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31 Ford Model A coupe--The quick 368 day build


Taxdude

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So this is a project that I started a year and 2 days ago.  The plan was to do a quick build, but that went sideways quickly.  The basic idea is that this is a rodder who is working on a budget.  He has gotten the body and engine sorted but is now out of money to complete the interior.  He will get to it some day but for now he is driving it everywhere.

Some of the things that I ended up doing. 

The engine is a Ford Y-Block with a custom one off intake that I found a picture of on-line.  The exhaust manifolds are scratch-built (yes I'm sure the spacing isn't quite correct on the center ports...).  I also built some real motor mounts.  That was a bit of a trick to get everything to line up correctly.  And engine wiring and plumbing was added to add to the look.  Also installed radiator support rods and mounting hardware.

Chassis is the kit 32 chassis, but everything except for the rails and the rear most cross member have been replaced or fabricated (the x-member is all scratch built).  Front suspension has been lowered using a Model A cross member, also the external steering arm and blister.  The  rear is a Quick change from RCMoM, to this I added a transverse mount spring and cross member, shocks and shock mounts.  The wheels are Divco's from Modelhaus.  All of the chrome bits are either airbrushed with Molotow chrome or are pieces of Ni-Chrome tubing.

For the body I molded the top in.  The wooden piece for the top insert was made out of bass wood and all of the cross slats have a bit of an arch to them.  The windshield was hinged out and the support arms installed.  The window glass was all replaced with acetate. 

For the interior I was helped out by Gasser59.  He told me about printable fabric and then offered to make me the correctly sized blanket material.  It really brings the interior to life.  I can't thank him enough.   The channeled bare metal interior panels were stretched  back to stock height.

I probably did some other stuff but I can't remember what.

 

Some along the way shots can be found here.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/127458-model-a-coupe-quick-build-gone-wrong-all-done-just-took-a-bit-longer-than-planned/

Fred

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I like that ! Where did you acquire the y block from ? Love the quick change and transverse spring, I've got a 26 T kit with a Jag rear end I really don't like and was thinking exactly that a quick change or even conventional rear end with transverse spring would appeal to me way more. Your work is inspiring.

Edited by Dave G.
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The car looks great. 

The Y-Block is my favorite engine, love it. 

The engine looks like it came from the Revell '57 Ford, and you installed the oil pan in a way it would serve your build, but by doing that you eliminated the oil pump, and oil pick up tube. On the Ford Y, the oil pump is external to the crankcase and sits on the rear of the engine block, by the oil filter. On the Revell engine, the oil pump comes molded to the oil pan. 

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3 hours ago, Lovefordgalaxie said:

The car looks great. 

The Y-Block is my favorite engine, love it. 

The engine looks like it came from the Revell '57 Ford, and you installed the oil pan in a way it would serve your build, but by doing that you eliminated the oil pump, and oil pick up tube. On the Ford Y, the oil pump is external to the crankcase and sits on the rear of the engine block, by the oil filter. On the Revell engine, the oil pump comes molded to the oil pan. 

Yes, I took license with the build.  Well because, modeling.

 

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3 hours ago, Dave G. said:

I like that ! Where did you acquire the y block from ? Love the quick change and transverse spring, I've got a 26 T kit with a Jag rear end I really don't like and was thinking exactly that a quick change or even conventional rear end with transverse spring would appeal to me way more. Your work is inspiring.

The engine comes from the 57 Del Rio kit.

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2 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

Wow! Absolutely incredible traditional hot rod. I love everything about it. Especially impressive chassis work with the scratch built center "X". Stance is perfect and the wood frame in the top opening is killer. 

This was a fun project to follow and just turned out totally awesome!

B)

Thanks Dennis.  I was talking with Tim Boyd tonight and he told me that you are working on or have just finished a coupe as well.  Any pictures?

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4 hours ago, Lovefordgalaxie said:

The engine looks like it came from the Revell '57 Ford, and you installed the oil pan in a way it would serve your build, but by doing that you eliminated the oil pump, and oil pick up tube. On the Ford Y, the oil pump is external to the crankcase and sits on the rear of the engine block, by the oil filter. On the Revell engine, the oil pump comes molded to the oil pan. 

The Y-Block engine in '55-'57 T-Birds located the sump at the rear of the oil pan, so Fred's representation has a 1/1 scale equivalent, and how it appears on his model is exactly how it appears in the all three of the 1/24th/1/25th scale '55-'57 T-Bird kits.....and yes, the Y-Block is also one of my favorite engines!   TIM 

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  • Taxdude changed the title to 31 Ford Model A coupe--The quick 368 day build

 

6 hours ago, tim boyd said:

The Y-Block engine in '55-'57 T-Birds located the sump at the rear of the oil pan, so Fred's representation has a 1/1 scale equivalent, and how it appears on his model is exactly how it appears in the all three of the 1/24th/1/25th scale '55-'57 T-Bird kits.....and yes, the Y-Block is also one of my favorite engines!   TIM 

The Revell version of the Y-Block tooled for their '57 Ford Custom Tudor, and also used on their '57 Wagon is the first one to actually have a oil pump, and oil pick up tube represented in scale. The other representations, lack this detail. Even on rear of the oil pan oil pick up engines, like the Thunderbird and some trucks had, the external oil pump and it's external oil line is still visible on the outside of the engine. 

Not trying to bash on the model or anything like that, just something that I noticed right away, as I own a Y-Block powered car. All my builds of AMT '56 and '57 Fords, and the build I did this year of the AMT '57 Thunderbird lack the oil pump and oil pick up tube, as I never bothered to add this detail, but 1:1 cars have it.

On one of the super rare occasions I was in the mood for keeping detail (not adding detail, as I usually don't even add spark plug wires) I modified the revel oil pan to be used on a transplant of the 312 in a '51 Chevrolet. In that case, the engine would use front mounted engine mount, and to clear the Chevrolet steering the oil pan was inverted, and it was just the case of modifying the Revell molded parts to represent what Ford did on rear oil pick up engines.  

 

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Edited by Lovefordgalaxie
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7 hours ago, Taxdude said:

Yes, I took license with the build.  Well because, modeling.

 

Awesome model never the less. 

I just noticed as I use to work on those engines, and have one on my daily driver. 

The previous representations of the Y-Block in scale never bothered with this detail. The new tool Revell was the first one I ever saw with it. 

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18 hours ago, Lovefordgalaxie said:

 

 Even on rear of the oil pan oil pick up engines, like the Thunderbird and some trucks had, the external oil pump and it's external oil line is still visible on the outside of the engine. 

 

 

 

I did a Thunderbird Y-Block image search on Google tonight, and it directed me right back to this forum where Bill had posted a series of Y-Block engine images.  With the Thunderbird rear sump oil pan (just as I had said and just as shown on Fred's terrific A coupe) along with the external oil pump and lines (just as you said above).   Always learning new things in this hobby.  Thanks for the added info, Túlio .....TIM  

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58 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

I did a Thunderbird Y-Block image search on Google tonight, and it directed me right back to this forum where Bill had posted a series of Y-Block engine images.  With the Thunderbird rear sump oil pan (just as I had said and just as shown on Fred's terrific A coupe) along with the external oil pump and lines (just as you said above).   Always learning new things in this hobby.  Thanks for the added info, Túlio .....TIM  

I was going to say the same thing as Tulio, Tim. Then again, like the man said. "Modeling..." 

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