Dennis Lacy

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.

I'm planning to attend and bring some models to show. I live right around the corner in LA Verne. If it's not raining I'll be driving my full size '32 Ford Pickup hot rod.

This is just absolutely wicked looking. You nailed the shape of the top and I love the Y-block and exhaust!

Putting the '25 Coupe body on that tube street rod frame is a neat idea! Wouldn't have thought of that.

Wow. Just, wow. The lines and flow of the body work with the new front aprons is just, .... Wow! To quote one of my favorite customers, "This makes my sticker peck up!"

Thanks, I got the idea from you! Just so you know, 29's didn't have a bead around the wheel arch but that doesn't mean you can't add it if you want.

UPDATE! The body, grill shell and frame took a bath in Dot 3 brake fluid which took the clear and gold right off. Didn't do much to the underlying Duplicolor primer but that's okay, I just needed the gold off. Some of the engine parts took a bath in Westley's Bleech-White to strip them of chrome. Hosted on Fotki Didn't have much time over the weekend for this project but I did manage to start on some mild customizing and frenched a pair of 'Pontiac taillights and a club plaque. I always thought the back of the car looked a little plain-Jane and this idea came to me in a late night vision. I made the plaque recess a bit over size lending to the idea that this was once a street-going car and a license plate resided there before. Like a lot of street cars, this one got modified to the point of being a race-only car to try and stay competitive so the plaque is mounted in place of a license plate and the taillights are now used when flat-towing to the track. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki That's it for now but plenty more to come soon! Comments welcome!

Thanks! The mag wheels look even better now that the front ones are stripped. Didn't ditch the beehive, just didn't bother with it on these mock ups.

I had planned all along to make some fillers for the rear wheel wells which were going to be nothing more than flat pieces made from .040" sheet. Looking at it today it occurred to me that I could handle it another way. So I grabbed the non-channeled interior / wheel well pieces from the same '30 Coupe... Hosted on Fotki ... and trimmed them to fit into the openings, at the same time eliminating the kits ugly raised arches and making them stock again. It's really hard to tell but I also added back the bead line around the arch using .040" half-round which was sanded to make it less round like original. Of course, some slots needed to be added for the axle tubes and springs. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki What's neat is that by doing it just right the channeled interior / wheel well panels and floor still fit with NO modification! Hosted on Fotki After the last session where I made the tough-looking shorty header tubes I've been thinking that between those and louvered roof and deck lid that the steelie wheels weren't tough enough looking. Playing around I came up with this cool mag wheel setup that I think fits the style of the car much better. What's nice is that they were a direct bolt-on requiring no modifications. Front wheels: Revell '29 Pickup with Ed Roth Beatnik Bandit inner rims Front tires: Ed Roth Beatnik Bandit Rear wheels: Ed Roth Beatnik Bandit with Orange Crate inner rims M&H Slicks: AMT '28 Sedan (rare one-time release from the early 60's) with the centers enlarged for the wheels to fit I also trimmed the front spring to lower the front just a touch. The front wheels are soaking in chrome stripper now and they'll all be painted like raw magnesium in the end. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Pretty close now. Next step will be to make up a radiator and upper / lower hoses then I think I can do final clean up for primer / paint.

You think I should, whip it back out?

I'll never forget when I bought one of these AMT 34's years ago and how disappointed I was when I opened the box and saw the body and grill! If you pull this one off, Bill, it will be the ultimate turd-polish. Haha! I prefer early traditional stuff but I think you should do the modern version with those Phantom Vicky wheels and IFS.

Awesome work on the suicide front axle set up! Hood sides are looking good, too. We need a new mock up with them in place.

Thanks, Glenn! You took the words right out of my head and that's what I told another guy over on TRaK. I'll try and make the rebuild a little better...

Thanks. It was okay but it could have been a lot cooler. I was surprised how nice it came apart, too! I wasn't expecting it but everything came loose with mild effort. I used Zap-A-Gap to assemble and use it sparingly.

It sure looks like it!

Six years ago I built this AMT '32 Vicky. Maybe somebody here remembers it? Probably not? Hosted on Fotki To be honest, I never really liked it. I hate the straight Tamiya gold paint and I hate the decal layout. At the time I built it I was very limited on vintage racing decals so I used what I had. The model is also having an identity crises because it's trying to be an early 60's Altered, but it's not really. It was built from an 80's issue (molded in that terrible dark gray) and features the optional rear axle that was in the kit by then. I back-dated the engine to the original speed parts using pieces from the sister Phaeton kit and for some dumb reason painted the oil pan black. The chrome steelie wheels and front tires are from the AMT '25 T Chopped Coupe double kit with AMT parts pack slicks. Recently I was rearranging my display cabinet and noticed something bad had happened to the paint but I have no idea at what point in the last 6 years that it did because the last time I looked close at the model is when I finished it and stuck it in the case. It looks like traces of water and finger prints from when the decals were put on and cleared over. Really weird. Non of my other models with decals have this going on (thankfully.) Since I didn't like the model anyway I tore it apart and salvaged the wheels and tires. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki I had no intention of rebuilding the Vicky until I found a complete interior set from the most recent Retro Deluxe reissued of the kit on eBay from one of my favorite sellers for a whopping $5.43 to my door! I got to thinking that I could paint the white interior tub a lighter color easily that would look better with the gold body. I also got to thinking I always liked the Vicky kit and even tho I'm past AMT's '32 kit simplicity these days I should still have one in my fleet. It was then decided. I shall rebuild! Hosted on Fotki THE PLAN! This time around the Vicky is going to be a full-on Altered and will feature all-new running gear with a Blown Poncho up front and lots of chrome throughout. It is going to stay gold as an ode to the first version but will be a way better shade of it. It's also going to get new rolling stock. Below, all that remains and will be carried over into the new version. Hosted on Fotki NEW PARTS! Full chrome front axle assembly from AMT's recently issued '29 Roadster / Mod Rod double kit and chrome quick change rear axle assembly from AMT's '25 T double kits. Hosted on Fotki Chrome 5-spoke wheels from AMT's '25 Tall-T and Fruitwagon double kits. Front tires from the flat-box Ohio George reissue of the '33 Willys and AMT parts pack red-stripe slicks. Hosted on Fotki I plan to graft the AMT '25 T dashboard into the '32 piece and the roll bar is from the '33 Willys. Hosted on Fotki Some other bits will be the Monogram '30 Woody chrome firewall, AMT Double Dragster Fiat seat (which has nicely engraved belts) and '25 T Moon tank and fire extinguisher. Hosted on Fotki The bulk of the engine will be Revell parts pack Blown Pontiac... Hosted on Fotki ...kit-bashed with the finned timing cover, blower end plates and belt drive from AMT's rival parts pack Pontiac engine because the blower belt tensioner actually has attachment detail. From the AMT parts pack Chevy are the flywheel, magneto and shotgun headers. The little white transmission halves are from the Double Dragster Fiat Hemi. Hosted on Fotki GETTING STARTED! I can't do a whole lot until I get the paint stripped from the body and the chrome stripped from some of the engine parts but I did manage a few things today. I modified the chrome firewall to fit. Hosted on Fotki I cut out the "radiator" (no longer needed as Altered's don't have cooling systems) leaving just the hollow front shell and notched the sides to mount it (correctly) on top of the front cross member instead of in front of it. Hosted on Fotki I also re shaped the front frame horns because from AMT they look like upside down butter knives. The should have more taper top and bottom and a blunt flat at the tip. Hosted on Fotki Here's a really quick throw-together to give an idea of where this thing is headed. Hosted on Fotki As always, comments welcome!

I've done several sets of model wheels using the following procedure to get the DOW-7 look: 1) Duplicolor Gray Sandable Primer (which is a dark gray.) 2) Brush on Testors Model Master "Jet Exhaust" 3) 24 hours later seal in Tamiya Semi-Gloss Clear Here's an example picture of one of my dragsters that shows the result. Hosted on Fotki