ICM Model A Standard Phaeton 1930s (24051) 1:24

[Mike]

Model A Standard Phaeton 1930s (24051)

1:24 ICM via The Hobby Company

 

 

Phaeton was originally a name for an open-topped, cut-down horse-drawn carriage, which translated into motoring parlance for soft-top, or open-topped vehicles that didn’t possess side windows that could be rolled down, and if they had a roof, it was one that was installed for inclement weather, or removed for sunny days.  The name fell out of use in favour of Cabriolet and Convertible, but before it faded into history it became a broad term that could refer to any four-wheeled vehicle with two rows of seats and an open top, although triple-Phaetons and double-Phaetons were also a thing, just to muddy the waters further.

 

After the runaway success of the Model T Ford, it was eventually replaced eighteen years later by the more modern Model A, reaching showrooms at the end of 1927.  It was produced until 1932, by which time almost 5 million units had been sold.  The chassis ran a 3.3L inline four-cylinder petrol engine that could propel it to a maximum speed of around 65mph, which might seem a little slow to today’s motorists (unless they’re on modern British motorways), but with only drum brakes slowing each wheel, it was probably for the best.  There were several body styles available, the Phaeton being one of the most unrecognisable names to us today, other than the fact that the name was recently used by Volkswagen for an enlarged luxury coupé variant of their Passat for a while, and that most definitely had a roof.  Ford’s Model A Phaeton was available in two- or four-door format, and the gearbox gave a single option of a three-speed unsynchronised (crash) gearbox, plus one reverse gear.  Due to the difference in controls that were offered by most competitors by this time, the quirky layout of the driver’s controls were standardised to clutch, brake and accelerator pedals left to right on the floor, and a shifter in the centre for gear selection.  It was replaced by the Model B after ‘32, and just to carry on confusing people, the Model 18.

 

 

The Kit

This is a new boxing of a recent tooling of this type, with other variants still to come.  The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a captive lid on the bottom tray, and inside are seven sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a bag of five flexible black tyres with short lengths of runner still attached, and a small decal sheet that is slipped inside the colour instruction booklet that is printed with a glossy cover and matt paper insides, with profiles on the rearmost pages.  Detail is up to ICM’s current high standards, portraying the full chassis, engine, interior and bodyshell in glorious detail, plus a removable soft-top that can be fitted or removed at will once complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the main chassis rails that are set apart by five cross-members of various shapes and widths, adding bell-housings near each end, L-shaped front bumper supports, and a steering column with box at the bottom end attached to the left chassis rail, as this is a left-hand drive model.  The engine block is made from two halves and a sump, making the transmission and clutch housing from four parts, emplacing the cylinder head, and ancillaries such as the generator, fan & belt, and the exhaust manifold, bringing the sub-assemblies together before it is inserted into the front of the chassis along with a long drive-shaft to the rear axle, which has the differential moulded-in to slot between the two axle stubs that are moulded into the end cross-brace on the chassis.  The front axle with short laterally oriented leaf-springs is fixed to the front cross-rail, and a two-part exhaust is slung under the chassis, mating with the down-pipe of the manifold.  Rear drum-brakes have small parts fitted to their rear before they are glued to the ends of the axle, adding small control pivots and more L-shaped supports along the outer length of the chassis rails, plus a brake actuator rod that fits on a pivot.  The front drum-brakes are made from the same number of parts, adding links to the axle, and more control rods running down the outer faces of the chassis rails, plus an extension to the chassis, and two diagonal strengthening supports under the rear on either side of the drive-shaft.  Two more control rods attach to the brake drums and pivots, linking the hubs together with a rod, and adding a V-shaped damper between the two ends.  By this time wire-wheels were available, and this kit has five made from two styrene parts that are joined together, trapping a flexible black tyre in between them, sliding four of them onto the ends of the axles, and leaving the last for the spare later in the build.

 

The bodyshell is made by fitting the combined arches and running boards to a tapering floor after removing the texturing of the running boards, and strengthening the assembly by adding another layer on the underside of the floor, sandwiching the sides between the two layers.  This is carefully mated with the chassis, making a small three-part fairing for the front of the car under the radiator, taking care to align the two triangular parts with the slots on the outside.  The firewall is extended by adding a diagonal kick-board, steering column, lever and foot pedals, plus a stylish two-part dashboard with lower fairing that slots into place horizontally, applying decals to the central instrument binnacle after choosing a colour to paint the assembly, depending on which colour option you have chosen.  The panels under the A-pillars are made up from dual layers, fitting to the sides of the firewall and supporting the dash, with a scuttle to top, a central filler cap for the fuel tank, and dash pots on the engine side, fitting it to the growing assembly at the front of the floor.  The body side panels are fitted with three interior cards per side, adding handles and a rear panel that is best placed on the floor pan during curing of the glue to ensure it sets straight, mounting a three-part radiator and housing to the front, with engine cowlings linking it to the rest of the bodywork, fitting a handle and a pair of catches on each side, plus the top-cowling that is moulded as a single part.

 

The front and rear bench seat cushions are layered from three parts each, and are located on L-shaped location marks, fitting a rear shroud to the front seat to support the back, which is a single part, and has a pair of tapered arms added to the sides of the shroud, painted to match the seat cushions.  The same style of rear cushion is fitted to the back seat, supported by the rear of the bodyshell without additional arms, mounting the steering wheel and control stalks on the column, and the gear shifter on the transmission tunnel.  A two-part rear-view mirror is fixed in the centre of the windscreen, adding a wiper motor housing to the top left frame, which operates the single wiper that is moulded into the windscreen part.  The remaining wheel is mounted on a back-plate with a diagonal tube that links it to the back of the car, adding short bumper stubs, light clusters and a number plate holder to the sides.  The front of the car is finished off by a full-width dual-rail bumper, a pair of headlights with clear lenses, horn and number-plate on a curved rod that is placed between the forward arches, adding a pair of clear wind deflectors to the sides of the windscreen, completing the model by building the stowed roof from upper and lower halves, attaching it to the rear of the car.

 

 

Markings

There are three colour options depicted on the decal sheet, which will also affect the choice of interior colours during the build, so choosing early will be a benefit.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• Indiana, 1930
• California, 1931
• Pennsylvania, 1932

 

 

 

Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

As is common now with ICM kits, there is a portion of one page of the instruction booklet devoted to the masking of the windscreen, using the printed shapes on the right of the page and the diagram to create your own masks if you wish.  There are two masks, one for each side of the screen to ease painting of the frames.  The deflectors don’t have masks, as they are attached to the screen by two small metal clips, so can be left off until late in the build process.

 

 

Conclusion

Detail is excellent, and its size should make the build a pleasurable experience, resulting in a realistic replica of this short-lived early sports car.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Available from all good model shops now.

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Noel Smith]

Makes a nice change from all the American Rodded kits of the Ford A.