally there’s the kit’s interior, which is classic 90’s billet fare. The key piece is an aftermarket resin part from Altered States Models, their AS07-005 'Tubbed 40/41 Willys Floorpan, which combines the tubbed wheel wells from the Street Rod kit with the simplified floorpan from the Revell Stone Woods & Cook gasser. This eliminates the rectangular center console from the Street Rod kit and better suits the look I’m after. I decided to use the diamond tufted buckets from the recent Revell Stacey David Rat Roaster kit and combine them with diamond tufted door panels which I made by cutting out the billet-style panels from the kit and substituting square pattern styrene stock rotated 45 degrees: This should give you an idea of where I’m headed with this thing… Thanx for lookin’, B.

Very nice indeed! It's so cleanly executed that the resulting crispness creates an illusion of detail that is probably not actually there. After all, these were extremely simple trucks even as 1:1's, so how much detail should they have as a scale model? Thanks for sharing!

This project pushes all my buttons - one off, creative, scratchin' & bashin' at its best, accurate, historic, original - it just doesn't quit! And my favorite chassis type, the tubular space frame. In this case aggressively minimalist, eliminating some of the cross bracing where it isn't needed and substituting paneling instead. Reminds me of the great Frank Nichols of Elva fame in his early days. How much did this thing actually weigh? This must have been a total blast to think up and then execute. The planning and conceptualizing aspect of modeling is a key dimension that makes it a very special hobby to me. Seeing it executed here (I just went back and read the build thread...) is a total gas! I was traveling last month and missed the whole thing 'cause you build so fast. But I'm caught up now! Thanx for sharing, B. PS. Does anybody know if there's any connection between Bill and Burt (Rutan). They seem to have been engineering soul mates...

The big block Chevy is known as the "Rat Motor". The Stacey David roadster is small block Chevy powered and designed to beat big block power and thus is the "Rat Roaster"... That's my story and I'm stickin' to it....

Nice work so far on both of them. They both sit well. I'll be curious as to how you handle the valence panel below the trunk lid on the low boy, which, along with the notch in the frame rails for the exhaust and the IMHO silly hood ports, are among the major complaints I have about this "modified re-issue", which results in additional work to make what is now Revell's only 1/25th scale Roadster a more universal model. And, yes, do consider a shortened grill shell on the Low Boy...

The observation about the tail contour differences between the unblown and blown cars serves to remind me just how exceptionally graceful and beautiful (if ultimately less aerodynamic) the original bodywork was. It's well worth the effort you're expending to capture it, IMHO.

Thanx guys! Nicely put, Curt. If I give up on this one it will never get built! But I think I've got a handle on it now (if only the paint will match - I'm trying to determine what color primer I used...). As to my seeming inactivity, we've been traveling this past month (in the land where I believe you may have a daughter staying?) and have had an enforced hiatus from the workbench. I must admit I have missed it...

Nice, no jive modern rod. The Revell Willys streeter needs so badly to be slammed and you've done it perfectly. I love the deep black paint and simple approach. Bravo!

So I opened the box once more the other day and much to my horror discovered that the right chassis horn had snapped off, that the right kingpin was missing on the front axle and that the fuel tank underside was warped. This time however I think I'm up to the task. So I began by building up a new chassis from a Revell 1/25th Deuce, replicating as much as possible Hoving's design in order to assure a proper fit. Miraculously, a can of paint appears to have survived so I can match it to the body. I also have addressed the stance issue, although the car isn't yet back up on its wheels. The pictures and captions below will tell the tale The original Hoving chassis with its thin K-member and side rails. For some reason I never took a picture of the nicely done separate floor board that it comes with. It's pictured below. I've made a mental note to ask Norm if he'll sell me some separately from the chassis. They could come in mighty handy! The results of 5 years of neglect and clumsy handling. This picture was taken after I had cut the rear cross member out to re-use on the new chassis. Topside view of the completed replacement chassis. The original fuel tank top is taped in place to check body fit. Anything white is genuine Revell styrene. The result is extraordinarily similar to Hoving's design, but it's far more robust and rigid than the thin resin original. I used the rear cross member from the RepMin piece to ensure proper fit of the existing rear axle and spring which survived intact. A Revell '29/'30 rat rod Ford rear cross member would work just as well. It's probably what Hoving used on his master. The rear cross member is glued in place with epoxy. Just as Hoving did, I had to notch the bottom edge of the rail a bit to clear the rear axle. At the front Hoving flipped the Deuce cross member upside down and reshaped it to take the Revell front spring. For reasons of rigidity and strength I left the front cross member intact and modified it to lower the front end to help improve the stance. The underside of the front end. Note that I hogged out the inside of the cross member to allow the spring to sit more deeply into it. I also notched the rails to clear the spring ends. Finally, not shown here, I shaved three leaves off the top of the spring. All this puts the front axle center line just above the tops of the frame rails and lowers the front a good 2 scale inches or so. Also, note that like Hoving I moved the engine mounts forward, shortening them so they support the Flathead V8 Ill be using. Bottom view of the frame showing the RepMin supplied floorboard assembly. The Revell chassis has the floorboards molded to it. I removed them and shaved the side bits of plastic all the way down to the tops of the chassis rails for a snug fit. The separate floorboards without the chassis in place. Its a single piece and includes an inset panel for the buggy spring. I had glued it in place at the time of original construction and it just wont budge. Fortunately the funky contact cement residue seen in the picture is hidden by the chassis rails. I had just discovered I was badly allergic to CA and was just beginning to experiment with contact cement as a substitute. These days I use epoxy for all non-styrene joints almost exclusively. But there's nothing like thin CA and a zip kicker for the tiny stuff. Ah well Next time rescuing the motor and dialing in the fiddly suspension bits. Also, will the paint match? Thanks for lookin', B.

This is a project I first started 5 years ago. I posted the project at the time, but with all the things that have happened with the forum software since, the thread is no longer available. It was just months after I had gotten back into modeling after literally decades away and I had just discovered the wonderful world of aftermarket resin parts; more specifically the spectacular products produced by Norm Veber at Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland. I was already on my second order from them and had obtained one of the Rik Hoving mastered traditional Deuce chassis with the buggy spring rear end. In fact almost half this car was made with RepMin parts! Things started sort of bass ackwards for me since I usually do the motor and chassis before I do paint and body work, even now. Instead, in this instance I began painting immediately, using Duplicolor Aquamarine Blue metallic. The chassis I used was the Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland traditional 32 Ford chassis by Rik Hoving which uses the Revell '29 Ford suspension bits. With a full hood with the standard louvers, p/e grill and post '49 Flatty with three carb setup, it was to be a classic early 50's street rod. Details included RepMin stock '32 firewall, p/e Auburn dash from RepMin, and the nice tuck and roll interior from RepMin that Lyle Willits mastered. All these parts are still available today and are, as always with Norm Veber;s products, absolutely the finest resin parts available. I was striving for period authenticity which was partially the reason I bought so much RepMin stuff. There's nothing out there better for that effect when building an old skool rod. Additional details included front suspension from the Revell '29/'30 rat rod Ford kits, finned Buick front brakes from RepMin, a quick change rear end, the flathead V8 from the (at that time recently released) Revell Deuce Tudor kit modified with a RepMin LaSalle transmission and highly detailed triple Stromberg 97's from Model Car Garage, and a p/e grill shell. As you can tell I was aftermarket crazy at the time! Here are some build picks from 5 years ago. As you can tell the stance is pretty lame. At the time I made excuses for it as being period correct but the truth was that more work was required than I knew how to do back then. My excuse was even lamer than the stance! Well this one turned out to be my first DNF after my return. I was in way over my head. Norm Vebers resin is famously thin, smooth and styrene like, but one result of his delicately fine castings is that they dont take to heat real well. Soon I had warped parts on my hands from using my newly acquired dehydrator and the whole deal was quickly going pear shaped. For the first time (but far from the last) I put all the parts away in a box and moved on to happier days. I never forgot the car. Every year or so I would open the box and think about how to save it. It had a great color, the RepMin resin interior based on the Monogram 32 Ford Roadster looked fine, and Norms hot rod big n little whitewalls had the perfect vibe. Sure, I never got the stance right and the resin chassis was dangerously thin and delicate. The posable front suspension from the Revell 29/30 rat rod Fords had given me no small amount of grief, too. But time has moved on and thankfully my skills have improved from those early days. The time has come to tackle this sucker and finish it up. Because of the dreaded 10 picture limit I'll continue my tale with the next post B.

Great progress so far. You keep homing in more and more on the proper balance, making changes, some of them often quite significant, as the situation requires. I like where the interior is going. Adding crisp and original detail is just the ticket! Regarding the wheels, I think the Torq-Thrust style wheels look fine with the white walls. The steelies would need to be used at all four corners to look good, and, as you point out, would require deeper ones at the rear. The look would be more utilitarian and less show car, but real tough and cool, IMHO. My personal favorite deep dish steelies for hot rod rears are the ones that come in the AMT '49 Ford coupe kits and which are duplicated by Modelhaus as part no. W-160. Here's a composite pic: As is generally the case, wheel choice can really swing the overall "flavor" of a car. Either way, this T-Bucket will look great since I'm certain you will guide it's evolution to just the right place.

That works! Which is important because many '53 Stude full customs don't. I like the re-shaped rear quarter windows on the chop and how the scallops "sell" the swoopy lines. Nice one, Eric!

Thanx guys! Bruce, the '53 Studebaker body style was a unique and yet pivotal moment in automotive styling. It was extraordinarily modern, low and clean. I don't believe Loewy ever equaled it, even with the Avanti. In many ways it even out-shone the Italians, or at least beat them to it by a few years. As I said earlier in this thread, I think it was remarkable that AMT were able to show so much "respect" and sensitivity to the original design. I'm gratified that someone with as much history and emotion attached to Studebakers as you have would like my effort. I'm flattered and pleased. Thanx again!

Thanx Ron!

These appear to be Modelhaus T-120B's, the blackwall variant. I use these tires a lot on my models, in either whitewall or blackwall form, when they are from the late 40's and early 50's time frame. They are just about ideal for this period, the 110's being just a bit narrow and small and without the ribbed tread pattern. They fit AMT rims perfectly (the ones in the picture are AMT Chevy pickup truck ('56?) rims which had the proper inner detail to run the car without front brakes). Here's a pic of the wheels and tires from the build showing the sidewall. As with most Modelhaus stuff they are currently unbranded, where once they had been Firestones. I believe similar tires can be had from Replicas and Miniatures that have retained their brand markings.

Truly delicious! Any plans for the rear deck other than gloss black? The primered state makes me wonder... Switching to the tonneau is an improvement IMHO. As you point out, once the frame rails are in black it will have a nice integrated look to it. The see-through PE grill is one of the great effects that can be done with that aftermarket piece. I can't resist showing this picture of the front end of am inliner powered A roadster I did a few years back:

I have a pair in my stash, I've had them for years. They're very nice. I hold on to them for that ultimate emergency when I finally have stolen my last u-joints from my stash. Oh for the day when I can order up a bag 'o (u)-joints from someone!

Just to put my vote in for an aftermarket source for u-joints, I do a fair amount of scratch frame building and regularly rape kits from my stash for u-joints. I periodically run out. My favorite source has been the Revell '32 Fords. The actual drive shaft is certainly not the issue, the appropriate diameter styrene of metal tube or rod is readily available. How about a bag of 6 or 8 to make production worthwhile?

Amen to that, Ed! Like plowboy I recently did a pickup using Krylon Enamel clear over Duplicolor Metallic and it took several weeks to cure properly. At the same time I started a project using Krylon Enamel as the color coat. While cure time was acceptable, about 24 hours to the point where I could readily handle it, I clear coated it with Krylon Enamel within the 2 day window (but more than 1 hour) and got crazing, as if I had cleared it with lacquer. Yikes! I love the color choices, especially in solids, but it will take some more experimentation to get back to proper results.

The original post was the first time I hade used them. I continue to use them and have refined my technique quite a bit. I've also been in touch with Archer from time to time pitching them on true 1/24th scale louvers that would stand higher above the surface and perhaps be available in white or light gray to contrast with darker colors. Archer say they are aware of the 1/24th & 1/25th scale vehicle market but that the printing technology limits them to black and the current height of their details. To date, while they have released other 3-D details they haven't done any more louvers. I measured the width of the 1/48th scale louvers that I use and, after application, they are about 3.5 mm in width. For the metrically challenged (like myself) this corresponds to 3.31" wide louvers at 1/24th and 3.44" wide louvers at 1/25th. The next time I used them I got far better results. Applied to bare polished white resin and then covered directly with a bright metallic (in this case Testors Aluminum Plate Metalizer) they really pop and show through with no problem. This is the case with almost any metalizer type paint and with most light to medium matte finishes. On the same car, here they are with a light dusting of color coat over them but with no clear. They show through pretty well, I think, and to good effect. The last two times I used them was the first time I appplied them to relatively dark metallic colors. In these instances I applied my clear coats prior to doing the louver decals, did most of my final polishing and only applied a light sealer coat of clear over the decals, avoiding them for my last polish. They are in their raw black state. Here they are over a dark gray metaalic and a deep red metallic. In both cases I think they look pretty convincing. This fall I plan to experiment with black surfaces, both matte and gloss, to see what techniques I can develop to use them. I have considered a medium gray under coat applied after putting down the louvers but before applying the black, then clearing and polishing, allowing the gray to show through the black. I have no idea how much control I will have and what the final effect will be but it's definitely worth a try. Also very important is how you apply them. Archer has a video on their recommended technique and I highly encourage anyone using the louver decals to follow it scrupulously, It pretty much eliminates most problems with the louvers breaking up on the surface and gives you a very high success rate putting them down. Here's the link: http://youtu.be/aptnvFeEqio

Yeah, I built one. Everything we would expect from RepMin. Superb detail, faultless fit, immaculate castings. It was limited production but I suspect it is still available if you ask. Here's a link to my Under Glass post: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22278

Thanx Tom! The Loewy '53 is perhaps the ultimate pre-fin, postwar (is that a category? ) design, maybe even on both sides of the atalntic, and certainly among mass produced cars. I think any adult male of the period had to have responded to it's beautiful lines, incredible originality and obvious sophistication. Butr the remarkanle thing is that the team at AMT created such superbly integrated customizing parts. I really have to credit them with giving me the means to refine Loewy's classic without stepping all over it.