I swore I wouldn't do this but here are some progress shots of my B-17 themed 32 Dodge truck. I still have a long way to go...hopefully mounting bombs this weekend (one mocked up for photo...I have one going on other side too), replacing Iron Cross grill with 8th Air Force logo and mounting real B-17 guages in the dash. Ideas??? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/unpunk01/Planes/DodgeBomber01.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/unpunk01/Planes/DodgeBomber04.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/unpunk01/Planes/Sweet17Stats.jpg
Ideas??? Lookin cool. Now all you need is some gun turrets. Maybe a belly turret under the bed pointing to the rear for those "nice" tail-gaters
Cool. The olive-drab paint looks good. As far as ideas go, have you thought about turing the bombs into functional gas tanks? I always wanted to run a bomb tank on the back of a post-war era themed modified.
how about rivits,i've always thought about doin' a rivited body,just like an old fighter..... looks awesome.....
Good to see I'm not the only "crazy" building a WWII bomber hotrod. I've got alot of spare WWII aircraft parts that I won't have room for on my B-32 bomber 3w project including some B-17 guages and some small 8" practice bombs. Got a few sets of 3" aircraft lapbelts also. You're gonna need some bomber seats, and I've got a few sets, but they were expensive.(ebay). Got a fighter pistol grip with trigger for a shift handle(nos). And a couple of .50 cal. machine gun sights. Stuff like that. Where did you get the OD paint from? I like that shade. Larry
I've thought about the "operational" bombs and the rivets. The bombs I wanted to turn into opening compartments...one for tools and the other a cooler ("beverages" at car shows ). The rivets would look KILLER but I don't know how to do it...the B-17 had flathead rivets that were flush with the skin. Ideas on that?
I'd really like a 50 cal site for my radiator cap and some of those lapbelts! Can you PM me about that? As for the paint...I went down to our local paint shop and told them what I was doing and they looked it up on their computer. I guess the govt specs are released to paint shops...I added a SHITLOAD of flattener to it, then wet sanded it with 400 (scuffed it up) then used red rubbing compound to fine tune the scuffs. Pretty easy...I can get the mix for you if you want! PS - you have any pictures of your car? Shade? You makin' fun of my garage?
You would need Counter sink rivets, and drill the hole in the body and dimple the metal so the countersink rivet sits flush. I would actually use Button Head rivets, if I was going to go the rivet style... they will actually show. If you were around Houston, I have a rivet gun and bucking bars... LOL... That truck looks cool man...
If you'll PM me and give me your name, address, etc., I'll dig the gunsight and lapbelts out of storage and send 'em to ya no charge. They're spares I got off ebay. (how many sets of WWII lapbelts could I put in a coupe?). Also (you big dummy), I was talkin' about the shade of OD green. ha. I'm working on getting some more pics of the build together for everyone(especially Django). The B-26 escape hatch has a new skin and will be installed in the roof next week(hopefully) and I'll post pics of the install. The body work is almost completed and you ought to see the wicked chop now! I've also decided to put rivets all around the outside windshield frame and the window mouldings. Just some more ideas for ya. Let me know if you need anymore aircraft stuff. Larry
As for the rivets... this may be along the same lines as fake Hemi valve covers on a SBC, but then again, a dodge truck isn't a B17... That being said, how about a piece of posterboard with some properly sized and shaped holes in it to use as a stencil, then mix up two shades of olive drab, one darker than what's on the truck and one that's lighter. tape the stencil on the truck with that blue stuff, and airbrush the bottom of the holes darker, and the tops lighter, leaving the center body color.
Definatly a name and nose art. Rivets..... maybe. Bomber seats, yes, but make your own. Go to volksrods.com and they sell seat plans for $15, and they dont look half bad. I'm going to do something like those for my truck, but change it up a bit to look more to my tastes. Bomb gas tank... aren't they bombs allready? Good idea. But also a good idea about storage in them. Good lookin truck and keep up the good work. She would look good on the side.....
Already loosing it...read the top post. Replacing it with the 8th Air Force logo. As for the name...this thing is modeled (same exact markings except theirs was natural aluminum...I couldn't do that...too much bondo!) after a real B17 called the Sweet 17 (see last pic). I spoke with the tailgunner and the pilot (last two guys left...until the tailgunner passed away last month. RIP - Bert!) and they helped me out with all the research! Here is a little info on their plane... http://www.91stbombgroup.com/sweet17.html BTW - I'm doing their noseart on the top of the aircleaner
Lookin great! The wife saw you the other day (revving your engine goin under the bridge by your house =) ) and told me about it. I've been so busy worrying about the layoffs at work that I haven't had time to give anyone a call. Hope everything is going ok. John.
ME? Revving the engine? HA HA! I love rappin' those open headers under overpasses! Was she next to me when I did it? Tell her sorry, if she was! Give me a call!
I'm thinking of mounting a couple mock 50 cals coming out the firewall. I don't want to take this theme thing too far but the barrels would double as supports for the grill shell. That way I can get rid of the center support holding the grill shell (which covers the pinup girl on the aircleaner). See below. What do you guys think? Too much? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/unpunk01/Car/DodgeBomber02.jpg
looks 100x better than it did before homie. nice, nice! how about you run some 50cal bullets along that support and make it look like it's feeding into the firewall......
I like the truck alot. Has alot of character, 2 things i would do differently. The headers and the yellow bombs on the cowl. Id replace the yellow bombs with a pinup girl, and a logo of some sort... and the headers would follow all the way back with the frame ralls , and have a sheild guard with a shit load of holes like a barrle of a old machine gun.
The Sweet 17's art work will be on the air cleaner...I told the guy (a buddy of mine) I bought it from that if I ever changed it, that I would give him back the air cleaner with the pin up girl. I'm trying to stay as close to the real Sweet 17 as I can and they didn't have a pin up...they had the flying heart. See the fact sheet on first message on this post. Thanks James! How's your '37 coming along? That thing HAS to be lookin' pretty kick ass by now!
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