Dennis Lacy

Did some more work on this thing today. Decided to get the front and rear axles mounted. Out rear I removed some more of the molded in floor then trimmed and installed a Revell '40 Ford cross member to mount the Revell '48 Ford axle & spring. For this spring to fit into the cross member it needs the u-bolt detail removed from the spring leaves then it slips right in. The alignment tab is even the same shape as the notch in the cross member. I also had to extend the drive shaft notch in the floor all the way to where the floor steps up at the back to make clearance for the torque tube. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Up front I lowered the front by trimming the mounting tabs on the front spring to allow it to suck up into the cross member. The shock mounts had to be trimmed and raised then were pinned so that they could be taken on and off. The hairpin rods were pinned to the frame rails. I adapted a set of Revell '40 - '48 Ford brake plates and finned Buick drums from Revell's recent Model A roadster and coupe kits. I also changed the front wheels and tires to those from the Model A kits which are basically the same wheel and tire, just shaped a bit different. Hosted on Fotki And some mock ups with the axles installed and the wheels & tires finalized. The track - widths have also been corrected now that the front brakes are installed pushing the wheels out where they belong and the rear wheels are properly mounted sucking them in tighter to the body where they belong. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki More to come! Comments welcome!

The woody cowl opening is also different to accommodate the custom chrome firewall and wont accept the stock firewall from either the coupe or cabriolet.

Funny you should mention Nirvana, I was listening to them while I worked on it yesterday! But, you're right. It's not easy to make a channeled 32 roadster look right. It'll definitely have a cut down windshield before the end.

The more I've been looking at how I adapted the early Ford trans, the more I don't like it because it's not accurate for what it would look like on a Buick Nailhead. Here's a picture I found on Google that shows what the correct Nailhead to 3-speed looks like: Hosted on Fotki Put my thinking cap on and started digging. I happened upon a different Chevy to 3-speed adapter from the Ed Roth Tweedy Pie T kit. Although it does the same job as the Parts Pack version I started out with it looks noticeably different and I found by flipping it upside down and trimming on it a bit that I was able to made a dead-ringer for the Nailhead adapter! I also decided to use the early Ford 3-speed from the Tweedy Pie since it mates up properly. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki The trans adapter sorted out I made mount brackets off of the sides of the block which helps cover up the pair of mounting notches in it. Hosted on Fotki I cut off the original motor mounts and filled the steering box mounting notch then built new motor mount brackets. Hosted on Fotki I tweaked a Revell '40 Ford frame center "X" to fit the '32 frame. Hosted on Fotki Once the engine was located I found that it wasn't necessary to use the modern looking recessed firewall and instead I can fit the stock-style firewall from the Stacey David Rump Roaster so I went ahead and trimmed one for the channel and to fit around the engine. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki And some new rough mock ups with the stance pretty much set. The only negative I've found so far is that the carburetor scoops are going to interfere with the louvered hood top I made. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Lots to do! Comments welcome!

Possibly tomorrow? Heading down to the beach to visit friends for the rest of the day. It didn't get much action initially so I shamelessly replied to Alan and KK to get it back up top. Haha

Thanks, man! One saw cut at a time...

Thanks, Alan! Post up your roadster, sounds neat. As RRR showed below, that's where I got the idea for the modified Lincoln wheels. Him and KK are pretty crafty guys!

I really like this project. It's neat to see this kit get built. The subtle modifications you're doing are the kind that if your model was sitting next to one that was strictly straight from the box people would be trying to figure out why yours looks so much better. Can't wait to see the final product!

Awesome progress! I really like the way that seat looks in there. Now seeing the overhead shot I also think the cab looks really good squeezed in a bit at the back.

Well Hell, if we're posting models we made out of '26-'27 Roadster bodies. These are both made from Altered States bodies. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

The engine in the Ala Kart is a first generation Dodge Red Ram which was produced from '53-'54 at 241 inches and in '55 as the Super Red Ram at 270 inches. Yes, they are physically smaller than the first generation Chrysler's which came in 331, 354 and 392. Externally, those 3 Chrysler's are the same size. Regardless, the engine in the modern-tool Ala Kart is grossly undersized.

You're right, it did all start with Ron Cash and went down the line from there. All of these bodies clearly have the same basic shape and features as they've just been duped by everybody over the years. Back in about '91 in Modelers Corner you featured an incredible 40's period perfect '27 Roadster built by (if I remember right) Steve Catron. Your article talked about how he made his own bucks and vacuum formed the body and turtle deck. To my eye and intimate familiarity with the real subject his body was dead-nuts. Occassionaly I go back and read those old articles and every time I see his T I think "If only!" I think doing roadster and coupe sister kits is a natural. There is probably almost an equal interest in having a later T coupe body. Just like the sister A kits the T's could feature interchangeable options. It would be amazing! For what it's worth, Altered States does offer a pair of pretty nicely done '26-'27 Coupe bodies, one mildly chopped and the other heavily chopped with full inner structure detail. I imagine whoever mastered the latter was a big fan of Aaron Kahan's "Bad News" T Coupe from the SoCal car club Burbank Choppers. It's a dead ringer! If you've never seen it take a moment and google it. Probably my favorite T Coupe ever.

Nice work on the wheels, brother! I've seen the modified you pictured in person at the GNRS last year. I thought then and still think that the rear wheels hang out way too far behind the body.

Over the years there have been several '27 T Roadster bodies offered in the aftermarket. Actually, I believed the original was by All American Models and has since been passed around by Hendrix, Flintstone and most recently Altered States (which featured a bunch of detail improvements and louvered deck lid.) Unfortunately, the body was proportionately WRONG from the get-go and therefor so has been each subsequent reproduction, Basically, the body is too short. The downward curve of the back of the body is too sharp and the upward curve of the turtle deck where it meets the back of the passenger compartment is way too sharp, too. Below is a picture of a '27 Roadster that I built for myself 10+ years ago and below it a picture of a scale replica that my friend Jon (Rocking Rodney Rat) made me several years back from a Flintstone body. The discrepancies are very obvious. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Despite the discrepancies I have built two models myself using the recent Altered States offering because regardless of who's body copy you're using, they're the only game in town. That being said, the '26-'27 T Roadster is one of my all-time favorite bodies for hot rod material and I would absolutely love for an actual kit to be produced. In the vein of the recent '29 Roadster / '30 Coupe offerings I think it would be killer to have sister kits. One a roadster kit with interchangeable turtle deck / pickup bed (as factory) and the other a coupe!

I built this version of the Slingster shortly after it came out. Over all I had fun building it. Nice, simple, quick project to break up all the Big Builds. I replaced a handful of things that looked odd to me. Rear wheels, slicks and fuel tank from the Tony Nancy 22jr double kit. Blower assembly, injector, scoop and drive from Revell KS Pitman '41 Willys. To hide the awful rear axle I used one of the plated shields from AMT's Double Dragster. I also added some detail with a fuel pump, fuel plumbing and ignition wires. I feel like the result is a very decent looking dragster? I definitely feel like there's enough good in the box to make purchasing worth it, even as just a parts donor. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

Oh! You gave me an identical tire set a while back. You're not worried about the tires melting the wheels?

All I can say is: This is already killer. Nice work building the frame center "X" and top bows. Really digging the "Divco" wheels and Y-block, too. I love this kind of hot rod building!

Nice! The wheels look like modified Monogram Model A?

That's a nice looking pile of parts you got there! What are the front tires?

Another killer project from your bench! Nice work on the roof louvers, very similar to how I did it on my current '30 A Coupe project. Full louvered hood is gonna be awesome, too. I say go with the Olds engine. It'll make more power stock than a Frenzel blown Flathead, as neat as it is.

This is just fantastic! I love everything about it. Just spot-on!!!

This is like if Steve McGarret had a hot rod... "Book him Danno!"

I didn't feel like working on existing projects today so I went ahead and started a new one. Actually, I had put aside a box of parts for this a couple of months ago but told myself that I wouldn't start it until I finished a couple. Well, I had to scratch the itch! The roadster is going to represent a channeled and Buick Nailhead powered hot rod right in the 1953-1954 time frame. During this time hot rods still carried-over a lot of the late 40's aesthetics but were starting to replace their Flathead's with newly available overhead valve engines. The Buick 322 V8 debuted in 1953. Thanks to Revell's new-tool Model A Roadster and Coupe hot rod kits we now have a very detailed Nailhead engine to work with although it does have a modern GM automatic trans. What's nice is that there's some detail where the trans is adapted to the engine so I cut off the auto trans and installed a Chevy - Ford 3-speed trans adapter (from the AMT Parts Pack Chevy engine). The transmission was cut away from the Flathead block from Revell's 1940 Ford's. The Buick engine features a full set of chrome / finned dress up parts like oil pan, valve covers and valley cover. That stuff doesn't fit the time period so I replaced the oil pan and valve covers with those from the Tony Nancy 22jr dragster kit. The engine also gave the choice of 6 2-barrel carbs on log manifolds or Hilborn fuel injectors. Neither of those fit the time period either so I replaced them with a (cleaned up) 3 2-barrel intake from AMT's 1940 Coupe / Sedan Delivery and mounted 3 Stromberg carbs to it from Ed Roth's Tweedy Pie T. I'll also be replacing the alternator with a 50's GM generator and mounting a GM fan. The over-frame headers will be used but the turn outs will be cut off and the ends drilled. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki I'm using the Revell '32 Roadster body and frame rails as a foundation. I got started on some preliminary body mods and set up. By the 50's rows of punched louvers on various body panels had become popular as much for looks as for functions and sometimes more. Lets face it, louvers just look awesome! To that end I cut out the deck lid and put the louvered lid from Revell's '32 5-Window in its place which is as straight forward as it sounds. Hosted on Fotki I plan to run a hood top so that needed some louvers, too. Unfortunately, there aren't any louvered hood tops available in the Revell '32 kit line up so I had to make it myself. Using a hood side from the 5-Window, I scraped off louvers from the longest row so that it matched the shortest row, trimmed the hood side into a symmetrical shape, laid it on the hood top and traced the shape, cut out the shape and glued the louvered shape into the hole. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki The body is channeled to the bottom of the coves in the frame rails, or 3/16". This leaves a sliver of the frame rail visible below the body. The molded in gas tank was cut out and the frame rails shortened to just under the back of the body then a spreader bar made from .080" rod inserted. This leaves some visual "weight" under the back of the body making things looked filled out. Up front I filled the alignment notches in the frame horns for the front bumper brackets and installed a spreader bar made from .060" rod. The grill shell was notched to drop down while staying its original length. The front wheels are from the Revell '32 5-Window with Orange Crate ribbed Firestone's. The rear wheels and tires are Monogram '41 Lincoln Continental with 5-Window wheel centers grafted in so that I can use matching hubcaps all around. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Still tons to do but it's a start! Comments wecome!

The proportions of this chop are simply fantastic! The adaptation of that Revell "gasser" frame isn't something you'd ever see coming. I love the push bar.

Looking good and the NASCAR / truck arm rear suspension is an interesting choice when a full size car like this would probably run the ol' 4-bar and coil overs. Too bad there's not a Kugel style IRS available in scale, especially with their quick change center... Looking at the rear 3/4 view, this thing needs a louvered deck lid. I've found that the Revell '32 5-Window lid is soft enough that it can carefully be re formed. I did that on a '32 3-Window which has a similar curve to a '33/'34.