'48 Ford Coupe

[Fletch]

One of the kits from years ago that I've always had a soft spot for is the IMC/Tesotrs/Globe '46-'48 Ford Coupe and Convertible. They were always a bit of a challenge due to being a flat kit. But, if you were willing to invest the time and effort you can come up with a pretty nice completed build. I look for the coupe kit at any and every swap meet I attend.

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This past Sunday in Seattle was no different. After getting setup to shoot the show I wandered around selecting the models I wanted to photograph. I spied a Testors version of the coupe. The guy had it priced at $50, realistically about $15 to much. I ask if the price was firm and he said yes that was what he wanted for it. My reply was at $50 you'll be packing it back home. This was around 10am. I made another trip around the room at noon to see if anything new had arrived. Sure enough the '48 was still sitting there but the price was now marked down to $40. Of course I had to be a smart Alec and ask how firm that price was. He replied he couldn't go any lower. I walked away and finished selecting the builds I want for the magazine.

Around 2:15 we were starting to pack things up for the drive home when this guy walks up with the '48 in his hand. He says would you be interested in it for $30? I replied not as interested as I would be if it were $25. He replies well I have to pay for the root canal somehow, $25 it is.

So, here is my $25 Testors '46-'48 Ford Coupe. I love the lines of fat fendered Fords, there is nothing else like them. My goal for this build is to update the 40+ year old chassis with newer Revell '40 Ford components from the Good Guys version. Replace the kit flat head with that of the Revell '48 Ford Convertible. Dressing that Flatty up with parts and pieces from MCG, Parts by Parks and RMoM.

The basic plan is to build a Boulevard Cruiser. The use of the Flat Head will set the era some where after 1948 and will be pretty much relent upon the wheels and tires to determine the date of the build.

The kit chassis with the Revell '40 frame members, drop axle and split wishbone installed. The rear cross member still needs to be removed and the Revell pieces installed.

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The stance from several angles:

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I don't know if the Good Guys Tires and wheels will be the final version, it could just as easily end up with Wide Whites and Caddy Sombreros by the time it's finished. . The color is a going to be a Jade Green from a stash of automotive lacquer a friend gave me a couple weeks ago.

If I can get it to sit something like this I'll be happy:

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But, this one is very cool as well.

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I'm thinking I need another Testors '48 Ford coupe.

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

[Foxer]

Nice deal ... you have some good will power to hold out on one you've been searching for. I love the shape of these too.. will be eying this.

[george 53]

Dave, I got that kit too, but got SOOOO frustrated with the doors, I glued 'em shut! Couldn't get em to swing out properly.Made me crazy! That was QUITE a while ago, maybe, if you haven't scooped em all up, I can find another one an try it again! Your build looks good so far, jus keep on arollin Brother!

[Helipilot16]

I bought one of those kits as part of a junkyard some time ago. I'll eventually build it very similar to yours. I have 4 of the Revell '48 convertibles. I've built one of them.

Nice start on yours.

[Fletch]

If the guy had stuck with $30 I still would have bought it as that would have been a better price then evil bay as most of the buy now are at $35.99 and above. The thing I have found with these kits, both the Coupe and Convertible is you have to tape the cowl, doors and trunk together before you glue any part of it to the fender ass'y. When you start gluing work from the trunk to the cowl otherwise the door opening end up to large and out of alignment.

The other problem is as George hinted at and that is the doors being able to open. The kit has the doors opening like they would if the hinges were on the outside of the body. This would have been correct on pre-war Fords but not on post-war cars. The fix is to eliminate the door hinges from the kit and make hinges that will allow the door leading edge to break inside the body not outside as most die-cast. The hinges will be just the opposite of what comes in the kit. The fixed location will be inside the cowl not the door as in the kit.

I'll get some photos of the way the hinges should work posted in the next day or so.

I have no idea where the molds for this kit ever ended up, I've heard rumors that they are in Japan and that they were thrown out. Either way it's unfortunate as the kit is still the best representation of the '48 Fords IMHO.

Edited May 14, 2009 by Fletch

[Raul_Perez]

Nice looking start to your build, Dave!!

If you chop the top, I hope that you open up the quarter-panel window more than the one you posted a picture of. To me, there is just too much mass between the quarter glass and the back window, giving the car a very heavy look...

Keep us posted on your progress!!

BTW: What's going on with your chop-top '40 Fords?

Later,

[Fletch]

Nice looking start to your build, Dave!!

If you chop the top, I hope that you open up the quarter-panel window more than the one you posted a picture of. To me, there is just too much mass between the quarter glass and the back window, giving the car a very heavy look...

Keep us posted on your progress!!

BTW: What's going on with your chop-top '40 Fords?

Later,

While I like the overall look of the chopped version there are several of the styling ques that I do not like at all. The front end just doesn't work for me. I like the custom '46-'48 Chevy grille but the molded in headlights and frenched turn signals don't work at all. I do like the chop as it gives that Zephyr look, and the back window of the '41-'48 Fords fit that look perfectly. I would be tempted to french the headlights and mount both the turn signals and taillights in the Desoto bumpers.

The focus of this build will have the beltline chrome but not the strips above the fender openings. With the exception of the engine pretty much all the parts will either be out of newer '40 something Ford kits or from the parts drawers.

As for the progress on the Chopped '40s. I'm putting together an order for Norm Veber at RMoM for the parts and pieces for the Salt Flat version. The Willys frame has been stretched for the Street Rod version. I need to do some more searching for the tires and wheels from the Lincoln Pro-street to put under it. And the custom version is just vegging at the moment.

Before I get much deeper in any of these builds I need to finish the '50 Ford Shop Truck and 2 '32 Sedans for the Inner club challenge that SABA (the club Treehugger Dave, James W, Jairus and I belong to) and LAMA (the club from Eugene) have going. They need to be finished by the middle of next month. Good thing I tend to round robin build or there would be a whole lot more unfinished builds around here.

[Fletch]

Nice looking start to your build, Dave!!

If you chop the top, I hope that you open up the quarter-panel window more than the one you posted a picture of. To me, there is just too much mass between the quarter glass and the back window, giving the car a very heavy look...

Keep us posted on your progress!!

BTW: What's going on with your chop-top '40 Fords?

Later,

While I like the overall look of the chopped version there are several of the styling ques that I do not like at all. The front end just doesn't work for me. I like the custom '46-'48 Chevy grille but the molded in headlights and frenched turn signals don't work at all. I do like the chop as it gives that Zephyr look, and the back window of the '41-'48 Fords fit that look perfectly. I would be tempted to french the headlights and mount both the turn signals and taillights in the Desoto bumpers.

The focus of this build will have the beltline chrome but not the strips above the fender openings. With the exception of the engine pretty much all the parts will either be out of newer '40 something Ford kits or from the parts drawers.

As for the progress on the Chopped '40s. I'm putting together an order for Norm Veber at RMoM for the parts and pieces for the Salt Flat version. The Willys frame has been stretched for the Street Rod version. I need to do some more searching for the tires and wheels from the Lincoln Pro-street to put under it. And the custom version is just vegging at the moment.

Before I get much deeper in any of these builds I need to finish the '50 Ford Shop Truck and 2 '32 Sedans for the Inner club challenge that SABA (the club Treehugger Dave, James W, Jairus and I belong to) and LAMA (the club from Eugene) have going. They need to be finished by the middle of next month. Good thing I tend to round robin build or there would be a whole lot more unfinished builds around here.

[Fletch]

Nice looking start to your build, Dave!!

If you chop the top, I hope that you open up the quarter-panel window more than the one you posted a picture of. To me, there is just too much mass between the quarter glass and the back window, giving the car a very heavy look...

Keep us posted on your progress!!

BTW: What's going on with your chop-top '40 Fords?

Later,

While I like the overall look of the chopped version there are several of the styling ques that I do not like at all. The front end just doesn't work for me. I like the custom '46-'48 Chevy grille but the molded in headlights and frenched turn signals don't work at all. I do like the chop as it gives that Zephyr look, and the back window of the '41-'48 Fords fit that look perfectly. I would be tempted to french the headlights and mount both the turn signals and taillights in the Desoto bumpers.

The focus of this build will have the beltline chrome but not the strips above the fender openings. With the exception of the engine pretty much all the parts will either be out of newer '40 something Ford kits or from the parts drawers.

As for the progress on the Chopped '40s. I'm putting together an order for Norm Veber at RMoM for the parts and pieces for the Salt Flat version. The Willys frame has been stretched for the Street Rod version. I need to do some more searching for the tires and wheels from the Lincoln Pro-street to put under it. And the custom version is just vegging at the moment.

Before I get much deeper in any of these builds I need to finish the '50 Ford Shop Truck and 2 '32 Sedans for the Inner club challenge that SABA (the club Treehugger Dave, James W, Jairus and I belong to) and LAMA (the club from Eugene) have going. They need to be finished by the middle of next month. Good thing I tend to round robin build or there would be a whole lot more unfinished builds around here.

[Helipilot16]

The other problem is as George hinted at and that is the doors being able to open. The kit has the doors opening like they would if the hinges were on the outside of the body. This would have been correct on pre-war Fords but not on post-war cars. The fix is to eliminate the door hinges from the kit and make hinges that will allow the door leading edge to break inside the body not outside as most die-cast. The hinges will be just the opposite of what comes in the kit. The fixed location will be inside the cowl not the door as in the kit.

I'll get some photos of the way the hinges should work posted in the next day or so.

I am currently preparing a tutorial on how to do this. It will appear in about a half hour.

[Fletch]

I am currently preparing a tutorial on how to do this. It will appear in about a half hour.

Very Cool Marcus, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.