My long time project...

[slidewayz]

5 years in the making so far.....but.....65 years since its inception.

[slidewayz]

OK, sorry for the teaser, but thats not all I have accomplished in 5 years, much less 65 years. The previous post is what we drug home 5 years ago to start this project. There is more to this than meets the eye, and since we all here are model builders there may be a certain level of appreciation for this build here. I have been building models since I was probably 10 years old, and having circle track raced for many many years and built all my own cars, I consider them just giant models. Well, starting with just that shell of a body, a few magazine and family photos and some inside info I set out to build the model of my life. Building a racecar and building a car for the actual street is worlds apart, something I wouldve never guessed at the outset of this project. So I will spend the next few postings bringing you up to speed on where I am at on this. Any and all feedback and questions are welcome.

First one must to a cheesy mock up....

Of course on a build like this, one must scratch build a frame.


Cut up an old set of headers and build a set that has the look you want and actually fits where you want them to.

Shoehorn the powerplant in and start getting things to fit and look just right....

Instead of raiding the parts box, you hit all the local and not so local swap meets and ebay, finding those rare and usable parts, most of them older than you are....
More fitting, more mock-up, cardboard templates, trying to stay 10 steps ahead of yourself....

Starting to look like something?  We are up to about a year and a half into the project and things are moving at a pretty good pace....any of this look familiar to any of you....just bigger?   More to come.

[fireguy14]

Very nice indeed!

[Nacho Z]

So very cool!!!! I admire you for doing this. I really get a kick out of what guys can do with what most of us would not give a second look. Again, so very cool!!

[slidewayz]

Thanks you guys...very appreciated.
Heres a few more in prog...
This takes us about 2 years into the project.
Some final preparations to the body before applying some filler, a whole bunch of sanding and primer.


I have tried to do all the work on this on my own, but some things you just have to leave to the guys with the real skills and the real tools.
I sent the aluminum hood and sides that I fabbed out to have the louvers punched.  The guy did a perfect job.


After finding an old 1931 Model A Roadster windshield frame and stancions and cutting them down to the right size.  I also found a flat windshield out of an old Jeep Mail truck and had it cut to fit the frame.


And, fabricated an entirely new floor from flat steel.....that has been probably the hardest part of the build so far.


Next up...it finally gets some primer and new shoes....

[harron68]

WHEW!!!! You have skills we can only dream of! I'm glad plastic in small scale is all I need to mess up! Thanx, this could inspire a modeler to do something that looks like your unfinished chariot!

[slidewayz]

Well, although I try to check in on the board and the builds daily, its been a while since Ive posted something here, and its been even longer since I have worked on the roadster, much less a model....dont ya just hate it when real life gets in the way of our lil dream worlds. I am considering a huge push to get this on the street real soon, and then to compound matters, I am really jonesing to dig into some styrene....
Anyway, my last post was a big fat lie...THIS has truly been the hardest and most complicated part of this build.


The shell was originally a 1927 Ford T Coupe, and the top had been chopped off to make a roadster. Well Coupe doors are pretty rare and pretty pricey, so the drivers door opening was filled with a formed piece of sheet steel to make that side of the body solid. Not interested in having my lil wifey climb over the side of this thing I thought I would build my own door for the passenger side. So the door and its jambs and inner structure was scratch built, but I couldnt just hinge the door with ugly exterior hinges like the original coupe doors. Nope, I had to complicate things and build custom interior hinges and with that big curve and the bottom of the body it was no easy task, but with lots of perseverance I was somewhat successful. It was a very trying time of the build.

Also you will notice the body was finally primered in preparation for one of the many many mock builds as I go along to make sure things fit, and things are being proportioned correctly.


Not to mention you still have to make sure everything fits and works as its supposed to. Here is the custom rear suspension and exhaust I built, with a bit of ride comfort in mind, and in the hopes everything except for the oil pan, maybe a bit of the tranny and the chrome exhaust tips is all that shows under the roadster.


....thanks for looking in and much more to come....I am enjoying this site and the amazing model builds here!!!