1949 Ford Four-Door Custom - Under Glass - Dec 22/22

[Phildaupho]

I am building a tribute model to what is considered the first full custom car in Vancouver BC Canada. In 1951 Jack Williams customized a two-year-old '49 Ford 4-door. To create a 4-door I used two AMT '49 Ford Coupe bodies. I cut out the side windows and removed the back portion of the roof from both bodies. The front window frames from one of the bodies would become the back window frames on the 4-door. Both front and rear windows needed to be shortened to the lengths of the re-scribed side doors. The roof was lengthened using the second roof section. The A and C pillars were chopped a scale 3-inches, but I was surprised when the side window heights remained almost stock I guess this was due to the material removed when the window frames were cut from the bodies. The back side window shape is a long way from being accurately stock but was the closest I could get without cutting up another body like maybe a '57 Chev 2-Door Post. I used the running gear from a previously built shoebox for the mock-up. Another unique feature of the car was that it was powered by a Cadillac V-12. I am going to try to fabricate something representative by mating parts from two AMT '51 Chev 6-cylinder engines. This car still exists locally, and I hope to see it again soon.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Phildaupho

[Modelcarjedi]

Cool project ! 

[Misha]

That’s quite the project Phil! Be following your slice ‘n’ dice with great interest. Great to see another local replica build in your talented hands. 
Cheers Misha 

[chris chabre]

thats a good looking 4 door... I DO NOT say that often haha

[Koellefornia Kid]

Great project and nice work so far! Really like the inspiration car!

[Phildaupho]

On 10/8/2022 at 6:07 PM, Misha said:

That’s quite the project Phil! Be following your slice ‘n’ dice with great interest. Great to see another local replica build in your talented hands. 
Cheers Misha 

 

On 10/10/2022 at 6:42 AM, chris chabre said:

thats a good looking 4 door... I DO NOT say that often haha

 

On 10/10/2022 at 10:36 AM, Koellefornia Kid said:

Great project and nice work so far! Really like the inspiration car!

 

[Phildaupho]

Thanks guys - I have a small update. At the front of the model, you will see the Maple Leaf Modelworks 3-D printed 51 Meteor grill. It did require a fair amount of trimming for it to fit the opening. Also visible are the frenched headlights, smoothed bumper and rounded hood corners. The Buick side trim is from Replicas & Miniatures. At the rear of the model, I have opened up the taillight mounting area so the lenses can be frenched. The rear bumper has also been smoothed and will have a custom over-rider with openings for the exhaust.

[slusher]

Very nice work really looking like the inspiration picture!

[stavanzer]

Both Monogram and Johan kitted Caddy V-16s.

I'd offre one, but I sold those kits off.

[espo]

Great looking body work. Changing this too a four-door was done very smoothly. 

[Phildaupho]

Jack Williams installed a 1937 Cadillac V-12 in his 49 Ford Custom. Initially he tried two carbs per side but reverted to one per side. He moved the radiator ahead of the forward bulkhead for extra clearance.  After I found out a Cadillac V-12 was not unlike two Chev inline 6-cylinder engines mounted at 45 degrees a friend offered me two Galaxie 48 Chev engines. My V-12 uses the valve covers from the AMT 51 Chev, transmission from the AMT 49 Ford and front assembly and air cleaners from the AMT 49 Merc optional MOPAR engine. I plan to mount the distributor at the forward end of the valley to feed inboard spark plugs which may not be correct but that is how I am going to do it.

[slusher]

That’s a lot of engine in that Ford!  Should be a  fast one..

[Misha]

That’s really wild Phil! Great engine construction. 
Cheers Misha

[ea0863]

So cool! Looking forward to the finished build

[Zippi]

Nice work on the 49 Ford Shoebox.  I'm liking this one.

[LDO]

Would a shortened V-16 work? I have several unbuilt 1930s Cadillacs with V-16s. I’m not big on displaying engines. If you could use one, let me know. 

[Phildaupho]

On 10/31/2022 at 6:50 PM, slusher said:

That’s a lot of engine in that Ford!  Should be a  fast one..

 

21 hours ago, Misha said:

That’s really wild Phil! Great engine construction. 
Cheers Misha

 

21 hours ago, ea0863 said:

So cool! Looking forward to the finished build

 

15 hours ago, Zippi said:

Nice work on the 49 Ford Shoebox.  I'm liking this one.

Thanks guys - When the real car had the V-12 it was always hoodless because a hood could not be closed due to the size of the engine. That will not be the case with the model so it will also be able to be displayed as it looked when the Cadillac engine was replaced.

[Phildaupho]

9 minutes ago, LDO said:

Would a shortened V-16 work? I have several unbuilt 1930s Cadillacs with V-16s. I’m not big on displaying engines. If you could use one, let me know. 

Thanks Lee - Yes, a shortened V16 would work great. Thanks for the offer but as you can see, I have made a V12 that I am pretty satisfied with.

[Bullybeef]

Man that’s quite the undertaking Phil, the symmetry in that engine bay is awesome. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Bullybeef

[MeatMan]

Cool!

[Phildaupho]

7 hours ago, Bullybeef said:

Man that’s quite the undertaking Phil, the symmetry in that engine bay is awesome. 

Thanks, Bil. Getting everything to fit is a challenge as it must have been with the original

6 hours ago, MeatMan said:

Cool!

Thanks Dennis

[bobthehobbyguy]

Cool project.  I'm curious how did you create the block for the v12.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Duplicate post

Edited November 4, 2022 by bobthehobbyguy

[Phildaupho]

2 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

Cool project.  I'm curious how did you create the block for the v12.

I used 2 Galaxie 6 cylinder blocks with bell housings cut off. I made a couple of templates of the front engine dimensions and another of the front of the oil pan.  I set them at 45degrees to establish the cuts I would needs to make. Both ends of the block were blanked off with sheet plastic. Once the blocks were cut they were glued together and onto the oil pan with the manifolds outboard on both banks so the right side bank is a reversed 6cylinder. 

[Phildaupho]

I got to closely examine the real car yesterday and actually go for a drive. Very cool. It has been flathead powered for decades. The immaculate chrome was redone 50 years ago. It obviously has not been restored but is in incredibly good condition - especially the body.