1950 Ford 2 door sedan

[MarkJ]

It will take two kits to build this model. the amt 50 ford convertible and the amt 49 ford two door sedan.

[MarkJ]

Here are the two kits.

 

[espo]

How are you thinking of combining these kits?? If you are building a tudor sedan then you could remove the '49 business coupes roof and extend it on the '50 convertible. Or you might think about a Resin body with all that work done, I'm lazy you see . That way you only need the convertible kit to complete or the '49 coupe kit if you want a '49. The major differences between '49 and '50 are the grill parking lamps, the trunk on the '50 has a body colored "hood" over the rear license plate, and some minor trim bits here and there. If you use the interior from the convertible the rear seat area will need some rework. The convertible has the area for the folding top and the rear seat is narrower. While somewhat basic by todays standards these are both great kits.   

[MarkJ]

How are you thinking of combining these kits?? If you are building a tudor sedan then you could remove the '49 business coupes roof and extend it on the '50 convertible. Or you might think about a Resin body with all that work done, I'm lazy you see . That way you only need the convertible kit to complete or the '49 coupe kit if you want a '49. The major differences between '49 and '50 are the grill parking lamps, the trunk on the '50 has a body colored "hood" over the rear license plate, and some minor trim bits here and there. If you use the interior from the convertible the rear seat area will need some rework. The convertible has the area for the folding top and the rear seat is narrower. While somewhat basic by todays standards these are both great kits.   

David, I was thinking of transferring the roof like you said but when I looked at the interior for the 49 it was so close to pictures that I saw of a 50 I figured it wasn't worth the effort. The things I will have to do is use the 50 grille and front and rear bumpers . The rear license plate overhang and taillights will transfer. The ford letters will have to be removed from the 49 hood. The dash for the fifty and steering wheel transfers easily to the 49 tub. The engines look identical. I will have to make hood and trunk emblems to put on the 49 hood and trunk. I will also have to make a fuel door for the 49. The 49 came with a cap instead of a door . I will probably find some more differences but it shouldn't be a big deal. Thanks for your reply and if you can think of anything else please let me know.

[espo]

 

David, I was thinking of transferring the roof like you said but when I looked at the interior for the 49 it was so close to pictures that I saw of a 50 I figured it wasn't worth the effort. The things I will have to do is use the 50 grille and front and rear bumpers . The rear license plate overhang and taillights will transfer. The ford letters will have to be removed from the 49 hood. The dash for the fifty and steering wheel transfers easily to the 49 tub. The engines look identical. I will have to make hood and trunk emblems to put on the 49 hood and trunk. I will also have to make a fuel door for the 49. The 49 came with a cap instead of a door . I will probably find some more differences but it shouldn't be a big deal. Thanks for your reply and if you can think of anything else please let me know.

A lot will depend on just how accurate you're wanting to be. The hood ornament can be easily modified. The kits ornament is all chrome and the 1:1 had a very small crown, kind of a Mohawk in plastic on top of the ornament and it extended just past center on the '49. The '50 this was shorter and doesn't reach center. The Ford lettering  is easy to remove and you just need an Ford emblem that can be found in later model kits, the '57 comes to mind. The last coupe I built was as a Gasser and I never cared for the '49 style license cover. I used some scrape plastic and created a cover from that and it looked pretty good. The tail lights didn't really change until '51 and those are only a chrome flaring that makes it look larger, but under that the quarters are the same. The flaring has a larger light socket for the larger tail lamps. This could give you a very convincing '50 Ford  Coupe, but a sedan would require additional work. That is why I mentioned the Resin body idea. I  picked up a Resin tudor sedan a while back to build a model of a '51 Ford tudor sedan that I had years ago.

[CometMan]

Cool idea! Never understood why no one has ever made a '51. (except for a resin trans-kit)

[MarkJ]

A lot will depend on just how accurate you're wanting to be. The hood ornament can be easily modified. The kits ornament is all chrome and the 1:1 had a very small crown, kind of a Mohawk in plastic on top of the ornament and it extended just past center on the '49. The '50 this was shorter and doesn't reach center. The Ford lettering  is easy to remove and you just need an Ford emblem that can be found in later model kits, the '57 comes to mind. The last coupe I built was as a Gasser and I never cared for the '49 style license cover. I used some scrape plastic and created a cover from that and it looked pretty good. The tail lights didn't really change until '51 and those are only a chrome flaring that makes it look larger, but under that the quarters are the same. The flaring has a larger light socket for the larger tail lamps. This could give you a very convincing '50 Ford  Coupe, but a sedan would require additional work. That is why I mentioned the Resin body idea. I  picked up a Resin tudor sedan a while back to build a model of a '51 Ford tudor sedan that I had years ago.

I guess I'm not realizing that the 2 door sedan and coupe are different. I really want to do the coupe. I did one resin model before and I wont be doing another.

[MarkJ]

I need to make a gas door on the 49 body so here is how I did it.

 

 

I placed a piece of paper that can be relocated on to the 49 in the same location. I went over the gas door on the fifty with a lead pencil and it leaves an image of the gas door beneath it.

 

 

I put the piece of paper in the same location on the 49 and cut out the door with a #11 exacto blade leaving the outline scribed in the plastic on the 49.

 

 

I then went over the door with a panel scriber to enhance the door. I also added a small wedge of styrene to duplicate the finger hold used to open the door.

[MarkJ]

I need to add hood and trunk ford emblems. I made decals for this but I want the emblem to stick out a bit so I printed the decal on paper and cut out the emblems on a thin piece of styrene sheet.

 

 

 

I glued the small styrene emblem images to the hood and trunk. After sanding and painting I will have a place to put the emblem decals that will give them a little more dimension then just placing a decal there.

 

 

 

The rear license plate hood comes in the fifty kit so I wont have to scratch build it for the 49.

.

[62rebel]

Don't overlook the difference between the two year's door handles. 49's are pull type and 50's are push button. For a few years, AMT provided a set of "Crestline" side panel decals in this kit, although that car was never a business or club coupe, always a two door sedan, and always had a vinyl top. They never included the unique Crestline steering wheel, either. Talk about setting the sights a little high...  I love this pair of kits, and right now have two of each in the wings.

[espo]

Mark, It looks like you're off to an excellent start. Great idea for the fuel filler door. You mentioned about being unsure about the difference between a coupe and a sedan. Now you will get some differences of opinion, but as I have always known it the coupe was the shorter roof version of a sedan and could be had as a basic business coupe and also as a Custom line which would include a rear seat and some trim inside and out. The sedan was the longer roof or longer quarter window and shorter trunk how ever you look at it. The sedan was the most common sold since it had more room in the back seat than the coupe but a smaller trunk. I think it mainly had to do with how the car was to be used. I didn't mention this before but 62rebel's correct comment on the door handles made me remember that the little trim pieces on the dash are present in the '50 but not in the '49. Easy fix just use the '50 dash. Maybe you could build a '49 Ford convertible next.

[MarkJ]

 

 

t.

David,  I was thinking the same thing about doing the 49 convertible but don't know how I would do the ford lettering on the hood.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2017 by MarkJ

[MarkJ]

Don't overlook the difference between the two year's door handles. 49's are pull type and 50's are push button. For a few years, AMT provided a set of "Crestline" side panel decals in this kit, although that car was never a business or club coupe, always a two door sedan, and always had a vinyl top. They never included the unique Crestline steering wheel, either. Talk about setting the sights a little high...  I love this pair of kits, and right now have two of each in the wings.

Rebel, I don't know if I would be able to shave off the handles and transfer them. I tried that once before and failed miserably. Might just have to leave that for the rivet counters to complain about.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Cool project

[62rebel]

Look in other kits that have separate door handles, they're easy enough to modify to resemble the 50 units. As a matter of fact, the MPC 57 Corvette has two sets, one plated and one plain.  They would probably look close enough.

[MarkJ]

I added the rear license hood from the 50 kit and for the door handles I added small square pieces of styrene under the handles and then some .025 rod to them to make the handle buttons. not perfect but the best I can do. I had to move the door lock cylinders because they are too close to the handles on the 49. They had to be scratched from styrene and they are tear drop shaped instead of round.

[62rebel]

That's pretty convincing

[MarkJ]

That's pretty convincing

Thanks, Rebel. I think I will try to sand and prime the body today. 

[MarkJ]

Nobody makes a light enough gray to duplicate Dover gray so i'm going to use my airbrush on this model and mix my own Model master acryl paint. Its more work than a rattle can but I've been wanting to get back to the airbrush and acryl paint for a long time.

[espo]

Nobody makes a light enough gray to duplicate Dover gray so i'm going to use my airbrush on this model and mix my own Model master acryl paint. Its more work than a rattle can but I've been wanting to get back to the airbrush and acryl paint for a long time.

Those door handles look perfect. With an Air Brush you would have access to reproduction factory colors. An alternative would be spray cans. A few colors I have used in the past that maybe worth looking at. Tamiya AS-26 Light Ghost Grey the lightest grey. Model master #1930 Flat Gull Gray, the darkest. And Testors #1233 Flat Light Aircraft Gray, sort of in the middle. These are all Military paints but offer some interesting alternatives. You would use your favorite Clear over any of them  of course.      

[MarkJ]

Dover gray is so light it almost looks white. I'm going to have to mix not even a drop of black into some gloss white mm acryl to get the color I need.

 

Edited March 22, 2017 by MarkJ

[espo]

Yah,  that is much lighter than the colors I mentioned. You might also check MCW since they have a pretty extensive color library  

[MarkJ]

Yah,  that is much lighter than the colors I mentioned. You might also check MCW since they have a pretty extensive color library  

I think it will be easier, and I know what I will have, if I just mix my own acryl paint and use that. I've been wanting to go non toxic for a while anyway. But thanks, David for the info.

[microwheel]

Looking good so far Mark. I like the way you worked out the emblems and door handles.

[MarkJ]

Wish  me luck. I'm going out to paint the body.