Moon Discs and Louvers

Back in the 50s and 60s, hot rodders were putting the original Moon discs on street machines. These were not the little "Baby Moon" hubcaps, they were 15" or 16" diameter spun aluminum disks that were almost flat, but not quite. They were originally intended as low wind-resistance wheel covers for LSR cars. Unlike regular hubcaps, they were attached to the edge of the wheel rim with three or four evenly spaced pairs of self-threading screws.

I'd like to put disks like those on the 1/24 scale AMT '40 Ford Deluxe convertible that I'm starting. Does anybody make discs in that style?

Or is there something else I can use to get that gently curved, spun-aluminum look?

I'm also looking for pre-made hood louvers, preferably thin sheets of them that I can use to replace sections of the hood. It would be nice to find louvered rectangles that are punched all the way though. Then I can just replace a section of hood with a louvered section.

I've seen lots of "scale model" louvers that look too big; I'd really like to find some that are very close to 1/24 scale in height.

Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Im not sure about the baby moons. Some of the older muscle builders here should be able to know something to help you out. As far as the vents/louvers they are hard to come by. Most likely you will have to build them from scratch as you find something exactly the size you need.

Try
thepartsbox.com
hiroboy.com
mediamixhobby.com.sg


But i think ebay would have more of a selection. For the search type in 1/24 resin, or 1/24 vents louvers. And if you still don't find anything and don't want to build them from scratch try looking at some model kits that you can steal them from.

If you can get a hold of it you can probably use the wheels from Aoshima's Racing Beat FC3S

http://www.scalemodelnews.com/2009/08/bonneville-run.html

Parts by Parks makes aluminum baby moons. They offer a few different sizes and styles.

Look at Archer Transfers http://www.archertransfers.com/ and look for product AR88037 O-Scale 6-inch wide louvers. They should scale out to about 3" and they are on a clear decal sheet. They are not functional and I haven't tried them yet but they look like they have potential and at $14.95, cost less than the other two or three kits you gotta buy to cover a few panels in louvers. Not only that, you get a full sheet of em which is more than enough to cover several kits...

Thanks for the sources. I'll check them out.

But, but... I don't need baby moons.

I need the full moons, the spun aluminum kind that cover the whole 15" or 16" wheel. They were originally intended for LSR cars, but street rodders started putting them on, yep, street rods.

Baby moons were shiny chrome and only about 8" in diameter. I had a set on my '50 Olds fastback. But that's not what I need for this model.

If you can get a hold of it you can probably use the wheels from Aoshima's Racing Beat FC3S

http://www.scalemodelnews.com/2009/08/bonneville-run.html

Thanks, jla. That's a very interesting model and I might try building one someday. I'm amazed that you remembered such an obscure model; I'll bet it's hard to find.

Those wheel disks are similar in concept to the Moons, but not quite right for an older hot rod. The Moon disks, aside from being aluminum, are held on by six tiny machine screws around the perimeter. They are almost invisible, even on a 1:1 car. So all those countersinks on the Aoshima RX disks would have to be filled.

If my aging memory serves me right, there was actually a problem with the Moon disks flying off at dragstrips and other racing venues. They may have even been outlawed in some places.

As to the Aoshima kit, there's the eternal problem of having to buy a whole kit just for a set of hubcaps.

Here's a shot of the Mooneyes shop with a Moon-disk equipped wheel.

Parts by parks also offers full discs as well.. Scale Repros plus offers some as well..

To make some convincing louvers, I've seen people use quarter round styrene rod. Just cut them to length and then sand the ends round so they have the profile of louvers They aren't open through - but you'll have a hard time finding any in 1:24 that will be while looking good, I'd thinkg - but when I've seen them they look really convincing. Also, the Revell '49 Ford Custom kit has a hood with louvers molded in.

Moon disks, I dunno, I would've suggested Aoshima's work Ledsled wheels but they're way too small and have too much profile. Good luck!

To make some convincing louvers, I've seen people use quarter round styrene rod. Just cut them to length and then sand the ends round so they have the profile of louvers...

Sounds good. I've gotten some .030 quarter round styrene rod. The trick will be gluing and spacing - if they aren't spaced right, they'll look terrible. Maybe I'll make sets of louvers on rectangles, then set them into rectangular holes on the hood. But then there's the problem of puttying the seams.

What do you think? Directly on the model hood, or on styrene rectangles?

Parts by parks also offers full discs as well.. Scale Repros plus offers some as well..

I found the Parts by Parks spun aluminum discs on ScaleDreams. I expected them to be thin like the real thing, but the pix make them look pretty thick. I'm not sure whether they'll attach to the inner edge of the wheel, or to the very edge. If they're thick, they can't be attached to the very edge.

They come in 9/16", which would fit the very edge, and in 5/8", which would attach to the inner edge. As you can see from the pic I posted, you should only be able to see the very edge of the actual wheel.

So I'm confused about which size to buy. I emailed Scaledreams for a recommendation.

Has anyone ever used these things? Any suggestions?

I've discovered that all 1/24 scale Moon discs are not alike.

I've built the Revell '40 Ford convertible as a combination of stock and modified. To get a steep rake, I've modified the rear suspension to keep the stock height. And I'm using mag wheels front and back. So needed discs in two sizes - an expensive proposition, since I had to buy two full sets. (Actually three, as things have turned out.)

For the rear, I got a set of four 5/8" diameter discs from Scaledreams; they're made by Parts by Parks and they're perfect - very thin and exactly right for the 15" wheels. They set me back something like $12 plus shipping - not cheap, but, as they say, you get what you pay for.

So I decided to look on eBay for cheaper 9/16" discs. I found some, and now I regret it. The photos looked okay and they ran about $7, so I took the chance. Well, that was a mistake. These disks are thick and the edges aren't sharp. And there's a slight gap between the edge and the wheel itself. When you compare the two types of disc mounted on the wheels, it's obvious that front and back are different. There is no way I'm going to use them.

So... I need to get yet another set of PbyP discs from Scaledreams, and spend another $12, plus shipping. Considering paint, putty, BMF, PE, M&R tuck and roll, etc., etc., this model is costing about the same as my first real car, a somewhat larger '40 Ford coupe that ran me a whopping $135 in 1957.

Anyway, this one ought to look nicer than my primered old beater.