'32 Vicki - Update 2/9 More Body Work

[Fletch]

This is a project that I started out of total necessity in order to come up with a more accurate '32 Vicki. If you've been around the hobby for any amount of time you've undoubtedly heard of the inaccuracies of the AMT '32 Ford line. The '32 Vicki is no different. It's major problems are the lower body line at the firewall and the shape of the cowl. Revell's line of '32 Fords comes to the rescue. They have the correct body lines and the correct profile for the cowl.

Here is where the fun begins:

AMT's '32 Vicki on it's own fender assembly.

With the sides removed and the sides and cowl from a Revell '32 Roadster.

After about 90 minutes per side the Revell sides now are part of the "Improved" Vicki body. The red line to the left is the old Roadster door line and the line to the right is of course the Vicki door line.

Of course we can't have door lines that don't match. Using a piece of scrap brass as a guide scribe new door lines,

The cowl is the last major thing that needs reworked.

Mark the cut lines where you want to remove the cowl from the AMT body. The top of the cowl is the real issue here as it's to flat. The marks I used for cutting are just at the point where the cowl starts to change radius. Keep the piece of the cowl that you remove as it will be your pattern on the Revell cowl.

Do not totally remove the firewall section of the AMT cowl as this will keep the body from collapsing on itself.

This is trial and error fitting of the Revell cowl piece into the AMT body. Take your time as patience here will save you lots of fill work later.

Here the ol' girl sits today in her new glory, with correct lower body lines and a correctly shaped cowl.

I used the Roadster sides as the front door line of the AMT Vicki and the Roadster match up perfectly, meaning you only have to scribe a single new door line.

This is one of 2 Vicki's I currently have in the works. The second is not as far along as this and I used the sides from the Tudor Sedan. Not the best choice as neither front or rear door lines match up. It is going to be chopped (4") and fenderless.

The one shown here will have the flathead from the Sedan kit. This is the nice Sunday cruiser. The other one not so NICE. It'll have the flathead from the Revell '50 Pickup with the Ardun heads (yes, the correct ones) and a S.C.o.T.s Blower assembly from RMoM and an attitude meant to leave small children clinging to their mothers leg!

Edited February 10, 2009 by Fletch

[RodneyBad]

WOW! I didn't know the Vicki was that far off.

I just knew it didn't look right.

Awesome Job.

Now it's looking really good.

[my80malibu]

Nice work, Are you thinking of having that resin cast?

Gabriel

[Fletch]

Actually, Lyle Willits has mastered one for Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. It is in their current catalog. If you have never seen or worked with products from PMoM, you're in for a treat. Their product are some of if not the nicest resin pieces that I have even had the pleasure of working with.

So, currently, I don't have any plans to have it used as a master but as we all know plans change.

The nice thing about doing this on the Revell platform is you can use the Revell hood which allows you to use the flavor of hood sides that please you.

Edited January 31, 2009 by Fletch

[87 Grand]

Man that looks like a great amount of work just to fix a problem that should have been addressed by the manufacturer. you are doing a top nitch job on correcting your project. I love the wheels. I didn't catch what those are from? let me know. I'll be watching this build. Great job so far.

[Fletch]

Considering the AMT body is 20+ years old it's about par for that time. AMTs '32 5 Window is the worst of the bunch a sit has a 3" section to the main body. The issue as I have always understood it was that the car that AMT used to pattern the kit from was a custom that had been sectioned. Unfortunately for us that section body became the '32 5 window that we got for years. If you wanted it to be correct you had to rebuild the side by adding 3" back into the body.

Once Revell, introduced their '32 line it was much easier (at least in theory), as all you now had to do was replace the entire side. The problem with the AMT lower body line is that it starts to angle up to soon. The angle shouldn't start until the front edge of the door. Again, the by product of mastering a body off of a custom.

The wheels and tires are the Kelsey-Hayes wires that are in the Revell '32 Tudor Sedan. They are without a doubt the nicest set of wires made in plastic. The only way you can get wires that look better is using photo-etched. And there are some great P/E wires out there.

[Terry Sumner]

Considering the AMT body is 20+ years old it's about par for that time.

20+ years? You have a talent for understatement. That body comes from as far back as 1962! I first built the 32 Vicky back in 1963 when I was but a wee one! So more like 47 plus years...

Terry

[CB]

Wow, very interesting Fletch, and very nice work. I never would've known the bodies on some models

weren't accurate. Guess I just assume too much (and we all know what that makes me )

Here the ol' girl sits today in her new glory, with correct lower body lines and a correctly shaped cowl.

Not trying to be funny, but the 'ol' girl' kinda looks pregnant . That was the first thought that

came to mind when I first saw this. The more I'm lookin' at her, the better she's lookin' -- full bodied

and powerful? not mean, but strong....... a strong woman named Vickie........oh boy

Can't wait to see this all painted up. Hope yer keepin that stance on 'er.

[Fletch]

Yeah, the AMT line of '32 always had problems. Most either looked the other way or didn't build them. With the release of the Revell series it became even more noticeable what the problems were.

As for the stance the front spring mount has been modified to drop it arounf 4mm the rear has yet to have anythigg done to it, so it may drop a little but not a lot.

I'm finishing the putty work on the body today, and getting readt ti scratch build the new firewall as the Revell firewall has the big offset because of the 5.0 Litre V8 which isn't needed with the flat head.

Then it's off to primer and final color, planning on going two-tone something similar to the colors of the bare plastic.

GB

Fletch

[Dennis Lacy]

Terrific job re-working the body! The dimensions look right-on. With the full-fenders and chrome wire wheels, it looks very classy. Can't want to see it in paint.

What are you going to use for interior panels and seats?

[Abell82]

Nice job, but what are you building, with the "incorrect" parts? They should build up into a nice little Kustom rat rod, or something right?

[Fletch]

Thanks Guys, it has turned is to a fun project actually.

For the interior, there are several ways to go about it. Either using the AMT interior insert as it's not to far off and once it's inside the body no one would know the difference anyway. The other option which is the way that I will most likely go is to use the interior pieces from the Phantom Vickie. With a little rework of the floor pan and straightening of the sides and it fits pretty well. Another option that I have not fully explored is to use the interior from the Revell Tudor Sedan. Or a combination of the AMT rear seat with the Sedan floor pan and rework the Sedan side panels.

The one thing about the Vicki that is noticeable only in plans or you have ever been in the back seat is that the floor pan is recessed. On either side of where the torque tube runs down the center of the car there are wells as the rear head room is reduced compared to the Sedan. This is of course something not normally ever modeled. So, just one more thing to do make the project more correct. The rear floor wells was one thing that AMT did get right, at least on the frame. If you compare the AMT Vicki frame to the AMT Sedan floor you will see the wells. So, AMT didn't totally screw up the entire '32 Ford line, just 99.9% of it.

As for the "Incorrect" parts they are in the jar of MEK becoming plastic putty for some future project.

In the process of finishing the scratch build of the firewall, then on to paint.

[Abell82]

Thanks Guys, it has turned is to a fun project actually.

As for the "Incorrect" parts they are in the jar of MEK becoming plastic putty for some future project.

In the process of finishing the scratch build of the firewall, then on to paint.

NOOOO!!!! :o Your throwing out the funnest part.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fletch]

Got the firewall built today. Started with a base of 2 layers of .020 Evergreen Sheet. The disks in the upper corners are made from .020x.250 Evergreen strip. The vertical rib is .060 half-round topped by a piece of .080 half-round. All the angled pieces are .040 half-round. The top of the firewall is capped by a piece of .010x.100 strip. I cheated and used a the "foot wells" from a scrap AMT firewall.

Perfect it is not, but a reasonable representation.

Attached to the body:

Need to do a little adjustment to the inside of the hood and it should be good to go.

Given the choice between using the Firewall/Hood set from RMoM or scratch building another, I'd have to go with buying from Norm. But, it was a lot of fun to build.

So that's the fun for the day, your comments are appreciated as always.

[CB]

Wowser, Fletch! I be trusting that that firewall is pretty accurate, even if'n you say it's "Perfect it is not, but a reasonable representation." Sure looks good to me!

With that firewall, and the interior mods/corrections you're making---you might have to consider using a clear body so's we can see all your fine work .........but then, tha's what WIP pics are for

[Fletch]

John, it's as accurate as eyeball engineering can be. Thats why the statement of "it's not perfect but a close representation." Besides once you put the flatty in with all it's finery no one will even notice the firewall anyway. A lot of this build has been to get me out of my building slump. And if the building skills get stretched in the process all the better.

The under side rear edge of the hood has been shaved to fit over the more accurate firewall. Have a couple of places to do some touch up on seams. Then as soon as the temps comes up it's out to the garage and the first coat of primer.

[E St. Kruiser50]

Hey Dave

This is lookin' very nice. Glad to hear your workin' on the "Slump" LOL. Happen's to all of us now and then.

I like all the "Upgrade's" you're doin' on this - Very clean!! The firewall is really cool. I didn't know you scratch-built - nice touch.

Been following this since you started, so keep posting, and keep us up to date on the progress.

I want to see the two-tone paint job you mentioned in an earlier post.

You should bring this with you this Sunday for our club meeting.

See you then. God Bless - dave

Edited February 2, 2009 by Treehugger Dave

[Helipilot16]

The '32 roadster has a dip above the wheel arch, making it different from the coupe and sedan bodies. A coupe side would probably be more correct.

I'm really looking forward to the completion of this build

[Fletch]

Hey Dave, good to hear from you Brother. This has been a fun interesting adventure. Scratch building is something that I have done off and on over the years. It would have been just as easy to have ordered the Firewall from Norm and RMoM but that would have meant waiting for a few additional days before going to paint. I do have one on order for the chopped version, as I needed the S.C.o. T.s blower and the one in the AMT '57 Chevy isn't close enough. Especially when you put the work in to correct the inherent flaws from the mfg.

I should be at the meeting Sunday, God willing and the Vicki will be there as well. Just finished shooting the first coat of primer. Now if it will actually get to 50 today it would help.

See you Sunday.

God Bless

Fletch

[MikeMc]

This is the WORST of th WORST!!!!!

and unless you get it 1/2 off ...

ya wasted your $$$$$

[Fletch]

Mike, I agree with you to a point. For AMT to get the idea that all they had to do was add 24s" and add Coddington's name to the box, we'd run to the store and clear the shelves I find somewhat insulting.

The body is about the only part of the kit that is usable and it leaves a great deal to be desired. By usable I mean that it can be corrected to make it into a reasonable hot rod.

The kit was sub par when it was MPCs Graffiti Coupe the addition of the "Boyd Coddington" wheels didn't correct that.

If the answer to getting people to buy model kits was to add 24s" hell even Tamiya would be in on that.

[Fletch]

Here's part of the fun of doing a kitbash. You find things once you have gone to paint. The point where the Revell sides meet the AMT upper body section at the rear quarter windows doesn't match very well. The down side to this is that it's not that noticeable until paint.

So, here's the solution:

By adding a piece of .015 X .156 styrene to the area builds it up to the level of the rest of the joint between the sides and the upper body.

Allow the glue to dry, sanding the filler piece to shape.

Hosted on Fotki

As Helipilot16 noted roadster side has a dip above the wheel arch that is why this issue came about. The use of the sides from the 3 window coupe my eliminate this little problem.

Now back to the paint shop.

[BigGary]

Fletch, did you really start off with the AMT Boyd Coddington '32 Ford? No wonder it took so much work. I took one look at thet kit kit and said, "You're kidding, right?" I never gave it another look.

Gary

[Fletch]

Gary, the project started with the AMT '32 Vicki and a Revell '32 Roadster. The goal was to get a finished Vicki that had the correct body panels and the correct curvature of the cowl. Of course there are pitfalls to attempting any kitbash using models that were kitted 40 years apart.

The body in the "Boyd Coddington" '32 is the body that MPC used for the Graffiti coupe. It wasn't even remotely correct in the late '60s early '70s, so putting 24" rims under it won't make it any more correct today.

Today, I have the area below the quarter windows sanded and getting ready to recreate the bead around the fender wells, then is back to primer and final paint.

The goal is to have this completed by the first full weekend in March as that is the 39th annual Bob Paeth Portland Classic Madel Car Contest. If things progress as anticipated it shouldn't be a problem.

[Dennis Lacy]

It's comming along, Fletch. When planning this out did you ever consider using the windshield area from the Revell '32 sedan kit so you can take advantage of the much nicer windshield frame?