Dennis Lacy

I saw this snooping around your Fotki the other day before you shared it here. It really does capture the theme of the cars being built for the "TROG" event. While there's a handful of cars loaded with speed equipment most of them are on the simpler side like this. I've always liked the brown primer / black chassis look and it's very effective for this car. About the only thing I'd change would be to delete the headlights as everyone removes them for racing. (I think it might be a rule that they have to be removed?) My favorite detail are the torque tube exhausts. That looks perfect!

Not to get all gushy but You and Modeler's Corner are pretty much responsible for my interest in scale hot rod building and showing me that I could modify kits to make them my own. I would love to see that little pink truck again with better, modern photography! I'm not surprised that you didn't hear negative feedback on that issue. Probably most of the reader base built models in their youth and quite a few of them still did or else your column wouldn't have gone on for as long as you were able to do it.

Actually, the May 1990 Street Rodder issue I referenced above states that these roadster pickups shared by Tim (including the big rig I mentioned) were among the very few survivors of Dave's finished models.

Thanks so much for posting these, Tim. I remember these well and it's good to see them again. You featured them all in a builders profile in a 1990 Street Rodder that also showed Dave's roadster cab-over big rig and transporter trailer. That issue had a bunch of extra model car coverage. That's my all time favorite issue because it contains my all time favorite Modeler's Corner where you showed start to finish how to build a street rod '29 Pickup using the best of what was available at that time. That little truck turned out so killer. I built my own version in the mid 90's as a teen but it didn't survive. I read that issue so many times it fell apart. I bought a replacement issue on eBay years ago and doing another '29 Pickup following the article is on my to do list.

UPDATE! Been working on getting things painted the last few weeks. At this point everything is done for the chassis, engine and interior with the body in its first round of white primer. I sat down this afternoon and assembled the entire chassis and engine. Thankfully, everything went together without any drama. I need to do a few touch ups and still need to run fuel lines to the carbs. Frame is Tamiya black but I very tediously masked the floor so it would stay in gray primer. The engine is Tamiya "Light Gunmetal". The wheels, dashboard and steering wheel are Tamiya "Racing White". The upholstery is Tamiya "Light Earth". All that's left now is to get the body in paint and then on to final assembly. Close!

I think this is the nicest one of these I've seen. Great stance and wheel choice! I like the metallic gray paint, too.

Nice save! Looks tough with the ARDUN in there.

Definitely the nicest version of this model I've ever seen!

Doesn't get much cleaner than this! The fit & finish is really nice and I dig the way you did the interior pleats. Shows how well this model can look straight from the box. Those plug wires remind me of working at Pepboys during high school. They had the "performance" isle with a huge shelf full of bright yellow Accel plug wires.

Thanks, Bill! I get them as right as I have the patience for, LOL!

Thanks a bunch, Bill!

UPDATE! Did a little work to this project today. Hot Rods and louvers go hand in hand so I added some! I cut out the trunk lid from the body, built a flange around the opening and then modified the louvered trunk lid from Revell's '32 5-Window to fit. That required trimming about 3/32" off of the bottom edge, adding strips of .020" to the side edges then bending the lid to the proper curve to match the '34 body. I then took more louvers from the optional hood sides in the 5-Window kit and added 4 rows to the rear apron (which line up with the rows on the trunk and leave space between for a license plate) and a short row to each hood top leaving room in the middle of the hood for the future hole for the blower scoop. I also removed the gas filler neck from the left edge of the rear apron because it's going to be implied that the gas tank is in the trunk.

On an original '34 that rear apron is separate from the body and the fenders. It's rendered correctly.

If you look at the plastic kit body this chopped body is made from you'll see that the rain gutters are just as thick. It's one of those things that looks way more obvious with digital macro photography than through your own eyes. I could definitely knock the gutters down some because you're right, they aren't that pronounced on a full scale '34 Coupe. Thanks for the heads up. Now I can't un-see it, LOL!

Thanks for all of that! I don't feel like I'm doing anything particularly special but it's always flattering to hear that my projects help or inspire others. I take the same approach to building models that I do with full size cars which is to figure out every last detail and fit everything before the paint process starts. Final assembly goes a bunch smoother. Plus, I don't enjoy painting (nor am I particularly good at it) so I don't mind putting it off, LOL! For ever I never gave these wheels any consideration, I thought they were ugly. And they are as they come out of the box! I've tossed out multiple sets over the years when I was done picking those Model A kits clean of kit -bashing parts. I have to say after stripping the chrome, adding lug nuts and the correct wing nuts (as Halibrand actually sold them) I really like them. They wouldn't look good on anything but I think they work for this project. It will be a metallic color. I was going to use Testors 1-coat "Icy Blue" but have since painted two other models that color so I'm probably going to go with a different color. I might go with one of the metallic oranges from the 1-coat line.

They are Carter side draft carburetors, like used on the '53-'54 Corvette "Blue Flame" in line 6 cylinder. No doubt the set up is to allow multiple carburetors while fitting under the hood.

Thanks! But there's still plenty of time to screw it up!

This is a neat project! Nice work on the trunk and bucket seats. Looking forward to following along!

Another vintage drag Altered on my workbench is this 1932 Ford Pickup. The picture below was my inspiration. The basic foundation is the '32 style frame from Revell's '29 Roadster / '30 Coupe kits, a Drag City Casting chopped resin cab (amazing quality!) and a Lindberg '34 Pickup bed. I started this one a while back and here's the most recent mock up pictures I have. The front axle and wheels are from the Monogram Slingster Dragster, the rear wheels and slicks are from the Revell Orange Crate. The cab is channeled the height of the frame and bed has been heavily shortened and channeled as well. The bed and cab visor have been drilled liberally. Up front I removed the front cross member and frame horns, added a round tube front cross member and used the spring mount from the Slingster frame. The rear axle is the Halibrand quick change and axle tubes from an AMT '25 T kit. The housings were extended a but with Revell '40 Ford brake plates and finned Buick drums from Revell's '29 Roadster / '30 Coupe kits. I put in a Model A rear cross member from an AMT '29 Roadster frame then drilled it full of holes. I also added a round tube rear spreader bar to the frame horns then drilled them between the bar and cross member. The engine is the Buick Nailhead from Revell's '29 Roadster. I sawed off the automatic transmission then reworked the transmission adapter housing from a Revell Ed Roth Tweedy Pie T. I then added the trans adapter plate and B&M Hydro trans from a Revell Cadillac parts pack engine. I made some solid motor mount plates up front. I used the tubular transmission cross member from Revell's '29 Roadster / '30 Coupe kits. Lots more to do!

The newest vintage dragstrip project on my workbench is this 60's style Altered based on the rare AMT 1928 Ford Sedan that was issued only once in the early 60's. It was a mint condition one, too! This kit poses a challenge because the frame is molded with the fenders and floor as once big piece. It's workable but takes a lot more planning. I cut out the center floor and frame cross member then added the tubular transmission cross member from Revell's '29 Roadster and '30 Coupe kits. The tube was put on drop brackets to get the transmission height correct. Out back I'm using the complete axle, shocks, 1/4 eliptic springs and loooooooong ladder bars from Revell's KS Pitmann '41 Willys Gasser. I added early Ford drum brake plates to the axle and Grandt Line nut detail to the spring plates. The front axle & suspension will be from any of Revell's '32 Ford series kits. The engine is the 327 Chevy / Muncie 4-speed from Revell's 1962 Corvette and it will have Hilborn fuel injection which will be a modified and detailed unit from AMT's Double Dragster kit. Front motor mounts have yet to be made but I think the plan is to build a Hurst style saddle mount. And some mock ups with the work that's been done so far. The top has been chopped a scale 4 inches. The wheels, tires and slicks are all from Revell's Miss Deal Studabaker funny car. As you can see, the engine is heavily set back such that the firewall will end up where the dashboard was. Lots and lots more to come!

Here's the newest project on my workbench. It's a 60's styled 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe. Initial mock up. The base kit is AMT's '34 5-Window with a Drag City Casting chopped top resin body. The quality of this body is absolutely outstanding! Halibrand front wheels and tires are from any of the Polar Lights funny car kits with Halibrand rear wheels and M&H slicks from Revell's KS Pitmann '41 Willys Gasser. I also taped a Hilborn bug catcher scoop onto the hood for good measure. The plan is a street rod with competition vibes. Getting started, I modified the front cross member to get the front lower by cutting out its center then laying in a flat piece of styrene. I then notched the frame rails to the same depth of the cross member for spring clearance. The front axle is the super nice dropped I-beam from Revell's '29 Roadster and '30 Coupe kits. (I sure hope we get those back!) You can see here how far the spring is sunk into the modified cross member. I removed the molded in floor and frame center "X" then fit in the very nicely detailed center "X" from Revell's '40 Coupe and Convertible. I also made front engine mounts. The rear floor and cross member will eventually be removed but I left them to keep the frame from getting too flimsy while I worked on the "X" area. The engine is the first-generation Chrysler Hemi with LaSalle 3-speed transmission from Revell's Miss Deal Studabaker funny car kit. I will be kit bashing it with other parts to make a streetable version with water pump and alternator. Here, the timing cover / water pump and belt drive from the Revell '32 5-Window has been added. And some mock ups with the work done so far. As you can see the Hemi is heavily set-back into the cowl which is necessary for all of the blower drive to fit. The front stance isn't as low as the first mock up because I want more of a 60's realistic look with the top of the tire at the fender bead rather than tucked up into the fender. Lots more to come!

UPDATE! I haven't been very good at keeping my projects updated on here! No work has taken place recently but more has been done since the last update. I fit a slightly modified Revell '29 Roadster firewall into the cowl and then proceeded to build sub rails along the lower edges of the body and floor pans from .040" Evergreen sheet. The transmission / drive shaft tunnel was cut out of the floor of a Revell '37 Ford. I modified the interior side panels (top) from a Revell '29 Roadster kit to fit the T body. I also modified the bench seat from a Revell '29 Roadster by trimming the sides to make it narrower, clearancing it for the drive shaft tunnel, filling in the sides and making a rear filler panel. I made a '32 Ford style dashboard for it from .040" Evergreen sheet and .040" half-round, fit a Revell '32 gauge panel and mounted a steering column with a Revell '29 Pickup steering wheel. I added .040" round-rod piping around the edges of the rear floor platform for a more "finished" look and made fuel tank brackets. I filled the gaps at the bottom of the firewall. Here's some mock ups of the finished interior and floor pieces. The fuel tank is from Revell's Ed Roth Tweedy Pie T. I added straps to it. There's still more fab work to do on this model but it's getting closer.

UPDATE! I haven't been on top of updating my projects. This one has had the last of the needed fab work completed and has had some of its pieces painted. I ended up replacing the rear wheels and tires with ones from the newer Revell Model A kits to go with the fronts. I changed the body to the one from the Rat Roaster kit because I like the shape of it better and it comes with an appropriately chopped windshield. I made flat wheel wheels to fit it and also made a floor panel for the rearmost part of the frame where the gas tank was removed. Got the final engine and suspension details sorted out like the lower radiator hose and generator. I also built all of the interior using a '40 Ford dash & steering wheel and the side panels and seat from a Monogram '30 Touring kit. Here's some final mock up pictures before starting paint.

This is freakin RAD!

Absolutely awesome collection of Model T's. WOW! My favorites of the stock ones are the Depot Hack, C-Cab Delivery and the TT Stakebody. I also really dig the two hot rods. They both have that "built in the 80's" feel to them evidenced by the parts used, especially the old 2-piece Revell tires.