Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 I love the Revell 32 rails and that the floor boards are separate. I can even deal with the suspension issues...though why the new roadster seems to go back to the rear suspension bagged I'll never understand. But to backdating the chassis what Plastistruct/ Evergreen can you use to build new crossmembers? A how to? I can't afford buying 40 Standard coupes every time I want to do a 50s or 60s style 32. Thank you. Charles
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 I like to do old school Hot Rods and not a real fan of the rear suspension in the Revell Deuce kits. Tried doing some chop and glue mods from scratch. I found these at Shapways and have a couple coming in the mail. This might just be the answer for me.
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 2 hours ago, Jon Haigwood said: I like to do old school Hot Rods and not a real fan of the rear suspension in the Revell Deuce kits. Tried doing some chop and glue mods from scratch. I found these at Shapways and have a couple coming in the mail. This might just be the answer for me.
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 Just now, Calb56 said: They're nice! I was thinking about the center crossmember though.
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 8 minutes ago, Calb56 said: They're nice! I was thinking about the center crossmember though. Yeah , you mentioned the rear suspension so I posted this as for the center crossmember other than sacrificing another kit maybe scratch building will be the only way to go
Mark Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 Scratch the center member. Use the '40 kit parts as a pattern, trace onto .020" sheet styrene, and start cutting. The kit piece is probably "too thick" in scale, .020" should be sufficient once the pieces come together to form a channel as the '40 member is formed. The individual strips will feel flimsy, but start piecing the thing together and it will stiffen right up. After you've done a couple of them, you'll probably figure out how to cut the pieces out and not leave much wasted plastic. 1
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 4 minutes ago, Mark said: Scratch the center member. Use the '40 kit parts as a pattern, trace onto .020" sheet styrene, and start cutting. The kit piece is probably "too thick" in scale, .020" should be sufficient once the pieces come together to form a channel as the '40 member is formed. The individual strips will feel flimsy, but start piecing the thing together and it will stiffen right up. After you've done a couple of them, you'll probably figure out how to cut the pieces out and not leave much wasted plastic. Sounds like a good plan, I was thinking about looking at some styrene channel to use
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 18 minutes ago, Jon Haigwood said: Yeah , you mentioned the rear suspension so I posted this as for the center crossmember other than sacrificing another kit maybe scratch building will be the only way to go I am glad you brought this up I have never considered the center crossmember until now. Something for my future builds Thanks
gman Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Calb56 said: They're nice! I was thinking about the center crossmember though. That doesn't look to be an original '32 Ford center crossmember aka "K" member. I scratchbuilt one for a vintage hot rod project a few years back, using reference photos and breaking it down into simpler shapes that could be built up using laminated strip and sheet styrene. It was grafted into the Revell '32 rails. It is packed up in boxes somewhere due to a move, and I'll upload a photo if/when it turns up. If you want something closer to the crossmember in your photo, you would be better off incorporating one from a later Ford kit. As mentioned, a '40 might not be a bad place to start. I would love it if Revell tooled up a frame and suspension closer to what Henry made from the assembly line- transverse rear spring, wishbone suspension etc, and think doing so would sell a lot of kits for people wanting to build something less modern. They could throw in a quick change rear housing and severely dropped beam axle for the front complete with hair pins or split radius rods for the early rod appreciators amongst us 1
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 (edited) 7 minutes ago, gman said: I would love it if Revell tooled up a frame and suspension closer to what Henry made from the assembly line- transverse rear spring, wishbone suspension etc, and think doing so would sell a lot of kits for people wanting to build something less modern. They could throw in a quick change rear housing and severely dropped beam axle for the front complete with hair pins or split radius rods for the early rod appreciators amongst us Many of us who build period-correct rods have been saying exactly this for years, but so far, just crickets. Then again, scratchbuilding and swapping the necessary parts isn't really that difficult...and the new Atlantis repop of the old Revell "Roadster Chassis" parts packs is a great source for a lot of it. https://atlantis-models.com/custom-car-parts-series-roadster-chassis-speed-equipment-atlantis/ Edited October 1, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy 1
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 4 minutes ago, gman said: That doesn't look to be an original '32 Ford center crossmember aka "K" member. I scratchbuilt one for a vintage hot rod project a few years back, using reference photos and breaking it down into simpler shapes that could be built up using laminated strip and sheet styrene. It was grafted into the Revell '32 rails. It is packed up in boxes somewhere due to a move, and I'll upload a photo if/when it turns up. If you want something closer to the crossmember in your photo, you would be better off incorporating one from a later Ford kit. As mentioned, a '40 might not be a bad place to start. I would love it if Revell tooled up a frame and suspension closer to what Henry made from the assembly line- transverse rear spring, wishbone suspension etc, and think doing so would sell a lot of kits for people wanting to build something less modern. They could throw in a quick change rear housing and severely dropped beam axle for the front complete with hair pins or split radius rods for the early rod appreciators amongst us I'd love to see it. Tbh, I just looked for a photo, I'm at work... I completely agree about an older original version would be nice. Both stock and early rod. Maybe throw in the Navarro heads and a high two carb intake?
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 (edited) I scratch-built this frame some time back, with a center X-member similar to what the OP asked about, roughly copied from a '40 Ford. Edited October 1, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy
gman Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 18 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said: Many of us who build period-correct rods have been saying exactly this for years, but so far, just crickets. Then again, scratchbuilding and swapping the necessary parts isn't really that difficult...and the new Atlantis repop of the old Revell "Roadster Chassis" parts packs is a great source for a lot of it. https://atlantis-models.com/custom-car-parts-series-roadster-chassis-speed-equipment-atlantis/ I'll certainly have to get a few of those if they turn up locally.
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 40 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said: Many of us who build period-correct rods have been saying exactly this for years, but so far, just crickets. Then again, scratchbuilding and swapping the necessary parts isn't really that difficult...and the new Atlantis repop of the old Revell "Roadster Chassis" parts packs is a great source for a lot of it. https://atlantis-models.com/custom-car-parts-series-roadster-chassis-speed-equipment-atlantis/ I've got 2 of those coming, I was glad to see that re-popped. Now if they'd just get a traditional chassis available. I guess I was asking about hints on scratchbuilding one, cuz with kits at $35+ each, kitbashing gets expensive for those of us starting again from zero... I've invested almost $3-400 trying to get my first project started. My wife's going to kill me ?
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 18 minutes ago, Calb56 said: ...I guess I was asking about hints on scratchbuilding one, cuz with kits at $35+ each, kitbashing gets expensive for those of us starting again from zero... I've invested almost $3-400 trying to get my first project started. Look at the pix I posted above for a scratch-built frame under a '34 Ford, with a center X-member similar to a '40 Ford, from which it was sorta copied. My wife's going to kill me ? Well, it's a much cheaper hobby than chasing women in bars, and she knows where you are when you're working on models. 1
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 Too bad Norm stopped putting these out. I would be buying a few along with a few other stuff
gman Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 Just now, Jon Haigwood said: Too bad Norm stopped putting these out. I would be buying a few along with a few other stuff Yes, that was truly an excellent piece from Norm (as are all of the R&MCoM parts I have every received). Hopefully Norm sees it in his heart to bring that one back.
Mark Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 Looking at those photos again, using Plastruct channel is certainly an option, just measure the Revell piece and see is Plastruct offers something similar. I'd bet many builders of 1:1 rods build a facsimile of the '40 X-member rather than cut up an otherwise good frame to get one.
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 Shapwa 1 minute ago, gman said: Yes, that was truly an excellent piece from Norm (as are all of the R&MCoM parts I have every received). Hopefully Norm sees it in his heart to bring that one back. Shapeways does carry some with or without boxed frame for under $16
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 9 minutes ago, Jon Haigwood said: Too bad Norm stopped putting these out. I would be buying a few along with a few other stuff I've got an order going out to him next week, I'll have to ask him about bringing that back, it'd be a required purchase with each Revell deuce. ? 1
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 5 minutes ago, Jon Haigwood said: Shapwa Shapeways does carry some with or without boxed frame for under $16 Link?
Jon Haigwood Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 11 minutes ago, Calb56 said: Link? https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=1%2F24+ford+Frames
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 1, 2022 Posted October 1, 2022 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Mark said: Looking at those photos again, using Plastruct channel is certainly an option, just measure the Revell piece and see is Plastruct offers something similar. I'd bet many builders of 1:1 rods build a facsimile of the '40 X-member rather than cut up an otherwise good frame to get one. Yup, and the '34 X-member as well. In fact the '34 was the go-to part to use when building an early A-V8. X-members were generally taken from wrecked cars that had been written off, way back when you could source junkyard stuff easily. A frame with folded up rails could often supply a good X-member. But a facsimile is easy enough to do in reality or scale, as the photos of the chopped purple '34 I posted above clearly illustrate...but it seems that suggestions to scratch things these days fall on mostly deaf ears, both on real cars and models. EDIT: A "boxed" X-member doesn't even require channel to model realistically, and it would be stiffer in reality. The scratched X-member in my photos above represents a fabricated, boxed facsimile, with lightening holes closed up with round tubing. Edited October 1, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy
Calb56 Posted October 1, 2022 Author Posted October 1, 2022 7 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said: Yup, and the '34 X-member as well. In fact the '34 was the go-to part to use when building an early A-V8. A facsimile is easy enough to do in reality or scale, as the photos of the chopped purple '34 I posted above clearly illustrate...but it seems that suggestions to scratch things these days fall on mostly deaf ears, both on real cars and models. I do have a 36 Ford coming in a "junkyard" lot, would that work as well as a template? Am interested in scratchbuilding, as my original post was inquiring about the size to use. Though tbh, I used to have work from RMoM years ago mastered by Rik Hoving and I admire his eye for detail. Off topic but anyone know what happened to Mr. Hoving? His Fokti Album of research material is still up.
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