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Post by Bernard Kron on Apr 19, 2014 17:22:47 GMT -5
AMT ‘36 Ford Customized Roadster(More pictures below) Inspired by the early custom cars on either side of WWII by Harry Westergard and Jimmy Summers, this project was originally triggered by the release in the aftermarket of a full set of louvered panels for the AMT 1936 Ford Coupe and Roadster 3-in-1 kit just re-issued by Round2. Mastered by Roger “Plowboy” Hayes and beautifully cast by Ed Fluck at Drag City Casting (lowcab36@epix.net), these pieces dramatically alter the whole look and feel of this classic kit. The rear deck louvers, in particular, had initially inspired me to build some sort of competition car, perhaps a salt flats coupe. But once I had installed them the Art-Deco like v-shaped pattern inspired me to go in the completely opposite direction and create a classic early custom. As is generally the case with my models, the basic kit is the key and I tend to limit myself to the parts I am given except where changes are required by the overall look I’m after. In this case I landed up making my own skirts because I was working from older kits which lacked the skirts from the original 1961 issue of this kit (but now included in the Round2 re-issue). The other significant changes include modifying the kit interior, adapting a ’40 Ford DeLuxe grill to the kit’s custom grill shell, and the last minute addition of a DuVall style windshield from the AMT Phantom Vicky kit. All the details are listed below. Thanx for lookin’, B. Chassis and Engine: Kit chassis with dropped front axle, shaved front cross member and front spring and lowered rear crossmember. Kit Ford Flathead V8 with finned heads, twin carbs and manifold from an AMT ’34 Ford 5-window kit. Body modifications: Main body section from AMT 5-window coupe for accurate representation of shorter ’36 Ford Roadster doors. Louvered hood, hood side panels and rear deck courtesy of Drag City Casting ( lowcab36@epix.net ). Scratch built fender skirts. Sunken license plate with Plexiglas cover. ’37 DeSoto ripple bumpers from AMT ’40 Ford Sedan Delivery kit. AMT ’40 Ford Deluxe grill trimmed to fit kit custom grill shell. DuVall style split windshield from AMT Phantom Vicky kit. Interior Modifications: Kit interior with raised head and knee bolsters added to the seat and scratch built dashboard featuring photo-etch Auburn instrument panel courtesy of Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland. Wheels and Tires: Spinner ,hub caps from AMT ’40 Ford Sedan Delivery. Tires of unknown origin from my parts box. Paint: Duplicolor Naples Gold Metallic over white primer on main body panels. Duplicolor Wimbledon White and clear matte acrylic on main interior surfaces and convertible boot. Testors Acryl Tan contrasting trim.
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Post by TooOld on Apr 19, 2014 20:05:49 GMT -5
You really captured the classic look with this build , I love it ! I just noticed those front hub caps , I might by the 40 Ford kit just to get those !
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Post by Bernard Kron on Apr 19, 2014 21:01:33 GMT -5
Thanks Bob. The '40 Ford Sedan Delivery is an incredible parts kit if you build old school like me. Flipper caps, baby moons, Nailhead V8 with triple 97's, DeSoto ripple bumpers. Plus the usual standard AMT steelies which I find indispensible. Round2 just re-issued the kit in two versions, so beware. Only the 3 Stooges version has the good stuff!
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Post by geezerman35 on Apr 20, 2014 4:37:47 GMT -5
That's looking CHOICE, Bernard !!!! Nice work !
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Post by wylee on Apr 20, 2014 7:28:33 GMT -5
outstanding job on that model sir.
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Post by harron68 on Apr 20, 2014 11:06:25 GMT -5
The '36 is my fave of the '30s Fords. In stock trim it had an elegant look, tho the '34 grille is pretty well designed too. Your work here is very clean and except for a bit of an ill fit to the hood (rear side), it's well done, pure old school custom. I like louvers, but these are not the greatest. Louvers have always been a hard thing to duplicate and I've read a lot, from casting one's own to using heavy duty aluminum foil. I like the interior, added bolsters make it look both neat and custom. Auburn dash and aero windshield are good choices. The rear skirts seem a bit blocky and flat, maybe softer bottom edge or a curved bottom or some sort of character line would have helped. Engine is very well done, neat without being over the top. Except for my personal tastes, it's a great creation and captures the era very well. Thanx for building it and sharing the fotos!
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Post by fordrodnkustom on Apr 20, 2014 14:54:00 GMT -5
Looks great B! I like that color on it and your photography technique makes it appear to glow. Cool!
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Post by davedsel on Apr 21, 2014 21:29:32 GMT -5
Excellent build with a beautiful color scheme. Great job!
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Post by Bernard Kron on Apr 23, 2014 5:56:09 GMT -5
Thanx again guys. I'm glad you all liked it and, as always, your comments are appreciated. From some responses I got on other forums I think this may be a style that is unfamiliar to some, but it's how customizing started out during the Depression years. Craftsmen, "coachbuilders", converted modestly priced cars into glamorous customized autos for their clients, typically borrowing styling cues from the show cars and luxury machines of the day. Since Fords were not only the most common cars around, but also some of the most succesfully styled as well. they were the most frequently customized. Harry Westergard was one of the acknowledged masters of this work, and Sam and George Barris spent time working in his shop just before WWII, growing up in the Scaramento area. Down in the .A. area, the top names included Coachcraft Ltd. and Jimmy Summers. These early pioneers developed much of the initial techniques and design language that got the Kustom Kar ball rolling. I tried to capture that flavor in this build and the photos I took of it. Harron68, the flat skirts were done on purpose for this reason. They are relatively tall and arched to complement the fender shape. The large, flat expanse looked more dramatic to me, in contrast to the lower bubble skirts on the Calori coupe, for example, which are themselves quite beautiful but very different from these. I tried adding a lip or flare at the bottom of them, as I had done on an earlier chopped 3-window '36 Ford of mine, but in the end I chose to omit it to more emphatically extend the running board edge, It could have gone either way and I certainly don't disagree with you on either count. As regards your other critique, fitting three piece hoods when you want them to remain removable, either on models or in the 1:1 world, is always a bear. A technique I developed is to use a temprary adhesive for this. I'm afraid I may have been a bit negligent in my clean up and fettling before taking the pictures. The hood sides actually fit quite well. They just like to move around... I really must learn to pay more attention to this stuff before I pull the shutter... I plan to do a more conventional white background set of photos because I know that some viewers have trouble "seeing" the car when I do these stylized black background and reflections pics. Maybe I can make amends during that shoot. In any case, thanx for the nice words everyone, B.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Apr 23, 2014 21:38:30 GMT -5
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Post by TooOld on Apr 24, 2014 11:43:51 GMT -5
I've seen a few modelers use the black background like in your first photos , and I understand the artistic value of doing it , but the lighter background really shows the model better . . . at least to these old eyes . It's a very sharp looking car regardless of how you do it !
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Post by Bernard Kron on Apr 24, 2014 12:02:30 GMT -5
Thanks Bob. Black background, and black "flooring" in particular, are very difficult to do well. I've been plugging away at it for quite some time now. White backgrounds provide for far more reflective light which means with today's semi-automated and fully automatic digital cameras, they shoot either with a smaller aperture or with a faster shutter speed. I stop down the aperture (smaller lens opening) to get maximum depth of field, regardless of what background I'm using. The problem I have with black backgrounds is that my camera makes things more contrasty (is that a word?) which creates harsher shadows and tends to make the body surface appear rougher, especially with metallics like this car. I like the dramatic look of the black background shots. They tend to highlight the lines of the car better. But getting it right is tough. I find myself doing a second , more neutral, photo session when I attempt black backgrounds. In this case the neutral background shots I think are a more accurate representation of what the model looks like.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Apr 25, 2014 19:31:31 GMT -5
Here are two more to complete the "neutral background" series.
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Post by dimaxion on Apr 29, 2014 14:37:19 GMT -5
Green Pages worthy . Just right . All the right stuff . Flatheads forever ! Thanx ..
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Post by Mr.409 on Apr 30, 2014 13:32:00 GMT -5
Great Job Bernard, but what else could we expect from you? Your builds are always really nice and period correct. This one is looking nice, the color is perfect for this one and I like the grille also. Very nice.
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