Monogram 1:24 Love: 1932 Roadster

[Kenmojr]

A very interesting build for sure.

[Dennis Lacy]

11 hours ago, Phildaupho said:

I am definitely a member of the Monogram 1/24 Deuce Roadster Fan Club and with your hot rod building skills I am sure this one will look absolutely right.

No surprise there, Phil! I imagine you’ve built your share over the years. 

6 hours ago, 68shortfleet said:

Great start on this one Dennis.

Not a fan of the slotted mags, but thats just me.

Jason

Thanks, Jason. I hear ya on the wheels. IRL I don’t think I’d put them on anything but I thought some 70’s vibe might be cool in this case. I actually started with the same tires but the Kelsey Hayes style wires from the ‘30 Woody. Unfortunately the way they are made wouldn’t allow for tucking in under the fenders enough. Couldn’t modify for enough back-space. 

5 hours ago, chris chabre said:

SWEET!!! I have one in my stash that Ive been collecting to do my version of a lil deuce. I have a few bigger projects out right now, might be time to dig out a hot rod to mock up

Hard to go wrong with Lil’ Deuce tribute. I’m sure it’ll be bitchin’ when you get to it. 

[Kit Karson]

GNRS style Deuce Roadster with that @Dennis Lacy spin!  Combining just the right parts & pieces into a comfortable street rod with that hot rod appeal is an art in itself!  -KK

[dragcarz]

Looking good, I learned a lot here, very interesting thread!

[Dan Hay]

Funny, I’ve been thinking about this kit for a while now, and recently did some comparison with it and a Revell 32. I really like the old monogram grille and shell better, among a few other details. Also, the hoods are noticeably longer on the monogram vs Revell. I know the monogram is 1/24 but even with the scale difference it looks better on the monogram. 
 

Because of my love of deuces I probably built this kit more than any other, I even remember sawing off the fenders out in the garage on dads bandsaw to make a highboy.  So now you got my brain going and will probably build one myself in the near future! The only problem when starting a deuce build is deciding how to build it. Can’t wait to see this one finished with your usual quality and attention to detail.

Edited November 23, 2023 by Dan Hay

[Dennis Lacy]

4 hours ago, Dan Hay said:

Funny, I’ve been thinking about this kit for a while now, and recently did some comparison with it and a Revell 32. I really like the old monogram grille and shell better, among a few other details. Also, the hoods are noticeably longer on the monogram vs Revell. I know the monogram is 1/24 but even with the scale difference it looks better on the monogram. 
 

Because of my love of deuces I probably built this kit more than any other, I even remember sawing off the fenders out in the garage on dads bandsaw to make a highboy.  So now you got my brain going and will probably build one myself in the near future! The only problem when starting a deuce build is deciding how to build it. Can’t wait to see this one finished with your usual quality and attention to detail.

Like @Ace-Garageguy said, the proportions of the body in this kit look really right. I’ve always dug it. 

I did the same thing with one of mine back in the day, cutting all of the fenders off to make a hiboy. That model only survived a couple years but I can still picture it. I sprayed the body Testors Yellow with Light Green (like Apple Green) frame, suspension and engine, which was the Flathead from the ‘40 Pickup. Wheels were the chrome steelies from The Beach Boys 3-Window. I also remember it had a Full House cards decals on the cowl. That would have been around 1993 and I would have been 13. I’m actually tempted to do another but probably in a more tasteful color combo! ?

[Dan Hay]

55 minutes ago, Dennis Lacy said:

Like @Ace-Garageguy said, the proportions of the body in this kit look really right. I’ve always dug it. 

I did the same thing with one of mine back in the day, cutting all of the fenders off to make a hiboy. That model only survived a couple years but I can still picture it. I sprayed the body Testors Yellow with Light Green (like Apple Green) frame, suspension and engine, which was the Flathead from the ‘40 Pickup. Wheels were the chrome steelies from The Beach Boys 3-Window. I also remember it had a Full House cards decals on the cowl. That would have been around 1993 and I would have been 13. I’m actually tempted to do another but probably in a more tasteful color combo! ?

I built my hiboy blue and white to clone a real 32 roadster my dad had at the time. The two tone was weird, it was blue above the belt line and wrapped around the body behind the top. It was kinda ugly car in my mind today but back then I loved that thing and couldn’t wait to ride in it every chance I got. Funny I think he had that around 93 as well!

Edited November 23, 2023 by Dan Hay

[bluestringer]

That is looking great. I built this kit a few months ago, but didn't go into many mods like you are. I do wish I had lowered it. I did notice the small tail pipes and fabricated some pipes running out in front of the rear wheels that look a little better. My grandson was here today and saw the built model and wanted it, so it's sitting on his shelf now. I plan to pick up another one, and for next time you have gave me some good tips on lowering it and installing a different engine. Looking forward to seeing your finished work. 

[Dennis Lacy]

16 hours ago, bluestringer said:

That is looking great. I built this kit a few months ago, but didn't go into many mods like you are. I do wish I had lowered it. I did notice the small tail pipes and fabricated some pipes running out in front of the rear wheels that look a little better. My grandson was here today and saw the built model and wanted it, so it's sitting on his shelf now. I plan to pick up another one, and for next time you have gave me some good tips on lowering it and installing a different engine. Looking forward to seeing your finished work. 

That’s a nice solution you came up with. The consistent “pipe” size and fully enclosed mufflers look so much better. 

The thing about lowering this kit is that it also requires modifying (or changing) the wheels to tuck them in because the way the kit builds it puts the tires poked and under the fender edges. The front axle I changed to is a good bit narrower. 

[1930fordpickup]

Thank you for the pictures showing the tips Dennis. This is going to look great when done.  Does anyone know of a source for the little deuce grill for these? 

[Dennis Lacy]

7 hours ago, 1930fordpickup said:

Thank you for the pictures showing the tips Dennis. This is going to look great when done.  Does anyone know of a source for the little deuce grill for these? 

Thanks!

My friend Ed at Drag City Casting was reproducing the grill insert and he also had a kit for the Pontiac engine. He doesn’t have a website but if you email him he’ll take care of you. He’s a good guy.

 lowcab36@epix.net

[Dennis Lacy]

Last night I did a mock up with a different set of wheels, the Kelsey Hayes style wires from the Monogram ‘30 Woody. When I was first starting this project they were the first wheels I tried but I was not going to be able to modify them enough to tuck the under the front fenders using the kit dropped axle. Last night it occurred to me that I should try again since I changed the front axle and it’s quite a bit narrower. I haven’t started adapting the wheels yet so now I have to decide which way to go. I definitely like the wires and they will look much better with the chrome hubcaps. 

Thoughts?

[Bullybeef]

The slots give it a 70’s vibe whereas the Kelsey Hayes are ageless and fit in any era. Both suit the car it will depend on where it sits in your build era.

[Dan Hay]

Kelseys!

[Dennis Lacy]

And, the winner is…

The Kelsey Hayes wires! 

I was able to spend some time at the workbench this afternoon and decided to get the wheels adapted to the axles. The fronts were very easy only needing to slightly enlarge the holes in the wheels to fit over the axle stubs and sand the center area down, even with the edge of the rim.

The rears, on the other hand, took a fair bit of work mixed with trial and error. The inner wheel halves ended requiring the whole raised center area be removed.

The rear brake plates were replaced with front plates from the same kit because they are roughly half the thickness and don’t have a raised center area on the front which allowed them to suck in closer to the axle. Even then I needed all of the room I could get so I sanded the slight ridge down on the back sides of the plates. Because the plates are thinner it was necessary to notch them to clear the end of the spring.

All of this to allow the rear wheels to suck in as much as possible to get the tires under the fenders.

I mocked the Roadster back together and upon looking at it I just wasn’t feeling the engine dress. While a single 4-barrel is perfect for drive ability it’s kind of boring on a scale street rod. Digging through my small block Chevy parts I came across the dual 4-barrel cross-ram intake from Revell’s 1969 Camaro Z28, the only remaining piece I have since having the original issue back in the early 90’s. The carbs come from a couple of Monogram 1937 Ford Sedan original issues with air filters from a Revell ‘32 Roadster (Rat Roaster.) The Edelbrock valve covers come from AMT’s ‘34 Ford 5-Window Coupe. I’m liking this a lot better and it’s much more interesting to look at.

And here’s the Roadster sitting properly on its axles with the updated engine dress.  Very happy with the stance and wheel fit. 

 

 

[Bullybeef]

Engine arrangement looks mucho bueno now! I think a smoothie hood would suit the look a little better than the louvered. My .02 Canadian 

[Dennis Lacy]

5 minutes ago, Bullybeef said:

Engine arrangement looks mucho bueno now! I think a smoothie hood would suit the look a little better than the louvered. My .02 Canadian 

Hmm, I’ll have to give that some thought. I do plan on hood sides which have hot rod louvers like the tops. Smooth as well? 

[Bullybeef]

I didn’t know if you would be using hood sides or not, the louvered hood and sides are ideal as a set but I feel the hood with no sides and louvres looks kind of redundant. 
 

[ea0863]

Great build so far Dennis, and thank you for all the information on the drivetrain. I love the stance, but am conflicted as both sets of rims are awesome in their own right. I think you should build both!  

[Dan Hay]

I have considered grafting stock louvers from a Revell 32 into the side hoods but I think it’ll look weird because of the scale difference and the monogram hoods are longer. 
 

Wheels look good and the cross ram is definitely more interesting!

[slusher]

Looks great the way it’s sitting before paint. I really enjoy your builds and all the improvements and info!

[larman]

Glad you switched the wheels! Much better choice! Great stance, and I like the engine upgrade too!

[Dennis Lacy]

Found a little more bench time yesterday afternoon. I had left the Roadster mocked up and after sitting down I got to looking at it. I realized I wasn't totally feeling the engine setup. Part of it was that the 1:24 engine bay still looked a bit empty and after some trial and error I found a way to fill it up!

I carved 1/16” off the back of the trans to move the engine back the same amount. I also carved the molded in timing cover / crank balancer off. To the engine I added the complete supercharger assembly, timing cover and belt drives from Revell’s ‘29 Roadster. I’m also back to the “Deuce” valve covers. Totally ridiculous with the fragile early driveline but it looks cool. So that’s it, final answer!

 

[Bullybeef]

Guess that solves the Hood dilemma haha

[Dennis Lacy]

11 minutes ago, Bullybeef said:

Guess that solves the Hood dilemma haha

It sure does! I’m going to run the top but it will be getting smoothed out with a hole in the middle.