Big ol' 1/8 '32 Roadster, Channeled: As of 4/2/18, she's going to be 1:1.

[JTalmage]

Wow. Great work. Very lovely. I almost had one of these at a show recently. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Here's hoping that your typically elegant design sensibility finds completion in this fine looking channeled rod. Perhaps the large scale and increased detail makes this project seem closer to your vocation. For some that would be negative, denying them of the escapism which can be a purpose of a hobby, but I'm speculating that in your case it may serve as motivation. In the meantime, so far so very good!

Thanks for the kind comments regarding the design of this thing, Bernard. I'm getting close to the point where I usually run out of steam...right after all the mechanical and design elements are worked out and it's essentially grunt-work to finish it up. I'm hoping I'll be able to make myself stay with this one through to completion. I'm very happy with the way the look is coming together, and it's a big project (and a big model) so maybe, just maybe, I'll be inspired enough to go all the way...and hopefully to use that as a stepping stone to getting some other long-stalled models done too.  

[Cato]

Thanks for the kind comments regarding the design of this thing, Bernard. I'm getting close to the point where I usually run out of steam...right after all the mechanical and design elements are worked out and it's essentially grunt-work to finish it up. I'm hoping I'll be able to make myself stay with this one through to completion. I'm very happy with the way the look is coming together, and it's a big project (and a big model) so maybe, just maybe, I'll be inspired enough to go all the way...and hopefully to use that as a stepping stone to getting some other long-stalled models done too.  

You gotta press on Bill; precisely because it's big and you get the chance to do one of your fab period-correct paint jobs. Gotta see this in paint. And a little header heat...

[Ace-Garageguy]

Wow. Great work. Very lovely....

Thank you, sir.   

-------------------------------------------------

Getting things to fit (and function) within available space while maintaining a clean design and the original vision is always a large part of building a car for me. Some may find that my slavish devotion to insuring all of my models would work in reality takes much of the "fun" out of building, but I see it as just another layer of creativity, a little more of a challenge, and a way of separating...in my own mind, anyway...the difference between "toy cars" and scale models.

Part of the feel I want for this car will come from running a magneto ignition system. Mags make a hotter spark than traditional old-school ignition systems, and have the added benefit of allowing the engine to run even if the charging system and battery fail completely. I've grown to appreciate system-redundancy over the years, and it's nice to have a backup plan to get home. Mags just look cool too, and say 'this is a serious, fast car" when you look under the hood.

In 1/8 scale, the mags I have to choose from are these three. Apparently they're all supposed to be Vertex / Scintilla-style mags, and it's curious to me why they're all different sizes. Anyway, we're going to use the one in the center to set things up.

We need to get the engine very close to its final position before committing to anything else. This view shows the earlier-modified oil-pan with about 5.25 scale-inches ground clearance. That's about OK.

I usually prefer to have the engine closer to level with the tops of the frame rails, and the rear of the block roughly parallel with the firewall, but in this case, with all that rubber-rake and a closed driveline, this is about the best I can get. I usually don't incorporate anywhere this much rake in a car because it kinda tends to spoil handling...but this one is intended to be more street-driven drag-racer than canyon-carver, so...what the hell.  

We have the trans blocked up at the right height...

And a temporary front engine mount in place to hold the position during fitup of other components. Speaking of which, the magneto that's closest to correct overall dimensions is temporarily installed on the engine, and the firewall is marked for clearance.

The headers I want to use came with the Big Deuce kit, but they have exhaust-port spacing to fit the Deuce kit's Pontiac engine. A set of Chevy headers is shown for comparison.

Port-spacing adjusted to match the Chevy heads, and the turns cut off at the flange ends, replaced with straight sections of tube.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Bernard Kron]

The more I build model cars, especially of the scratch and bash variety, the more I do these very same preliminary mockup routines to determine parts selection, body and chassis mods, and fabrication details. Far too many times have I had to hack and grind away at fully finished and painted parts that just wouldn't work! Lessons learned...

Build on Bill!

[Randy D]

Great fun to keep track of this one Bill!!!!  I appreciate your attention to making things right.

 

Randy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Great fun to keep track of this one Bill!!!!  I appreciate your attention to making things right.

Glad you're enjoying it, sir.  

---------------------------------------------------------------

At this point I also need to know with reasonable accuracy what the final width of the front track will be, partially to ascertain where the steering drag-link needs to go. I want to do cowl-steering, so the pitman arm will have to be positioned correctly to clear everything else too. That means I'll have to assemble the wheels to measure the offset from the drums, etc.

The wire wheels I'm using (I was mistaken about the source...they're from a big Lindberg kit) won't fit the drums that come in the Big Duece kit. So, I just happened to find a set of drums from another Lindberg kit that have the same diameter and fit the wire wheels. A little modification to the front backing plates and the spindles, and the Lindbeg drums now fit the Deuce backing plates correctly. I also made up something roughly analogous to a splined hub that would drive many English wire wheels. It's not splined, but it WILL allow me to put a nut inside the knockoffs to secure the wheels to the drums.

The assembled wheels will look like this.

It's also necessary at this point to take a section out of the radiator core to accommodate the channel and the radiator shell chop.

The water pump and fan are placed in position on the engine, along with the headers, mag and intake manifold. With the radiator in place, I now see I'll have to notch the new crossmember slightly for fan clearance, and also that I'll be able to build a much thicker radiator core to accommodate the increased heat-rejection requirements of the Chevy engine, but in a shorter overall package. The placement of the headers also allowed me to determine where the steering shaft needed to come through the cowl, and whether the drag-link could be made to clear the headers. It all fits. 

Last modification at this point was to section the grille itself to fit the chopped shell. I goofed and started to make the cut the same width as the radiator, but I caught it. S'okay, easy fix, as I'm only using the trim around the outside of the grille anyway.

The payoff...where we are today.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[cobraman]

Coming along nicely Bill. Rear wheels look great ! Keep this one rolling a long. : )

[Ace-Garageguy]

AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. WE'LL RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING SHORTLY.   

[bobthehobbyguy]

I'm in the cheering section hoping you keep working on this, love this project. 

[Davewilly]

Nice looking work on it so far...Keep it going!

[LaughingIndian]

Those headlights are in just the right position ...

 

 

 

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm in the cheering section hoping you keep working on this, love this project. 

Nice looking work on it so far...Keep it going!

Thank you, gentlemen.   

Those headlights are in just the right position ...

I couldn't agree more.  

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So, I did a little measuring. Part of the idea of making this thing channeled was to use up a badly hacked gluebomb body I got a long time ago for cheap. If you recall, the driver's door had been crudely cut open, and the easiest fix was to simply glass it shut, like a welded-closed door. Many welded-door cars got built as lowboys, and you could just hop over the side...which was the plan here. This model is supposed to accurately represent something I'd build for myself, if and when I can ever afford to retire and get back to doing my own cars.

However, upon actually measuring the height of the car after I had the thing looking like I liked it, it turned out the top of the door would be right at 38 inches. I'm in OK shape, but hopping over a 38-inch -high door every time I got in or out of the car is just too much of a PITA for me to contemplate, much less intentionally build something that would be that less-than-convenient to use daily.

The modified plan: build the car with working doors cut up into the body shell so that they don't expose the frame rails when open. It's too much work to re-open the door on the shell I started with and then restore the hacked opening, but happily for me, I had another semi-started kit with a non-mutilated body shell. The shell I started with will be set aside to build a REALLY low lowboy, and the decent one will move forward to become THIS car.

The new shell got scuffed with my trusty Comet...

...and 3 coats of Duplicolor sandable-red. These shells are really pretty lumpy, so a good primer base is necessary to see where you are during blocking.

Since the new shell WILL be this car, I went ahead and removed the molded-in windshield base to prep it for the mods that will receive the leaned-back unit.

That's all for now, and thanks again for looking. 

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Made up a template to accurately transfer the angle and placement of the windshield from the mockup to the new body shell...

...made a copy to align the other side, and tacked the frame in place. Then began forming a new cowl rib to replace the one sanded off earlier, in the correct position and shape to fit the relocated and raked frame...

Work progressing. Rib is built up of small sections of styrene strip, finger-bent to approximate profile...

100% roughed-in quite accurately, with the first iteration of the new windshield pillar design (to be scratch-built) in place.

 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Looking good. Windshield looks great.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Looking good. Windshield looks great.

Thanks Bob. I think I'm going to taper the pillar more towards the top to give it a lighter look, but still maintain enough rigidity for a decent weather seal on the side windows if it were a real car (which it probably will be).

I'm also toying with the idea of molding it in to give a "cabriolet" effect. It's something I've never seen done on a '32 before, and I'm trying to break out of the box of cookie-cutter cars while still staying visually traditional.

The doors will be extended to the rear to ease entry and exit, and roughing out a possible design for a Carson-style top is where I am right now.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Started the design process for the Carson top...

[afx]

And this is a great big project.

[Ognib]

Your balance & proportion on this build are right on!  kudos

Dig laid back windshields on deuce roadsters.

[f1ford48]

this is ''Plastic Surgery ''  at its best!!!   what red oxide primer are you using?-I like the shade

[Ace-Garageguy]

...  what red oxide primer are you using?-I like the shade

 Thanks to all for the comments.

The red oxide primer is Duplicolor "sandable" right out of the can (NOT the "scratch filler" variety).    

It's hot enough to mildly craze even this old plastic, but on a model this big, it's really not going to be an issue.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mr. Metallic]

I just spent about an hour thoroughly reading this entire build thread. Inspiring stuff. Makes me want to drag out a couple big scale builds I started.

Please stay on this one Bill. It's too cool (along with most of your other builds) to not be finished. Press on!

[LaughingIndian]

Ditto what Craig said Bill.

Reading your thread feels like I have a cheat-sheet on my current build ... and I don't feel guilty using it!

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks to everyone again for your interest and comments. I've been traveling a lot for business lately, but I'm back in town for a while and should be getting going on this one again shortly. November deadline. Maybe I can make it. 

[Fordboy1975]

I love it!!! I'm definitely gonna have to get me one.