Revell/AMT Deuce Roadster Box Art Build - Final Update 11-14

[Bernard Kron]

Thanks guys!

This is a brief update but actually reflects a fair amount of work, mainly on the chassis, and the final fit of the main body to it. The chassis is now complete. IU decided that the undercarriage should resemble the AMT kit as much as possible. I deleted the modern hot rod front and rear suspension setups from the Revell kits. The rear suspension is adapted from Revellogram ’37 Ford Truck and Delivery Van kits including the rear cross member, transverse rear spring, and rear axle. The rear axle was narrowed to fit the ’32 Ford body width. The front suspension is based on a Monogram ’40 Ford pickup dropped front axle and spring. As on the AMT kit, the front and rear shocks are Houdaille van type (so-called “friction shocks” but actually hydraulics). They are out of Revellogram ’30 Ford Sedan kit. Both sets of control arms, front and rear, are sourced from a Revellogram ’37 Ford Delivery Van, but swapped so that the rear set is mounted at the front and vice versa in order to fit the dimensions of the ’32 Ford frame. The steering is a combination of the Revell ’32 Ford steering box and some fabricated bits.

The taillights are the ovoid ’48 Ford pieces from the various Revell Deuces, thinned down for a more realistic appearance. The license plate frame is the kit piece from the Rat Roaster kit to match the Rat Roaster rear panel.

I also began work on some of the more challenging small details. I am adapting the wind wings from a Revellogram 1/24th scale ’32 Ford Roadster kit. They come with etched floral patterns on them and I was able to sand and polish them out. They will be adapted to a Revell 1/25th scale Deuce Roadster windshield frame which, like the AMT version, will remain stock height. I will also fabricate tubular headlight mounts for the small Revell Deuce headlamps.

Below is a summary composite picture, showing the completed body and interior mounted to the frame with the wheels mocked up in place and a view of the completed undercarriage.

Thanx for lookin’
B.

[Bernard Kron]

I’ve just about got this project wrapped up. I got the body mounted to the chassis, the wheels and tires glued in place and the grill and headlights installed. I made simple tubular headlight mounts from Plastruct .020 butyl covered wire and mounted the small King Bee style headlights that come in all the 1/25th Revell Deuce hot rod kits. The model is starting to drift slightly from the box art. Almost all of this is being imposed on me by the realities of using the Revellogram kits. For example the headlights are mounted much lower than in the illustration, but mounting them up high would look odd using the small headlamps so I chose a lower, better proportioned mount. You might notice that I didn’t use a stock style firewall either, despite calling it out in the introductory post. It turned out that the only way to get the Revell Hemi from the 5-window Deuce kit properly mounted required using the inset firewall that comes in all the 1/25th Revell Deuce kits.

But some of the most critical details still remain including mounting the front fenders, the windshield and the wind wings, and the shiny chromed Moon-style wheel discs, all important components of the box art. Below is a summary composite photo of the recent work.

Thanx for lookin’,
B.

[mack2856]

Love the box art background, can't wait to see this one buttoned up. So cool B.

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx!

This will be the final update. Everything’s done except for the final “beauty shots” photography. My biggest concern was the windshield area, in particular the wind wings. As mentioned earlier, the wind wings were cut out from a Revellogram 1/24th scale ’32 Ford Roadster kit. The version I had parts from had filigreed engraving in the corners of the wind wings which had to be sanded out and then polished. Then I trimmed away the main windshield glass being careful to preserve the mounting brackets which I reshaped to fit the full height windshield from a Revell ’32 Ford Highboy Roadster (1/25th scale) kit. The brackets were finished out in Molotow chrome. Then the wind wings were epoxied to the windshield frame. As it turned out everything went off with minimum drama – much to my relief… The wheel covers from an AMT Double Dragster kit were a perfect fit to the Revell ’48 Ford steelies so no dramas there, either. Phew!

Below is the final summary composite shot, showing some close-up details of the rear roll pan area, the wind wings, the final front view featuring the front fenders, motor and chrome wheel discs, and an interior shot showing the full width photo-etch dashboard from Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland.

The next post will be in Completed Models.

Thanx to all who followed along,
B.