Hi guys!

I just thought everyone might like to follow along as I build up my latest project. (Bill said I needed to "get with the program and post some build-ups")

First, a bit of back-story...(oh-jeez....)

Back in midwinter, Coach hosted a "garage sale" of sorts and I obtained a long-needed AFX Woodie (slightly damaged) that would be a perfect starting point for a one-off streetrod. Due to many current projects, (ho and 1:1) and various holes in my fingers, the Body ended up in my "eventually" box. About a week ago, while searching for a grill to complete my blue on blue afx RR, (thanks, Dragula!) I stumbled across the Woodie again and was in the right frame of mind for some serious dremel-thrashing, eh. No sooner had I disassembled the bod and collected various rod parts, I envisioned my new rod as a C-cab delivery rod! (the Woodie is back in my E-box for a while.)


A quick sketch later, I had a template for my new C-cab body to be built out of .062 "Plastruct" styrene sheet. I cut out a couple of pieces and traced my stencil to one side of one half and clamped them together using a neat little surgical clamp. (looks like scissors and pliers got busy, hey!)
I set to it with my jewelers files and had the side panels roughed out in about 30 minutes. Next, I cut a new strip of the styrene for the roof and rear of the bod. I formed the roof strip around several different sized X-acto handles to get the soft curves needed to match the roof-line. A bit of CA+, a few fingerprints, some bad words, and 40 minutes later, I had the basic bod that you see in the size-comparison pic, eh!

Some trimming was in order, so I went back at it with my trusty tools and the cab is nearly complete, as seen in the mock-up pics.
The C-cab is based around a Tjet chassis with a divorced front axle (to get the right look and length) The rear wheels will be narrow drags and the fronts are undecided. The motor comes from a high-dollar HW and the grillshell is a 32 darda piece. (these may change too, eh) I slapped them in place with a bit of synth-clay to check proportions and lines. I think I am headed in the right direction, yeah? When done, This streetrod will be painted "Really (hunter) green"! :thumbsup:

Other Plastruct Bods are in the sketch phase and will undoubtably prove as fun and annoying as this one was to build!

Enjoy the pics, guys!

Oh yeah, Bills "squint at my pics" trick will not work here. They will only get fuzzier! :D Sorry! ;)

Joe,

That is a neat street rod! Is this your Willy's entry? Heck just put a flip up Willys front end on it. Joe WINS!

I love all the customs here on Ht, Bob...zilla

Sweeett Looking rod!! :thumbsup:

Wes

Jeebus Joseph. You really made some hay today. 'Bout time we saw Some "C" cab action in customville. :thumbsup:

I love the fat rear meats and old school rake. I dig freestyle builds and your scratchbuilt cab is truly over the top. This one is gonna be fun to watch as it comes together! Curious about how your gonna do the pick ups with the nose shoveled down like that!

Dunno about the rest of the gang but it reminds of an old model I had. Anybody remember the "Paddy Wagon"? If ya do your old! :p Like me ;)

They say my great great grandpa used to tell a story about old custom cars and trucks and there was something about a "Pat E Whackin" in it. I was (of course) an infant at that time, so I don't actually remember ever seeing one or hearing about one.:rolleyes: ....... So, when I saw Bill's post, I was intrigued by what he so lucidly described. So much so that I went down to the local convalescent home and spoke to some of the older residents living there. Some were so old they had no recollection of last Tuesday, let alone custom cars. Others just said it must have been before there time, but finally one particularly aged gent did remember. He even knew about a website that showed all of the designs from a fella named Tom Daniels. I went home, went online, and low and behold it showed the Paddy Wagon http://www.tomdaniel.com/ Surprising for such an old codger to recall such a thing eh? :p

BTW: Joe... that's some FINE styrene wrassling you've got going on there. Can't wait to see this one finished :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

ND

Great build up Joe! First thing I thought of when I looked at it was a Paddy Wagon slot. like others, can't wait to see this one wrapped up and on the rails. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: rr

Love the C-Cab there Joe. That is the best of my special bucket rods of all. Great job on the cab. Dead on.. :thumbsup:

Many thanks for the high praises and kind words, men. It means alot to me, coming from this bunch of such talented guys. I will endeavor to not let any of you down on this project, eh!

Bob, I don't think it would be fair at all to have won the Willys contest without everyone getting a crack at it. I play fair, eh! (though I will thank you for your Willys vote in advance! LOL) Besides, your Willys P'up will blow the doors off of my sled. heh!(just a feeling)

Wes, I KNEW you would like this one. Thankyou! (build one, you will be glad you did!)

Bill, This is as close as I will ever get to your level of skill. This little puzzle is nothing compaired to that badbug Humpty that you saved. The praise you have given is high praise, indeed, hey! Had the Mojo not dropped into my lap, I was all fired up to build a 1:1 C-cab of my very own. I still may get to do that one day.

Mayhem, Thank you kindly! On the bench in sketch, (that I hinted at earlier) is another version of a C-cab, using the phat fenders of the Woody, too. I was headed that direction when I decided to go with flat "cycle fenders" for the traditional look. That one may be a TJ or a snappy. I have not decided yet.

NutherDave, RR and Bill, Thanks for noticing the Tom Danial influence. I have always loved the creative models he designed. I had both "Mothers Pies" and "The Paddy Wagon" as a boy. They were so much fun! (Those models were my first and most lasting exposure to the world of hotrodding, hey! Besides, I don't think 41 is THAT old...........Bill!) I am glad that you guys like it!

GB, What can I say. Your "dead-on" comment left me feeling just as stoked as the rest of these mates. You have a way with inspiration, brother.....and I thank you! :thumbsup:


Today I started on the cowl.
After some tight measurements of the chassis with the cab on, I determined the shape of things to come.

Pic 1 shows my pattern of the cowl laying flat.
After a trial fit (pic4) the cowl size checked out so I went ahead and transfered the pattern to the styrene again and roughed it out with a dremel disk.

(Pic3) More close filing and scribing and I have a 1 piece cowl to fold up and touch with some CA+ .(smrt, aint I? LOL) It fit perfectly! (whew) While trying to hold all these tiny flaps together, the cowl came apart in my hands! :mad: (@$&*$@) I was afraid that might happen. After a 2 minute rant of colorful language, I went ahead and assembled all of the individual flaps together, 1 piece at a time. It STILL* fit! :thumbsup: (woohoo!)

I attached the cowl to the cab (pic5) and determined that I would like the cab deeper so I will fill the rockers instead of filing the cowl at the bottom to match. So far, there are 10 pieces of styrene making up this "Woody-sized" body! (If my cat so much as looks at it, I will shorten her tail with my Dremel! ;) ) The chassis has been Z'd (alla BH) and is ready for the rails.


Pic2 Shows the revised mock-up with (mostly) assembled body and new motor and pipes that I robbed from a JL T-bucket. Perfect fit! :thumbsup:
The front end and fenders are still somewhere between " have to make them" and "have to find them", eh!

Well, guys, that is where I am at this time. My fingers hurt from gripping the tiny parts so tightly and my fuse is very short. ( There were 7 "Honey, will you come up here and help me with this?" interuptions in 3 hrs.) I will start again tomorrow after work.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the pics!

Credit where credit is due my friend and your innovation deserves high praise. I respect scratch builts above all other mediums. :thumbsup:

LMAO when I saw the front rail delete. Then ya blamed me. I'm sure an angry mob of AW purists will be at my door presently. :rolleyes:

I'm watching the way your working the nose down carefully and blending the cowl. Working out the bugs as it were. I can now see 'zactly what your up to. I know the long build posts are a pain, but I love the step by steps, and all the suspense and surprises along the way. It's the closest thing to building one yourself and alot of the details and nuances come through that are ordinarily not shown. Thanks Joe! ;)

I'm envisioning some narrowed specialty front mags on the skinny stock axle up front. Maybe a simple brass drop axle with sewing pin stub axles? Being as how you divorced the front axle early on and zipped chassis the rails.... ya maniac. :p

Dig it Joe!

Thanks to ND for posting up the T. Daniels link. There's some great inspiration! :wave:

*short joe quote version* Well, guys, that is where I am at this time. My fingers hurt from gripping the tiny parts so tightly and my fuse is very short. ( There were 7 "Honey, will you come up here and help me with this?" interuptions in 3 hrs.) I will start again tomorrow after work.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the pics!

LOL...Honey, will you come up here and help me with this....har,har, har That reminds me off my day Sunday. The kids just keep saying Dad, Dad, Dad and I say What, what, what....well sometimes I talk to them...That is just funny Joe.

Today is my Birthday...give me that car. Ooooh dang should have waited till you finished it and then lied about it beeing my Birtday. Can you finish this thing by September 3? I will be an old 43 and yes still remember that blue Paddy Wagon made by Jack...I mean Tom Daniels. :rolleyes:

Bob

Just super nice work. Go for it Joe. This one will look nice with a set of those REH cnc'd hubs. Expensive yes, but certain cars really deserve some icing on the cake.. no? The Tom Daniels site is really cool. He has the following link on his "Cool Sites" page... http://www.showrods.com/home_page_links/home.html ... It has an index and pictures of ALL the models we built back in the day plus more cool hot rod stuff. nuther D

BTW: Bill take note!!! Isn't that the arse end of a Willys in a (now) not so fuzzy pic (pic 1) ??????????

Just super nice work. Go for it Joe. This one will look nice with a set of those REH cnc'd hubs. Expensive yes, but certain cars really deserve some icing on the cake.. no? The Tom Daniels site is really cool. He has the following link on his "Cool Sites" page... http://www.showrods.com/home_page_links/home.html ... It has an index and pictures of ALL the models we built back in the day plus more cool hot rod stuff. nuther D

BTW: Bill take note!!! Isn't that the arse end of a Willys in a (now) not so fuzzy pic (pic 1) ??????????

Nuther Dave, Spotted that right away! I wasnt going to blow the whistle in the hopes that he'd re-blunder and provide us with another view in his next "C" Cab update. :p

Those Z's are a tricky bunch. Part of me thinks the "slip-up" was a planned diversionary tactic that was pre-planned and he's got something up his sleevezzzz. nd

Bill(quote)
Nuther Dave, Spotted that right away! I wasnt going to blow the whistle in the hopes that he'd re-blunder and provide us with another view in his next "C" Cab update.

NutherDave(quote)
Those Z's are a tricky bunch. Part of me thinks the "slip-up" was a planned diversionary tactic that was pre-planned and he's got something up his sleevezzzz. nd

Bob(quote)
Today is my Birthday...give me that car. Ooooh dang should have waited till you finished it and then lied about it beeing my Birtday. Can you finish this thing by September 3? I will be an old 43 and yes still remember that blue Paddy Wagon made by Jack...I mean Tom Daniels.


You guys are a bunch of real bast...err, anyhow......c'mon! :D
Everyone has either a hand in my jebus-case, thinks I am UP to something or thinks I am a blunderer! (is that a word?) Remember guys, the shifty looking avitar is NOT me, it is my shifty CAT! (She now hides (she thinks) behind a box on my layout, blasts a car off the rails (no matter how fast or slow it passes her, she is that good), stands on its bottom when it "turtles" and procedes to tear the tyres off with her pointy teeth! I swear, something has to be done! I reached for a car 2 days ago (that she wasn't done with) and she growled at me! I have to reach for cars with my pinchy-grabber, even when they are right infront of me, eh! :rolleyes: At least she runs from that* :thumbsup:

I wish I could take credit for the CLEAR sneak-peak of the Willys rear...but it was completely un-intentional! I swear! :devil:

Everyone can now blame and thank NutherDave for blowing the fun with the willys in the backround of my pics. I will keep it safely away from any photographic medium until I am ready to post it. :wave:


Mayhem(quote)
This has got my thinking of how to make an old Mack cab and doing a Beer wagon.

Mayhem, it is also on my list. Jeff (jack-of-all) sent me a DC of a rootbeer wagon to repop in resin. The clay-up proved just too troublesome to mess with. I have been looking long and long, eh, for a suitable DC to create resin bods from. I have not had any luck. I HAVE, however figured out how to build my own master. The wagon will* see the light of day in resin....eventually. Besides this C-cab buildup and the willys contest, I have a few other pieces to complete first before I should start any other resin projects. Jeff has waited a long time for a mack-stake. It will be fun to surprise him with it. :thumbsup:

Update later, guys!

...it was completely un-intentional! I swear! :devil:

Everyone can now blame and thank NutherDave for blowing the fun



See what I mean?... I fell right into his trap. Crafty tricky shape shifter! I didn't know that he knew that I didn't know that he knew that I didn't know!! AND... Exactly what is so wrong with changing tires with your teeth? :confused: nd

Looking good joe-joe..Good styrene work, nice lines.. I got something here to run it against just one more pour before I post any pics though....



Coach

wow, joez, I want that car bad, you gotta mold it.

NutherDave, GOTCHA! you crack me up, eh! :p

I just thought I would give you guys a couple of pics (batteries died in the digicam, I'll get more tomorrow) before I hit the hay.

The cowl is mostly in shape now and the rockers are filled.
Had I the brass tubing to fab a drop-axle as Bill sugjested, I would have gone for it. (I still would at some point) As it is, I decided to use the JL DC front end of the Tbucket that I robbed the motor from. (I was getting a bit impatient.) Detailed pics will be included with update#4

Fenders are not started yet and the bod isn't sitting quite right yet. I have to do a bit of clearancing under the plate-cover to get it a bit lower before i install a rear post.. I am after the channeled look.

Ed, this body will not lend itself to resin-casting very well. it is too deeply cut with the roof over-hanging the permanent plate-cover. I will plan ahead with the next c-cab. It will be built as a master for recasting. This one has been a learning tool for me. :thumbsup:

Coach, what in the world have you been working on in your man-cave, hey?
You have been a bit quiet these days. Hmmmmm........something mighty cool, I am sure!

Everyone, thanks for all of your support and encouragement durring this project. Reading what you have to share has been half the fun! You guys are the best!

Update #4 should be tomorrow eve, hey!.

I love watching a guy on a tear ... and your on one brother! :thumbsup:

Ya definately captured the mood/style on this build. You've got me inspired to "C" one up myself someday.

After seeing the recent pics the drop spindle front with the monster rear meats wouldnt have worked without the floating pickup trick. I prefer the current setup. It has a delicacy and correctness to it that would be near impossible to duplicate in brass.

Have you lapped this new hotrod yet? Better put your tire machine (cat) outside when you do!

Hunter green! I cant wait! Whats taking so long? :p

JEBUS-JET ! ! .... I like the proportions on the transplanted front end, wheels, and motor too. :thumbsup: Wonder if the design team at JL ever dreamed that some people would spend more time tearing apart their little hot rods than collecting them in one piece. Fire it up Uncle Joe ! ! nd

I will plan ahead with the next c-cab. It will be built as a master for recasting. This one has been a learning tool for me. :thumbsup:

Joe this ride is looking real sweet... :cool: Speaking of c-cabs... Since we haven't talked for quite awhile... Have you made a casting of the "beer wagon" yet? I totally messed up trying to cut in the iron cross rear window of my original and could really use another roof/back panel. If not its no biggie... Just keep me in mind when you do get the time to cast it.

:thumbsup: Keep up the great work...:thumbsup:

Jeff

Part4: (as promised :) )

In pic1, you can see the z'd JL chassis. If you look closely at the front end, you will see the notches cut into it that are the clearance for the pickup shoes. The ends of the wishbones meet the ends of the shoe-hangers perfectly. Pic2 is a close up of the front end mod.



Pic3 shows the rear quarters filled and are radiused to accept the shoulders of the rear hubs. The shoulders tuck under the body, giving the illusion of a narrow vintage drag wheel! The tyres run next to the body! :thumbsup:

The cowl is now completely shaped, needing only a bit of fill in the joints all around, eh. You can also see how the shoe hangers meet the wishbones on the chassis . The DC front end is screwed in place through the standard mount hole w/ guidepin.


Pic4 shows the fender mock-up(finally) so just ignore that the fact that there is a lump of blue synth-clay supporting the rear fender (paper) and that
the front fender (robbed from a JL roadster) is sitting a bit high. I like the fronts and am not so sure about the rear. Maybe a bit longer, yeah?

The extensions at the rear quarters will have chrome "grab" bars attached(as soon as I find something suitable.) The rear will also sport the rear chrome bump from a TJ Modified. It is the perfect look and width. The glass is a cut down version from the JL-T and will be installed after paint.(as will any chrome bits)


Pic5 Bill, I am pleased to say that my furry crewchief decided to take a snooze, so I slipped off to the man-cave and ripped off a few laps with the C-cab before she woke up, hey! So who is smrter now, eh? :D
Thanks for following along!

Not sure you can use this nugget of info Joe, but scale model ship/boat mfgs make all kinds of bars, railings, bells, fittings, and even lamps/lanterns. Some of those old "Daniels Rods" utilized some very unconventional antique-ish looking parts. All the doo-dads of brass, bronze, and chrome. I used brass o-rings for from one of those suppliers for steering wheels in my MEV rag tops. nd

Ok Joez, you can't mold that beauty, so just send that one.lol
Great Job.

Wow Joe! Providing you dont screw up the paint, crash it, or your crew cheif wakes up and eats it; we may be looking at a "car of the year" candidate.

Tying the pickups to the wishbones/front module was a great trick. Skookum "injer-noo-ity"!

Soooooo, What the hey? No driver impressions of the maiden voyage??? Did that arm get hot trying to keep up with those cool rear gumbos and the bigger pinion? Hows the pick up geometry?

What a treat Joe. Definately the cats meow!

Nutherdave, Thanks for the headsup! That is a great idea! I scrounged the local hobbyshop this eve without much luck. Maybe I can find a source on-line?

Ed, please get in line. :tongue: I wish I had more than this one so I could share them. I have a very similar C-cab drawn up that will be cast-able. :thumbsup: (while you are waiting though, I would be happy to send you an 8.5x11 glossy pic of C'nGreen, complete with autograph of the builder! :jest:


Bill, Don't worry, I am keeping the car out of claws-reach! I have entirely too many hours into this one to let her anywhere near it!

At this time, the rear post has been installed and the entire boat-load of body seams have been filled. Tomorrow It will get its last sanding-smoothing before I complete the fenders and install them. The glass has been cut and shaped. Perfect fit!

As far as the pickup shoe deely goes, don't you just LOVE accidental brilliance? :D
I noticed that the w'bones lined up so I cut them to fit. Not much skookum involved, to be honest, eh! Just some luck and a steady hand. heh!

Ok, Driver impression of this pancake-powered rubics-cube....

It corners flat. (It has to. It is too wide to turtle.) It sure looks cool whipping into a controlled slide through the turns, though! (I think I am going to paint that wide white stripe across the rear side-walls alla digger, for the cool drag look!

It drives flat. (It has to. The DC front end crushes the track-joints level while the huge afx rears absorb any residual tablequake aftershock!) The pin stays in the slot as if the shoe-travel has been limited. Must be the DC weight up front, yeah?

It runs flat----out. (It has to. It is a JL Tjet chassis that doesn't like my stupid tyco controllers.) It IS a bit more controlable than that, really. The stock crown gear does a good job in balancing speed to power going in & out of turns, making up for the lack of control in my tyco controllers. Power-slides can be coaxed from the car with the large-ish twin rotating masses out back that seem to balance the heavy DC front. Speed is good. From a stop, it will spin the rears on a hard launch for a full 15" straight, but then it really hooks up like it was shot from a bow! The BigRears are original afx and are soft and supple. ( I have a pair of silicone tyres for it, but am afraid they might make the crown gear detonate, slaughtering all the tiny ho people standing near the bleach-box :D)

Thanks for riding along, guys! :thumbsup:


I tell ya, accidental brilliance is a wonderful thing! (can't beat dumb luck, hey!)

Great stuff Joe. I always enjoy a good read. Especially when it's about cool 'lil cars!

I dig the driving impressions cuz if we dont drive them we'd be dead (diecast) now wouldnt we?

I may have a suitable steering wheel/column thingy if your still in need. Danged if I 'member where or what it came from, but it's yours if ya need it. I'll look tonight and send ya a pic.

Joe, I am 40 today (well, officially yesterday, july 12th)
Send me that car, and can I beat up your cat, just for s......and giggles?

J/K..I love the car joez and one day I may have to start being creative.

Joe, I am 40 today (well, officially yesterday, july 12th)
Send me that car, and can I beat up your cat, just for s......and giggles?

J/K..I love the car joez and one day I may have to start being creative.


Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy birthday Little Eddie......Your as old as Joe toooooooooooooooooooo.............(Glass Shatters...) :wave:

Whippersnapper be gone. A toast to your youth my friend!

No matter Daddy. Even though your halfway to the dirt nap; if ya got slots you are forever young!

40= ?....What is Ed's chronological age! :freak:

10=?....What is Ed's correct/real "slot age"! :tongue:

Happy Birthday, Ed!

I have a small gift for you, buddy. Keep an eye on your mailbox. It will go out with the morning mail at the P.O. (sorry, it is smaller than the C-cab) lol

I hope you have a great new year ahead of you! :thumbsup:

Joe,

How about an update?

Dave :wave:

love this car it handles like a dream