Dennis Lacy

Hardly a bad obsession to have. Thanks for the extra pics, Tim!

Chopped Model A coupes make fantastic hot rods and combining one with parts from the new roadster kit sounds like a solid plan.

Definitely one of the nicer versions of this iconic hot rod that I've seen. Nice work!

UPDATE After spending some time to consider my approach I got started altering the front of the frame to mount the axle and Cadillac engine. The front cross member was replaced with a section of Evergreen 1/8" round tube. The frame rails were both drilled with .060" holes and a piece of rod of the same size runs through both frame rails and through the 1/8" tube. Doing so positively located the tube so I didn't have to rely on hand/eye coordination to put it in place. It also adds a great deal more support than simply butt-gluing the tube to the frame rails. I Then filed a .030" deep x 1/8" wide flat spot in the top of the tube and constructed a spring perch out of .040" x 1/8" wide strip. I finished up by rounding the ends of the frame rails to blend in with the tube. The tube is in the same location as the original front cross member that was removed so with the the axle mounted ahead of it the wheelbase has been stretched. Doing so will get the front wheel center line more towards the front of the custom front shell and will make it look less nose-heavy. The front engine mounts were made from .040" x 1/8" wide strip. I filed corresponding notches into the tops of the frame rails, installed a strip all of the way across then removed the center as needed leaving behind two engine brackets. Doing it this way gives, again, a far stronger joint for the mounts than simply butt-gluing the brackets to the inside of the frame rails. It also ensured that they were level and square. Lastly, I made two 3/16" tall spacer cushions out of 1/8" tubing and some gussets to triangulate the underside of the mounts to the frame rails. The transmission sits on the unmodified mount cross member in its original location. I also filled all of the various mounting notches in the frame rails as they won't be used. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Here is the front axle (from the new '29 Roadster) installed. I drilled through the center of the spring and inserted an .040" mounting/alignment pin that sticks out of the bottom of the spring. I opted to have the spring sit on top of the perch (which would work fine in full scale) to keep the perch low profile so the radiator can eventually sit on top of the front frame tube. I also removed the molded mounts from the frame ends of the split wishbones (also from the new '29 Roadster), installed .040" mounting pins and drilled corresponding holes in the frame rails. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki And a couple of really crude mock ups to check the stance. Right now I just stuck some plastic pins in the ends of the front axle and in the ends of the '29 Roadster kit rear axle. They're a sloppy fit in the wheels but I just wanted something to hold the frame up real quick. Since the Cadillac engine has an auto trans attached to it I will probably just use the '29 Roadsters 9" Ford rear axle (which was first used in 1957) but it will need to sit lower out back and maybe get some back-dating on the suspension design. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

Thanks for all of the continued enthusiasm, guys! I'm itching to get some work done on it. Planning some quality bench time on Sunday so stay tuned...

Tim, Everything you have done on this model makes it infinitely cooler than how it comes in the box. The stance is so much better! It also reinforces my initial sentiments that this car needs a '32 grill to look right. The early A shell is just too antique for the rest of the car. I have to say that, so far, this is my favorite version of the new '29 from your work bench. *Note to self: Must get a Miss Deal kit because that wheel & tire combo is wicked bad!

That dashboard!

I've always loved the modern Ala Kart kit as a parts source. The axle and wheels/tires are total wins in my book. While the engine scaling is totally screwed, the front cover/water pump piece, drive belt, fan and generator are all nicely rendered and come in handy for turning the Red Ram from post - Ala Kart reissues of AMT's '29 Roadster into a streetable engine (since all those reissues offered a competition only super charged version of the Red Ram.) Shown below is an AMT '29 frame and Red Ram engine outfitted with all of the front engine parts, axle and wheels/tires from the modern Ala Kart. Hosted on Fotki I certainly agree that the new kit is better proportioned and stanced than the original. For that matter I think when Roy Brizio's shop restored the real Ala Kart they took some liberties with the stance and tire sizes because the restored car sits really, really nice.

Thanks for the the enthusiastic responses, guys! I was looking at it some more when I pulled into the garage tonight. I can't wait until I can get back to the bench and start doing some serious fab work.

I had some bench time today but didn't find myself particularly motivated to work on any current projects so I decided to play a game called "How many different old hot rod bodies will fit onto the '32 frame from Revell's new '29 Roadster kit." As it turned out, the one I would have assumed to be the least likely candidate turned out to be a stand-out. So much so that it got the creative juices flowing and a new project was born. Most of my time was spend holding up wheels, tires and engines to the taped together body and frame until I landed on a formula that spoke to me. Overall, the Ala Kart is a pretty neat hot rod and certainly has some serious provenance being a 2-time back-to-back World's Most Beautiful Roadster winner and having had the legendary hands of George Barris and Blackie Gejeian be instrumental in it's construction. Even so, the one thing I think is a major fail about the Ala Kart is the custom nose. It's awkward. It goes against instinct. It looks like it's upside down. What I've done is taken the '32 frame from Revell's new '29 Roadster kit and set the Ala Kart body work on it. Remarkably, the frame fits up into the bed like a glove thanks to it being pinched in the rear as it comes. With the wheels centered in the bed the front edge of the cowl lines up exactly with the start of the frame rail reveal, like it was planned that way. For the nose, it did to it what I've always thought the real truck needed, I turned it right-side-up. I cut off the frame horns and took a notch out of the rear lower edge of the nose so that it would fit over the end of the frame and line up height-wise with the body cowl. The stance shown is what it will be. The front wheels are modified from Revell's '32 Ford 5-Window coupe in Modelhaus T120 tires. The rear wheels and tires are from Monogram's '41 Lincoln. The engine is the early Cadillac from Revell's '49 Custom Merc. Still in the earliest stages, here's the basic plan mocked up. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Opinions welcome.

Chris, This is just my opinion but I think this is the best model I've ever seen built from the Monogram kit. It's everything a chopped A coupe on Deuce rails should be. When a guy builds a car like this (real or model) it tells me right away that they "get it." Absolutely fantastic! Also, having followed along as this project evolved I know the level of dedication this car required. You had a vision and you did what it took to see it through to the end. Much respect.

On the back of the original AMT Trophy Series instruction sheets is a section of customizing tips by George. In particular, on the '34 Pickup sheet is a really tough looking drag strip idea. I got inspired to build my own based on the illustration. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Instead of the modified T-Bird engine I used the AMT parts pack Pontiac and American mags & 12 spokes from the original '32 Vicky with parts pack tires & slicks. Everything else is from the '34 truck. Paint is Testors Mythical Maroon. It was a quick, fun project. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

Update: When I originally cobbled together the A.R.D.U.N. conversion for this Model A engine a couple of years ago it was intended to be in a "street driven" Model A lakes modified. When I repurposed the engine for this dragster it was no longer necessary to have street components like a cooling system so I modified the stock fan belt to just have two pulleys and mounted a belt driven magneto where the generator would normally go. Hosted on Fotki After digging the project back out yesterday and making some progress I found myself wanting the engine to have much more of a purpose-built look as I sat and admired it with its latest updates. Today I had some unexpected free time so I decided to see what I could do to further the "full-race" appearance of the mill. The first step was to scrap the belt driven mag and stock front cover. I replaced the cover with the finned piece from the Chevy engine in Revell's Slingster dragster. I then made a simple crank driven angle drive for the magneto. Hosted on Fotki Model A engines didn't originally have an oil filter but a full race version definitely should so I made this simple oil filer adapter with drilled bungs for oil feed hoses that will run to and from. Hosted on Fotki On the other side I added the crank case breather tube and a finned breather cap from AMT's '41 Ford Woody street rod. I also added a finned block-off cap to the side of the block where the water inlet would normally go. The block-off plate comes from the hot rodded flathead in Revell's '32 Sedan and '40 Coupe. Hosted on Fotki I added a second block-off plate to the front of the cylinder head where I originally had started to make a water pump. Hosted on Fotki All mocked up back in the dragster I think the updates give the engine much more of a competition look and add needed general interest. I also drilled the carbs for fuel hoses and drilled the ends of the header pipes. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Not a whole lot left to do. A couple final engine details and I need to build the steering pitman arm and drag link.

Towards the beginning of the year I started a retro dragster projects based on an old 60's original Revell Parts Pak Drag Master frame kit, which is literally just the frame and basic body panels. My model building pal, Jon Ferren, sent it as a surprise in the mail after I casually mentioned I'd like to have one. This frame is essentially the same as the Moon Eyes and Micky Thompson Attempt 1 dragsters, just with a different variation on the roll bar shape. After working the last couple of weekends on my retro-drag '27 T Roadster and getting most of the fab work done on it I got inspired to whip this one back out today and make some progress. This is where it was the last time I worked on it. I was originally going to use this set of wheels & tires but once I actually got the front axle mounted and the wheels mounted to the axle today the front of the chassis sat way too high. So part of today's agenda was to put a different pair of wheels and smaller diameter tires on the front to get some forward rake. Once I did that the rears had to go because my OCD brain wouldn't let me mix Halibrand front wheels with American rears... Hosted on Fotki Here's where I'm at as of now. The quick change rear axle and narrowed seat come from the Tony Nancy dragster set. The front axle is from Revell's Kurtis Midgets with Tony Nancy hairpin radius rods. The front tires are Modelhaus #T100. The front wheels are resin 5-lug Halibrand's from Drag City Casting. The slicks are from AMT's slicks parts pack and the rear wheels are 4-spoke Halibrand's from AMT's '33 Willys. I also sanded and leveled the body panels and smoothed the middle seam on the 2-piece upper cowling. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Here's a closer look at the components that will make up the front suspension. The axle, tie rod and steering arm / drag link are all from Revell's Kurtis Midget kits and the hairpins are from the Tony Nancy dragster set. Hosted on Fotki The engine is a Revell '29/'31 Model A block with a clutch housing and direct drive gear box from the Tony Nancy dragster set. The A.R.D.U.N. head conversion was created by me with scratch built cylinder head and tubular intake manifold. The valve cover is from Revell's '50 Ford Pickup. The header is from AMT's Double Dragster set and the Stromberg carbs are from one of Revell's current rodded flathead's. Not shown is a belt driven magneto that I built. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki I also made a new dash panel that extends all the way down to the frame tubes. The original dash is only about half as deep and I thought it looked a bit strange. I scalloped the bottom and added a bung where the steering shaft pokes through to give it some style. The wheel is from the Fiat in AMT's Double Dragster set and the shaft is made from .040" rod. Hosted on Fotki Not a whole lot left to do fabrication-wise. I will need to mount the steering arm at the cowl and make a longer drag link to the axle. I also need to add some engine details and a parachute mount to the back end of the frame. Visibility inside the body is slim-to-none so I'm not going to bother with any interior details like pedals. Mostly it will just be a showcase for the unique engine.

LOL, plenty of people didn't like Boyd Coddington. I would venture a guess more so than George. I've had conversations with former employees of Boyd and they agreed he was really good at being the jerk that his cable show portrayed him as.

Okay, I just did some digging and it is very true that George took tons of credit for cars he had absolutely nothing to do with. Especially TV / Movie cars. I was under the assumption that he just didn't mention his shop workers names. He flat out claims work that he or his shop never had any involvement in. Looks like the guy was kind of a douche bag. Apparently he had some legal action threatened from Universal because he was trying to say he had a hand in the original BTTF Delorean time machine.

Were there cases where George took credit for cars his shop didn't even touch? In hindsight I probably should have stayed out of the conversation because I really don't know much about him.

I like the way that you rerouted the exhaust pipes and that the mufflers are parallel with the trailing arms.

"If you think you hate it now wait 'till you drive it!"

We don't have employees. Just him and me. I would have to think that people who are Barris enthusiasts must know the names of at least some of the craftsman that worked there over the years and contributions they made to specific cars?

This is an excellent perspective and it is true of any automotive customizing shop. The vehicles produced by that brand are a product of that brand. Not Joe, Dave, Steve and Nick that work there. For example: My Dad and I have a shop called the Early V8 Garage and we specialize in flathead-era Fords, particularly in the 30's. We have our own product line and do mechanical work ranging from basic repairs to every last nut & bolt restorations or hot rods. My two hands produce 80% of our products but my name isn't on the box. When I complete a car build it is not built by Dennis, it is built by Early V8 Garage. Our shop is a brand just like Customs By Barris and anything that leaves the shop is a product of our brand. Doesn't hurt my feelings any. However, when someone compliments a particular project or car entire car that came out of our shop to my Dad and he had no little or no involvement in that particular project he is quick to point out that it is Me who deserves the credit, and visa versa. I don't know a lot about George and am only familiar with a few of the vehicles to come out of his shop because I'm not into customs. I do know that it was George out there hustling his brand and promoting the custom car hobby in general, not his shop employees. It was his name on the sign, he payed the salaries and the bills and his butt assumed all of the liability. If it wasn't for George those employees wouldn't have had a shop to build cars in.

The problem with the little V8-60's is that even in fully hot rodded form they don't make a lot of power and because of they're small displacement they're really short on torque so putting one into a small, light car like a T Roadster (or midget oval track racer) is about the only thing that makes sense. The performance would be pretty uninspiring in a '32 and especially in a '40. I have driven an all-original '38 Sedan that had the V8-60 and it was dreadfully under powered. I'm really surprised sales supported keeping that engine option for 4 years.

That actually happened with the coupe. Look really close and compare the shape and proportions of the body, particularly the windshield and side windows and their relationship to one another. It's exactly the same as Revell's current '34 Coupe snap-tite. The grill is the same shape, too. For some reason, though, the hood on the snap-tite is too short. It's not the greatest chop in the world. The shape of the side windows is a bit wonky. I was a kid when these came out and I wanted them really bad. I'd still like to have them for nostalgic reasons. They show up on Ebay fairly often but are usually priced in the $50 - $70 range. One of these days...

Johnny Callaway! Very nice overall representation of the movie car. The only thing out of place are the short / fat rear tires. I was at El Mirage with my roadster club watching the racing the day she was filming the scenes with Gene Winfield. Her and her "crew" (all 2 of them) filmed a driving scene with our cars in the back ground since they're all period correct but that scene didn't make the final cut. Those Edelbrock script valve covers are awesome! What's the source?

I think deleting the Kurtis nose was the right thing to do. Every morning when I get my car out of the garage for work and every night when I come home and put my car back in the garage I stop and check out this project still mocked up on my work bench. Every time I look at it I'm happier with the decision.