51 Thames Woody

Started this years ago...picked it back up now that I'm retired and more time for the hobby.
(Trying to figure out how to add pictures....been awhile since I was here...)
Here's a few links to pictures for the moment....


http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/uploads/post-15598-0-66014200-1430610843.jpg

Back dated the Revell Thames gasser kit to stock version....front and rear axles replaced, new engine compartment and interior.

G'day there "SuperFleck"... I'm going to be real interested in how this one turns out my friend, as I recently
completed my little '51 Thames also... as a Peters Pie delivery "Sleeper".
Great to see you back on the forum mate.

P.s. Is it ok by you if we got your real name mate?....

Jerry... (Jezza)

Jezza wrote:G'day there "SuperFleck"... I'm going to be real interested in how this one turns out my friend, as I recently
completed my little '51 Thames also... as a Peters Pie delivery "Sleeper".
Great to see you back on the forum mate.

Nice to be back....your Thames was very nice Jerry, ...great job on that !

Jim Strauss -

The challenge on this , after removing the Thames sides and getting the frame up and wood paneling installed,  was finding out what a '51 Thames stock engine, stock interior and suspension actually looks like.

I had a number of suggestions and a lot of help on a website stateside here.
Apparently the stock engine was a tiny thing, smaller than the Revell kit 4 banger I intended to use..so I had to modify it a bit.

Even with the small engine the front engine compartment was a tight fit, with that new firewall and deck with the battery...and that funny little tank...not sure what that tank thingy next to the battery is,....maybe some of you guys can weigh in.

The Ford company actually had a woody Thames, in America I believe it was produced with left hand steering and was called a Fordson.
I had a restoration picture of a junked Thames woody when I started, a picture turned up later from a Forum posting, and the wood frame and paneling looks correct.
Close enough for me anyway.

there Jim.
Love the detail you're putting into this little motorcar. Bet it's going to look fantastic when completed mate.
Will keep my on it's progress.

Jezza wrote: there Jim.
Love the detail you're putting into this little motorcar. Bet it's going to look fantastic when completed mate.
Will keep my on it's progress.

Thanks much......I guess if I make this a surf woody...it can only carry "short boards".    LOL

Waiting to take the  leap on some painting before assembly...and then tackling simulating wood grain.
Lots of discussion on craft wood veneer products...I picked up an interesting product from this website...https://www.uschivdr.com/products-in-detail/
and dug through many tutorials on painting woodgrain, which would save me the hassle of making and cutting out exact dimensioned wood inserts.

would not be surprised if that tank thingy was the Fuel tank, those little engines would not need a very big tank

dv8v8 wrote:would not be surprised if that tank thingy was the Fuel tank, those little engines would not need a very big tank

I wondered myself....I did find pictures showing a fuel filler cap on the left side of the Thames, and interior shots showing a filler tube from that location

Any chance this tank might be a radiator overflow?

Could it be an Air Tank reservoir for the braking and windscreen wiper system?...

What a great little project. And I loved both American Graffiti and that 2 door 58 Chev.

k1w1 wrote:What a great little project. And I loved both American Graffiti and that 2 door 58 Chev.

Thanks !

I love the 58 Impala as well.

Started a build myself....I'll have to finish it.

https://ozautobuilders.forumotion.com/t9314-american-graffiti-58-impala-build?highlight=impala

Hi there Jim.

I built that kit when I was a teenager. I'm keen to see how it turns out. whenever I've seen a engine swap it's always been to increase engine size. Bit ashamed to say I haven't seen American Graffiti. I'll put it on my watch list.

Stuart Wallace wrote:Hi there Jim.

I built that kit when I was a teenager. I'm keen to see how it turns out. whenever I've seen a engine swap it's always been to increase engine size. Bit ashamed to say I haven't seen American Graffiti. I'll put it on my watch list.

I tried to build it when I was a kid...was a bit beyond my skill level.

If you want to see the cruising car culture of '62 before things got a bit cynical, I think you'll like the movie....and you'll recognize a lot of star actors that got their first exposure in this movie.
The drag race climax with Booker T and the MGs "Green Onions" is classic
(The sequel wasn't near as good...not much funny about that era).

The soundtrack was great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKBUJ8l-8yw

yes, I agree with Jezza . It looks like a vacuum reservoir tank for brakes etc. There are other non stock items visible such as alternator, oil filter, wiring etc.

Holding on this one while waiting to get an opportunity and attempt for airbrushing the components....painting car bodies always makes me a tad nervous...that's where I usually  screw up.
Need to get a spray booth.

Detailing the engine before installation, making room for fan and fan belt and generator, coil etc. and wrapping up the interior roof and side walls will keep me busy until then.

Tried my hand at painting a wood grain on the panels.

Started with a brown base coat...actually Tamiya desert yellow.

After laying down some variations of brown washes using Tamiya bottle paint inside the panels, I added some grain and then prepared to shoot a clear yellow over coat.

Masked off the wood panels, then added Tamiya gloss black to the rest of the body.

Hey there Jim, that little car is looking fantastic mate!... great work.

Thanks Jerry...painting indoors with water based paint w/ a paasche airbrush ...Tamiya bottle gloss black thinned 50 % with Tamiya thinner...
We got three inches of snow last night, otherwise I'd be doing lacquer paint it outside.
The wife doesn't like lacquer chemical smells indoors -LOL.

Have to fix a dust mark here and there and some mask tape leakage...but excited getting this one done.

That gloss black really makes the wood pop ! Nice looking woody.

Nice job on this one.
Years a there was a Thames woody van over the back of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley, there were Austin Morris cars too but all were crushed for scrap with three T model Fords too.
The old bloke passed away and the kids clean the block up scrapping everything sadly.