Chopped/sectioned 39 Ford(progress update!)

[Ferbz]

I thought it was high time I post my progress on this build. First off, I've been calling it a 39 Ford which isn't exactly accurate. Since I grafted the grill from the Revell 40 Ford Standard kit to the front, it's really a 40 Standard with 39 headlights. Splitting hairs I know, but I just wanted to mention it  

Since my last post on this build, the body has been painted(finally!) and cleared and I'm waiting for full cure before I wet sand/polish it. The motor is built and installed in the frame and am slowly adding wiring/plumbing detail to it. I still have to make the upper radiator tubes and fuel lines/fuel block. I'll be attempting to make a firewall mounted starter relay and will try to snake around some wiring harness detail in the engine compartment for added detail(something new I've never done before!) I recently made dual exhaust using solder and it's glued into the frame(I'll show the undercarriage in a following post). The interior pieces have been painted and I've added 'carpet' to the floor. The front/rear suspension still needs paint and installation but here are a couple shots mocked up with the body on the frame sitting at ride height. The bumpers, hubcap, grill are temporarily in place. It's still got a ways to go but the finish line is in sight!    

[jaymcminn]

That chop and section are just about perfect. What a beauty!

[geetee66]

You nailed it!

Perfect proportions. Looks very sleek.

Paint looks glass-smooth.

[PARTSMARTY]

Very cool !!!

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

I like it! -RRR

[bobthehobbyguy]

Very nice. Very clean. What was the source for the vavle covers?

[Ferbz]

That chop and section are just about perfect. What a beauty!

Thanks Jason! My main inspiration for this build was Doug Rice's 1:1 39 Ford as well as other 1:1 early postwar 39-40 Fords that were chopped/sectioned during that time of the late 1940's. All amazing cars but I wanted to try and use a little more restraint on my proportions. Rather than 'looking' like an obvious radical custom, I was attempting to make the car appear more like a factory design. The overall effect makes it easier to notice it's relation to the 39-40 Ford's more elegant cousin, the Lincoln Zephyr. In hindsight, I would have chopped the top a teeny bit more though, particularly in the rear to make it a bit more sleek...but there's no going back now! 

Not sure if you've seen my earlier posts of this build, but like Doug Rice's 1:1 car, I also widened the fenders, which I think plays well with the proportions of the chop and section. I'll post more pics!

[Ferbz]

You nailed it!

Perfect proportions. Looks very sleek.

Paint looks glass-smooth.

Thanks! The 39-40 Ford in factory form is a beautiful car, but as 1:1 customizers discovered back then, chopping and sectioning it makes it a much sleeker car. Remove the right amounts during the process, and you get a really elegant effect. The paint has yet to be wet sanded and polished, but thanks for the compliment! It's quite a bit of work to get the body smooth again after modifications are made. I've found no easy way around the process of primer, putty, block sand, then repeat as many times necessary to remove scratches/imperfections and level out high and low spots until the body is ready for paint......it is my LEAST favorite part of a build!  Here are some earlier progress pics :

[espo]

I was going to remark on the fender skirts size , but your post to Ferbz answered my question. The more I look at it the more I appreciate the "flow" you're going for. You mentioned wanting the build to look like a factory car, and I believe that had you chopped the top any more than you did you might have lost that effect. The body lines all flow very nicely together.  

[Ferbz]

Very nice. Very clean. What was the source for the vavle covers?

Thanks! I used the engine from the Revell 48 Ford kit but the cylinder heads are from the Revell 40 Ford Street Rod kit.

[1930fordpickup]

Very nice. I like the flow of this. 

 

[Muncie]

WOW!  stunning, simply stunning.

very nice work - you nailed it on the styling and body work --- the numbers... (in a good way) give it the attitude

[GerN]

Subtle, and superb!  Great redesign choices well executed.

[John Goschke]

Beautiful work!

 

[Foxer]

I like the fender fattening ... nicely done.

[Ferbz]

I like the fender fattening ... nicely done.

Thanks! I got the inspiration to widen the fenders from Doug Rice's 39 Ford 1:1 car(actually, his car was the main inspiration in general for this build). I couldn't find any documentation on why he widened them as it was not that common of a modification. My guess is he may have wanted a wider track width for stability since he built the car not only for style but for runs at Bonneville as well.

[Ferbz]

Here are a couple more mock up pics. These include the grill with added chrome detail and headlights temporarily in place.

Question for the group: It's been almost 4 weeks since I've sprayed the clearcoat and it's still not hard/dry enough to wet sand/polish! Anybody else have any curing problems with Duplicolor spray can clear acrylic lacquer? I did see an older thread on this subject but didn't see any solutions. My guess is they now have a weird formula for their clear that requires a looonngg drying time?    

[espo]

The body work is just perfect and it's great to see a well built Flathead for power. I don't know what to tell you on the paint issues, I only use paint from the same "family" for this reason. Hopefully with time the paint will gas out and all will be good.  

[Ferbz]

The body work is just perfect and it's great to see a well built Flathead for power. I don't know what to tell you on the paint issues, I only use paint from the same "family" for this reason. Hopefully with time the paint will gas out and all will be good.  

Thanks David! Body mods are my favorite thing to do and I try my best to get it as straight as I can before paint. I guess I'll wait a bit more and see how the clear gasses out then wet sand/polish a small area as a test. Yeah man, flatheads are cool! I knew I wanted a 4x2 carb set up on it so I modified a 2x2 intake to do it. It's not great, but not bad either I think. I'll try to post more updates as I go.