The Race of Gentlemen '29 Ford A-V8 Roadster

[Bernard Kron]

The Race of Gentlemen ’29 Ford “A-V8” High-Boy Roadster
(More photos below)

This is a classic “A-V8” hot rod, a 1929 Ford model A roadster body perched on 1932 Ford chassis rails powered by a hopped up flathead Ford V8. This style was hugely popular in the early years of hot rodding on either side of WWII. The small, lightweight Model A body combined with power of the V8 and the stiffer, more modern Deuce chassis provided an ideal package for both cruising around town and the street racing and dry lakes speed runs that were the standard back then.

The Race of Gentlemen (or T.R.O.G.) is a celebration of those early days. Starting as a beach racing event on the shores of Wildwood New Jersey more than a decade ago, the founders have stretched out to organize various beach racing and 1/8th mile drag racing events on both coasts of the USA and even traveling to Europe. The most recent event was last December at the Flabob Municipal Airport near Riverside California, recreating the spirit of the first drag racing events.

The T.R.O.G. rules are quite strict and specific, limiting chassis and powerplant to pre and postwar war 4 cylinder and flathead V8s. More recently hey are allowing early pre-1956 OHV motors,. If modified they must use era-correct speed equipment. The prevailing aesthetic of the typical T.R.O.G. racer is the “Preservation” style where the as-found patina of these old cars is maintained while the machine is restored to its full potential of safety and performance using original, period vintage parts wherever possible. This model represents the prototypic T.R.O.G. A-V8 as raced at Flabob.

I started with an AMT ’29 Roadster body and interior and Revell ’32 Ford chassis rails. The front and rear crossmembers are Revellogram ‘29/’30 Model A pieces as is the rear spring. The front spring is AMT ’29 Ford while the 4” dropped I-beam axle is a wire-reinforced resin piece from ThePartsBox.com. The center X-member and rear axle, brake backing plates and the Houdaille hydraulic lever shocks are Revell ’40 Ford pieces. Those sexy solid faced Halibrand mag wheels and tall, skinny repops of the Monogram Lincoln bias ply rear tires are aftermarket pieces created by Jason Lookabill (lookabillj@gmail.com). The front tires are AMT Goodyears modified to fit Jason’s wheels. The wheels are finished in Vallejo Acrylic Bronze Mecha Color to simulate a Dow 7 coating.

The Ford flathead V8 is built up from Revellogram ’37 Ford truck block and transmission and Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland Offenhauser finned heads, Fenton headers and high rise intake manifold.

The AMT kit interior bucket had its seat removed and replaced with a bolstered tuck ‘n’ roll unit from the Revell ’32 Ford .5-window kit. The interior is finished in Testors Acryl British Crimson worked over to simulate worn leatherette. The dashboard is a refaced AMT ’29 Ford piece with a photoetch guage panel from Model Car Garage. The steering wheel and interior details are from the AMT ’29 Ford kit.

The chassis and body are finished in Tamiya AS-29 Grey Green over red oxide primer and metallic silver in preparation for the light sanding that yielded a mildly weathered “as-found” effect. The numbers and Sta-Lube decals on the rear deck and hood sides are homemade. The grill is finished in British Crimson to echo the interior.

Thanx for lookin’,
B.

 

[Phildaupho]

Looks fabulous. I always enjoy your builds and write ups.

[Joe Nunes]

This is Cool!  Thanks for sharing your photos with us.  Well done!  ?

Joe

[Kah puts]

Awesome, B you the man??‍♂️

[Bullybeef]

Well done Bernard, really like how it turned out. 

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[slusher]

Looks Awesome!

[espo]

Beautifully done and the explanation you provided helps if someone isn't aware of the background of the TROG style. The paint finish has a realistic looking aged finish. Like the lowered stance and done the way it may be done on a 1:1. 

[thatz4u]

well done, looks real

[TooOld]

Really like the look of this one Bernard !  With your choice of parts and the finish you've really captured the spirit of these great old race cars , very well done !

[Bernard Kron]

Many thanks to you all for the exceedingly kind comments. They are always much appreciated! ??

This is the 4th Ford Model A in a row that I've built. And, as if I wasn't hung up enough, it's the 3rd in succession that has a patina finish. I find this somewhat frustrating actually. I'm a charter member of the "grass is greener on the other side" club, so the builds that I often admire the most  are those in styles and approaches that emphasize technical excellence  - you know, the proverbial "clean build". As an example, showroom stock replica modeling totally floats my boat, the more detail and precision the better. And yet there is no way I'd ever attempt one myself! For me technical control is a powerful means to the end of successfully complete self expression in both the arts and sciences. Unfortunately I seem to have a small gift for doing these patina finishes and recently it's been a fall-back crutch of sorts. The rationale, of course, is that it represents a kind of realism. But any visit to a motorsports museum will reveal that the technical execution of most of the iconic cars, whether they are straight line or road racing machines, is invariably at a very high level. Capturing that combination of precision and discipline in execution while maintaining realism in overall impact remains an elusive goal for me.

Having said that it's nonetheless very satisfying to be appreciated for what I have attempted to achieve with a model like this

7 hours ago, thatz4u said:

well done, looks real

 

7 hours ago, espo said:

Beautifully done and the explanation you provided helps if someone isn't aware of the background of the TROG style. The paint finish has a realistic looking aged finish. Like the lowered stance and done the way it may be done on a 1:1. 

.Thanks so much, David and Al! Realism is always something I admire in the work of others and something I generally strive for.

2 hours ago, TooOld said:

Really like the look of this one Bernard !  With your choice of parts and the finish you've really captured the spirit of these great old race cars , very well done !

Thanks Bob. You know how much I admire the quality and range of your modeling. And capturing the spirit of a type of car is certainly one of my primary goals.

Once again, thanks so much to you all!

Edited January 27, 2023 by Bernard Kron

[Kenmojr]

Cool beyond words.

[68shortfleet]

Looking really good Bernard.

[Bernard Kron]

21 hours ago, Kenmojr said:

Cool beyond words.

 

21 hours ago, 68shortfleet said:

Looking really good Bernard.

Thanks so much, guys. Jason, your Halibrands were the key to this one! ??

[Calb56]

1 hour ago, Bernard Kron said:

 

Thanks so much, guys. Jason, your Halibrands were the key to this one! ??

Those Halibrands are great and really look cool on this build.