Dennis Lacy

Awesome Hollywood, Dave! I was studying the the body and trying to decide what you used to make it. Obviously a ton of work went into it, but generally it looks like you combined the shell of a '37 Ford sedan with the nose of a '39 Chevy, the lower grill area from a '40 Willy's, and the front fenders a cross between '36 Ford and '40 Willy's. The frame, floor and part of the Corvette rear suspension look like they definately started from one of Revellogram's '37 Ford kits.

Bernard - This is looking really good so far! Awesome stance and proportions. The frame and pan look like they fit together really well and I like how you tied the wheel wells into the design. Thanks a lot for getting the wheels in my head spinning once again. As if I don't have enough to try and stay focussed on right now! PS: Ever seen the Jim Khougaz '32 roadster? It's an old lakes car that was restored 5-6 years ago. It's channeled with a full aluminum bellypan, louvered hood, etc. I thought of it the second I saw your build. http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j109/327...pg?t=1237528587

One of the last major things on the to-do list is to make a front floor board. I scoured my early Ford kits trying to find something I could make work. The floor needed to have a small hump in it to clear the engine / transmission and I finally realized I could use the floor from Revell’s ‘37 pickup. The only problem (and it wasn’t much of one) was that the floor is molded to the rest of the interior panels. So, out came the cutter! After careful measuring the floor was trimmed to fit into the roadster body. The finished front floor. The brake and clutch pedals also come from the ‘37 pickup, but I shortened the stalks by half ‘cause to me they stuck up too high. I also had to move the clutch pedal to the right. I drilled a new, shallow locating hole halfway between the original clutch pedal hole and the brake pedal. (Another good thing about this floor section is that it has molded-on detail of the original spoon-shaped accelerator pedal.) I used a round file to relieve the upper drivers side for the steering column and drilled a locating hole for a handbrake handle just to the right of the center hump. The finished floor set in place inside the ‘29 roadster body: The finished interior panels posed together. The kick panels had to be trimmed to match the shape and angle of the toe panel. Another piece I’m considering installing is this hot water heater box from Revell’s ‘50 Ford pickup. It would be mounted to the inside center of the firewall and when the dashboard is in about ½ visible. Might add a nice touch to the interior? Still thinking about it… I have to double check, but I think all the fab work is done except for the radiator. I’m going to try and get that done this week and get some stuff in primer by the weekend. I will continue to update as parts and assemblies get painted and detailed so stay tuned, lots more to come.

what a great concept! That scratched together front suspension is sweet as is the set-back engine and the details you've added to it. You're off to a good start replicating the inner body structure. You must have found a good reference picture because the inner door looks accurate. Really looking forward to seeing this one up on it's wheels!

Very interesting frame design, Mike. I have seen 1:1 frames Z'd front and rear before, but I can't recall seeing the front done to that extreme. It definately accomplishes getting the stance nice and low and the engine up off the ground. It's cool that the stock center crossmember can be conveniently used as a trans mount. It's also neat that the rear of the frame makes a platform to mount the PU bed to. I'm also with the others, I'd shorten the PU bed at least by half. Looking forward to seeing more!

You're off to a terrific start, David! Perfect stance and proportions and that chassis is insanely cool and well engineered. Looking forward to seeing more!

With the shocks and master cylinder added, the chassis fabrication is now complete and ready to be detailed and prepped for primer - yay! Here’s some final mock-up pictures. The to-do list is getting smaller! I still need to make a front floorboard and set it up with pedals, shifter, etc. and finish converting the roadster kit radiator for V8 duty. Beyond that it’s just fine tuning the fit and finish then primer when I have some good weather. Stay tuned!

UPDATE! I had a busy week last week but I finally found a couple hours Sunday morning so I spent them finishing up the chassis fabrication and set-up on the roadster. The first thing was to get the new front axle finished which included adding a locating pin in the center of the spring and a “slingshot†steering arm that was made from one of the front a-arms from Revell’s ‘37 Ford kits. Next, I completed the chassis components by adding shock absorbers and a master cylinder. The shocks come from the Revell model A kits and had to be trimmed down so that they lined up properly with the suspension. I also center-drilled them and inserted a short plastic pin that inserts into corresponding holes I drilled in the sides of the frame rails. I also set up the master cylinder from Revell’s ‘50 Ford pickup in the same manner and it installs in the drivers-side rear of the k-member. The model A shocks and early Ford master cylinder mocked into place on the frame: More to come...

Awesome pickup Mikey! This is probably one of the nicest versions of Revell's '29 I've ever seen. The stance and proportions are spot-on from every angle and the wheels and tires are absolutely sweet, not to mention a nice diversion from the typical solid steelies! It's so great that you did this as a nice finished rod too, rather than a "rat rod". Please tell where you sourced the tires! I've been trying to put together a big & little set for these wheels for a long time.

Actually, mine isn't under a hood... (not yet anyhow) The version of the Monogram 29 RPU I have is from the 80's and it has a bench seat that looks identical to the one in your roadster (minus the shaped corners to fit the roadster cockpit.) However, if it was scratch built then whoever did it did a fine job. And, just because you used a kit (so-to-speak) is no reason to minimize your efforts because your '29 turned out really sweet with all the right stuff. Obviously the intention of the trans-kit was to adapt a '29 roadster body to a '32 frame using kit pieces as a starting point and the end result wasn't meant to cater to any specific era. I must say you did a great job of washing it of it's dirty street rod hands and to make a terrific traditional hot rod. Looks like it could be right out of a Don Montgomery book!

Bernard, your '29 turned out awesome! I've looked carefully over every picture and every detail looks period-perfect. I'm very fond of the 21-stud engines (have one in my own 1:1 hotrod) and it's great to see one under your hood. Did the interior panels and seat come with the kit, or did you make them from something? They look very familiar to the pieces in Monogram's '29 RPU.

Hey Rick, you're off to a good start here! Just like your roadster, the stance and proportions look right-on. You planning to use the flathead or the small block? Any idea's for color?

Even in this early stage your roadster has a really good look to it. The channel and stance look right-on. Quite a few years ago I did the very same and cut away all the fenders, but did mine as a flathead powered traditional hi-boy. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Thanks for all the nice words guys! It is amazing that his cars lasted so long and so intact. They're a trip to look at, like going back in time. In the "general" forum I started a thread not too long ago that showed and talked about most of them. I'm too lazy to come up with a link right now but if you search my posts it's there. CB: The body is brush painted. My Dad informed me that when he was a kid spray paint was a luxury item. And I get what you're saying. Just like in the 1:1 world, an old build that's survived the decades has a soul that a new build just doesn't.

Hey Fletch, This is a great project and good luck in your adventures learning to weather! I haven't seen too many builds based on the panel truck, but I have one waiting for it's chance too. You've answered a question I've had for a while - how would the '40 suspension pieces work on the '37 frame? From what I can see they work great and provide a really good stance. I think I would have stuck with the stock wheels and tires, but that's just me. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

And here’s the whole works in it’s first rolling mockup! More to come soon!

The inspiration for this build comes from an AMT ‘40 Ford Coupe my father built as a teen in the 1960’s. I was about 9 or 10 years old when he brought out a box where this model (and several others) had been packed away for years. I had been building models for a couple years by this time and they were very typical of a kids abilities so when I saw my Dad’s builds and what seemed like, at the time, extensive modifications I was blown away. It opened up a whole new way of thinking when it came to my building and many, many kits would be sacrificed to failed experimental modifications! His ‘40 has a lot of fun features, most notably in the body work. The rear fenders radius’s have been enlarged to clear the large race slicks, the running boards are deleted, all of the trim detail is shaved smooth and the whole thing is finished in bright orange. The chassis uses kit parts including the optional “dropped†axle. The engine is the supercharged Chrysler Hemi from AMT’s ‘32 Ford Roadster kit and to make it fit in the engine bay the bottom half of the firewall was simply removed and the inner fenders trimmed to accommodate the over-the-frame headers that connect to a pieced together, dual purpose exhaust system. The interior is straight from the box and finished in black. It has been on my mind for many years to do a build based on my Dad’s ‘40 that will share many of the same design features but not be an exact replica. Rather, my version will be a tribute with some of my own personal touches. With two pretty involved builds going on right now I hadn’t intended to start anything else, but we all know how that goes! So after several hours work spread out over last Saturday and Sunday here is where my ‘40 Coupe is at: The chassis is set up with the optional dropped front axle and kit rear axle. The front wheels and tires are also from the ‘40 kit and the chrome-reverse rear wheels and Goodyear drag slicks are from AMT’s ‘57 Chevy. The supercharged Chrysler Hemi from AMT’s ‘32 Roadster has been fitted to the frame which required short spacers under the front mounts so that the oil pan and fuel pump would clear the front cross member. The bottom of the oil pan needed to be modified with a round file to clear the kits metal axle. I also had to bore a hole in the end of the transmission for the locater pin on the end of the torque tube. The rear fender radius’s have been enlarged to accommodate the tall slicks and the running boards are history. (The modified fender unit is on top with an unmodified unit on the bottom for reference.) Rather than simply cut off the bottom of the firewall to gain the needed engine clearance I decided to build a recessed firewall which was accomplished by leaving the stock center recess and building either side from sections of the recessed firewall found in all of Revell’s ‘32 kits. The front edge of the interior needed to be trimmed to fit the new firewall. I also smoothed off all the detail from the remaining portions of the stock firewall. (The modified firewall is on the right with an unmodified firewall on the left for reference.) More to come...

Bernard & Fletch: Thank you both, once again, for some great input on the aftermarket. I'm gonna look into everything. When it comes to tires it still amazes me that with the huge popularity of traditional hot rods in the 1:1 world that no one has tooled up a set of propper 16" Firestone bias-plys cause I'd have me about 20 sets! And Bernard, thanks for the props. on the floor idea. Prior to my 10-year break I nearly finished an AMT '29 hi-boy roadster. It was all painted and major sub-assemblies glued together but I was stumped on the floor and never finished the car. It was also not a very well-planned project so this time around is kind of like personal redemption. John: Thanks for your generous offer! I know these vintage tires don't grow on trees. One day this week I'll take the tires to work and see how feasable it is. The biggest issue I foresee is making sure the tires don't have any lateral runout so one end of the groove will connect to the other once the tire makes it 360°, haha. I'll PM you if I screw up! Geezerman and Mike: Thank you very much guys! Paul: I was wondering when someone was gonna ask about color. I have that all figured out. In the 30's Ford had a very pretty darker blue called Washington Blue. The radiator shell, hood, firewall, body and dash will be as close to this blue as I can find at the hobby store. The chassis and wheels will be shiney black and the wheels will wear hubcaps only for a more aggressive look. The engine will be the stock 30's dark green (I have a can of the correct color) with the heads and intake aluminum and other accessories semi-gloss black. The interior will be dark brown for a vintage vinyl look. There's not gonna be a whole lot of "flash" as your average hot rodder couldn't afford such luxuries. Unfortunately I didn't get any work done on this project over the weekend but I hope to in the comming week. I ended up using my available time starting a new project!

Paul & Rudy: Thanks guys and more will be on the way soon! Bernard: Thanks and I'm glad you enjoy following along on my projects. I'd like to be able to say that the different colors are on purpose but it's just the luck of the draw. CB brought up the colors too. It seems that it's only fairly recently AMT and Revellogram went with the standardized white and gray plastic. Quite a few of the kits I have collected are older issues from the 70's and 80's and they come in all sorts of colors. I didn't get any work done on this project this weekend but I hope to in the comming week. I ended up starting a new project.

John: Thanks again for the nice words! I knew going into this that the slicks I chose as rear tires weren't correct - because they're slicks. But, the diameter is a perfect compliment when using the AMT Firestones as front tires, they are appropriately narrow like an early Ford wheel and the vintage "Firestone Gum Dipped" logo on the side looks the part. It was a stroke of luck I found them in my Dad's old stuff, otherwise I'd be S.O.L. After reading your reply it occurred to me that we have a lathe here at work. And while it's for making stuff for 1:1 cars, I think I might be able to make an arbor for the tires and cut some grooves into them with a parting tool. I'm gonna look into it. Problem is, if I ruin the tires I'm screwed! And you hit the nail on the head - trying to put together appropriate bigs & littles from kit tires is, in fact, a bitch! Bernard: Thanks, once again, for the heads up on the aftermarket stuff. While I really enjoy making kit-sourced parts work, I think it will soon be time to step out of my box! Question: are those tires rubber or resin? If they're resin, how does one paint them to look right? Tim: Thank you! It didn't occur to me right away to cut out and use the kit floor. But, comparing it to pictures of the real thing, the floor is actually very accurate and I just couldn't get enthused to make one from scratch. Then, out of nowhere, the idea hit me!

Fletch: Thanks for the heads-up on the aftermarket rear springs. If you look at the rear shots from my newest batch of pictures, it can be seen that the rear axle is lowered and could only go about another 1/16" before it's against the cross member. To me, the 1/16" isn't worth the fuss. I have already flatened the kit spring as much as possible. Like I said, it is what it is and it aint bad. And I'm happy to hear my build has given you some ideas for your future builds, that's why we're all here! Raul and Slim: Thank you very much!

Thanks Bernard! I agree that from the side view it may look a bit better with the back a little lower and less rake, but doing so would require either extending the frame and putting the spring behind the axle (like you said) or Z'ing the frame. Neither option is practical as I would have to cut up the floor, and that's not an option. It is what it is and I don't think it looks bad. One thing I do like is the gap between the radius of the tire and the wheel well is uniform.

More pictures! And now the fun part - mock up pictures! If you compare these pictures to the first postings it will become obvious that the front end is a bit lower with the new front axle / spring and the car has a more pronounced forward rake. I like the new stance better. To me, the proportions are better and the car looks more aggressive from the front and rear views. I also installed the headlights for this mock-up which are the optional smaller lights from the Revell ‘32 kits. Next steps will be to finish the revised front suspension set-up, fine tune the interior fit and make a front floor board / toe panel. Stay tuned!

PROBLEM TIME... As I was trying to mock up the front suspension in the frame for some pictures, I ran into my first problem with this build. Before, everything fit okay but now that the tierod had been glued in place the split wishbones would not articulate to allow the spring to fit into the front cross member. If forced into place the axle was pulled back and the spring forward = not good! I also had not been totally happy with the front spring I used as it didn’t locate very solidly and I was foreseeing issues when it came time to final assemble. So, I decided to scrap the front axle and spring and use the dropped I-beam axle from Monogram’s ‘33 Ford 3-window. I transferred the wheel spindles from the first axle to it’s replacement. The new axle fits the model A front cross member much better and the split wishbones now run parallel to the frame, whereas before they angled up to the frame brackets. The former axle also hung very low to the ground as it had a deep drop and the new one is farther from the ground and, to me, looks much better. The new axle is currently soaking to remove the plating.

UDATE TIME (finally) - YAY! Well, I finally had a chance to get some work done on the roadster Sunday morning and last night and things are progressing nicely despite a slight step backwards, then forward again which I will explain in a bit. If you go back to my first picture postings I show a side-by-side comparison of the kit 1-piece fender / floor unit and the modified floor with the fenders cut away and installed in the body. I stated that when everything was trimmed away there were gaps on either side of the center floor section and they are obvious in the picture. I tried to talk myself into living with this, with the justification that when everything was painted and the inside of the body blacked-out it wouldn’t be that obvious. But, it was eating away at me so I found a suitable piece of plastic and cut the small, wedge-shaped filler pieces out, tediously fitted them, then glued them in. Not only does it look better (duh!), but it added a ton of strength to the body. The strips ended up being 1/16" wide at one end, 1" long and taper to fine point. There’s still have some finish work to do on them. With the floor filler strips coming along I turned my attention to making interior panels and a seat. The side pieces started out from the Revell ‘32 roadster. I trimmed away the wide top rib leaving only the vertical rolled pleats. I then cut them vertically making the kick-panels separate pieces. Next I manipulated all four pieces by hand to match the contours of the roadster body. They still need a little fine-fitting, but they are close. I might have to relieve the backside a little here and there to get a perfect fit, we’ll see. The seat started out as the stock front bench seat from an AMT ‘32 phaeton. The width and wide, rolled pleat design were perfect and only the height needed to be modified. I trimmed 3/16" off the bottom riser to lower the seat down and trimmed the top to follow the shape of the body.