1946-48 Ford Portfolio - Converts, Coupes, Woodies, Gassers, Customs, and Old School Hot Rods (9 in all)

[tim boyd]

Revell's 1948 Ford Convertible was an early "Pro-Modeler" kit release around 1999 or so. It was compromised to a significant degree by trying to include a street rod version while retaining all the parts to do a showroom stock version as well, with the result being that the street rod version has a very unrealistic stance/ride height. This build was to demonstrate (via an article in the other model mag) on how to redo the suspension parts to yield an appropriately slammed stance. Meanwhile, the exterior and interior were built in the original factory stock style genre. The paint was Testors Model Masters 1968 Mustang Bright Blue Metallic, with an overcoat of Tamiya Candy Blue. Several years later, Revell introduced a chopped custom five window coupe kit based on the kit tool I used for this model, and it included an appropriately modified, dropped front and rear suspension using similar mods to those I demonstrated in the aforementioned article.

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Interesting story behind this one. Goes all the way back to the spring of 1984, when I and several modeling buddies, including David Dale and Jim Kampmann if my memory is serving correctly, visited Boyd Coddington (yes, that Boyd) at his then home-based shop in a four or six stall shop/garage built behind his modest home in the nearby LA suburb of Stanton, California. Sitting in the driveway outside his garage was this sparkling 1948 Ford Convertible, with a factory stock exterior but dumped on the ground and wearing the most brilliant orangish-red paint.

We were amazed at how it looked, and we all thought "wow, I'd like to build a model of that". We finally agreed that we would do just that, with the stipulation that our 1948 Ford Convertible models (all based on the then-existing IMC/Union/Testors kit) would be restricted to a total build time of 20 hours, and shown at the next NNL Nationals the following October. Modest personalixed modifications were encouraged, but the model needed to be some shade of red, and built in the street rod style of theme. Thus began what eventually became known as the NNL Nats "Cult Theme", which continued (with varying "themes") through the NNL Nats of the rest of the 1980's, and then returned at the NNL Nats of the late 2000's and 2010's.

My model used a kitbashed chassis with a simple swap of the C4 front and rear suspension from MPC's annual kits back then, along with a Ford 302V8 under the hood. Much of the interior and the wheels came from an imported BMW kit, and the paint was simple Testors Model Masters Bright Red. I was thoroughly chastized by my fellow NNL Cult Theme participants for taking more than 20 hours to build the model, although by my records it did indeed reatch completion in under the alloted time allowance.

The NNL Cult Themes and the models it generated were subsequently seen a number of times in the Street Rodder Modeler's Corner column, as well as the Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine coverage of NNL events back then.

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This one I called my "High School Hot Rod" in the best Henry Gregor Felson vibe/character.  For this one I swapped the chopped top from the Revell '48 Ford Custom kit onto the factory stock lower body of the original Revell '48 Ford Convertible kit, with stock factory moldings and all.  Engine was a tri-carb hot rod style flathead, with tuck'n'roll interior from the '48 Ford Custom kit, skinny whitewalls from variours Round 2 tire packs, tube grille and DeSoto bumpers from the '48 Custom, and a primer gray finish.  

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This was a box stock (IIRC) build of the Revelll '48 Ford Custom kit.  I used the side fadeaway fender extensions in the kit, along with the '48 Olds Grille.  In spite of some purists feeling the top chop did not flow properly, I thought this was a great kit and thoroughly enjoyed building it.  Shown with skirts installed, no skirts and open wheels, and no skirts with the kit's Sombreros.  There is a how-to on the fadeaway fender install elsewhere on my Fotki site:   Tim Boyd On-Line How-To #5: Building Revell's '48 Ford Chopped Custom Coupe album | Funman1712 | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

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For this one, I used the '48 Ford Chopped Custom body, but built in a 1970s/"timeless" building style.  Dropped, five spokes, bright paint, frenched headlamps with stock grille....a perfect era Rod Action cover car?    Engine was a 5.0L with a seldom-seen (in 1/1 scale) cross ram dual four barrel manifold. 

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This one was based on the Revell '48 Woody kit, but with the dropped front suspension from the '48 Chopped Custom kit.  Mill was the Navarro-optioned flathead from the Chopped Custom kit, duals added, otherwise pretty much showroom stock. 

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I remember working on this one in my apartment in Lansing Michigan, during my first work assignment at Ford.  That would place this one around 1979-80, confirmed by the never-completed Chevy Citation X-11 engine/subframe swap from the then-new Monogram kit.   The IMC kit it was based upon was one of those kits that looked great in the box and was a royal pain to put together.  The body was sectioned (a scale 5" IIRC), doors, hood and trunk openings were reduced in size and recut with rounded corners, quad front headlamps from he original AMT Styline 1950 Ford convert, grille pieced together from the Revell 1953/54 Chevy Gasser kits.  In primer, this is as far as it got before I moved on to other projects. 

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This bad boy again used the Revell '48 Ford Chopped Custom body, but heavily kitbashed into a Gassers form.  You'd have to look really hard to find a 1/1 scale '48 Ford Gasser back in the day, but a few did exist (along with a couple 2000s recreations).   The F/R suspension came from the 2000s era Revell '40 Willys trio of kits.  Engine was another dual quad cross ram SBF.   This one was covered exclusively in an online-only feature at the other model mag's then website.  It took 43 images IIRC to cover all the build steps.   And building the model with this theme/tonality turned out to be a total blast. 

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This one was the alter-ego to the gasser posted just before, wherein I attempted to kitbash an entire Gasser conversion using only two kits - the then-new Revell '48 Ford (non-chopped) Coupe and the Revell '57 Ford Wagon Gasser.  The Y-Block, suspension, wheels/tires, interior bits, etc. all came from that latter kit, the rest from the Coupe kit.  I was happy with the Y-Block which was the fourth different version of that kit in the various Revell '57 Ford Custom and Del Rio wagon kits.  I believe I am correct in remembering that this was a cover story in the very last (or next to last) issue of the other model magazine before the Covid debacle and the resulting magazine's death.  

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All nine of these have many more photos posted at my Fotki site: Fotki.com/funman1712.  You can find them in these folders:   

 Boyd Scale Drag Racing Door Slammers and Gassers | Funman1712 | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 Boyd Scale Surfboards & Woodies album | Funman1712 | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 Boyd Mild and Full Customs album | Funman1712 | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 Boyd Scale Hot Rods | Funman1712 | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

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Thanks for looking, and quite happy to answer any questions you might have to the best of my recollection.   Best....TIM 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2024 by tim boyd

[moparmike619]

They’re all beauties, but boy does that black gasser grab me just the right way. I might have to find one of those and try my hand at it. Unbelievable job as always!

[ColonelKrypton]

All very nice.

I do like the gassers but the one that caught my eye is the sectioned convertible in red primer, might even look as good as a chopped hard top coupe.

cheers, Graham

 

[XYHARRY]

Really cool collection of late 40s Fords there Tim, very impressive. Here are some pics of my Revell  special edition 48 coupe. 

Cheers, 

David. ??

[Zippi]

Nice collection of fat fendered Fords.  Nice builds.

[tim boyd]

10 hours ago, XYHARRY said:

Really cool collection of late 40s Fords there Tim, very impressive. Here are some pics of my Revell  special edition 48 coupe. 

Cheers, 

David. ??

David, nicely done and full of character!   Thx for sharing. 

I welcome anyone else posting their own '46-'48 Ford builds in this thread, or elsewhere here in the MCM on the "Under Glass Cars" folder....TB 

Edited February 12, 2024 by tim boyd

[Yeah Nah]

What a great bunch of old Fords! Thanks for showing Tim.

[Dan Hay]

Really cool Tim. I’ve only built the convertible and woody, and only the convertible has survived. I have the custom chopped coupe kit but I’ve already robbed the tires out of it so I need to stop doing that and build it. You mentioned others saying the chop was funky, and I concur, probably why I haven’t built it yet but your builds look great so I should just dive in.

I painted this vert Testors green from an airbrush, Corvette FI small block, I used 1/24 32 Ford bumpers to replicate those 3 rib “Briz” bumpers that were so popular 20 years ago. 

Edited February 13, 2024 by Dan Hay

[tim boyd]

14 hours ago, Dan Hay said:

Really cool Tim. I’ve only built the convertible and woody, and only the convertible has survived. I have the custom chopped coupe kit but I’ve already robbed the tires out of it so I need to stop doing that and build it. You mentioned others saying the chop was funky, and I concur, probably why I haven’t built it yet but your builds look great so I should just dive in.

I painted this vert Testors green from an airbrush, Corvette FI small block, I used 1/24 32 Ford bumpers to replicate those 3 rib “Briz” bumpers that were so popular 20 years ago. 

Dan...very very sharp.  Great stance and also like the colors you chose.  Thx for sharing...TB 

Edited February 13, 2024 by tim boyd

[Chuckyg1]

Tim, as others have said, nice collection of '46 - '48 ford's. I remember the articles, in fact I still have them. Dave and Dan, also nice builds.  It seem like the Deuce, there's no limit on how to  build one of these. Here's the only one I've built.The fade away fenders, bumpers and custom grill/surround obviously from the custom coupe. Wheels and tires from Modelhaus. Exhaust tips are just flared aluminum tubing. The rest is box stock. I have 2 woodys and a coupe in the stash, but no plans for them yet.

[chris chabre]

amazing work as always Tim. Being born in 79, it was Biffs convertible that made me fall in love with 46 to 48 Ford convertibles. Then once I started reading the Little Pages I was given in middle school, A 3/4 rear shot of Tony Frenns 47 absolutely ruined me

[slusher]

Some beautiful Fords you have there,  Tim sir!

[ewetwo]

They are all beautiful.

[tim boyd]

On 2/13/2024 at 3:38 PM, Chuckyg1 said:

Tim, as others have said, nice collection of '46 - '48 ford's. I remember the articles, in fact I still have them. Dave and Dan, also nice builds.  It seem like the Deuce, there's no limit on how to  build one of these. Here's the only one I've built.The fade away fenders, bumpers and custom grill/surround obviously from the custom coupe. Wheels and tires from Modelhaus. Exhaust tips are just flared aluminum tubing. The rest is box stock. I have 2 woodys and a coupe in the stash, but no plans for them yet.

John...gotta say, those fadeaways really look sharp on the fully trimmed convertible body.  Caddy grille too.  Also congrats on the very conservative and tasteful color scheme.  Thanks for sharing!  TIM

[Phildaupho]

Tim - I really enjoyed your portfolio and other peoples' models as well. The '49's are great kits. Have built the Convertible and the Woody and have plans for the chopped Coupe.

[carrucha]

Sweet collection of Fords!

[Mr. Metallic]

On 2/11/2024 at 8:14 PM, tim boyd said:

 

 Engine was a 5.0L with a seldom-seen (in 1/1 scale) cross ram dual four barrel manifold. 

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Engine was another dual quad cross ram SBF.   This one was covered exclusively in an online-only feature at the other model mag's then website. 

 

 

Excellent builds as always @tim boyd. Can you reveal the source(s) for the cross ram manifolds in these two? Always looking for alternative intakes for the ubiquitous SBF included in the Revell 32 series.

[thatz4u]

couple of mine

[tim boyd]

3 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

Excellent builds as always @tim boyd. Can you reveal the source(s) for the cross ram manifolds in these two? Always looking for alternative intakes for the ubiquitous SBF included in the Revell 32 series.

Hi Craig...thx for the comments.  Without going back and checking original build notes, in both cases I think those cross-rams were the optional engine parts from the AMT 1966 Mustang Hardtop annual kit reissues c.1970ish and beyond....TIM 

[tim boyd]

3 hours ago, thatz4u said:

couple of mine

Al...both very sharp, and thx for posting.  I particularly like the stance and wheel/tore combo of the first one....best....TB 

[espo]

Sort of an early street rod with a Chevrolet small block added. 

[Kah puts]

Resale red add big white walls what’s not to love ?