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Next I had to address the body, so I could test fit the frame and ride hight in the future. For the purpose I Glued the roof to the body and then glued the body to the fenders. Let me tell you, lining everything up perfect, without using the running board (but still leaving it easy to add them later) was easier said than done. The old red plastic does not help any. It is completely different than what the '32s are made from for example. I also find the kit's headlight attachment rather crude and unrealistic. So I filled them with styrene rod. Forgot to mention that I also removed the gas filler on the rear skirt.

So I was at the local hobby Lobby and they ad a bunch of kits on crazy sale. One of those was the ZZ Top Eliminator. Honestly, it's very puzzling to me why Revell has not milked this mold like their '32 fords. I mean they could have done the same - sedans, engine options, wheels, roadsters, 5 windows, phaetons.....So I grabbed one and decided to bring it up to current standards. What I mean by that is bring it up to being what the Eliminitor was in its own time - a very modern Street Rod. I started from the frame as does every good street rod. First I cut out everything between the rails except the front crossmember and the fuel tank at the other end. This way everything still stayed square. next I did the exact opposite with most of the chassis from the Foose Cadillac. One of the "requirements" of a modern street rod is to pack a good size shoes in the back. And to achieve that the frame definitely needs to be narrowed in the back. So I cut the the original frame off where the two frames met at the rear. This way not only I can lower the ride as much as I want, but I can also use the Corvette Independent rear from the caddy. At this point everything is still staying perfectly square. Using this, I first made a new rear crossmember from styrene and then cut off the Caddy's tank.

Super cool build. have been following, but never commented before.

I’m going too. Hope this time I’ll make it on time. Not bringing much, but will still make the trek. Leaving Friday night.

Thank you. As of today, Thursday, the body is buffed out, the interior is painted and the engine is mostly done (need to plumb the carbs). I’m finishing it tonight, together with some other models and tomorrow night I’ll be driving to Kansas. I will be there this weekend for sure, so you’ll see it.

Don't have much pictures of the progress to show, but here is one. Flames were corrected/touched up where needed and then wet sanded and cleared again. This is what it looks like after after this was done three times.

Very nice. I love the detail and I think the color suits the style perfectly.

Thank you. Glad you like it guys. Working on the engine right now. Its gonna be a supercharged SBC with Edelbrock goodies and some extra detail. I already touched up the flames and cleared them once. They are curing and tomorrow I'll sand them and clear them again, hopefully for the last time. I hope they will end up smooth. Stay tuned

Thank you. Working on it. I have like 5 models to finish by next Friday.

Just got done unmasking the flames. This paint job truly tested my patience and taxed my back. I used Tamiya colors for the flames and altho it is not really immediately apparent, there is Chrome yellow, Camel Yellow, Bright orange and orange in the fade, which is so subtle that almost looks like one color. There is a lot more work left, like touch ups here and there, light sanding and then the clear coats with sanding in between in order to smooth everything out. I am hoping to get it done in time for next week's Hartland Nationals. Honestly, I am not 100%satisfied with the flames. The fade is exactly what I wanted and so are the colors. I think the flames could have been more scaled down, so to speak, and "stretched back" more. Still not bad I think. Escpecially considering that I freehanded them with exacto knife.

And of course, every crazy paint job starts with a crazy masking job..... Bare Metal Foil for the win!

Flame job time This will take a day or two....

Sorry for the BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH pictures. Not some of my best

I am using the Rat Roaster body. But I glued the side hoods to the body and to the grille. From there I sanded everything smooth and then rescraped the lines for the side hoods. It does create issues of the grille not sitting perfectly square, but after all the sanding and modding I've done, everything is fine. Uploading pictures now.

This is moving along, altho I have not posted for over a year. I did not like the modified coupe body on the fenders. The more I looked at tit, the more out of proportion it looked to me. So I cut up a regular roadster body to accept the Phantom Vicky windshield and went from there. The frame started as Phantom Vicky, but end up getting so tweaked and modified that even tho it is immediately recognized it is actually about 60% different. Fot the rear end I scratchbuilt rear axle. It is made from aluminum tubing with quickchange that I cast in resin. I don't remember what kit the master came from, but I know I had to modify it, before I made the mold. The brakes are from 32 Roadster kit and the bottom radius rods are modified pieces from the ZZ Top Eliminator. Top ones are going to be scratchbuilt. The "horns" of the front fenders have been greatly modified to eliminate the spreader bar and to accept the grille which has been sunk into the fenders. The skirt under the grille also had to be very much reshaped. The reasoning behind all this work is because the fenders are slightly stretched and the whole nose of the car sits further back in the fenders. It is a subtle change that is not immediately noticeable if not pointed out, but it does miracles for the stance of the car, as the center of the front wheels is now almost in front of the grille. Speaking of fenders, the running boards have been filled and the rear fenders have been bobbed. They are not quite as high as the bottom of the body, but definitely much closer to it than the originals. At this point it has been painted with Kreatex acrylic paint and cleared with 2KClear, to create a workable base for the masking of the flames. Will keep you updated...........

Pretty much, this is the look I'm going after

Thanks guys. About wheels/tires I have not desided yet, but I want something timeless, traditional, but modern. Definitely staggered and raked.

Thanks guys. Well, this model has been completed, but here are the remaining in progress pictures, which I did not have time to post. The radiator was a big challenge, due to poor planning on my behalf. I glued the hallowed modified grille shell and firewall to the body before paint. This made fitting the motor in place a real chore without a radiator in place, which would have been 100% impossible WITH the radiator in place. So I had to scratchbuilb a piece which would have to be fitted from the front of the grille shell, but be taller on the back side. Much easier said than done, but got done anyhow. First I built the radiator from various sheets styrene. I believe 8 pieces in total and then drilled holes where the radiator hoses were suppose to fit. on the picture is the back side , which is curved and taller than the front. Then photoetched radiator material was cut in the appropriate shapes and a brass grille was made. At this point a driveshaft was also made from aluminum tubing, the valve covers were made from resin and photoetch and the air filters were almost done. At this stage the radiator is already painted and assembled. Here the model is already painted in UPS brown with the entirely scratchbuilt interior painted silver. A fuel sell was fitted and the corresponding billet aluminum cap on the outside was fitted. All graphics I designed on my computer and then cut vinyl maskings on my wife's scrapbooking cutting machine. It is all paint, no decals. The steering wheels and the horn are original kit parts. The shifter was made from the boot from the Rat Roaster '32, jeweler's wire and the knob from the recent revell '29 roadster. In order to use the original design wheels from the paddy Wagon, but with the front tires from the Rat Roaster, they had to be modified. On the left is the original backing plate of the front wheel and on the right is what has been used from it. Some crazy pedals to dance on..... Also visible are the pipes, which have been "ceram-coated" and "heat treated" with various Alclad paints. The linkage on the carbs topping the supercharger is true to the original Rat Roaster to the last detail. It tested my patience big time. The I felt like I did not have enough abuse and decided to paint it all black. Like I said, the model has been finished for over a week now. I just have to find time to take some nice pictures and post it in "Under Glass". Thanks for watching.

This is one of these projects that I always wanted to do, but actually got triggered by accident. So, last weekend I was at the Heartland Nationals. Right outside the hall was a vendor, selling some really nice resin bodies. Very thin and crisp, in clear plastic packages, that seemed like factory kit parts, molded in white resin. There was a very nice pair of chopped 3-window and 5-window deuce bodies. I really wanted the chopped 5-window, but by the time I looked around and came back, all the 5-windows were gone. So, when I got back home, I decided to chop my own 5-window coupe, since I have quite few of those kits. It turned out great, altho the chop is a little aggressive. So, while I was at it, I though why not chop a 3-window the same way. I supposedly took less material that I did on the 5-window, but ended up with a radical chop, which was not quite what I was after. So, I kept the upper part of the roof to use on another body in order to get it right. The remaining part of the 3-window I decided to turn into a (somewhat phantom) roadster with a Duval windshield. I always wanted a full fendered Deuce roadster with the bigger suicide doors of the 3-window coupes. I just love how they curve on their front edge. I' even already set on the exact color scheme, which is a first for me. LOL. I started by cutting the coupe body right above the character line, from the firewall all the way back to the rear edge of the doors. Then I removed the same portion from the body of an AMT Phantom Vicky. The two pieces were then glued together. The fenders from the 3-window kit were then made to fit on the Phantom Vicky frame. This will have a dropped I beam front axle however, for that traditional look. Can you say "Blue with flames"? Thank for looking and stay tuned.

Nice job so far. This is my kinda build. Will follow.

It is silly t make it the same weekend as the Heartland Nationals.

I'm leaving tonight and making the trek from Colorado. Will be my 4th or 5th show, but not in a row. I missed the last year.

I already completed my kit. I know very well what's in it. What I meant by missing steering linkage is, that there is nothing that connects that steering rack to the steering wheel. The steering column ends in the floor of the cab and nothing comes out on the other side. It is a free-flowing steering rack, which is not even attached anywhere to the frame. It hands in there on its two ends, which get glued to the disc brakes. I am saying this just as a realistic review. Not bashing the kit at all. I think it is a solid effort and the end result is a very nice and realistic looking model.

Just few points to make: • The frame supports the weight of the model just fine without the front metal axle. And filling up the holes is really a child's play. • The interior is very well located to the frame by two large grooves on top of the side boards. There is no way to screw up its location. The cab then sits on top of it and hides the grooves. Simple but genius. • This kit is far from anything build and play. • The excuse that this is a one time shot for the lack of some details is just BS. It would have cost just the same if the exhaust tips had a hint of an opening. Especially considering their angle. •There is no excuse for the lack of steering linkage, panhard bar (on whole bunch of kits), front shocks, oil filter or a lower radiator hose.