AMT 1923 coke delivery truck modified by Popeye the Sailor

[CDW]

Back when I first began buying new cars (early 70's), it was standard practice to have your brand new car "Zbart" undercoated as an add-on. Remember Zbart? I'm pretty sure they were a nation wide chain. Without a good rust inhibiting undercoat, cars rusted to crap by the time you got them paid for. Zbart used to drill holes in various inner body panels like fenders, doors, and rocker panels, to inject undercoating inside.

 

I dig that batmobile, Denis. Funny that after all these years, never built one myself. If any of the batmobile kits would have included an engine inside, would have been much more inclined to build one. Never liked car kits that didn't include engine detail.

[popeye the sailor]

I remember Zbart very well.......used to be the rave.   I also remember spray'in the underside of the truck with oil and runn'in it up and down the dirt road too.  there were products that one could buy as well......still do.   there was a product called splatter coat for the trunk to help cut down on road noise.

 

it's not a bad kit........there are some fit problems though.   it does showcase a full engine,  so this one could fit the bill for you.   I don't recall seeing any other brands....just Polar Lights.  nice box art too   

    

it is a sharp car.........in the red finish,  it was used in the 1959 movie "it started with a kiss",  with Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford.  other than that,  it sat in George Barris's garage 

 

[CDW]

6 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

I'm not aware of the Siamese split up.....I just recall that famous line in the movie Robo cop......."your company built the f________ thing,  now I gotta deal with it?!?!?"     then someone should tell the Kia brother,  that if you start with one color of wire,  you should complete the circuit with it too  

Word is, Kia and Hyundai built some real turds in the beginning of their production years. It darn near put them out of business, but the brothers stayed committed to produce a quality product and learn from their mistakes. The end result, Kia and Hyundai have received the top awards from J.D. Powers for the fourth year in a row, for quality and fewest customer complaints. Check it out. Plus, they are one of a few, if not the only companies who offer a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty on their cars.

Much like the Japanese products in their early years, people used to scoff because of their cheap construction and poor quality, but in later years produced (and still do) produce high quality products. It's a much different game today than it was yesterday.

[jct]

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na ... BATMAN  

[popeye the sailor]

truth be told.......all cars have their flaws.  they become text book after a while   

 

I thought you'd get a kick out of it J  

 

I've reached a milestone with the project.  whether or not I made it harder in finishing it,  remains to be seen.   the update for today  

[popeye the sailor]

while I was browsing here,  I have been working on the Coke mobile.   still more to paint.......still a ways to go yet.   I've seen it in the so many dry fits,  that I'm getting all peckish........I want it together!  to start off....the glass was cemented into the fire wall yesterday...it is painted and ready to install,  but I wanted to make sure it was fully dry.  the darn thing was getting red on the interior roof!  so it was installed,  and the red was removed by a light coat of paint.  there was no cement applied with it......it slid into place very snug.

yes......the steering wheel,  pedals,  and E-brake lever has also been added to the body.   because of how I had the body propped,  the column appears to be almost perpendicular........an innovation by Wenzel's auto body......it's a tilt column  

while this was drying,  a few more parts were being assembled and painted.   the side mirrors....there are holes drilled on each side,  half way up the windshield for mounting {you may see the dimples}.

they are made from the number tabs on a sprue....ca'd to some thin wire.   the license plates are being painted.

....and I'm adding a step platform at the rear.

when all was dry and ready to go,  they were added.........but I took one last stab aligning the body to the frame.  I'm not sure what it is......the circumference of the tires has changed.........I shortened the drive shaft,  but that was because of the transmission length.  the only thing I can think of, is that perhaps I should have cemented the fenders further back on the body.  it's a good thing I didn't though......the engine goes back into the recess in the fire wall.  to have done that would have meant a larger cover....it's pretty close to being 1/4 of an inch deep as it is.  I also removed the two pins that were on both sides,  on top of the frame.  I think the fire wall butted up against them.......not shown in the instructions {or so vague,  I couldn't tell}.   I added another .5 mm shim to the first pair....probably could have added another......but all is said and done now.  the body and frame are one.

     I added the new parts as well........even the radiator cap  

it's still missing a few odds and ends....most important,  the exhaust.   still another update or two to go     the Batmobile is finished........all of the parts are on the car,  and now it's waiting for decals.   all 'n all.....it was a productive day! 

[CDW]

Outstanding! She's a real eye-catcher. The custom made mirrors add a lot to the model. Great choice of colors.

[lmagna]

I think I am starting to worry about the medications I'm taking. Take a step out for a short time and the build goes from a chassis and box and then starts looking like a Batmobile then suddenly morphs into a full blown Coke mobile, all red and fast looking! People are still saying that the frame is going to rust out though in less than 100,000 miles!

 

I will wait to see what's next but meanwhile I will return to my drug induced stupor!

 

Great work Denis, At least I think it is still Denis.

[CDW]

We're gonna call you, "the space cowboy" for a while, Lou. Taking a trip without leaving the farm. 😎

[lmagna]

4 minutes ago, CDW said:

Taking a trip without leaving the farm.

You got that part right! I am a prisoner of my own habitat! I hope it is not like the Roach hotel. "They check in but don't check out"!

[Canute]

More like Hotel California, "you can check out any time, but you can never leave."

[jct]

Looks great D...like the chose of steelies with the dog dish caps

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the kind comments gents    it's good to finally have these two halves together.  I worked on it a bit more last night,  but as I was adding the radiator hose,  the radiator popped off!  I have a habit of scrapping off enough paint to cement the part on.  then if I wished to change things in the future,  a light prying usually removes the part with little damage { I used to do this a lot}.  the admiral likes it too.

 

good synopsis Lou  .......so far, the aluminum and brown {hull red} paints are now in bottles.......got 'em out of those tins {monogram}.  I need to find one for the satin bronze.  I've been using these paints.......yesterday,  I saw that there was a 'skin' floating around in the hull red paint.......tells me that if I didn't get them in a better sealed container,  they might not last much longer.  I hope you recover quick......there's only two things that you should run down the stairs for......supper and s--.  though the two can be done in the kitchen,  be leary of the latter.......it may be a decoy to get you there to dry the dishes     thinking of you good buddy   

 

I wanted the mags J.......but I'll need them for the C.G.  PADDY WAGON>>>>>>PADDY WAGON>>>>>>PADDY WAGON! said three times fast......it comes out as puddy wag'in   the moons are pretty old school 🎓

[usedtosail]

I love the Coke delivery truck Popeye. Looks so cool.

[lmagna]

3 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

it may be a decoy to get you there to dry the dishes

YOU GET TO have fun for doing the dishes!!!!!! I have been doing the morning dishes for years now, along with getting the kids breakfast, and off to school. Plus I took her morning coffee up to the bedroom in a cup and thermos so she can watch TV until 9 or 10 while sitting in bed! I don't get any offers at all!

 

Well maybe after all this is over there might be a silver lining and when I pick up my duties again she will think more of me. She already had a short dose of having to get the bills out on time. I think she was able to do about two of them before I got back home. She actually said something to the effect that I wasn't quite as useless as she thought I was. I almost fell over!

[popeye the sailor]

hello Tom!   thanks for the good word    

 

no Lou.......it's April fool's day....365 days of the year!  you can only go so far on a lump of coal ya know       I'm sure she thinks highly of you.....  

   Kevin came by yesterday.......he brought me two cans of Fosters!

 

thanks Lawrence......hadn't even gotten out of Hobby Lobby,  when I came up with this half baked idea.   I remembered doing something like this to a plastic woody model back in my youth.   I think it's telling me how I really should be getting back to wood,  and leave the plastic to the experts  

I'm glad you like it   

 

....and thanks to all of you folks who hit the like button.  I appreciate ya'll look'in in   

[mtaylor]

Here ya' go, Denis.   Best of trucks and boats.   I wonder where the build log would go?

 

[popeye the sailor]

neat!    that would have to be a 1:16,  or a 1:8 build.....to get the full effect dontcha know   

[lmagna]

On 4/6/2019 at 8:52 PM, mtaylor said:

I wonder where the build log would go?

Major kit bash!

 

I wonder if it is all show or if it has some go under that huge hood?

Edited April 9, 2019 by lmagna

[popeye the sailor]

I wouldn't think so....too much forward ballast.    probably an inboard in the rear.  it looks like a Kenworth.......possibly a heavy duty tow truck

[lmagna]

I think it is only part of the kit:

But this one might be even more fun:

[popeye the sailor]

don't show me stuff like that!!!!!   you really want me to get thrown out of the house!.....don't you!     too late.......I've almost figured out the two components to build it   

her is another that I built in the past....this is not my model though.

I haven't done much to the model of late.......I did get the radiator back on.   should have something on this one soon    

[popeye the sailor]

I made some progress towards the finish of this model........but I can't show you the whole thing.   so at the moment,  I'm in the process of making a Y pipe for the exhaust.  I've been saving sprues since I started with the Titanic......lucky for me,  since all the sprues I've got around me at the moment are a bit too thick.   I've tried to heat the sprue to stretch it,  but getting it to elongate evenly across the entire plastic "rod"  has been a challenge.  

here is where I'm at at the moment......creating the Y shape,  and about the define the rest of the shape.   I'm going to use the muffler and tail pipe from the kit.  last thing to do is add the hardware for the rear doors,  and the decal work.  hope to put the finish on it today.........I've already started on the next one.

[src]

Dennis,

How about some brass tube for your tail pipe and muffler?

sam

[popeye the sailor]

hello Sam!    it would be a good idea.........definitely would look the part too,  but I don't think it would handle the constant changes very well.  too many adjustments,  and it would likely develop cracks.  considering on how many I've done to get where I am now......it's a probability.   it is an idea though,  that I will keep in mind if I need to do another.   it just so happens that the exhaust is installed,  and she's purring like a kitten......a rather burly kitten.........that is       pictures after I take the puppy out  

[popeye the sailor]

OK.........there's like a double whammy epilogue to this project...something neat that I used to see in only a selected number of kits.   I'm not sure if it's a merchandising ploy.......I can take it or leave it    take my word for it though......it's kinda cute 

 

I recall somewhere in the log,  I mentioned seeing this model in white.......this color scheme is pretty nice too.  darn thing is on the  side of the box ! 

after I had started to work on the exhaust,  cementing the Y together,  I thought about what to do next.   I got curious about the number of corner decorations there were in white.  once I began to cut the decal sheet up,  I guess I just got carried away.  the logo selection is really good......I had a hard time making up my mind which one to use.  I selected the one that matched up the best.

there were 16 of the corner decorations.......a lacework frieze design commonly found on hot rods {or folks that think they're car is hot}......so I just put them in logical spots {or with my crooked mind,  thought was logical}.  I saw this next photo and thought "boy.....did I build a crooked car!".....but no.......it's sitting on paper towels,  and not level.

there are red frieze designs........they look better than the white ones.

........a look at the interior

the radiator hose can also be seen.  sorry I bagged out on some of the extra detail.   with the engine tucked into the recess,  I didn't even add the distributor.   this in turn eliminated the wires.

now.......I added the rear door hardware this morning........I took this shot before the exhaust was added.

so this leaves the exhaust as the last frontier.....get it done and I can call this project finished    

[Kevin]

she has come up a treat, lovely work, sorry ididnt follow this one, i seam to miss so much recently

[jct]

Marking looks great D

[popeye the sailor]

so folks........this is the last log.  what a strange trip it's been........grateful that you folks followed along.   back to work making the Y pipe.......this took some shaping........not sure if this is the first one I've ever made.   I haven't bent sprue in quite a few years    flipping the truck over on it's roof,  I noticed something that I missed........the starter! 

looking in the bag I put all the other parts into......I found it {must have gathered them all up and it too.  that was quick to remedy!  

in hind sight,  I should have started at the passenger side header,  and connected with the driver's side as I made the turn towards the rear.   but I was thinking truck when I made it.  the rear drive train didn't do me any favors either......I had to run the tail pipe through the gap between the leaf spring and the frame. 

in the end,  it all worked out  

the tail pipe is far enough away from the body............no annoying rattles or bangs

...a couple of touch ups later,  and I call it officially finished!   here's the double whammy.........in the kit,  there was a backdrop display for it.  I got one with the Bat boat.....of course,  I had to reinforce it with some wood,  to make it sturdier.  I did the same with this one.......just some strip wood,  was all it needed.   it's a cheezy.......but nice touch for the model.

I know I failed to get a celebrity to one of my projects once before..........George Clooney must have been too busy to answer my invitation to the Andrea Gail gallery shoot.   that would have been really cool........BTW    so I've got something close to it,  but not exactly.  since the guy lives in England,  I know it would be impossible for 'em to come here...........but it's on my wish list.   here's Andrew Lincoln,  who plays Rick,  on the Walking Dead  

[mtaylor]

Nice work, Denis.   And I love your determination and inventiveness to find solutions.