1925 chopped T coupe

[GTMust]

I've slowed down on the Fox body CBP, as I'm just about ready for paint (hurry up warmer weather!). So, to keep busy, I started another project I've been thinking about for a long time but never got started on.

To add to my collection of Model T Fords (as Henry built them) I needed a stock chassis to replace the custom built chassis included in the Revell 1926 Model T Delivery.

So I purchased a 25 Model T kit form Ebay that has to alternate bodies included.

I intend to use the custom Chassis from the delivery kit under the "chopped coupe" body from the 25 T kit, and the stock model T frame under the 26 delivery body.

So to get started I have assembled the custom chassis. The chrome sprues in this kit were terrible, thick chrome over lots of flash, so I removed most of the chrome and will paint the complete chassis.

I left off the inboard rear discs to use on the front of my Mustang CBP and will replace them with drum brakes from my parts box.

Suggestions and critique always welcome.

[GTMust]

I received the 1925 Model "T" Ford, 3 in 1 kit from Ebay this morning so I'm all set to go!

Three models will be built from these two kits:

1. A stock 1926 Model "T" sedan delivery using the body from the Revell kit and the chassis and motor from the AMT 1925 kit.

2. A 1950's style hotrod using the custom chassis, the stock 25 "T" roadster (but modified) body and Lincoln engine from the AMT 25 "T" kit.

3. A modern "Rat Rod" using the chopped "T" coupe body on the Revell custom chassis. Would like to stay all Ford, but may use a Chevy 350 in this build.

As I will be switching and swapping parts from these two kits, this WIP thread will include the build of all three models.

Confused? Me too, but hopefully it will all work itself out in the end!

[GTMust]

A little change of plan...... the Lincoln motor from the AMT kit is going in the chopped coupe and I have a Buick motor from the AMT 1940 Ford that will be "shoehorned" into the roadster hot rod.

Here are the three models I will build from these two kits:

I have the "rat rod" chopped coupe in primer, (sprayed outside in sub zero weather!) which will actually be the finish base color of the car. Although "rat rods" are not my first choice for automobile design, I think this build will be a lot of fun and give me an opportunity to play with different ideas and modelling techniques.

The 25 T roadster hot rod is loosely based on a typical home built rod from the 50's/60's era, using parts that could be scrounged from the many junk yards around at the time. A typical "back yard" build that you might see on any street in any US/Canadian city or town. I don't think these will be the final choice of wheels and tires. I will probably use some steel reversed rims with "junkyard" tires.

Here's mock up with the Buick motor:

[Duntov]

Hey Tony....great photos of what looks like a really neat set of cars. Keep up the excellent work...it is really neat to see some creativity with mixing and matching these kits!! Keep the updates coming......

Regards Bill (Duntov)

[GTMust]

Thanks Bill,

I'm having a lot of fun with these projects. All kinds of possibilities.

Tony

[GTMust]

I've used the twin outboard fuel tanks from the Revell kit and mounted them inboard of the frame rails.

On the roadster, I realized that the "backyard" boys building this hot rod would probably not have access to

the high tech rear end in the kit, so I substituted a regular differential and axle from my parts box. I'm trying to substitute parts from other kits that the boys might have found in the local junkard.

The frame is brush painted Humbrol Satin Black and the body was sprayed with Krylon semi gloss black.

[GTMust]

Browsing my LHS the other day, I came across another of the 1925 Model T "3 in 1" kits, and grabbed it before someone else did.

I had been doing some research on rat rods (a style I was not completely familiar with) and could see that the progress I had made on the Chopped Coupe, was technically incorrect. The chassis, suspension and ride height were all wrong.

So I started again with the new kit. The first job was to drop the body way down over the frame. Not as easy as it sounds...... the lowered look created a lot of body/frame modifications; measurin', eyeballin', cuttin' and hackin' and still get the ride height and wheel combo to look right! Using the stock floor on the frame rails, would only allow a dwarf or small child into the car! To overcome the problem, I cut the floor into three seperate sections and mounted the center piece below the frame rails. This gave me some alignment problems with the transmission cover and the rear axle, but it all got figured out in the end.

While this was all getting glued up, I decided the car needed a sunroof so it was marked out and cut.

I won't get into a lot of tedious details about the cutting mistakes and "coverups", but eventually it all seems to have come together.

Now for a choice of engines:

I found this blue motor that I built so long ago, I have no idea what it is or what kit it came from. Does anyone know? The other possibilty is the Lincoln motor from the kit that I have partially built and is sitting in the primered rod. Of course there are other possibilities, from my parts boxes, but I kinda like the "bulk" of these two motors.

The primered rod will get finished alongside this build and it will be interesting to compare the two designs side by side (at least for me!).

[Foxer]

I may have missed the start of this, but I'll be tuning in from now on. What you're doing here, mixing and matching 3 (and more) different models is how all this we do got started back with the first AMT 3 in 1 kits. The Double "T" kit got me started doing this back in the 60's when it was new.

I like how that deep channel on the Coupe body looks.

[LAone]

man, i lovin the rods bro. good stuff coming here.

i got the revell hot rod mag that has the 3 rods in them. looking to do something like this.

[Modelmartin]

That looks like a lot of fun. Model Ts are a perfect Hot Rod canvas for anyone. I have a huge stack of T kits that are crying out for some build action.

By the way Ford never made a T sedan delivery. Revell's version is sort of bogus but there is nothing wrong with building a phantom stocker. Should be very cool.

[GTMust]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I've been building models for about fifty years, but have almost always built OOB, "strictly factory stock" (or as close as the limitations of the kit would allow). Antique, vintage and classics has always been my "thing" until now. After all those years, this is my first attempt at building a "customized" model so it's been a lot of internet research and experimentation just to get this far........ I never realized how much fun it can be or I would have done it long ago! I'm probably going to make some technical errors, so please let me know if I do.

I was planning to make the '26 sedan delivery into a stock 1926 tudor sedan, but will probably turn it into some kind of rod now, but not the way the Revell kit build would look.

(Going back to building OOB, factory stock is going to be difficult now...... I'm hooked!)

[Modelmartin]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I've been building models for about fifty years, but have almost always built OOB, "strictly factory stock" (or as close as the limitations of the kit would allow).

It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I actually built a model out of the box!!!

I started building at 7 or 8 years old and always colored outside the lines. I have enjoyed building both ways for about 30 years now but the juices really flow when I am kit-bashing!

[GTMust]

More progress...... and some changes.

After debating which motor to use, I decided to build the spare Lincoln engine from the second kit. I cut off the "transmission" hump and replaced it with a spare tranny from my parts box. (No idea what it is but it looks better than the kit one!) I also found an exhaust that looks like it might work.

Since I cut open the roof, the interior is very visible and I decided to make some interior door panels:

(The rear trunk area of the kit has no floor, so that was also fabricated and glued in place...... no picture of that.)

The floor had to be cut to allow the tranny to line up with the diff. This meant a tranny cover had to be built inside the body:

While this is all coming together and the glue is setting up, I gave the new rat rod body a couple of coats of Krylon "ruddy brown" primer:

[Blake Rogers]

Tony great work so far man why not use a 392 hemi ? for one of your rods

[Nick Winter]

Tony great work so far man why not use a 392 hemi ? for one of your rods

I agree with Blake on both the Hemi and the car looking good, Maybe a FireDome Hemi?

BTW if you need one let me know, I'd be glad to send you one.

[Dr. Cranky]

Wow, you have a whole production line set up. I am liking them all . . . and can't wait to see more.

[vaughn]

Thats gonna be a pair of "hot" rods !

[oldscool]

You got some good work going on here.

oldscool

[GTMust]

A good suggestion about the Hemi, Blake and Nick, but I've got everything set up now for the Lincoln in this build. But the other Chopped Coupe maybe could use a hemi. I have one in my parts box somewhere, I think.

You're right Virgil, I've got such a production line going, I need a spread sheet to remember what goes where. And I just added two more 1925 Model T's to the line!

Thanks to you all for the comments.

Edited February 1, 2011 by GTMust

[Nick Winter]

A good suggestion about the Hemi, Blake and Nick, but I've got everything set up now for the Lincoln in this build. But the other Chopped Coupe maybe could use a hemi. I have one in my parts box somewhere, I think.

If you don't Tony, PM me your address, and I'll send you one, I've got a bunch from the '53 Ford Pickup kit.

Nick

[Rick R]

Interesting path you've chosen here!

That Buttera chassis would probably cost $40000 to build today, and is a neat alternative to the truly ratty rat rod underpinnings normally found on those cars, so you may have invented a new genre'... the 'poser' Rat Rod!...

Just think! All the technical advantages of a modern street rod with little to none of the polishing necessary! and NO JAGGED EDGES!

[GTMust]

Thanks for the offer, Nick.

I've got a couple of 53 Ford pickups I build stock with the flathead, so I'll check my boxes and see what's left in them. If I don't have the Hemi, I'll PM you.

Rick: The Buttera chassis from the Revell 26 T sedan delivery may go under a '29 Model A rod I'm thinking about.....? Decisions...decisions! Or even a '32 roadster?

(By the way, I think the Revell sedan delivery, which is where I started with this thread), is closer to 1/24 scale than the 1/25 scale that the box says it is.... or at least somewhere between the two. Which is why most of the body parts aren't interchangeable with the AMT 'T' kits.)

Edited February 1, 2011 by GTMust

[GTMust]

If you don't Tony, PM me your address, and I'll send you one, I've got a bunch from the '53 Ford Pickup kit.

Nick

I checked both my 53 pickup boxes (one built, one still intact) and I have the "custom engine" parts in both boxes. Didn't realise they were Hemis, didn't pay much attention to them when I built the kit with the flathead. I think one is going in my first chopped coupe.

Thanks Nick. We learn something new every day!

Tony

[Nick Winter]

I checked both my 53 pickup boxes (one built, one still intact) and I have the "custom engine" parts in both boxes. Didn't realise they were Hemis, didn't pay much attention to them when I built the kit with the flathead. I think one is going in my first chopped coupe.

Thanks Nick. We learn something new every day!

Tony

Good to hear. Yes I don't know either until I was looking at mine one day and noticed Firedome, on it, then I knew they were a Desoto FireDome Hemi.

Nick

[GTMust]

I'm glad I'm not building this thing for real! The cost of the changes would kill me!!!

After sitting and looking at the build so far, I tried to put a seat in it and realized the drivers head would be sticking out above the sunroof! Great for that "wind in your face" feeling but not so good for the bugs in your face....... Not only that but his toes would be sticking out of the cowl vent!

Major surgery was required, so the rear frame was chopped and Z'd to get a lower floor position. I had to remove all my floor work to date, although I was able to save it and reinstall it on the lowered frame rails. (This also enabled me to line up the transmission with the diff...... another boo-boo that had to be fixed.)

After test fitting the body, I think (hope) this will work with some minor alterations to the front cowl supports.

This one's a real learning curve for me.