Stock 1932 Ford?

[Mr.Zombie]

Hello, I got a 1:25 Ford Coupe from Revell, and besides the body not much is stock, is there a kit that I can use as a donor that has a stock chassis? I'm after frame, front- and rearend mostly.

[SfanGoch]

There's AMT 38280 1932 Ford 5 Window Coupe

[Rob Hall]

I assume Round 2 will give that '32 the Retro Deluxe treatment eventually, surprised they haven't already like they did the '32 Victoria. 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Rob Hall

[Ace-Garageguy]

The AMT chassis will physically go under the Revell body, but it's somewhat narrower and doesn't represent the stamped detail on the side of the frame rails that is a very visible and signature characteristic of '32 Fords. The side of the frame shows on a real '32, just as it does on Revell's version.

The AMT '32 coupe, as shown, the '32 Vicky, and the '32 Phaeton all share the same chassis with separate rear suspension. The roadster kit has a blobular, molded-in rear end.

The AMT running gear CAN be adapted to the Revell chassis so you retain the correct frame rail sides, which is a requirement if you want a decent model, but the AMT bits are kinda primitive and heavy handed.

In short, there's really no easy way to do a good, accurate stock '32 without jumping through some hoops, or doing a lot of fiddly fitting and fabrication.

There was a metal aftermarket chassis available at one time that's an option if you can find one, and I believe Replicas and Miniatures made something for the conversion too.

[Mark]

If you use one of the newer Revell kits as a starting point, keep the frame and modify it back to stock.  The outside of the frame rails form the outer "sill" between the bottom of the body and the running boards.  It's going to be extremely tough to make some other frame fit that area as well as the kit piece.

The AMT '32 engines all have the exhaust manifolds molded as part of the block.  The AMT '34 5W coupe is the earliest model year kit that has separate parts.  I'd check the parts in all of these kits, as few 1:1 '32 Fords (even restored ones) still have a '32 engine.  Who knows what was in the car(s) that were measured and checked to make the kits.

Wheels will be another problem.  The AMT '32 kits all have undersize wheels.  Best ones out there in plastic are probably the Monogram '34 Ford units...good luck finding a set though.  Next best might be AMT '34 Ford 5W coupe, but something about those doesn't look right to me...

[Draggon]

Norm at Replicas and Miniatures casts the Monogram '34 Ford wheels and they are in a pack with big and little whitewalls. RM-148.

[mod3l Lover]

   Adam,   PM me if you want to, because I

have a AMT 32 like that if you are wanting

just some parts from!?!

   Trade interest maybe?

       David S.

[Ace-Garageguy]

A little research confirmed my earlier statement about RepMin's '32 frame. Here's a shot, and a description written on another forum by Bernard Kron...(UNDER the photo)

NOTE: This will STILL not give you an absolutely correct '32 frame, as the running gear it's designed to accept is from the OLD Revell '28-'31 Ford kits, which is similar BUT NOT THE SAME as a '32 Ford. It IS however, closer to correct than the Revell '32 frames are out-of-the-box.

 

"The RepMin frame was mastered by Rik Hoving to be specifically used with the front and rear suspension from the Revell "Rat Rod" '29 Ford Roadster Pickup and '30 Ford Sedan kits and fits exactly under the Revell 1/25th scale Deuce kits. Also, and extremely important, it is specifically designed to take an RepMin or similar flathead and a relatively short transmission such as the La Salle transmission that RepMin sells....

The differences with the stock kit frame are that the rear of the frame has been changed to include a crossmember for the Revell Model A buggy spring and the front area has had the kit motor mounts removed and new ones put in place for a flathead, as well as the front crossmember changed to take the Revell 29/20 Model front spring and axle assembly. Finally, Hoving cleaned up the various low spots in the Revell molding along the sides of the frame rails."

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mr.Zombie]

2 hours ago, mod3l Lover said:

   Adam,   PM me if you want to, because I

have a AMT 32 like that if you are wanting

just some parts from!?!

   Trade interest maybe?

       David S.

Trade! I’m up for that if we can sort it out somehow. I shall write you what I need off it when I’m on the computer (writing off a mobile right now).

@all, thanks for the answers. 

Maybe I should have written what I need it for, a while ago I stumbled upon pics of an old dirt track ‘32, and although the running gear is somewhat modified (split wishbones, overriders) the changes are minor. I thought I can use the two or three parts off the Revell kit and build the rest, but the Revell kit is absolutley not suitable for this project. I can use the rails and the body only. Not even the firewall is like I need it, no K member, no front or rearend, no brakes, no nothing...

 

 

[Mr. Metallic]

Ok, lets keep this thread going. I'm a huge fan of 32 Fords, and I'm always looking for building alternatives for the Revell 32 kits. A closer to stock build could prove quite interesting.

1- if someone was to use the beautiful Rep+Min frame, or modify the Revell kit frame, what would be a source for a good rear crossmember? Would the Revell 40 Ford piece work, especially since it's a separate piece already?

 

2- Wheels- Would the 34 Ford wires work? I know the Monogram pieces are technically 1/24, but mixing scales doesn't bother me if they're close. What about an alternative source? How about the wire wheels in later issues of the Monogram 30 Woody?

3- Front axle. The detail on the AMT kit piece isn't great, so how about an upgrade. Personally a slight drop would be acceptable, but I know others out there would be interested in bone stock

4- engine. As suggested, the AMT 34 Ford 5W stock version has a very nice flattie. I'm sure there may be small details different between the years that i could sort out, but specifically the bolt pattern on the head(water inlet could be different too. Is the one represented in the 34 kit ok for 32. Or are the heads in the AMT 32's correct?

Sorry, I can't easily do these part comparisons on my own since most of my kits are in storage.

 

[Mike999]

Here's another old thread with answers to many '32 Ford questions.  I think it also has photos of the Revell chassis, modified to take the AMT "buggy spring" crossmember.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Mr. Metallic said:

1- if someone was to use the beautiful Rep+Min frame, or modify the Revell kit frame, what would be a source for a good rear crossmember? Would the Revell 40 Ford piece work, especially since it's a separate piece already?

Page 3 of the thread below shows an easy way to fabricate a rear crossmember for any frame. The one shown is a '28-'31 crossmember to mount a quickchange in a narrowed '32 frame, but the technique will work for anything.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Mr. Metallic said:

3- Front axle. The detail on the AMT kit piece isn't great, so how about an upgrade. Personally a slight drop would be acceptable, but I know others out there would be interested in bone stock

The old AMT axles can be upgraded relatively easily too. Even posable/working steering is quite possible. This is an AMT '40 front axle, but they're all basically the same. The left side has been modded.

OR...the front axles from the 1/25 OLD series of Revell '28-'31 Fords (the ones that had opening everything) are real gems. Each kit has one stock, and one dropped, as shown below (on an AMT '32). Though not absolutely correct for a '32, nobody will ever know. They're also relatively easily converted to a more robust steering setup.

[Ace-Garageguy]

And this thread has much you might want to know about upgrading and modding the old AMT frames to a higher standard, including carving the reveals into the rail sides.

 

[Richard Bartrop]

2 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

Ok, lets keep this thread going. I'm a huge fan of 32 Fords, and I'm always looking for building alternatives for the Revell 32 kits. A closer to stock build could prove quite interesting.

1- if someone was to use the beautiful Rep+Min frame, or modify the Revell kit frame, what would be a source for a good rear crossmember? Would the Revell 40 Ford piece work, especially since it's a separate piece already?

 

2- Wheels- Would the 34 Ford wires work? I know the Monogram pieces are technically 1/24, but mixing scales doesn't bother me if they're close. What about an alternative source? How about the wire wheels in later issues of the Monogram 30 Woody?

3- Front axle. The detail on the AMT kit piece isn't great, so how about an upgrade. Personally a slight drop would be acceptable, but I know others out there would be interested in bone stock

4- engine. As suggested, the AMT 34 Ford 5W stock version has a very nice flattie. I'm sure there may be small details different between the years that i could sort out, but specifically the bolt pattern on the head(water inlet could be different too. Is the one represented in the 34 kit ok for 32. Or are the heads in the AMT 32's correct?

Sorry, I can't easily do these part comparisons on my own since most of my kits are in storage.

 

I'm looking at the frame of a Revell '40 Ford right now, and I'm going to say, it looks really close.  The centre of the '40 crossmember looks a little wider, but not too bad.   The Revell '48 Ford rear axle looks fairly close, and is stock, as compared to the two speed axle on the '40.

[Oldcarfan27]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

Looks like somebody needs some new tires, those suckers would slide on an even slightly wet surface! 

[Ace-Garageguy]

14 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Looks like somebody needs some new tires, those suckers would slide on an even slightly wet surface! 

 I actually addressed that in the build thread. The model is supposed to represent a fairly high-end car from the mid-1950s or so, but owner-built on a budget. Being in sunny SoCal, the need for actual tread on the tires was one of those things the owner procrastinated on coughing up funds for.

In reality, the only insert white-wall tires I had at the time that fit the rims I was using and had the right diameter also had misaligned halves from the molding die-set being slightly out of register when they were made. I had to remove almost all the tread, as shown, to eliminate the step in the middle.

NOTE: The klugey steering parts are mockups, not to be confused with anything I'd try to pass off as finished work.