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Posted

32s are probably my all-time favorite car, but I haven’t built one for a while…time to change that…I’m thinking a chopped, fenderless 3-window with a nice raked stance and a big ol’ Hemi out front, and a bunch of cool traditional parts.

I chopped this spare body a while back, just for practice, then used it for paint practice, then felt sorry for it and stripped it and started body working it to get it a little straighter…

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And I’ve got one of these on the shelf, so it should be a piece of cake, right?  Just switch out the body and call it good:

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I’m glad these Revell Deuce kits are available, but there’s a lot I don’t like about them, plus there have been so many built by this point they usually look like another Revell Deuce with it’s airbag suspension and 4-links and the 9” axle and the standard tuck n roll interior and so on.

So, I’m going to use this as a starting point but likely not use too much of it aside from the frame.  

First up, I want to rid this thing of its airbagged rear axle, and swap in a Quickchange.  @Mr. Metallic has got a Deuce WIP right now with a really nice clean rear end install going on, and I’m shamelessly borrowing what he did as my inspiration…

Axle is a Parts Pack Quickchange, with an AMT Model T spring, which fits almost perfect without much work at all:

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Recessed a pocket in the frame for the spring, measured a bunch of times to make sure it’ll sit where the old one did, and pretty quickly we’ve fixed the first thing I wanted to fix:

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Next up, need some linkages, so I modified the nice pieces from the Revell Model A kits and made some mounting tabs:

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Fits something like this:

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Next up, hiding some shocks in front of the axle, so that it doesn’t spoil the nice view you’ll get underneath of the spring and the QC…these shocks are Revell Parts Pack too - they’re a little long but I really wanted to use them so I made them work - just added some bolt detail to one end and made a mount for them from square tube:

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Next up, making a Panhard bar, after Mr Ace Garage kindly gave me a lesson on them today…scratchbuilt a little mount to attach it to the axle and a mounting bracket hidden on the inside of the frame:

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And after all that we’ve got a nice rearend setup that could possibly work in real life (although I’m almost CERTAIN it wouldn’t be optimal…but it COULD work I think?) and a nice clean view from the rear of the car of that nice arched spring and the vintage Quickchange:

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And…that’s about all I accomplished this year so far ?. Next adventure will be the front suspension, then everything in between it and above it - more soon, soon as I’ve done more!

  • Like 9
Posted

This is very interesting to me. I've Built two deuces and have wanted to do something different with the chassis but wasn't sure how go about it, (forgive my ignorance). I'll be following along while you school me. One of my favorite all time cars too.

  • Like 1
Posted

Looking good so far Jim, i have a few remaining 3 window kits in my stash and I’ve been itching to do another hard top build.  Following along! 

  • Like 1
Posted

Good progress so far, I'll be watching. I saw it on IG yesterday. I picked up a 3D printed chassis with lightening holes in it from juan4you on eBay. It was easy to clean up. I picked up some QC rears from VCG Resins that should go well with it. I have a chopped 5-window '32 coupe going, too deep to step back to swap in what I have mentioned.

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks fellas!  

 

On 1/1/2024 at 7:32 PM, Chuckyg1 said:

This is very interesting to me. I've Built two deuces and have wanted to do something different with the chassis but wasn't sure how go about it, (forgive my ignorance). I'll be following along while you school me. One of my favorite all time cars too.

Some of my favorite builders of hot rod stuff on here are @Dennis Lacy, @Kit Karson and @Rocking Rodney Rat, along with @tim boyd - lots of inspiration if you go through their old threads!  They’re all a LOT more knowledgable than me on early hot rod stuff, but I’m going to try my best anyway…

14 hours ago, bobss396 said:

Good progress so far, I'll be watching. I saw it on IG yesterday. I picked up a 3D printed chassis with lightening holes in it from juan4you on eBay. It was easy to clean up. I picked up some QC rears from VCG Resins that should go well with it. I have a chopped 5-window '32 coupe going, too deep to step back to swap in what I have mentioned.

Juan’s a cool guy!  I didn’t see that particular frame, I’ll take a look!  Someone makes a pre-zee’d frame that allows you to use all the Revell kit parts without any modifications - I’d like to try one of those at some point too…

On 1/1/2024 at 7:33 PM, Bullybeef said:

Looking good so far Jim, i have a few remaining 3 window kits in my stash and I’ve been itching to do another hard top build.  Following along! 

I saw your post today with the framework - I’d been thinking of adding a ‘40 crossmember to this one too…


Meanwhile, had a quick hour at the bench tonight - stripped the chrome off the tube axle from the current Revell 32 Roadster kit, and dug around my parts boxes for something interesting to compare it to while I was waiting.  I would LIKE to use this old Revell Parts Pack axle (front)…

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…but I do prefer the look of the tube axle so I think that’ll win out…

Also pondering linkages - hairpins or the split wishbones from the current 29/30 Model A kit?  The wishbones would match the rear nicely, but the hairpins are a little less beefy and chunky looking…any opinions, anyone?

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Also had the printer fired up this evening - printed a stock(ish) firewall to replace the standard Revell piece.  I’ll need to figure out how much room the motor and trans will need and then modify the file accordingly, but I like how my test piece looks anyway…

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And, finally, I ordered a roll of embossing aluminum to play with - I wanted to try using it to easily reproduce stuff like stamped floorboards…did a quick ‘rubbing’ of a floor from the old Monogram 32 to see if I might be able to make some pieces I could lay down on the underside of the frame…haven’t mastered the technique yet but it has potential!

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Just a little update…thanks for looking!

  • Like 8
Posted
17 hours ago, CabDriver said:

The wishbones would match the rear nicely, but the hairpins are a little less beefy and chunky looking…any opinions, anyone?

Wishbones are OK but I have never been a big fan instead preferring the wishbone style.

Why not kitbash, modify, or scratch up a pair of wishbones that you don't find so clunky that nicely match the ones in the rear?

cheers, Graham

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks for all the comments, gents… @bobss396 - thanks for sharing those printed parts!  Those are all cool - could definitely find a use for all of those!

A little more progress tonight…

Ended up going with the hairpins on the front end - that was my first instinct and I like how they look:

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I drilled them out (carefully!!) at the frame end so I could pin them to some brackets I added to the frame:

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I’ll let the glue set overnight and clean up those brackets ready for paint…

As you can see I printed up some wheels and tires too - a friend sent me this file and they’re not something he sells, as far as I know, but they’re super nice!  I think he’s on here, so feel free to speak up and take credit if you want it [redacted person’s name].  Now I’ve got the front and rear suspension roughly where it’ll live, time for the first mock-up of this on it’s wheels:

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Need to print some better wheels - these were a test and they’re a little rough, but I love how they look!  

And finally tonight, I was thinking about the interior and felt like hunting for some parts…it’s fun to visit the junkyard!  Found these bucket seats from ???:

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I think they’d be a more sensible choice than a bench seat - haven’t totally got my heart set on them yet but they fit pretty well and have the kind of look I imagined.  I wonder if they’re meant to look like a particular 1:1 product?  Anyone know?

And that’s it for tonight - next jobs are figuring out brakes and getting the axle widths correct, and I want to play with some headlamps too, try and find something that matches what’s in my head…more soon, soon as I’ve done more!

  • Like 7
Posted

Those are AMT '56 Ford seats. At least the custom ones. The printed wheels look good. I'm a junkie for bare steel wheels, I grab and save any that come along. I also like the hair pins, very traditional. I also pin almost everything using .031" and .047" stock, mostly stainless (McMaster Carr pins) or brass rod. Low-stress items, I use plastic stock.

  • Thanks 1
Posted
23 hours ago, Bullybeef said:

Looks darn good in the mock-up! 

Thank you!

13 hours ago, bobss396 said:

Those are AMT '56 Ford seats. At least the custom ones

Huh!  I knew someone would know - thanks Bob!

9 hours ago, Paul Payne said:

Looking good!

Thank you too, Paul!

A little more progress tonight - working on some of the boring stuff so I can get to the fun stuff…

Printed some nice brake drums for the back - not that you’ll be able to see TOO much of them from normal viewing angles, but I still like the look of any kind of ribbed drum:

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I don’t mind drums on the back, but I think I’d feel better about disks on the front if I was building this for real…so I tweaked the kit parts a little to make them work with the new wheels I printed…

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I’m using the kit steering linkage, but I won’t be using the standard rack and box that mounts to the frame - I really like this little cowl-mount steering linkage that came in the old Revell Parts Packs and wanted to use it (even if it would be far from ideal for a 1:1 build)…using it strictly for the coolness factor…

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Whilst I had the printer running, printed a Mustang (I think?) radiator…

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And because I don’t want a mechanical fan spinning out front of that cool Hemi I’ll be using, printed a fan too…the fan especially is a BIG upgrade from the kit Revell part…

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And that’s tonight’s progress…tomorrow’s project will probably be headlamps, and then I need to do some more work on the frame…thanks for looking!

  • Like 5
Posted

I like the printed radiator a ton. I generally make my own from Evergreen stock, I use siding stock for the core. An electric fan, I pirate those from stock car kits, VCG Resins has some nice ones too. 

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks fellas!!  

15 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I like the printed radiator a ton. I generally make my own from Evergreen stock, I use siding stock for the core. An electric fan, I pirate those from stock car kits, VCG Resins has some nice ones too. 

I’m not familiar with the siding stock Evergreen, I’ll have to check that out!  Thanks for the tip!

Tiny update tonight, because it’s our wedding anniversary this week and I’m meant to be spending time with my wife…

I went through a tonne of options for headlamps on this thing…I knew I wanted some real big stock-sized ones, even having read a bunch of different times by different people that those big old headlamps were the first thing to go on a lot of hopped up early Coupes like this.  I figure I like them now, and if I was building this in the 60s I’d like them then too, so I’m rolling with it…

Ended up, after an hour of playing with about every pair of lights in my stash, going with a pair from the kit ?.  I didn’t like how high and far-forward the kit had them though, so I drilled out the brackets on the frame, added pins and then drilled the lights out so they drop right on:

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I need to fix that kit grill - they always seem to want to lean backwards and it’s bugging me…also mine sat way off center, which I’ve since fixed.  I like the look tho!

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I’d like to get the frame wrapped up this weekend, but I’d also like to figure out scratchbuilding a 40 Ford style crossmember for it, plus I’d like to mess with the engine and scratchbuild an exhaust I have in mind…plenty to do before I can start confidently laying down any paint I think…

Like I say, just a mini update - thanks for looking!

  • Like 5
Posted (edited)

My last '32 coupe I used .032" brass wire to mount the headlights on. Real simple and strong. Here's a couple of shots from a show a few years ago.

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Edited by bobss396
qwerty
  • Like 5
Posted

Cool build Bob!  Is it large scale, or are those small-scale diecasts in the background in that second pic?

A little more progress on the frame today…I wanted something like a ‘40 Ford crossmember to help reenforce the frame, but an ACTUAL ‘40 Ford crossmember wasn’t a good fit because of how I have the suspension laid out.  So, I build something ‘inspired by’ that will fit right for the parts I went with…

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Used the kit brake master, as you can see - the rest is styrene bar and a Titchy Trains styrene bolt (love their hardware…)

Looks like this, when dropped into the frame:

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I need to do some more work on the frame itself still before fitting this thing for real, but getting closer…

Moving on to the interior, spotted this brake lever in with my vintage Revell (reissued by Atlantis) parts-park parts and love the grip on it, so I modified that a little today for a shift lever:

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And while I was playing with the interior I resin cast a Moon gas pedal and figured out clutch and brake pedals too:

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Not a particularly impressive display after most of the day spent at the bench, but it’s all progress!  

Thanks for looking - more soon, soon as I’ve done more!

  • Like 4

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