History

The Model T was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927 and regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile having sold over 15 million. The iconic name for the Model T, “Tin Lizzy,” originates from a 1922 race where the driver had affectionately named his Model T, “Old Liz”, and the spectators renamed it to Tin Lizzy due to its tin can appearance. It came equipped with a 2.9L 4-cylinder in-line 20 hp engine having a top speed of 42 mph. Henry Ford often said “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black”.

ICM’s Doctor’s Coupe 1918 Model T, kit # 35830, represents an all-new tooling release for 2026, featuring newly designed parts specific to this civilian variant of the famous Ford Model T with the exception of Sprue B which is carried over from ICM’s earlier 2016 release, kit No. 35661 Model T 1917 Ambulance.

Box and Contents

Measuring 12 inches x 9 inches x 1-1/2 inches, the box features a vibrant image of the model on a dirt road in a rural setting. The contents include three grey sprues, one clear sprue and small decal sheet All sprues are packaged in a single large cellophane bag. Upon opening, I found no issues with ICM’s packaging approach. There are a total of 98 parts included in this kit. The sprues include:

• Sprue A (35830)
• Sprue B (35661) Model T 1917 Ambulance WWI American Car from 2016.
• Sprue C (35830)
• Sprue D (35830)

There is an eight-page portrait-style instruction booklet covering the 53 assembly steps with color callouts for ICM paints. ICM includes on the parts page those items in red which will not be used. An ICM Acrylic Water-Based Paints 4-page reference booklet is included.

I would recommend watching ICM’s YouTube video featuring an excellent build of the kit #35830. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11qbedxef8

Construction

Steps 1-14

Step 1 begins with the construction of the front axle assembly and the attachment of the inner radiator section, Part B31, which is then secured to the vehicle frame once the assembly has dried. I found it interesting that the instructions in Step 3 call for the lower engine half (Part C4) to be installed first onto the frame, with the remainder of the engine assembled onto it afterward. Since I wanted to paint the engine separately before installation, I chose to attach Part C4 directly to the engine assembly rather than installing it in its designated location at that stage. Then I painted the engine with Kaleido acrylic gloss black primer. Afterwards details were painted such as the fan belt, manifold, and radiator hoses with ICM 1023 Aluminum, Vallejo 70.865 Oily Steel, and for the fan belt I chose to replicate a leather look using Vallejo 70.818 Red Leather. Since the kit features a two-piece hood, Parts A6 and A7 could be modified by adding hinges, allowing the hood panels to open and display the engine detail. I opted to hold off on installing the engine until the car had been primed and painted, checking the subsequent steps to make sure this would be feasible.

Steps 15 through 26

This involves installing the wheels and tires, the two-piece license plate holder, the firewall and coil box assembly to the inner side of the firewall using Parts B18 and B19, and the rear body assembly, parts A13, a14 and A16. Also added during these steps are the clutch, brake, reverse pedals, and emergency break lever with the sequence concluding in Steps 25 and 26 with the installation of the inner door frame section, Part C9, to the right-side body panel.

After researching the appearance of early Model T tires, I chose to delay installing the wheels until the body had been primed and painted. Another noteworthy detail is that ICM molded the valve stems directly onto the wheels, adding an excellent level of realism and appearance to the finished model. One issue I noted is that ICM designed the wheels to be glued directly to the axle, eliminating any possibility of wheel movement. A better alternative might have been to include a spacer or similar option to allow the wheels to rotate. While experienced builders could certainly modify this themselves, having the option included in the kit would have been a welcome addition.

Although ICM’s paint guide recommends ICM 1001 White for the tires, many period references show them in a darker rubber shade. Additional research revealed that early automotive tires could range from off-white and cream to light gray, as the rubber compounds of the era often contained little or no carbon black. To recreate this effect, I used Ammo Mig’s RAL 9001 Cremeweiss Ivory. Before painting the tires, I primed the wheels with Kaleido Acrylic Black Gloss Primer, which provided an excellent match for ICM 1002 Black. In Step 26, Part C9 contains a molding knockout mark in the upper corner that will need to be filled before assembly.

Steps 27-36

These focus on constructing the car’s tub assembly by attaching the inner door panels and grab bars to the body sides, parts C9 and C10. This is followed by installation of the dashboard to the firewall assembly, which is then secured to the tub. Although the instructions call for the glass to be installed at this stage, I chose to wait until after the tub had been painted before adding the clear parts. The fitting and detail throughout the kit were excellent. With additional scratch-building work, the doors could also be modified to function in an operational manner. In Step 36, the instructions direct the modeler to attach the completed tub assembly to the frame.

Steps 37-48

These involve installation of the three-piece seat assembly, along with the steering column and its spark and throttle control levers. In Steps 41 and 42, the lifting handles are attached to the two-piece hood. In this area, ICM provides the modeler with the option of assembling the hood in the closed position or modifying it with scratch-built hinges so the hood panels can be displayed open. Here again, ICM accommodates alternate configurations by providing Parts C17 and C18 for the side windows, which are installed prior to adding the glass should the modeler choose a different variant. Additionally, the three coach lamps are constructed, two for the front and one for the rear in steps 47 and 48.

I did notice that ICM does not include a hand crank for the engine, despite the fact that many 1918 Model Ts still utilized one, even as electric starting systems began appearing on later production vehicles in 1919.

Steps 49-53

Moving on to the final stages of the build, the instructions call for the completion of the assembly with the addition of the door handles, coach lamps, and front license plate holder.

Painting

The famous quote attributed to Henry Ford was: “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.”

Paint references are given in ICM colors and require cross-referencing for other brands. As I had a few ICM paints, I chose to use them before other brands. The first step was priming all of the parts. For the frame, body, and roof, I used Kaleido Acrylic Gloss Black Primer KP104, while the wheels and tires were primed with Kaleido Acrylic Grey Primer KP102. Since the paint guide called for white tires, I applied two thin coats of Vallejo Model Air 71.001 White. The wheel spokes and metal wheel rims were then hand painted using the Kaleido Black Primer, which provided a close match to ICM 1002 Black. In step 47 after the vehicle was painted I used Molototow Liquid Chrome Pen to paint the inside of the headlights before the clear glass was installed. For the rear taillight, I used Vallejo Model Color Transparent Red 70.934 to the inside of the light.

Decals

ICM’s decals are top-notch, offering crisp print detail and a thin, flexible film that conforms effortlessly to surface textures. When applied with Micro Set and Micro Sol, they settle in smoothly and adhere cleanly, resulting in a hassle-free finishing process with no visible silvering.

References Used

• https://archive.org/details/1919_Ford_Model-T_Manual/page/n9/mode/2up
• https://blog.ansi.org/ansi/why-car-tires-black-not-white-color-rubber/

Conclusion

ICM’s 35830 Doctor’s Coupe is an impressive kit featuring excellent detail, clean molding, and little flash. The parts fit well overall, while details such as the molded-on valve stems add realism to the finished model. One minor drawback is the wheel mounting design, which requires the wheels to be glued directly to the axles, preventing movement. An optional spacer system would have been a welcome addition. Overall, this kit offers modelers a unique and historically appealing subject that would look excellent either as a standalone display or as part of a period diorama.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to ICM and the IPMS/USA for allowing me to review this kit.