victorylane

Hi Tom, That is beautifully done. So clean, straight, sits right, and I love the interior. Thanks for posting it. Brian

Hi Horsepower, I'm happy with the profile...it has some of that Zephyr look that is so pleasing to the eye. Thanks for looking in. Brian

Hi Mike, Tom, Billy, Wayne, Eric, Tom, Scott, Stephen, Marty, and Carl, Thanks for your positive comments. It's my first time posting in Under Glass, and it has been kinda fun sharing with fellow builders. Tom Geiger, I was hoping as well that I might see you this Saturday...I will see you at NNL East of course, and always look forward to that.. Steve, I'll be home late Saturday, just in time for Turkey and trimmings on Sunday. (It is our Canadian Thanksgiving Day this coming Monday.) Thanks again everyone for looking in, it is appreciated. Brian

Hi Ed, Pat, Wayne, Bernard, Vince, Ken, and Ray, Thanks for your kind comments, I'm glad you enjoy it. I had fun building it, and am happy with the result. Thanks for looking in. Brian

A few more shots. Brian

Hi All, I just finished this Chopped Willys Custom, that I customized/converted from the AMT tilt-nose gasser kit. Finished photos follow the AMT kit cover photo. (Progress shots also appeared in "On the workbench") Looking forward to taking it the the NNL Nationals this Saturday. Thanks for looking in, Brian

Two more shots, and I'm done. Thanks again for watching, and your kind comments. Brian

Finished...will also post it "Under Glass." Thanks for looking in, Brian

Hi again after a break...was sick for a couple of weeks, bugger. I have almost finished the engine, but have lost my love for how it looks...maybe too dark? I am happier with the grill, which I have modified from the 1950 Ford F1 pickup. (hard to know what to do with that Willys grill opening, but I think I might be on the right track.) I'm hoping to have all trim on today, so maybe will be able to post final assembly later. Brian

Thanks Steve, I haven't been at the table for a couple of days...I just got in from Lime Rock Connecticut and the vintage race event there. Spectacular. I'm still buzzing (partly from the long drive as well I suspect) and had such a good experience. Great cars, great track, great event. Stirling Moss was there, and so was his Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR #722. (I took about a billion pictures of the car) Still buzzing! Thanks for looking in Steve, I appreciate it. Brian

Hi Steve, Thank you. That is high praise, considering your work, and I appreciate it. Thank you for looking in. Brian

Hi Dan, Pat, Mark, Jesse, Thanks for your kind words guys, and thanks for looking in. (Glad you got to see it Dan.) I'm hoping to finish soon...working on the engine bay today if I get off the computer, Will post some more later today. Brian

Thanks Ken, Bob, and Chris, I appreciate your comments, thank you. Chris, fender-less sounds very cool, can't wait to see that. Thanks for looking in. Brian

Hi again, A bit of update - I now have the car up on wheels, and I'm really happy with the way the wheels and rubber look with the car. I also have the glass in (cut from clear acetate) and have foiled the side trim. (I was also able to cover that section-line in the finished interior with some trim...installed through the side window "ship in a bottle" style) Brian

I want to add a few modest speed equipment items, so will start with a header. This header came from my parts box, so I don't know what it is from. I bent it, puttied it, and chromed it before adding a little heat staining. Am still trying to figure out that less is more with the heat staining stuff, but am learning.

Thanks Chris, Bob, Pat, Wes, Tom and Tom. Tom, I like it, and like what you've done with the hood. The '40 Willys had a straight-four in it, so I want to use a four as well, just not a flathead. I've modified the chevy stovebolt 6 from the AMT '37 Chev coupe into a straight four. I just felt like it.

I installed the interior and frame up into the body...In the one photo, you can see how far up into the body they are...I'd like to get this sitting low. I'm really happy with the look of the wheels and rubber. The wheels are stock wheel covers from the AMT Cameo Pickup...cool eh? The tires are equally cool, beautifully done from Modelhaus. They will push the car a little taller than I wanted, but I like the look.

Thanks Wayne, Ken, Ray, Next was getting the chassis lowered. The Gasser has curved springs sitting high on their perches. I shortened the springs and relaxed their curvature, getting them closer to the chassis.

Thanks Bill, I was hoping for that swoopy Zephyr look. Next up was to section the interior so I could bring the chassis up into the body. The stock interior is beside the sectioned one, and the change gave me the room I needed for the chassis. I used smaller bucket seats and it looks proportional, but Oops...The finished interior still shows the section line, which I was going to place a trim line over. (but obviously did not) Shoot.

I love it when the colour goes on! I decanted and air-brushed Tamiya TS20 metallic green. I will clear coat it with their clear, decanted and air-brushed. I am quite happy with the shape of the body, and can't wait to see this up on wheels.. My next post will be about getting the car to sit low...altering the chassis, sectioning the interior, and channeling the body. Thanks for looking in, Brian

At some point I scribed new door lines where the drip edges were removed. I also added some material (I can't recall exactly) to bring the window opening down slightly. Here, I am adding side-trim, to be chrome foiled once primed and painted.

Front fenders are now ready to attach. I glued some plastic stock inside the fender to strengthen the joint where the fender separated, making sure the fenders were straight and level. (Took a couple of tries.) I like the way the chop and the skirts are coming together. The hood looks like a big nose...hope it is just a bad angle, but a little fitting to do still.

Now to start on the tilt-nose. I used the bare metal scribe tool to part the hood from the fenders, and then filled the blower opening with plastic stock. I then cut some plastic stock to trim out the fender edges

I'm changing the top. Thank goodness I had an extra coupe body from a Club Member that had built the pick-up from the kit instead of the coupe. I'm cutting the windows out as a wedge, and will cut them in to my recently chopped top, getting full windows and a nicer slope as well

I chopped the top, Moving it forward a bit on the A pillars. I then added some material at the rear fascia below the trunk...the rear end of the Gasser looked bobbed. You can see the material at the bottom of the trunk...I like it. I'm not so sure about the chop though, as I cut through the windows...gonna' have to fix that. I then roughed in a pair of skirts.