1937 Cord 812 by Monogram: WIP

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

The Monogram 1937 Cord 812 kit #8204-0100 or #8204-0350. This is kit of another one of those cars that I immediately became infatuated with the first time I saw it. There are a couple of kits available for building, this one and the Lindberg kit. The Lindberg kit has that dreaded multi-piece body which can challenge even the most competent and skilled of builders. The car body Monogram kit consists of five parts: the body shell, the outer half of the rear fenders, the front fenders and front apron as a unit and finally the hood. 

This Monogram kit is an original release from the early Seventies. The most recent copywrite date I found on a promotional insert is 1974, so the kit is at least fifty years old. The molds are more than sixty years old, their copywrite date is 1965. Also, there's no UPC code on the box which is in line with the 1974 copywrite on the advertising insert.

It truly is a vintage kit.

Largely, there are two types of model kit aficionados. Those who buy vintage kits to collect and keep them and those who buy vintage kits to build them. I'm in the latter group, in case you haven't guessed. I buy 'em and build 'em. Considering that I paid only $5 for this kit, I don't think it's among the more prized collectable kits.

So on with the build! 

This is Monogram's 1937 Cord 812. It's a vintage kit that I picked up at the Phoenix Desert Scale Classic Model Car Show & Swap Meet for $5. The kit is complete, not only having all the parts for the model but the original promotional inserts. There's no UPC code on the box. 

 

 

Being an early edition of the kit, the castings are all in good shape with very little flash. The body is cast in red styrene which is fine in this circumstance because I plan to paint it red anyhow. The chassis and interior are cast in black styrene, also not a problem.

 

 

It only took a couple of quick build sessions to get the chassis assembled. I did paint most of it flat black as I felt the black styrene was a bit too shiny. Unfortunately the tires are cast in that shiny, slippery vinyl or nylon that rolled off in what looks like plastic cobwebs when I tried to sand the tread to roughen it up.

 

 

With the wheels temporarily under the chassis and the outer fenders glued in place and a shot of primer on the body, it's time for a mockup to check the ride height and general fit and stance of the car. The good news is that I don't see the need for any adjustments but the body will need a little attention. 

 

 

Here's a quick shot of the advertising inserts from the box.  

Neat!

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post any comments.

Thanks,

David G.

[LennyB]

David, nice choice. I have one f these stashed away for someday. I'll be watching yours for now.

[Zippi]

That 37 Cord has a Great body style with those big ole fat fenders.  Looking good there David.

[lordairgtar]

AMT (or MPC) had the 1/12th scale Cord. Decent kit but it had a few problems that needed corrected. The head light doors were the wrong shape and the top louver should have been on the hood as the Monogram kit had it. AMT decided to put all the louvers below the hood onto the body. Not to hard to correct but still not right. The oil pan also was missing the drain plug which is easy enough to replicate from scratch or using Trumpeter's nut and bolt set.

[W-409]

This will be an interesting build, I really like the look of one of these Cords and have plans to build one myself...Some day... So I will be watching closely how this goes together, the start looks already very promising.

[David G.]

17 hours ago, LennyB said:

David, nice choice. I have one f these stashed away for someday. I'll be watching yours for now.

Thanks Len. I'm glad to know that you'll be following along, I always enjoy your comments.

 

15 hours ago, Zippi said:

That 37 Cord has a Great body style with those big ole fat fenders.  Looking good there David.

I agree Bob, it's a beautiful design. Thank you much Bob.

 

13 hours ago, lordairgtar said:

AMT (or MPC) had the 1/12th scale Cord. Decent kit but it had a few problems that needed corrected. The head light doors were the wrong shape and the top louver should have been on the hood as the Monogram kit had it. AMT decided to put all the louvers below the hood onto the body. Not to hard to correct but still not right. The oil pan also was missing the drain plug which is easy enough to replicate from scratch or using Trumpeter's nut and bolt set.

It sounds like AMT (or MPC) should fire their designer!   I think this is what happens when the kit designers are "designers" and not car guys.

 

3 hours ago, W-409 said:

This will be an interesting build, I really like the look of one of these Cords and have plans to build one myself...Some day... So I will be watching closely how this goes together, the start looks already very promising.

Thank you kindly Niko, it'll be great having you follow along.

Thanks again,

David G.

[lordairgtar]

11 hours ago, David G. said:

 

 

 

 

It sounds like AMT (or MPC) should fire their designer!   I think this is what happens when the kit designers are "designers" and not car guys.

 

 

Thanks again,

David G.

I think part of that error with the head lamp doors was the the first issue of that kit had operating doors that opened and shut. When they simplified the molding, thry got rid of that feature and the shape got wonky. There was no excuse for the louver situation.

[NOBLNG]

Nice to see you building this one David. I have one waiting it’s turn too.?

[slusher]

I always thought the 37 Cord was way ahead of other cars of the 30’s with its design and styling. Cought your build right from the beginnings, to follow along..

[David G.]

12 hours ago, lordairgtar said:

I think part of that error with the head lamp doors was the the first issue of that kit had operating doors that opened and shut. When they simplified the molding, thry got rid of that feature and the shape got wonky. There was no excuse for the louver situation.

That makes sense. Thanks for the information Gregory

 

9 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Nice to see you building this one David. I have one waiting it’s turn too.?

 

So far it looks like it will be a good build, you should have a good time with it Greg.

 

5 hours ago, slusher said:

I always thought the 37 Cord was way ahead of other cars of the 30’s with its design and styling. Cought your build right from the beginnings, to follow along..

Thank you Carl, I'm glad to have you along for the ride.

David G.

[Dann Tier]

I've always wondered how this kit looked. Really looking forward to this!

[David G.]

2 hours ago, Dann Tier said:

I've always wondered how this kit looked. Really looking forward to this!

Thank you Dann, I'll be glad to have you along for the ride.

Is it close to what you expected?

David G.

Edited November 20, 2024 by David G.
typo

[Kenmojr]

Love what you did so far...

[David G.]

6 hours ago, Kenmojr said:

Love what you did so far...

Thank you Ken!

David G.

[Bugatti Fan]

Nice project taking shape here, and seeing an old classic being built makes a refreshing change.

Those Monogram classics were good kits from back in the 70's. It is a pity that they never did the Auburn Speedster as part of that series. Pyro did one, but it was a bit crude and I think 1/25th not 1/24th like the Monogram kits. Lindberg's 1/24th scale Weinberger Bugatti Royale was quite a good kit too from way back.

Since then we have to thank Heller and Italeri for producing older classics in 1/24th scale.

 

[David G.]

Thank you Noel, I'm glad to know that you're enjoying the build.

I have one of those Pyro/Lindberg Auburn Speedsters in my stash. I opened the box for a look when I first got it. When I saw the raised panel lines around the doors, I was immediately turned off.  

I'm thinking about making it into a period Batmobile. 

Thanks for the information you provided about those kits Noel, I always enjoy learning more about the kits I'm working on.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

This time of year, for various reasons I don't get much time at the bench. So here's what I was able to get done during my last build session.

I have the basic engine assembly completed. All the reference photos I've found on line show the engine and transaxle painted gloss black with aluminum cylinder heads and intake manifold. Not very much visual interest but I'll throw some washes and a little more detail painting at it to bump up the eye-peal a bit.

 

 

It's time to start smoothing out the parting lines and other casting remnants. 

 

That's all for this round. As always, thanks for taking the time to have a look and please feel free to post any comments you may have.

David G.

[slusher]

Real nice looking engine, David!

[LennyB]

David looking good. I think the washes will bring out the details quite a bit. Are you going to try and duplicate the spark plug harness?

 

[David G.]

15 hours ago, LennyB said:

David looking good. I think the washes will bring out the details quite a bit. Are you going to try and duplicate the spark plug harness?

 

 

Thank you Len. I thought about doing that but the "tubes" provided in the kit are pretty small, not much bigger than the 26 ga wire I would use for wiring the plugs. I do have some plans for a little extra added detail but thins one will be OOB for the most part.

That's a great reference photo! I grabbed a copy of it for my research file, thanks for posting it.

=D-

[carl63_99]

I'm watching this build with interest! Although I am working on my Olds, I'm playing around a little with my Cord. I decided to cut the top rib from the hood and mount it on the grill where it belongs. Mine is going to be custom, with an Audi V8 and Mercedes rims.

[Kenmojr]

I just took these two photos of a 1937 Cord 812 at the Steele Wheels Motor Museum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday Nov 22, 2024.

It is a real Cord and not a replica or kit car.

 

[David G.]

16 hours ago, carl63_99 said:

I'm watching this build with interest! Although I am working on my Olds, I'm playing around a little with my Cord. I decided to cut the top rib from the hood and mount it on the grill where it belongs. Mine is going to be custom, with an Audi V8 and Mercedes rims.

That looks like an easy fix Carl. It looks like you opened up the air gaps between the louvers too. ...unless it came that way.

Certainly worth the efforts on both points.

 

10 hours ago, Kenmojr said:

I just took these two photos of a 1937 Cord 812 at the Steele Wheels Motor Museum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday Nov 22, 2024.

It is a real Cord and not a replica or kit car.

 

Thank you very much for sharing these images Ken. They will certainly come in very useful in my research.

=D-

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Now that I'm back from the long holiday weekend, it's time to get back to the bench.

After attaching a final few pieces and a quick blackwash, the engine is finished. Not all that interesting to look at but there it is.

 

 

On the actual car the wheels have holes which are represented on the model by the circular indentations that can be seen on the left wheel. Rather than trying to paint all of these little circles black, I decided that drilling them out would be easier. I think the wheel on the right looks much better with the holes drilled out.

 

 

After a little more sanding and a coat of primer, the bodywork is coming along quite nicely. There are just a few spots that need a bit more attention. I'm still trying to decide what color to paint it.

 

That's all for this round.

If you're reading this then thank you for taking the time to do so. If you've ever followed any of my WIP threads then you also know that I welcome comments of almost any kind. 

Thank you.

David G.

[customline]

If I may suggest, David, the colors of the 1:1 that Ken posted are really nice.