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'49 Ford lead sled (sorry George)


customline

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52 minutes ago, David G. said:

They're all good with the exception of the last one. To my eye the style doesn't line up well with the style of the body.

The first is my favorite though. Maybe with a gold tooth?

David G.

Gee David, have you seen the price of Gold these days. I don't think Jim would get the approval from Wifey.😯

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2 hours ago, LennyB said:

How does the grill look flipped upside down?  To me it looks like it would follow the upper curve of the opening better.

 

1 hour ago, David G. said:

They're all good with the exception of the last one. To my eye the style doesn't line up well with the style of the body.

The first is my favorite though. Maybe with a gold tooth?

David G.

OK so, ive got a no for David, and Lenny wants me to flip it over. 🤔.  Perhaps we should wait for the rest of the jury to weigh in. Gold tooth? Only one? ......😏.....Yeah! 😃....no.

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2 hours ago, LennyB said:

How does the grill look flipped upside down?  To me it looks like it would follow the upper curve of the opening better.

 

1 hour ago, David G. said:

They're all good with the exception of the last one. To my eye the style doesn't line up well with the style of the body.

The first is my favorite though. Maybe with a gold tooth?

David G.

OK so, ive got a no for David, and Lenny wants me to flip it over. 🤔.  Perhaps we should wait for the rest of the jury to weigh in. Gold tooth? Only one? ......😏.....Yeah! 😃....no.

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I asked Wifey and surprise! She said yes! (It may cost me later, she'll want something- like another $300 paper crafting machine or maybe a treadmill 😪 )

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I dunno....I think it gives the old gal a touch of class 😀

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There's a whole lot of stuff I need to correct. 🙁.  I think I'm back to the '52 grille though. David's suggestion convinced me. Thank you!

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8 minutes ago, espo said:

Like the look of the body and top work now that it is all in primer. Radical body work but it all flows together. 

 Your comments are always objective, David, and I appreciate it.  Now that it's in primer again, it's easier to see the shape it's in. I do think, though, I took a bit too much off the top.  I am having fun with it but it's time to start wrapping it up. Better planning would have made this build a little easier but most of these projects start out with a single idea and then it goes its own way. Then I clean up after it.  

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14 minutes ago, customline said:

 Your comments are always objective, David, and I appreciate it.  Now that it's in primer again, it's easier to see the shape it's in. I do think, though, I took a bit too much off the top.  I am having fun with it but it's time to start wrapping it up. Better planning would have made this build a little easier but most of these projects start out with a single idea and then it goes its own way. Then I clean up after it.  

The chopped top was a major undertaking and in the 1:1 world you can find many that really do look bad and were done by some experienced builders. I like your pancaked hood design as well as the rear roll pan.

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Easier to see where you are in primer and I understand what you mean by too much off the top.  Not sure if this would work but I think if you took the side molding and moved it a little higher and then raised the rear wheel opening it might make the middle look a bit less thick and balance out the top chop. Does that make sense, hope so because I’m out of breath after that and can’t say anything more.  

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27 minutes ago, LennyB said:

Easier to see where you are in primer and I understand what you mean by too much off the top.  Not sure if this would work but I think if you took the side molding and moved it a little higher and then raised the rear wheel opening it might make the middle look a bit less thick and balance out the top chop. Does that make sense, hope so because I’m out of breath after that and can’t say anything more.  

That might work, Len, and I have considered a side trim job of some sort. There was a suggestion for pie-sectioning the rear. I can't imagine how to do that. This body is a ridiculously easy section but the mods up front would necessarily need to be involved. I still don't have an idea for tail lights. Freeking tail lights have me stumped. 😣  This situation needs some time to find its own way. There's plenty to do while that's going on.

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You were right about the Plymouth grille thingies, Len, but unfortunately David's idea won the day.IMG_7118.jpg.6e02233b16f2ca616e395ae942d79cb1.jpg

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1 hour ago, espo said:

The chopped top was a major undertaking and in the 1:1 world you can find many that really do look bad and were done by some experienced builders. I like your pancaked hood design as well as the rear roll pan.

This project was and still is an experiment, Dave. The hood job was not planned but turned out to be a fairly successful experiment.  If I actually wanted to pancake a hood, there are things I would be aware of that I learned on this one. The kit dictates, to some degree, what may be done and what may not. There are some things the kit will not allow unless you are willing to compromise . That's what I had to do. Another builder might have done it much better than I did using a different method. I have no illusions about it. 

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1 hour ago, customline said:

That might work, Len, and I have considered a side trim job of some sort. There was a suggestion for pie-sectioning the rear. I can't imagine how to do that. This body is a ridiculously easy section but the mods up front would necessarily need to be involved. I still don't have an idea for tail lights. Freeking tail lights have me stumped. 😣  This situation needs some time to find its own way. There's plenty to do while that's going on.

IMG_7117.jpg.1cb108f947b6d6e67b2d92970bf0b172.jpg

You were right about the Plymouth grille thingies, Len, but unfortunately David's idea won the day.IMG_7118.jpg.6e02233b16f2ca616e395ae942d79cb1.jpg

Sectioning crossed my mind but I was not going to suggest that as you are too far into the other mods.

For the taillights I would keep the shape of the factory light maybe just french them in and perhaps add a blue dot.

image.jpeg.921acaffe820b70531eaa19b6d0ec5be.jpeg

 

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You are making me want to get my '51 Convert back on the table. It is sectioned, would have been a piece of cake if I could cut straight. Anyway a thought for taillights, maybe use the custom units from the '57 Chevy truck fenders in the '53 Ford Pickup kit.

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1 hour ago, LennyB said:

Sectioning crossed my mind but I was not going to suggest that as you are too far into the other mods.

For the taillights I would keep the shape of the factory light maybe just french them in and perhaps add a blue dot.

image.jpeg.921acaffe820b70531eaa19b6d0ec5be.jpeg

 

That's about all I can do with it, Len - blue dots. Frenching is a recipe for disaster with the way the body is molded. The shape is irregular. If it was properly shaped, I might stand a chance but the kit lights are my only option at present. I may try another one of these 👇 but I wanted to keep the "wind-split" for identity purposes. This treatment would totally erase it.  I'll have to go fishing for something in my junk boxes.

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49 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

You are making me want to get my '51 Convert back on the table. It is sectioned, would have been a piece of cake if I could cut straight. Anyway a thought for taillights, maybe use the custom units from the '57 Chevy truck fenders in the '53 Ford Pickup kit.

I have one of those in my stash, Rick, I'll go have a look right now. Thanks!

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16 hours ago, customline said:

I found this 👇 in my junk box. A possible start for tail lights. Maybe. From the '50 'vert kit. This is what I used on that ☝one

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That part would have had a chrome part for the center of the grill or bumper bar. Think '55 Olds grill. 

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1 minute ago, espo said:

That part would have had a chrome part for the center of the grill or bumper bar. Think '55 Olds grill. 

It came from the AMT '50 kit by way of my body parts junk box and I have used the "pods"  vertically on a previous disaster. This time I'm trying something different on this one. Wish me luck 🙂

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Good morning, boys and girls, I've been busy with body work and I just can't wait to show you how it's going 🤠!

As you know, I've been stressing over what to do about tail lights.  And then I asked myself "what would Virgil Exner do?"......I don't have a clue but I found that custom attachment from the '50 kit in my....I'm repeating myself ☹. Look at the pictures.  If you're squeemish, try breathing through your nose slowly till the panicky feeling passes.

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That wasn't so bad, was lt?  

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I'm really diggin' those tail lights Jim! An excellent design that fits well with the rest of the car.

Now that it's in primer, all the bodywork looks great!  The top does seem a little short though. Since it's all still in the experimental stage, have you considered sectioning the body? It does seem a little slab-sided in comparison to the top and reducing its height could improve the visual balance.

I do like the gold tooth!  See, I can come with some good ideas every now and then. :D 

Cheers!

David G.

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5 hours ago, BK9300 said:

You’re going to have earned your Journeyman’s papers in body work by the time you’re finished - well done!

I'm in a right-to-work state, Brian.  I would be considered (incorrectly) to be a "scab", so no J-man certificate for me. Not for this, anyway. 

It's not quite done yet and it won't see any primer for a few days due to the cold wave going through. Thanks for your support 🤓!

1 hour ago, David G. said:

I'm really diggin' those tail lights Jim! An excellent design that fits well with the rest of the car.

Now that it's in primer, all the bodywork looks great!  The top does seem a little short though. Since it's all still in the experimental stage, have you considered sectioning the body? It does seem a little slab-sided in comparison to the top and reducing its height could improve the visual balance.

I do like the gold tooth!  See, I can come with some good ideas every now and then. :D 

Cheers!

David G.

Like I always say, Dave, a broken clock is right twice a day 🥴.  I guess the sectioning thing just won't go away 😕.  The lesson learned on this build is "how much a top can be chopped and still be esthetically pleasing depends on a variety of factors specific to the original design" (I'm putting that on my sig line 😏). My mild chop of a '40 coupe 👇 is an example.

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However, it was my original intent to do a radical chop on this '49 Ford platform and, as it turned out, was a bit much for this shoebox style ( going off half-cocked didn't help 🥴.)

To section it now would require way more work on the nose with all the mods that have already been done to this point, including the delicate front hinge. I already learned that lesson, David. It's just too late. The sectioning must include the nose from the very beginning. The only way to do it now would necessarily prohibit the '52 Desoto grille from being used and you don't want that 😉. Thanks for your input, Dave, I appreciate it.

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Taillight surgery was a success Jim. 👍I think they fit the theme well. Although I would take a little off the bottom of the rear behind the wheel wells. There is a lot of body below the trunk opening. I think if you took off about 1/4" it would lighten up the look of her rear.🤪

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2 hours ago, LennyB said:

Taillight surgery was a success Jim. 👍I think they fit the theme well. Although I would take a little off the bottom of the rear behind the wheel wells. There is a lot of body below the trunk opening. I think if you took off about 1/4" it would lighten up the look of her rear.🤪

Yeah, Len, i plan to work on the bottom of the new stuff on the ends for an acceptable contour. It's still kinda rough. This latest mod adds some length and I'm still thinking about a side trim mod to break it up better although the stock trim may be enough once the foil is on and a flame job may be on the table now too.

59 minutes ago, espo said:

Veery stylistic looking taillights and rear fenders. 

Thanks, 🥴!

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