Lil' Beggar - Early 60's Competition Coupe

[Bernard Kron]

Right out of the pages of the “little magazines†circa early 1960’s, a stripped down A/gasser coupe. Cars had names back then and this one is called “Lil’ Beggar†because, with the exception of a couple of aftermarket parts, she’s made virtually entirely from parts given to me by a very generous MCM forum member who has been sending me stuff to get me jump started as I re-enter car modeling after a very long hiatus. The trouble is I have no parts stash of my own....yet.

Inspired by both Don Banes’ cool primered ’34 highboy (thanx Don!) ( http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.p...amp;#entry81599 ) and the Mooneyham & Sharp “554†’34 5-window competition coupe ( http://554.ne1.net/ ), I wanted to build a red-oxide primered beast, a rough and ready weekend warrior. I wanted to capture the look of a car that was in transition from being a street rod to becoming an all-out altered competition coupe.

Based on the AMT ’34 Ford 5-window I decided to use the “jalopy†parts in the kit and build it as a highboy using the kit chassis as well. The roof has a wedge chop – 2†at the back and 3†at the front. The engine is the Revell parts pack Pontiac 421 The front axle is from the Revell ’32 Ford family and the rear quick change is from the AMT ’25 T kits. The interior uses one of the bucket seats from the ’25 T kit smoothed out and finished to look like a sheet metal seat. Most of the rest of the interior is from the AMT ’34, with a scratchbuilt roll bar and an aftermarket Moon tank.

The wheels are after-market early 60’s Halibrand mags from Competition Resins. They’re painted Metallizer Magnesium. The paint is Duplicolor Red Oxide primer. The decals are my first stab at making my own. The pics show the Lil’ Beggar with and without her “war paintâ€.

Special Thanx to the car’s “sponsorâ€, CalSurplus Auto Parts, without whom this build would have been impossible.

Thanks for looking!

Edited May 25, 2008 by gbk1

[Raul_Perez]

Now that is some seriously funny stuff!!

I'm going to have to find that "CalSurplus Auto Parts" store!!

I see from your avatar and the markings on the side of the car that it's somewhere "near" where I live!!

I'll bet when I get there that they've even got another crate of "goodies" ready to be shipped north!!

That sure is a change from your last build!!

I'll bet that the blown 421 Poncho really moves that little coupe down the track in a hurry!!!

Yep, I'm still laughing!!

[george 53]

Hey, for beein built from "charity parts" it sure looks good to me! It does really seem like most lil backyard projects seem to use alot of donated parts from freinds an such, yours in a smaller scale fits right in.Great job!

[randx0]

love it ,you really nailed it keep up the good work

[CB]

Nice & nasty lookin' Bernard---you da 'stance' man ! Love your little details---that stain on the left slick ? what kinda roadkill am it?

Looks like you accomplished what you set out to do. Nice.

Man, I wish you built these things 1:1--they'd be some cool rides

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx everyone! I have to say this was a fun “fantasy†build. The motivation was as much from using up all those parts (the ’34 body was originally a practice shell for things like top chops, etc.) and doing a car in red oxide primer as it was in trying to capture the spirit of those funky early gassers. The is wayyyy funkier than the Mooneyham and Sharp 554 and has a completely different stance. The 554 is a beautifully finished and proportioned car:

CalSurplus sent me one more 5-window which I’m keeping to do the real 554 once I’ve got my chops to the point where I can pull off a proper replica build, It’s gonna be a while....

Love your little details---that stain on the left slick ? what kinda roadkill am it?

Thanx Crap’n. I work real hard at getting those little details down. In this case I was trying to capture the realism of running the car through a pool of Super Glue during staging to get maximum traction!

Edited May 26, 2008 by gbk1

[Raul_Perez]

CalSurplus sent me one more 5-window which I'm keeping to do the real 554 once I've got my chops to the point where I can pull off a proper replica build, It's gonna be a while....

...One pice of constructive advice. Using the 32 Ford front axle was a great idea, but the radius rods that you used from that kit, while nice, aren't right for that era car. Hairpin style, (found in the Revell Tony Nancy 22 Jr 2 car kit, or IIRC, in the AMT T model), or the type of radius rods found in the Revell 34 Ford 3 window coupe snap together kit, (recently reissued in the "Hot Wheels" series), would be more era appropriate...I just thought for the next one you have planned you might want to know where to get some other parts from...

Bernard,

I'm sure that there's at least one or two more of those '34 5w bodies out back in the storage yard at Cal Surplus Auto Parts just rusting away back into the ground where they came from.

Mark,

Bernard wanted to surprise his "surplus supplier" with this build, so they didn't know that he needed different parts from the bin than those that were sent. We're trying to help build up his supply of parts bin goodies!

[Don Banes]

Bernard,

I'm sure that there's at least one or two more of those '34 5w bodies out back in the storage yard at Cal Surplus Auto Parts just rusting away back into the ground where they came from.

Mark,

Bernard wanted to surprise his "surplus supplier" with this build, so they didn't know that he needed different parts from the bin than those that were sent. We're trying to help build up his supply of parts bin goodies!

Pretty daggone cool, and it looks much better than my build! I love the wedge chop!

You'll be a welcome addition to the hobby of model car building! Keep up the great work!

[Bernard Kron]

One piece of constructive advice. Using the 32 Ford front axle was a great idea, but the radius rods that you used from that kit, while nice, aren't right for that era car. Hairpin style, (found in the Revell Tony Nancy 22 Jr 2 car kit, or IIRC, in the AMT T model), or the type of radius rods found in the Revell 34 Ford 3 window coupe snap together kit, (recently reissued in the "Hot Wheels" series), would be more era appropriate,

Thanx Mark.

No problem. I was aware of the radius rod issue. The Revellogram ’32 series annoys me because it imposes that whole mid-late 90’s “Good Guys†thing on you (for example the steering wheel which infects all the variants). Indeed, in retrospect I should have based the front suspension on the Revellogram ’29 Ford kits because the dropped axle on those kits are beam axles, not tubular ones as found in the ‘32’s. I actually have several of the ’25 T hairpins and had considered using them but they are way too long and are chromed pieces so cutting and modifying them opened a whole can of worms (airbrushing and Allclad are still a ways away in my future). I wanted to include a bit of chrome because so often on these types of cars they were a constant work in progress with some parts back from the chromers, primer applied in anticipation of a new paint job, etc. I had gone to some trouble to dull out the motor and rear axle and I wanted the contrast.

One thing I enjoy tremendously about the web-based evolution of car modeling is learning how people meet the challenges they set for themselves. Your list of parts sources is exactly what I’m looking for and I appreciate it. On another project I have going I’m building a Buick Nailhead and researching and acquiring parts for that motor has been quite an experience!

This was a sort of “out of the parts box†build, albeit someone else’s parts box. I think authenticity is a stern taskmaster and presents its own challenges in resourcefulness and modeling craft. I’m definitely headed that way but as this is only my second completion since I started building again after several decades away from modeling there’s still an awful lot of ground to cover before my chops are up to it. Ideally, where parts aren’t readily available I would like to be able to scratch build what I need to accomplish my goals. This will come in due course. It still was a total blast to capture a bit of the vibe of that particular era in this build.

[Bernard Kron]

Pretty daggone cool, and it looks much better than my build! I love the wedge chop!

You'll be a welcome addition to the hobby of model car building! Keep up the great work!

Thanx Don. I don't know about that. Your '34 was a real inspiration and is chock full of cool details that I really enjoyed. I've got this realism hangup and I was hoping to get more into the modern rat-rod, jalopy thing but once again I found myself headed toward a specific era and "back story". @#$%^&* it!

[Don Banes]

Thanx Don. I don't know about that. Your '34 was a real inspiration and is chock full of cool details that I really enjoyed. I've got this realism hangup and I was hoping to get more into the modern rat-rod, jalopy thing but once again I found myself headed toward a specific era and "back story". @#$%^&* it!

If you look at my '34 rat rod, you'll see that it has four bars on it as well. They've been around since '73 or '74, and I've seen fifties and sixties rods in various magazines with what look like home brewed four bars. I'm wrapping up a '32 sedan that has mixed metaphors, meaning elements from the fifties, sixties and seventies. Loof for it here in a few days.

[Bernard Kron]

I'm wrapping up a '32 sedan that has mixed metaphors, meaning elements from the fifties, sixties and seventies. Loof for it here in a few days.

I Can't wait!

B.

[Don Banes]

I Can't wait!

B.

The '32 sedan has been two steps forward and one step backward throughout most of the build. All my fault, I might add. It's a great kit, and had I followed the instructions, I'd be done by now. However, I have two more "steps" to finish, and both of them are fairly minor. I've started umpteen Revell '32 projects, and this is the first one I'll actually complete (barring an earthquake). It's turned out nicely, and I should be able to post some pictures by the weekend.

Next project will be a '27 tub with a DeSoto engine. No fenders, or Fad "T" style, with sixties styling. Think 1964.

[Bernard Kron]

The '32 sedan has been two steps forward and one step backward throughout most of the build. All my fault, I might add. It's a great kit, and had I followed the instructions, I'd be done by now. However, I have two more "steps" to finish, and both of them are fairly minor. I've started umpteen Revell '32 projects, and this is the first one I'll actually complete (barring an earthquake). It's turned out nicely, and I should be able to post some pictures by the weekend.

Next project will be a '27 tub with a DeSoto engine. No fenders, or Fad "T" style, with sixties styling. Think 1964.

Cool! I'll take the '32 for now. Then I'll wait for the Tub!

B.

[Don Banes]

Cool! I'll take the '32 for now. Then I'll wait for the Tub!

B.

The '32 sedan is done! Finally! I'll get some pictures this weekend and post them here. It's not exactly perfect (what model car is?), but it ain't too shabby!

My Wife is happy that it's done. She says I'll have more time to do little things around our "money pit" home. My model building is mostly done on weeknights and here and there on the weekends, when I can snatch an hour here, or another hour there. I told her that I have a very nice '27 "T" tub waiting for its turn in the sun. She sighs. My Wife is very patient.

The '27 tub will feature a DeSoto engine (AMT - not MPC - '53 Ford pickup kit), along with an AMT '25 "T" (hot rod) frame, with about a half inch or more added for length. Front suspension will be from the Revell "T" roadster kit (Goodguys series). Rear suspension will be a mishmash of parts. I'll be starting the project this weekend (mostly preliminary primer and paint). The frame is basically built up, as is the engine.

[Bernard Kron]

The '32 sedan is done! Finally! I'll get some pictures this weekend and post them here. ... I have a very nice '27 "T" tub waiting for its turn in the sun.

I'll be watchin' for the Deuce and waitin' for the Tub!

B.