Log inThe sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
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The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Fri 05 Feb 2010, 4:10 pm
I originally bought this kit in the late 80's after seeing an ancient black and white movie where a 49 Ford was used by moonshiners , it had a few extra tricks (rear bumper would fall off when the police used a grabber on it among other things) and I thought it would be a cool idea for a model . I never got around to doing it but found it again recently and saw a hint of something in the box art and thought a dodgy custom would be good . Then I had to create the story for how it could come into being ....
Ok , basically I have no idea what I am doing with this and I am just having fun (originally this was going to be something to test paint styles on but might as well do some body work as well) , the body has been cut with the rotary tool so far but the bigger cuts have been a little difficult with the plastic melting more than cutting , I'll get a razor saw when I'm in Sydney next week . The rear deck lid was a bit of 1mm styrene glued flat with other bits built up underneath . The whole lot was then filed to shape with the existing body (filed through 3 sheets in one spot getting a curve right) before starting to fill and shape it further with Tamiya putty . Motor (yes , it was used in trucks as well as cars and should be a tight fit ....) and other bits should be in from resinblob next week hopefully so will do more of an update when it arrives .
A couple of likely lads (Peter and William) wanted a project and their dad (brilliant mind)decided it would be a good way of keeping them home instead of chasing the local girls ALL the time . He knew the owner of an old sawmill who owed him a few favours and had some dead cars sitting around so he came to an arangement that the boys could use anything they could drag from "rotten row" to build their car . They settled on a '49 Ford Coupe missing it's engine and box (some fellow down the road got it to use in his Ford COE
) , they dragged it home and stripped the paint off to find it in pretty good nick ,
Peter , being a bit more impulsive than his brother (no idea where he got that trait from) decided the body was too high so while Will was looking for an engine Peter sectioned the body by 10" and started welding it back together .
When Will got back he decided it looked out of proportion (and didn't want to be outdone by his brother's cutting and welding skills...) so he sent Peter to have a look at the truck engine he'd found . While he was away Will took to the top with the grinder and started welding a new rear deck in .
Their father , being very safety minded , has insisted on them using roll bars so there will be a bit of time taken yet incorporating bars into Will's deck lid . The truck engine was deemed suitable so when the sawmiller can get out the back with the old crane and lift it out it should arrive ready for a quick rebuild and some hot rodding . At this stage that's due next week
Ok , basically I have no idea what I am doing with this and I am just having fun (originally this was going to be something to test paint styles on but might as well do some body work as well) , the body has been cut with the rotary tool so far but the bigger cuts have been a little difficult with the plastic melting more than cutting , I'll get a razor saw when I'm in Sydney next week . The rear deck lid was a bit of 1mm styrene glued flat with other bits built up underneath . The whole lot was then filed to shape with the existing body (filed through 3 sheets in one spot getting a curve right) before starting to fill and shape it further with Tamiya putty . Motor (yes , it was used in trucks as well as cars and should be a tight fit ....) and other bits should be in from resinblob next week hopefully so will do more of an update when it arrives .
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by tezza43 Fri 05 Feb 2010, 5:28 pm
Was that movie named "Thunder Road" by any chance? It's one of the best moonshine road movies ever made.
Maybe you can still hide "moonshine" in that big boot and disguise it as a huge fuel tank?
I hope you find a build direction soon because this is shaping up to be something different for sure.
Maybe you can still hide "moonshine" in that big boot and disguise it as a huge fuel tank?
I hope you find a build direction soon because this is shaping up to be something different for sure.
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Fri 05 Feb 2010, 5:56 pm
That sounds about right actually Terry , the Ford (I think it was a 49) had a huge tank in the back like a drop tank in the Torana's and in one scene the Hero was abusing an offsider for not emptying it completely (was a dribble left but it was enough to convict him if he was caught) . It crashed in a fireball at the end from memory 
The build is basically Amateur salt racer fan inspired hot rod built from scrap with a dash of British race car thrown in . The biggest battle at the moment is trying to make some aero roll bar fairings to cover small hoop roll bars behind each of the front seats (speedster style) .
EDIT> Just googled thunder road and it sounds right , they say a 51 Ford with 49 bonnet etc so it probably looked close enough for an 18 year old seeing a kit's box .....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Road
The build is basically Amateur salt racer fan inspired hot rod built from scrap with a dash of British race car thrown in
. The biggest battle at the moment is trying to make some aero roll bar fairings to cover small hoop roll bars behind each of the front seats (speedster style) .EDIT> Just googled thunder road and it sounds right , they say a 51 Ford with 49 bonnet etc so it probably looked close enough for an 18 year old seeing a kit's box .....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Road
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by allan Sun 07 Feb 2010, 8:18 am
now that's diffrent,looking like a old road racer,make a open for just the driver with small half round front window,put roll bar off corba just behind driver,u could move the driver seat in the middle,put thin wheels on it for a salt racer.
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by Carps Sun 07 Feb 2010, 8:37 am
The movie sure sounds like 'Thunder Road' an all time classic and one of the first 'car guy' movies starring Robert Mitchum as Lucas Doolin a WW2 vet returned home to to Kentucky to find ruthless racketeers trying to take over the local moonshine business. After they kill one of his team, he starts another war.
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Sun 07 Feb 2010, 3:52 pm
Hehehe , Maybe a moonshine runner could be an idea for a future G.A.S. build ? Would open it up to a lot of lateral thinking with custom work for engine mods and moonshine storage .... As for Thunder Road , I wonder if it was part of the inspiration for Steve Earl's Copperhead Road
As for the look of this , I'm still tossing up between one bare roll over hoop like in a lot of cobra's , or two hoops like that , or a pair of faired in hoops like the single one in the photo of the Mercedes speedster below ,
I'm leaning towards the two faired in roll hoops though and have them follow the line of the bootlid like in the very dodgy edited photo below ,
I am planning a toneau cover over the passenger side though (thank's shoey for posting your toneau instructions in your land rover build , perfect timing . I had read the other how to as well) and the windscreen cut down to a scale 10" or so , basically it will be a wind deflector only without making too much drag 
Oh yeah , the engine I'm using has a firing order of 1 6 2 5 8 3 7 4 and in standard form idles at 450 rpm and was built from 1933 to 1954 , wonder if anyone can guess what it is .... Also it was only used in car's and pickup's , not big trucks as I thought earlier
As for the look of this , I'm still tossing up between one bare roll over hoop like in a lot of cobra's , or two hoops like that , or a pair of faired in hoops like the single one in the photo of the Mercedes speedster below ,
I'm leaning towards the two faired in roll hoops though and have them follow the line of the bootlid like in the very dodgy edited photo below ,
I am planning a toneau cover over the passenger side though (thank's shoey for posting your toneau instructions in your land rover build , perfect timing
. I had read the other how to as well) and the windscreen cut down to a scale 10" or so , basically it will be a wind deflector only without making too much drag Oh yeah , the engine I'm using has a firing order of 1 6 2 5 8 3 7 4 and in standard form idles at 450 rpm and was built from 1933 to 1954 , wonder if anyone can guess what it is .... Also it was only used in car's and pickup's , not big trucks as I thought earlier
Last edited by sports850 on Sun 07 Feb 2010, 6:41 pm; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : spelling)
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by allan Sun 07 Feb 2010, 6:24 pm
like were u are going with this,at the rear side panel I would smooth it flat for more custom look and change the rear tail lights,even custom the rear end along with the front end put a custom grill in it. 
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Sun 07 Feb 2010, 6:32 pm
I'm hoping for a more custom looking front for it , just have to wait and see how everything fits together first
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Tue 16 Feb 2010, 11:00 am
Got back from a week in Sydney yesterday to find a nice big package of goodies from resinblob
This is only a mock-up of the the engine's fitment (some firewall mod's needed to make it fit ) but you get the idea , my comment above of it being part inspired by british sports cars is a reference to blower bentley's and supercharged MG's . Just can't decide on the orientation of the blower , laying flat or standing up (the photo's will explain what I mean ...) . I also have a couple of bigger blowers but am thinking this one suits the look nicer . The engine is a Pontiac straight 8 flathead ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Straight-8_engine ) and it was used from 1932 to 1954 so would fall into the category for being in an abandoned car or pickup at a country sawmill that could also have a 1949 Ford .
Still got to add the carbs and pipework from the blower to manifold etc but it will all be done in a bush mechanic's style , i.e, more cut and welded than professionally bent
This is only a mock-up of the the engine's fitment (some firewall mod's needed to make it fit
) but you get the idea , my comment above of it being part inspired by british sports cars is a reference to blower bentley's and supercharged MG's . Just can't decide on the orientation of the blower , laying flat or standing up (the photo's will explain what I mean ...) . I also have a couple of bigger blowers but am thinking this one suits the look nicer . The engine is a Pontiac straight 8 flathead ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Straight-8_engine ) and it was used from 1932 to 1954 so would fall into the category for being in an abandoned car or pickup at a country sawmill that could also have a 1949 Ford .Still got to add the carbs and pipework from the blower to manifold etc but it will all be done in a bush mechanic's style , i.e, more cut and welded than professionally bent
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by zenrat Tue 16 Feb 2010, 2:32 pm
Heh heh heh.
Looking betterer and betterer.
Thought about loosing the snout off the blower and mounting it directly onto the timing case? Although that means you have no where to drive the accessories from.
So how about shortening the snout so it is only a pulley width from the timing case and scratching up mountings from the back of the blower to engine running either side of the pulley?
I'd also suggest having the blower on edge so that you can put carby(s) on one side and plumbing to the engine on the other. This will be a bit easier to organise than if the plumbing had to come from below. It's also look more Blower Bentleyesque in my book.
Looking betterer and betterer.
Thought about loosing the snout off the blower and mounting it directly onto the timing case? Although that means you have no where to drive the accessories from.
So how about shortening the snout so it is only a pulley width from the timing case and scratching up mountings from the back of the blower to engine running either side of the pulley?
I'd also suggest having the blower on edge so that you can put carby(s) on one side and plumbing to the engine on the other. This will be a bit easier to organise than if the plumbing had to come from below. It's also look more Blower Bentleyesque in my book.
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Tue 16 Feb 2010, 3:00 pm
Yes , it will need shortening though I am waiting to see how much I can shorten it by to allow the radiator etc to still fit and look realistic . If I can't shorten it by much then I'll scratch build a universal joint for it so it looks more realistic and can then be hard mounted to the chassis . Also I don't want to shorten it too much so that it's tucked away out of sight , no good hiding the blower out of sight
I am thinking on the lines of having it on it's side (like the Bentley etc) as I think it would look "right" and also be neater with the plumbing . laying it flat might be easier but somehow downdraft carbs on the front bumper just look wrong whereas sidedraft is acceptable ... Then again , this is breaking enough rules anyway so who know's
I am thinking on the lines of having it on it's side (like the Bentley etc) as I think it would look "right" and also be neater with the plumbing . laying it flat might be easier but somehow downdraft carbs on the front bumper just look wrong whereas sidedraft is acceptable ... Then again , this is breaking enough rules anyway so who know's
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by zenrat Wed 17 Feb 2010, 2:13 pm
Rules? 
It's got me thinking about doing something similar. I.e. a build like I would have done when I was 14* - biggest engine, fattest tyres and cut away anything that got in the way.
I really must finish a couple first but then I think I have just the kit to start with...
*just hopefully with less gluey fingerprints and no brush painted bodywork!
It's got me thinking about doing something similar. I.e. a build like I would have done when I was 14* - biggest engine, fattest tyres and cut away anything that got in the way.
I really must finish a couple first but then I think I have just the kit to start with...
*just hopefully with less gluey fingerprints and no brush painted bodywork!
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by doorslammerfan Wed 17 Feb 2010, 3:54 pm
zenrat wrote:Rules?
It's got me thinking about doing something similar. I.e. a build like I would have done when I was 14* - biggest engine, fattest tyres and cut away anything that got in the way.
I really must finish a couple first but then I think I have just the kit to start with...
*just hopefully with less gluey fingerprints and no brush painted bodywork!
Whadda ya mean? I always build like that
Great concept ya got going on here Ian
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Wed 17 Feb 2010, 4:37 pm
zenrat wrote:It's got me thinking about doing something similar. I.e. a build like I would have done when I was 14* - biggest engine, fattest tyres and cut away anything that got in the way.
Considering this is what you are currently building , https://ozautobuilders.forumotion.com/the-workshop-f4/chefor-willison-t1249.htm I dread to think what you could be planning if this isn't classed as biggest engine , fattest tyres and cut away anything that got in the way
Tank's DSF , I'm having more fun with it than I expected to as well
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by stevegt738 Wed 17 Feb 2010, 7:03 pm
Very interesting concept. Have you thought of a smaller rad each side of the blower, then you could have the intake for the induction in the middle of the grill area, making it a focal point.
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Wed 17 Feb 2010, 7:10 pm
I hadn't thought of that actually Steve but i really like the idea , would allow the motor to be a smidgen further forward too 
I might have to have a try casting some mini radiators in body filler as they should fit nicely either side . Thank's for the idea
I might have to have a try casting some mini radiators in body filler as they should fit nicely either side . Thank's for the idea
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by zenrat Thu 18 Feb 2010, 2:16 pm
I must admit Chefor Willison does have the biggest engines I possess.
However, that's a slow and carefully considered build where i'm contemplating the engineering as I go.
I have a seven hundred & something cube Ross Gibson Mountain Motor and I have most of a Revell '53 vette...
However, that's a slow and carefully considered build where i'm contemplating the engineering as I go.
I have a seven hundred & something cube Ross Gibson Mountain Motor and I have most of a Revell '53 vette...
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Thu 18 Feb 2010, 3:57 pm
Now that sounds a very tasty combination , but will it be for street , drags or salt ?
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by zenrat Fri 19 Feb 2010, 2:19 pm
Yes.
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by doorslammerfan Fri 19 Feb 2010, 2:40 pm
so Zen , lets get this straight. Your gonna put a 700+ cube mountain motor put in a vette? , ya going to paint it lime green then take the salt along with some tequila then take it drag racing on the street?
Sorry Ian, ya could always mount the radiators in the boot?
Sorry Ian, ya could always mount the radiators in the boot?
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Fri 19 Feb 2010, 8:39 pm
I had thought of putting the radiator in the boot which is why i asked about louvres before but i think it would look more realistic with it mounted at the front . It is still an option though .
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by zenrat Sun 21 Feb 2010, 6:44 pm
You've cut the roof off haven't you?
How about you mount twin rads horizontally behind the front seats with fans and/or scoops pulling air in from the top and then the hot air flowing out of the rear wheel arches over the tyres.
Or why bother with a radiator at all? How about a really big water tank?
How about you mount twin rads horizontally behind the front seats with fans and/or scoops pulling air in from the top and then the hot air flowing out of the rear wheel arches over the tyres.
Or why bother with a radiator at all? How about a really big water tank?
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Sun 21 Feb 2010, 7:04 pm
Now there's an idea , I've been wondering how to use the huge rear deck and that might just work .
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by zenrat Sun 21 Feb 2010, 7:06 pm
Yes, you could mount a corrugated iron water tank there for the total loss cooling system.
Oh, you mean for radiators don't you...
Oh, you mean for radiators don't you...
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Re: The sawmill special (1949 Ford Coupe)
by sports850 Sun 21 Feb 2010, 7:30 pm
Well , a corrugated iron tank would fit in with the sawmill scrap heap theme ....Actually I'm thinking of using the roll bar fairings as scoops (was goung to fill them in at the front but if they stay open they'd be a good vent under direct air pressure) and putting a section of mesh into the vertical part of the bootlid for the air outlet . It would add to the home made look while still being efficient enough in real life .
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