I originally started this build back in High School. It’s somehow moved around with me several times without me even knowing I still had it. After setting up shop at my most recent home, I stumbled across it while building the ???? Road Ghost ????. Immediately saying, ” I need to finish that!” Once work was completed on the Road Ghost, I jumped right in on this one.
I bought a prebuilt Ice-T kit from one of the local model shows, with the full intention of creating something wild. Where it would go from disassembly I wouldn’t know, until I sat down at my desk about a month later.
Growing up in a custom body shop the name Boyd wasn’t a top choice for a great customizer. Still today I think when he is brought up, it makes most cringe with questions of how is he even considered. Respectfully without his shop, and funding a ton of well-known 90s and 2000s customs would have probably just been another car we knew of but didn’t know of. After the falling out with Chip Foose and other builders and painters, it wasn’t any better. Nonetheless, I had multiple Boyd model cars in my collection but one I had mucked up during paint was now a potential pile of custom parts for other builds. So as I was cutting the fenders to make parts, it hit me, “I wonder what these would look like on the Ice T?” So I laid them onto the side and got a million ideas.
The Ice-T had that race stance that most of the 70s-style custom show rods had going for them. But unlike where it was mostly done using the suspension, the Ice-T’s stance was mostly the body. I began cutting the body to make it sit evenly from front to back but the top of the car also had raised molds to accent the body lines However, I didn’t like how it looked so I cut those off which also meant the cowl would need to go as well. I then needed to attach the fenders and carefully place them so they would look proportionate to the front and back of the car.
That’s where the build stopped for probably 15+ years, until finding it again just a little over a year ago.
The photo above shows how I found it other than the white plastic that I had added before the photo. Hours of work and ideas were to follow, so let’s get into it.
The first thing I did, was add a cowl and raise the sides to make an even side profile. I also added a piece across the back for a rear panel.
As you can see a ton of putty work was started. Sanding, sanding, sanding… Then, it was time to get it all in one color and see where we needed to focus more attention on more bodywork.
A nice heavy coat of filler primer and a quick mockup of what it might look like.
I played around with different wheels and interior ideas to see what I liked best. I never really set my sights on one idea until I figure out what color I am going to go with.
I decided to run a set of 3D-printed wheels I had run as a test. The same goes for my interior ideas. I never settle on anything until I’m right about to start. Since all I had for this was the body I decided to scratch-build the interior and chassis.
As you can probably tell, I was challenging myself and my patience, with all these nice and tight curves, nooks, and crannies. Sanding those areas smooth was interesting, to say the least. But some plastic rods and plastic sheets turned into something pretty neat. I also used rod and sheets to make a center control panel from scratch as well.
Once I decided to make it a Hearse, It was time to start the display. My wife found a Halloween decoration at Michael’s that was coffin-shaped so I flipped it over and started building the scene. I took some aluminum foil and made some solid mounds and then laid an air-dry clay down. once the clay hardened it had some cracks it it so I hit the cracks with more air dry clay to fill them back in. When that was dry, I covered both the mounds in Elmer’s Glue twice to build up a nice smooth layer. Then I went to Temu and purchased some diorama grass, weeds, and gravel. I think it turned out pretty nice for my first attempt.
The engine was certainly a challenge in itself. I got a Lincoln Zephyr V12 w/ SCot blower from Iceman Collections. Since I wanted to keep it tight and snug I had to run the wiring to the plugs and glue them in place, start the belt from the bottom, glue one head on, set the other head on top, assemble the top of the engine, and then finish the belt. Shout out to Revell for the spray chrome. I built a cutout platform that the engine sits on so I could raise it into place and keep a flat bottom since the car sits so low.
Paint was easy. I laid a last heavy coat of filler primer to make sure I got it as smooth as possible. I then, sanded it down to almost a polish with some fingernail buffers. Then I ordered some Cosmic Black & 2K Clear from Tropical Glitz. Again I will say to anyone who is going to use the spray cans for them, that there is a learning curve. So practice on something first and then move to your project once you have a nice feel for it. Keep those cans moving. With that being said, I had great coverage on the black and the 2K Clear really gives a killer shine.
I tried my hand at a sheet foam interior for the first time as well, and I really like the look of it. I also designed and 3D-printed a teardrop shifter. I also chopped up a 1949 Mercury factory steering wheel by pulling in the grips and making them look like reaper scythes. For pedals, I used a gas and brake pedal from a Danbury Mint 1950 Divco that I found at a yard sale in pieces.
The final assembly was stressful since everything was so tight and precise in its placement. I did a lot of tweezer work to get it done and somehow I pulled it off. I installed the 3D Printed grill I designed, and one of the last details I decided to do were lanterns as headlights and the taillight. I also 3D printed those as well.
I wanted to pay homage to the great custom car builders of the past and I think I did that. I know Boyd isn’t really a builder but since I used the fenders from a car he bankrolled it felt right to include him as well. The others include Hines, Roth, Barris, Cushenberry, Alexander Bros, Jeffries, and Joe Bailon. I got to meet most of them and more when attending the Starbird Hall of Fame inductee celebration every year. I count myself lucky to even have existed in the same space with them. Even though every single one of them would say, “I’m just someone that builds cars.” They are and were true artists of their craft and people will remember the cars that they built for decades to come.
Body:
Ice -T center with Boyd Soothster Fenders Channeled, Sectioned, 3D designed/printed Grill and Frenched Grill Shell, Custom 3D Printed Lantern Tail-Light & Headlights
Paint:
Tropical Glitz: “Cosmic Black” over a Filler Primer, and a 2K Clear Topcoat.
Engine:
Iceman Collections: Lincoln Zephyr V12 w/ SCot blower, Iceman Collections: BorgWarner T10 Transmission
Chassis:
Smoothed Floor Pan, Custom Front Suspension, 3D Printed Rear-End, 3D Printed Drilled Disc-Brakes
Wheels:
Custom 3D Printed Smoothies
Interior:
Custom Cut and Inlaid Diamond Tucked Foam, Gas, and Brake Pedals from Danbury Mint 1950 Borden Divco Milk Truck, Custom Steering column, and a Custom Steering Wheel made from the factory steering wheel of AMT’s 1949 Mercury kit.
Glue: Testors, Gorilla Super Glue Gel,
Filler: Tamiya Putty (Basic) & Mr. White Putty
Wax: Novus #2 (Fine Scratch Remover)