Monogram '32 roadster: a red-headed step-child.

[customline]

It all started after that first cool day. The squirrels were getting restless.  I had this zip-lock baggie with a 327 FI out of a Monogram '57 something or other that I bought off ebay because I stole the one from this other kit....anyway, the squirrels came knockin' and before you know it its an engine with no car

I needed a 1:24 car. Here's what I found 👇😕 another Ollie's special purchase.

Vestigial glass. When I saw it, I started looking for an up-top. ☹😫😡.....okay.  A nice feature for a resto-rod is the acid etched floral designs on the wing glass.  Note to self: delete vent wings.

Speakers 🤣

Nice backing plates and the inside wheel rings sorta simulate brake drums. The front beam axle appears to have a 3" or 4" drop and it too mounts on built-in stops (which will be removed during the lowering process.)  The tubular shocks are part of the axle and only depict tubular shocks when viewed from the front. From behind they are just flat. You can see why I'm not using this engine although the high-rise intake could be useful somewhere . The grille has no cross braces showing, just the vertical vanes. This would be great but the plating is a bit lumpy 🤨. Not to worry. I feeex. 

Let's face it, kids, it's not a great kit. The molds are getting old and they kept the shipping weight down to a minimum by deleting the up-top. I do like the wheels and the tires are free of gate blemishes.  As you can see, the fenders and running boards and frame are a single unit making an open wheel hot rod a bit labor-intensive. This one gets lowered along with the engine swap. The firewall might need a re-design. The all-inclusive interior tub will need floor surgery and the hand-hold holes for the non-existent rumble seat will be filled. I suppose I should lop off the roof brackets since they won't be needed. Door handles too. The windshield mounting points are a bit awkward but detailed fairly well.

The rear suspension consists of a separate spring that attaches to the rear axle housing using very tiny, thin pins that insert into corresponding holes.  The real mounting is two posts that mate with "pads" at the housing ends. The torque tube has a solid front mounting point.  My duty is to lower it as much as I dare.  Also, out of necessity, I will be converting to an open drive shaft. It's a bit boring so far but hang in there.  I'm about to start screwing things up! 🤓 .  As usual, even the most vile comments are appreciated 🥴

 

 

 

[Glassparman]

Nice! I LOVE OLLIES! There are quite a few around the Oklahoma City area. I check at least once a week for new models.

Can't wait to see your finished build!

[LennyB]

Nice start on another cool project. But what are you going to do with the kit engine? Now you'll have to buy a body for it.

[customline]

2 hours ago, Glassparman said:

Nice! I LOVE OLLIES! There are quite a few around the Oklahoma City area. I check at least once a week for new models.

Can't wait to see your finished build!

Thanks for your enthusiasm, Michael. It's about to get even more fascinating!

I will be heading to my local Ollie's soon for coffee pods and I always check, hoping that, one day, I will find the shelves filled with '60 Starliners and '64 Galaxies 🥴

 

[NOBLNG]

Before you remove the vent windows, try lightly sanding the raised floral area so it looks more like etched glass? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

The engine you're using will be a great upgrade for this old sow.

Not a great kit maybe (agreed), but IMHO the best-proportioned '32 Ford roadster on the kit market...so if you want to build a fendered car that gets the look close to righteous, this is the one.

The frame molded into the fender unit is a buzz-kill, but a slightly lengthened frame from the many Revell '32s will work just fine for a fenderless rod.

[customline]

3 hours ago, LennyB said:

Nice start on another cool project. But what are you going to do with the kit engine? Now you'll have to buy a body for it.

That kit engine will remain an orphan until I need an SBC with a very short transmission. Or, more likely, if I can find a suitable ski-boat, it may be a good mooring if I can find a suitable chain in Wifey's jewelry box for the bouy. 🙂

[customline]

6 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

Before you remove the vent windows, try lightly sanding the raised floral area so it looks more like etched glass? 

That sounds like a great idea, Greg!  But then I might not want to chop them off 😕.

[customline]

9 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The engine you're using will be a great upgrade for this old sow.

Not a great kit maybe (agreed), but IMHO the best-proportioned '32 Ford roadster on the kit market...so if you want to build a fendered car that gets the look close to righteous, this is the one.

The frame molded into the fender unit is a buzz-kill, but a slightly lengthened frame from the many Revell '32s will work just fine for a fenderless rod.

Thanks for weighing in, Ace. The body seems nice enough but they dropped the ball on the all- important grille. Not too crazy about the hood either but it is what it is. It was cheap, though 😉.

[Ace-Garageguy]

5 minutes ago, customline said:

The body seems nice enough but they dropped the ball on the all- important grille. Not too crazy about the hood either but it is what it is. It was cheap, though 😉.

IIRC, the grilles from most of the other '32 Fords out there can be made to work easily enough.

Far as the hood goes, it's no biggie to file and sand the louvers off, if that's what bugs you, but be prepared to do a lot of repeat priming and sanding to kill ghosting.

I personally like that hood, and have used it multiple times on 1/25 scale builds (and made a mold of it, so I don't have to buy more kits to get one), though being 1/25, it usually needs to be shortened a little...usually at the rear, after which it's the right width too.

[customline]

19 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

IIRC, the grilles from most of the other '32 Fords out there can be made to work easily enough.

Far as the hood goes, it's no biggie to file and sand the louvers off, if that's what bugs you, but be prepared to do a lot of repeat priming and sanding to kill ghosting.

I personally like that hood, and have used it multiple times on 1/25 scale builds (and made a mold of it, so I don't have to buy more kits to get one), though being 1/25, it usually needs to be shortened a little...usually at the rear, after which it's the right width too.

I have some '32 grilles in a box somewhere....I'll look today. I may not use the hood since the engine is the whole reason for getting involved with this. The trouble with fake louvers is that they keep looking fake....maybe I can drill them out 🤔

[Ace-Garageguy]

16 minutes ago, customline said:

...The trouble with fake louvers is that they keep looking fake....maybe I can drill them out 🤔

Agreed, but I've seen some amazingly effective paint treatments.

Once your color is down and buffed, come back and do the louver "openings" with a good quality thinned flat black acrylic and a very fine brush, under magnification.

Let it dry thoroughly, and any little bit of black that got where it's not supposed to should easily polish off.

Lots easier than opening them up, which would be a double-barreled PITA anyway on an injection molded part that's that thick.

The ultra-fine black Sharpie might work well too, or one of the marking pens with a 'brush' tip.

PS: I have a full-scale louvered fiberglass '32 deck skin, and even opening those big ones up cleanly is no walk in the park.

Edited 1 minute ago by Ace-Garageguy
punctiliousness