Turning AMT's Disparaged Modern-Tool Ala Kart Into Something Acceptable UPDATED: 4/10/16

[Dennis Lacy]

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.

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Opinions welcome.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Dennis Lacy

[Modelbuilder Mark]

VERY cool.  I have never been a fan of the Ala Kart as a completed vehicle, but I love aspects of it. I have used bits and pieces from the kits, motor and chassis etc, on several projects, with discarded bodies lying about.  Who would have that it could look that good! Cool project for sure..

Oh, and I agree on the front end....

[DumpyDan]

Now that's inspiring, I may have to try this myself.  Keep them ideas coming and sharing

[afx]

Revell should put you on the payroll Dennis.

[wayne swayze]

Great idea Dennis!  Looks so natural, especially with the curved line between the box and body complimenting the frame reveal. I believe you're onto something here!

[tim boyd]

Wow Dennis, that is mega-cool.   Great creativity....TIM 

[Dennis Lacy]

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. 

[Ron Hamilton]

I'm not into the old cars, but that one is cool!!!!!

[oldnslow]

Yep, that's a winner.

[GTJUNIOR]

That should look pretty awesome.

[oldcarfan]

With it inverted it looks like some kind of custom track nose! Great idea. It might look good like that on the 29 roadster as well. 

[exesivefire]

Well this is pretty cool. I have never really given the Ala Kart kit a second look, I might have to now!

[DrKerry]

Couple nice hot rods there... Like the idea with the Ala Kart

[Ace-Garageguy]

Cool project, Dennis. Good use for the newer Ala Kart body bits. 

The one huge thing to hate about the later A'Kart kit is the ridiculously underscale engine. I've measured a real Red Ram, and the early kit got it very close to right, but the "new tool" kit's engine is a joke. Interestingly, the OLD (correctly scaled) Ala Kart engine will fit in the NEW Ala Kart body, so why they blew the scaling, I'll never ever know. There ARE some things on the newer kit that make it great for kit-bash fodder though, like the very nice dropped-and-filled front axle, the wheels and tires, etc. (as I'm sure you know).

I've always thought the newer kit caught the stance, proportions and balance of the real car a little better than the original kit did, and I've had a hankering to combine the best bits from both kits to make one accurate Ala Kart.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing this one of yours come together.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[squirrel886]

I can't wait to see how this project turns out!

[Dennis Lacy]

Cool project, Dennis. Good use for the newer Ala Kart body bits. 

The one huge thing to hate about the later A'Kart kit is the ridiculously underscale engine. I've measured a real Red Ram, and the early kit got it very close to right, but the "new tool" kit's engine is a joke. Interestingly, the OLD (correctly scaled) Ala Kart engine will fit in the NEW Ala Kart body, so why they blew the scaling, I'll never ever know. There ARE some things on the newer kit that make it great for kit-bash fodder though, like the very nice dropped-and-filled front axle, the wheels and tires, etc. (as I'm sure you know).

I've always thought the newer kit caught the stance, proportions and balance of the real car a little better than the original kit did, and I've had a hankering to combine the best bits from both kits to make one accurate Ala Kart.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing this one of yours come together.

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.

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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.

[Impalow]

man this is cool....   really liking this one Dennis.

[carnut]

Dennis, this is totally cool. As usual this is one your best.

[maltsr]

Dang!  I had the recent A la Kart kit working it's way up the 'to build pile, warts and all, and now you've come up with this - awesome Dennis!

[Spex84]

Very cool!
 The new-tool Ala kart has some great parts. Aside from some parts that seem very under-scale (engine, exhaust pipe diameter), the other thing that bothers the heck out of me is the nose piece--I like the original 1:1 car, and the 60s AMT kit nose looks OK, but the new tool nose just looks like a urinal to me. Something is off in the way it curves/projects/tapers...

http://www.esnarf.com/5705.jpg

[Spex84]

hmm, broken link and the "edit" feature doesn't work.

Since you have the new-tool nose sitting on your bench in the WIP shots, I won't bother posting another shot of it.

[HotRodaSaurus]

Love this rendition  Yes I use it as a parts source too, but love YOUR use of those Lincoln skinny whites. I used the hub caps on my old 70s built Deuce.

Edited November 27, 2015 by HotRodaSaurus

[blunc]

the headlight pods on the model are too big which throws off a few other part placements.

[Dennis Lacy]

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...

[Dennis Lacy]

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.

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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. 

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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.

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Edited November 30, 2015 by Dennis Lacy