Let's build a " Little Duece Coupe"

[Greg Myers]

I was thinking about this the other day. I know it's been discussed before, but I feel there has never been a definitive answer.

First thing I think we'd all have to agree the the the kit to use would have to be one of Revell's '32 Ford kits of recent release.

Next up , what body style? Three window or Five window, no mention in the song, and that's where we're going to for reference.

Fenders or no fenders? High Boy or Channeled ?

Wheels offer another choice conundrum. I would think something "period Correct" I.E. Chrome Reverse, Cragars, Chrome slotted.

Now we know it's a "Flathead Mill" but what induction? Three Twos. ScoT blower?

What "Four on the Floor" are we gonna stick behind that bad boy?

Ok, this is the sticky part, "Lake Pipes" , long "Show" type lake pipes would require the fenders to make it look good. or shorty stickin' out from under the frame kind could be interpreted.

So show us what ya got. and no, this ain't it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The song came out in late 1963, so add that to your period-correct interpretation. Obviously, nothing after that date could really make sense.

Far as the "four on the floor" goes, a very likely gearbox would have been the post-1957 4-speed Borg-Warner T10. Introduced as the Corvette box, junkyard availability would have been decent, and it easily bolts to a flathead with the right adapter.

To get the kind of performance the song brags about, the car would pretty well have to be built light (no fenders) and probably supercharged. 

An un-blown streetable flathead probably isn't going to make over 200HP...which can still be fast in a 1500-pound car.

Wheels? I'd go Halibrand kidney-beans.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hmmmmmm.....stick some lakes-pipes and bias-ply tires on this and call it done...

Edited April 26, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Or a pretty-close-to-perfect channeled car...

[Ace-Garageguy]

Or a serious-looking 3-window...

[Spex84]

Jack Caroll, right? I recently picked up another Revell 5w kit so I can build either a replica of that car or one very much like it. It's probably my favorite 5-window ever, just perfect.

As for an accurate Lil' Deuce Coupe, once the major points have been covered (4 on the floor, lake pipes, ported/relieved, stroked/bored, 140+ top end) there's a lot of room for interpretation.

[DonW]

Hi Bill

I like the third one 'cos I always think 'daily driver?'!

-Don.

[Greg Myers]

"Little Deuce Coupe, You don't know what I got"   Is the engine covered ? Full hood ?

[DonW]

Makes sense -  good thinking, Greg!

[Snake45]

Don't forget the pink slip, daddy!

[Modelbuilder Mark]

I really like the idea of trying to do this in the period correct style, but I also like this one a lot.

I am fairly certain this car was the cover art for the Beach Boys at some point., and this one would technically be period correct as well, given that it was on the July 1961 cover of Hot Rod magazine.

Having said that, I do not think it fits the song...

 

 

 

[DrKerry]

I really like the idea of trying to do this in the period correct style, but I also like this one a lot.

I am fairly certain this car was the cover art for the Beach Boys at some point., and this one would technically be period correct as well, given that it was on the July 1961 cover of Hot Rod magazine.

Having said that, I do not think it fits the song...

 

 

 

I don't think that one fits the song either, like what was said already a twin or even triple carbed flattie wouldn't do what the song says.... with those you'd be lucky to hit 110 or so..... 

here's the lyrics so if ya don't know them........

"Little Deuce Coupe"
 

Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got
Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got

Well I'm not braggin' babe so don't put me down
But I've got the fastest set of wheels in town
When something comes up to me he don't even try
Cause if I had a set of wings man I know she could fly
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)

Just a little deuce coupe with a flat head mill
But she'll walk a Thunderbird like (she's) it's standin' still
She's ported and relieved and she's stroked and bored.
She'll do a hundred and forty with the top end floored
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)

She's got a competition clutch with the four on the floor
And she purrs like a kitten till the lake pipes roar
And if that aint enough to make you flip your lid
There's one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy

And comin' off the line when the light turns green
Well she blows 'em outta the water like you never seen
I get pushed out of shape and it's hard to steer
When I get rubber in all four gears

She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got

[DrKerry]

Hmmmmmm.....stick some lakes-pipes and bias-ply tires on this and call it done...

I'm likin' this one Bill!!!!!!!

[KWT]

+1... This one is super sleak & sexy

[Snake45]

I don't think that one fits the song either, like what was said already a twin or even triple carbed flattie wouldn't do what the song says.... with those you'd be lucky to hit 110 or so..... 

here's the lyrics so if ya don't know them........

"Little Deuce Coupe"
 

Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got
Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got

Well I'm not braggin' babe so don't put me down
But I've got the fastest set of wheels in town
When something comes up to me he don't even try
Cause if I had a set of wings man I know she could fly
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)

Just a little deuce coupe with a flat head mill
But she'll walk a Thunderbird like (she's) it's standin' still
She's ported and relieved and she's stroked and bored.
She'll do a hundred and forty with the top end floored
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)

She's got a competition clutch with the four on the floor
And she purrs like a kitten till the lake pipes roar
And if that aint enough to make you flip your lid
There's one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy

And comin' off the line when the light turns green
Well she blows 'em outta the water like you never seen
I get pushed out of shape and it's hard to steer
When I get rubber in all four gears

She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got
(My little deuce coupe)
(You don't know what I got)
She's my little deuce coupe
You don't know what I got

Well you can't take Beach Boys lyrics TOO literally. After all, they sang about "Super Stock Dodges" in two different songs, when "Super Stock" was a Plymouth trademark. (The Dodge equivalent was Ram.)

[espo]

Wasn't Super Stock also a class designation from the NHRA ?? I think either MoPar and many others raced in this class.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Interesting thread here. The more I think about it...

According to one of the online ET calculators, a 200HP "full race" (NON-supercharged) flathead in a 1500 pound car (just barely possible to get it that light) could be in the high 11-second, low 12-second range, with around a 125 MPH trap speed. In '63, that could very well make it the "fastest car in town" (depending on the town) and it would easily "walk a Thunderbird like it's standing still". The '63 Bird was heavy, and probably only good for a mid 16-second 1/4 mile ET.

The 1500-pound number is interesting, as in California in the '50s, a car that weighed 1500 pounds or less could legally run without fenders on the street...and there were plenty of roadsters that hit hit the mark, obviously. Getting a steel-topped coupe under 1500 would be more of a challenge. An aluminum-headed flathead weighs over 500 pounds all by itself.

[DrKerry]

Well you can't take Beach Boys lyrics TOO literally. After all, they sang about "Super Stock Dodges" in two different songs, when "Super Stock" was a Plymouth trademark. (The Dodge equivalent was Ram.)

I'm with ya on that, I think a lot of the music was written and the guys didn't really fully understand cars. They did to some extent but I think they exaggerated a little in their music... with that being said the band name is The Beach Boys and they sang their hearts out about surfing and the life style there of and none of the band members ever surfed!!!!! I learned that watching a documentary that Brian Wilson did about a year ago!! So yeah the 140 in the top end floored could of been a bit stretched and so on.....

[Snake45]

Wasn't Super Stock also a class designation from the NHRA ?? I think either MoPar and many others raced in this class.

Yes, but remember they were singing about street cars. Especially that little old lady's.

[Ace-Garageguy]

...So yeah the 140 in the top end floored could of been a bit stretched and so on.....

But it IS possible. You don't want to spin a flathead past 5500 RPM, really, but with a 28" rear tire and a 3.23 gear, she'd theoretically be doing about 142...wound all the way out on the dry lakes, maybe...assuming she had enough umph to pull redline in top gear...which again makes me think she'd have to be supercharged.

In '48, Barney Navarro went 139.75 on the lakes with a GMC-blown flathead in a roadster, so it IS possible a blown, chopped '32 coupe could do it in 1963.

[Jon Haigwood]

In the Lil Old Lady song it said "There's a brand new shiny super stocked Dodge." Indicating to me that hat it had the "Super Stock" racing options.

Not sure about "Shut Down""superstock Dart winding out in low"

 

[Greg Myers]

Hey, you MOPILE guys, let's stick to the subject here, ok ?

Flathead Fords Forever. 

[Jon Haigwood]

Hey, you MOPILE guys, let's stick to the subject here, ok ?

Flathead Fords Forever. 

OK OK. It sounds to me that building a "Li Deuce Coupe" would be a conundrum to do. you might just call it a "Unicorn Build"

[Ace-Garageguy]

OK OK. It sounds to me that building a "Li Deuce Coupe" would be a conundrum to do. you might just call it a "Unicorn Build"

Not really. Just build it with a blower (either a 4-71 GMC or a SCoT) the way I've outlined...light, 4-speed T-10, etc...and it will do everything it says in the song.   

[Russell C]

Well, these aren't lakes pipes on this one I built way back in the early 1990s, and it probably wouldn't fit the bill for at least one other reason .....