# Cars & trucks



## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I just joined yesterday and thought I would show some of my work.

The first truck I did for my Grandson, a 20s C-cab.
followed by an F1 pickup.
Next was the boat that my grand-daughter wanted.
After that came a couple of '35 Chevy pickups.
Followed shortly by my old army truck that I drove in Vietnam, an M37 3/4 ton.
Then I decided to branch out and built a model patterned off of a '27 Pontiac roadster (I'm a serious Pontiac guy).
Can't have a roadster without a matching coupe so.......

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I started using left-over scraps of lumber that I had laying around but soon moved to hardwoods mainly maple, hickory, oak, yellow birch and black walnut.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I'm new at posting pics here so I guess I screwed up a bit. My bad, I won't do it again!
As you can see each one gets more detailed than the one before.
Right now I'm working on another '35 pick-up with a more detailed cab with seat and steering wheel. That one is going to charity auction. That will be the fourth one going to charity. Three have been gifted. The rest are on a shelf in the garage and are used as patterns. The M37 isn't going anywhere.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

awesome craftsmanship, Hank !!
well done.

you can "edit" your posts by selecting the three dots beside your avatar photo.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Welcome to the site, Hank. Very nice work on those vehicles!


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Well done! I bet your grandchildren love them.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

WOW. Those are really good. How do you do something like that? Is it carving?

George


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Most of the shaping is done with band-saw, disc sander and stationary belt sander. I keep the kindling box full of discarded fenders.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Nice work. My mom worked for Playschool over 20 years. She ran a bandsaw making small wooden toys. It's also how she lost most of her hearing. Be careful, protect yourself..

I imagine the bandsaws between the 50-70's screamed a little louder back then..


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Juist finished latest truck. This one is going to a virtual auction for my wife's favorite charity CASA (Court Appoint Special Advocates for children).


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

You do beautiful work, that has got to be fun. This is something I want to try one day soon. By the way, since you love Pontiacs and you screen name is Firebird. Have you ever owned a Formula Firebird? I had a 1970 Formula Firebird 400, loved that car. Mine was like the one below only it was white with the word Formula on the quarter panel.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I actually own a '69 Formula 350. Long story and FYI they never made one. I did own a '70 F-body but it was a Z/28. Great car, loved it but moved on.
Years back there was a '70 Formula 400 4-speed car just down the road that seemed to be abandoned. If I would have had room for it I would have (should have) looked into it but didn't' Then one day it was gone.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

FirebirdHank said:


> I actually own a '69 Formula 350. Long story and FYI they never made one. I did own a '70 F-body but it was a Z/28. Great car, loved it but moved on.
> Years back there was a '70 Formula 400 4-speed car just down the road that seemed to be abandoned. If I would have had room for it I would have (should have) looked into it but didn't' Then one day it was gone.
> View attachment 423256


Have you checked what these cars are worth now days?


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

oh you silly car guys 😂 😂 😂


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

BigJim said:


> You do beautiful work, that has got to be fun. This is something I want to try one day soon. By the way, since you love Pontiacs and you screen name is Firebird. Have you ever owned a Formula Firebird? I had a 1970 Formula Firebird 400, loved that car. Mine was like the one below only it was white with the word Formula on the quarter panel.
> View attachment 423246


My cousin has a 1978 Pontiac Firebird. All original bought new in high school
.deep red velour inside white outside. 150k mileage. Motor has never seen a wrench other than typical maintenance. It is the only year I know of that Pontiac put a 350 Chevy motor in a pontiac..


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

_Ogre said:


> oh you silly car guys 😂 😂 😂
> 
> View attachment 423267


Whoooo mama, that is nice. I have had many Chevys and a few Fords and even Mopar trucks. My favorite truck was my 1970 Chevy Step Side with a 327 300hp engine. It had the #1 vet grind cam, double hump injector heads. Some of my earlier 327s had the pop up pistons and all the goodies. I loved the 327 and 427 engines, they were just about bullet proof.

Reb, I didn't know one of the Firebirds had a Chevy engine. Did you know the best engine and most powerful engine was the Studebaker. The the old 270 engine had 374 hp, the only engine back then stronger was the Hemi but even it wasn't built as beefy as the Studebaker. So much for the history lesson. lol

I am a car/truck nut from way back, I was an old 1960s mechanic.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

There were two students who worked for me at a company. They always displayed various large posters of Firebird Trans Ams above their desks. When they graduated about a year after they joined our team, they got a big pay raise. The next day, they went out together and bought identical black Firebird Trans Ams. They picked up a few speeding tickets soon after that.

Sadly, the cars didn't work out. Both cars were in for warranty repairs more than they were on the road. In less than a year, both were traded in for more reliable transportation.

In case it matters, they were early productions of the mid-1980s model type (the one that followed the Smokey and the Bandit type). Despite being Firebird Trans Ams, I remember that they were rather gutless. I also remember that the air conditioners were nearly worthless in the desert.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Tool Agnostic said:


> There were two students who worked for me at a company. They always displayed various large posters of Firebird Trans Ams above their desks. When they graduated about a year after they joined our team, they got a big pay raise. The next day, they went out together and bought identical black Firebird Trans Ams. They picked up a few speeding tickets soon after that.
> 
> Sadly, the cars didn't work out. Both cars were in for warranty repairs more than they were on the road. In less than a year, both were traded in for more reliable transportation.
> 
> In case it matters, they were early productions of the mid-1980s model type (the one that followed the Smokey and the Bandit type). Despite being Firebird Trans Ams, I remember that they were rather gutless. I also remember that the air conditioners were nearly worthless in the desert.


Those early third gens were all 'gutless", in fact all early 80s cars were. A friend has a Corvette from that time that proudly displays a badge on the console stating "145 horsepower".


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

FirebirdHank said:


> Those early third gens were all 'gutless", in fact all early 80s cars were. A friend has a Corvette from that time that proudly displays a badge on the console stating "145 horsepower".


smog engines, oh boy... quite the era.
didn't mean to hyjack your thread, until you started posting car pics 
i like your models/toys too


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

BigJim said:


> Whoooo mama, that is nice.
> 
> I am a car/truck nut from way back, I was an old 1960s mechanic.


i've always owned a 58 or 59 chevy truk since i bought my first 58 from the hs janitor my freshman yr
i've owned this one since 91, in it's current configuration 11 years, all self built/fabricated
in the 60s i was in kinder/grade/middle school 😂


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Firebird, I apologize for hijacking your thread, I get carried away talking about cars and trucks. I do want to make some models cars and trucks, especially the 29 stake bed truck with side boards. Also the car like John Boy had on the Waltons.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Curious if you've tried to sell these?


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I haven't tried selling but a friend offered to buy one. I gave it to her, it was going to be a gift for her dad. I don't want what is now a fun hobby to turn into a job. There are plenty of charity auctions that will be happy to take any extras off of my hands.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

BigJim said:


> Firebird, I apologize for hijacking your thread, I get carried away talking about cars and trucks. I do want to make some models cars and trucks, especially the 29 stake bed truck with side boards. Also the car like John Boy had on the Waltons.


I don't remember what John Boy drove and I don't plan on watching any re-runs to find out.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

FirebirdHank said:


> I haven't tried selling but a friend offered to buy one. I gave it to her, it was going to be a gift for her dad. I don't want what is now a fun hobby to turn into a job. There are plenty of charity auctions that will be happy to take any extras off of my hands.


Many say that. It was my living but I still enjoy it.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

FirebirdHank said:


> I don't remember what John Boy drove and I don't plan on watching any re-runs to find out.











I think it was a 29 ford coupe.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Since winter doesn't seem to want to give up and I thought my F-1 pick-up needed more detailing here is my latest project.
The charity auctions better start soon, I'm running out of shelf space and still want to do a rumble seat coupe before the weather warms up and the real cars come out to play.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I took a break from the shop for a while and did some improvements in our utility room. I was showing a friend my work and he really likes the '27 roadster. I told him he could have it as long as I could keep it here until I could duplicate it first. Of course that required adding more detail so a rumble seat was added.
Also, since my last post here I have started making my own wheels. It took the best part of a week and of course the purchase of more tools.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Here is the '29 with its new wheels.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Had time for one more before convertible weather gets here.
This one is patterned after a Ford Model A with a "Huckster" conversion body. A local collection here has one on display that I was able to take a lot of pictures of.








My plan is to see if the Gallery is interested in either displaying it along with the actual vehicle or possibly using it in a fundraiser auction.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Well the warm weather didn't show up as planed so I was back out in the shop.I thought a Model A pickup might turn out nice so that's what I tried. Not sure that Ford ever made a five window Model A truck but I did. I also made new style wheels 
The next one of these I make is going to have a spare mounted in front of the right rear wheel recessed into the fender.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Rebelwork said:


> Curious if you've tried to sell these?


The pickup from post #9 just sold at an on-line charity auction for $180.00. The lucky bidder is picking it up on Wednesday. Now I have more room on the shelf.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Here's one more. It is the "new and improved" '35 pick-up.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I see you are getting more detailed on each build. I just started a 29 Ford Stakebed. I always liked that truck so I figured I would give it a try. I got news for you, these wooden models are no where as easy as I thought they would be. It is fun trying to figure out how to make some of the parts. Some times it is frustrating when I have to remake or modify a part because I got in a rush and made the part like the plan showed. The plans aren't exact for sure. Or maybe it is that I don't follow instructions like the plan says. lol
Here is a photo of the truck I want to build, this one is not mine, I doubt mine will ever look as good. I am making all my own parts, I am not buying ready made parts.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Does that truck have operating doors? I have kicked that around but haven't tried it yet.
How detailed are the plans for the wheels? I like those.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I was showing some of my work to a friend who just retired from a dump truck driving career and he mentioned that he would like a model of a truck. I was kicking around what to do next and it just clicked. I had already make a set of wheels and the engine radiator and cowl so it made for a good start.























Up next, a Point Beer (local small town brewery) delivery truck for my brother-in-law who collects all things Point Beer.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

FirebirdHank said:


> I was showing some of my work to a friend who just retired from a dump truck driving career and he mentioned that he would like a model of a truck. I was kicking around what to do next and it just clicked. I had already make a set of wheels and the engine radiator and cowl so it made for a good start.
> View attachment 429305
> View attachment 429306
> View attachment 429307
> ...


I like your truck Hank. I am sorry I didn't see your above post for some reason until just now. No I didn't make the doors to open on this one. I plan to make the rumble seat open on the 30 Ford roadster I am fixing to build. The wheels are not that hard to make if you have a lathe and drill press. I made mine like Kenbo here on the forum made his wheels but a little different:





Below is a couple of photos of my 29 Ford Stakebed and the front wheels of the truck, the rear wheels are different. I can post a photo of the rear wheels if you like and I will be glad to tell you how to make them if you want me too.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

Kudos to the both of you !!!
ya'll've got way more patience than me.
job well done for both of your projects.


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## Bob95065 (Feb 23, 2019)

Very nice work


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## Bob95065 (Feb 23, 2019)

Very nice work and welcome from another new member.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

It was a busy summer but I did get around to another model truck. I was looking at the M-37 Military truck that I did last year and thought that I could do better. Here are the results:
The first pic shows the new effort on the right of last years model. The new one is more detailed and more to scale


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Looking back at this post I realized that I never loaded pics of the "Point Beer " delivery truck that I promised 4 months ago. 
Here it is.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Excellent looking models.


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

very nice models firebird 
you have more patience than i do


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I just got back from a month in Florida. We stayed a few days with friends and thought about ways to thank them. One is an old army buddy who I served with in Nam. I had a wood model of an M-37 military truck with markings for our unit so his gift was an easy choice. The other friend was also an Army vet with an artillery unit and I thought that an M-37 pulling a 105 Howitzer would be something he would like.




























Howitzer might b


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Took a break from truck building for a while. I made a stemmed wine glass rack for above the bar and got some parts off of the Solstice ready for paint. Then back in the shop.
I thought a '35 wrecker would be a fun project so here it is.
I think next up will be another beer truck for the basement bar that my son is building now.
.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

amazing!


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Last fall I made a beer truck for my BIL. Now my son is making a bar in his lower level and I thought a truck would look good on his back bar.
Another brother-in-law just finished his bar area so he is probably next. I do owe him for some body work after a fender bender.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I just completed the next gen beer truck. My brother-in-law, who is getting this one, is the guy who does the decals for me so it is up to him to do the signage.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

I just finished another truck. I wasn't sure what it was going to be when I started. I knew that I wanted to do a "C" cab so that is what I started. When looking through some old truck pics I found
one hauling logs.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

Another one just finished. This is the 4th "M37" that I've built and each one has to be more detailed than the ones before. This one has door handles, floor pedals (the log truck has pedals as well) and tailights. I also started making two piece headlights and retro-fit everything I have here on the shelf with them. Next might be a military Deuce-and-a-Half.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

As promised, the Deuce and a half.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 25, 2021)

One more before the end of the year.


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