Dodge Caravan Taxi & CV - Made Some Decals 12/02/2015

[Tom Geiger]

I've probably owned a dozen of the Lindberg Grand Caravan kit, all the original issue. I don't have any of the subsequent PD versions etc. I've owned a 1:1 1996 Grand Caravan with a Mark III high top as long as this kit has been available. It's Caravan number three. I owned a 1984 and a 1990, that I traded in around 85,000 miles. This one is a bit different, I've hung onto it twice as long and I currently have 180,000 on it.

So this model is a bit of an exploratory model working towards creating a model of my own 1:1 Caravan. Still, it's been on my mind as I see 1:1 Caravan taxis both in person and on TV. So this past week, I found I had the kit and the right paints, so I started on it....

 

 

And here's where we are right now. Paint by Duplicolor, masking by Tamiya tape. Man, that was a real issue, since the body was the same color as the tape. It did come out well. I do have a clear coat on it now, since the yellow came out very flat. I needed the shiny surface to accept decals, and since it's been very humid, I'll wait another day to move forward with it.

 

 

I was planning on doing the door handles in flat black, as they are on my 1:1. Then yesterday a Caravan taxi drove past me with body color door handles, so I'm taking the easy way out!

 

 

I was at Avenel Hobbies in NJ yesterday and must've run about a dozen Tamiya grays out to the 1:1 van for a comparison. I finally bought three different ones, which I test sprayed this morning and picked one for the interior. I have already shot those wheels in semi gloss and they are still too shiny. Dullcote tomorrow. As a side note, this kit has the nicest Michelin tires I've ever seen!

 

So by end of business tomorrow, I'm hoping to have this one decaled up! I am having issues with the glass. I tried using Testors smoke for glass, but it ran down the glass and bunched up at the bottom. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to do the dark glass in the back areas??

Edited December 3, 2015 by Tom Geiger

[Fabrux]

Most auto parts stores should sell VHT Nite-Shades; it is a transparent black paint normally used to "black out" tail lights on 1:1 cars...

[Eshaver]

If you have any Black and White film , uh the Black part of a complete roll, snip off the "Leader " . It may look black , but on close inspection, one can see somewhat through it . You can also use over exposed Color film too. It has a "Brown " tint to it .

[mini trucker]

You can tint your glass using black fabric dye in hot water, I use RIT brand myself. You can use the different colours to get different looks too

Edited August 12, 2013 by mini trucker

[slusher]

Cool project Tom, l built the lllinois state police van in 2001. l did not paint the plastic. A very good kit and decals. Testors window tint is not good at all. Try tamiya. l would pm Roger Hayes. He tints some his build windows.

[Tom Geiger]

^{Here's tonight's update... I got the decals on one side so far. You will no doubt recognize these from the 1937 Ford pickup kit, the Checkers Market set. Speaking with Dean Milano a while back he said when he did that sheet for Revell, he was hoping guys would use it for Taxis. So I'll have to send him some photos once I'm done. The decals themselves have been a bit difficult to work with. They'd rather stick to your finger or tools than the body. And the long checkerboard is pieced together from 3-4 pieces, and it just loves to curl up. I finally dabbed some Testors decal fixative (which is just a clear lacquer) onto them and under them in the problem areas. Seems to have done the trick. I did the phone number in Word and printed it on my Ink Jet. Just for ole time's sake, that's my old phone number from when I lived in New Jersey. I figured I'd let it dry before I attempt the other side and back. So I'll be back at it tomorrow evening, then a clear coat to seal it all in.}

^{I am already working on over complicating this model. I've reasoned that the arm rests will be easy to carve and paint. The kit has no rear wiper so it will get one since nearly every Caravan has one. And I may attempt to add the missing slider track at the bottom of the rear side windows. I already dragged out a second kit for round two on the glass, maybe try the Rit dye. Or I may create the masks to do a clear glass version.}

Edited February 1, 2014 by Tom Geiger

[Ramfins59]

Tom, that looks so cool. Do you have taxi sign for the roof, and a taxi meter for the interior..??

[Tom Geiger]

Do you have taxi sign for the roof, and a taxi meter for the interior..??

I will be making them shortly. I may also do an advertising sign for the roof rack. See how I'm making this more and more complicated as I go?

And an aside I just remembered. I believe you sent me the Checkers decals way back when we still lived in NJ and NY. I needed to sets to do a taxi. I think I was planning on doing one from the '48 Ford woody wagon. Well, I finally got to using them!

[Longbox55]

Nice job, there. But where's the caved in door half bald tires??

[hooknladderno1]

Tom,

Super job! I am sure that I have the "taxi" accessories from the '92 Chevy Caprice fire chief/taxi cab kit in storage. If you need any of those items let me know.

David

[PappyD340]

KOOL project Tom, looks NICE!!

[Tom Geiger]

Finished up the decals today. And they fought me all the way. The checker stripes just love to curl up. Just try to line up the three pieces that make up each side! I thought it was me, but the phone number ones I made myself went on without quarrel, Now I will need to clear coat to seal them in so they don't pop off and hopefully to blend in the edges. I really fear this step!

I did do some more work this evening. I made an ad teepee that will sit on the roof rack and I found a neat ad for Atlantic City Casinos since this is a New Jersey taxi. And I've painted a bunch of other small items. A short coming of this kit can be seen in the back view, The sides of the hatch are attached to the bottom edge of the tail lights in a very fragile and narrow bit. It's broke on both sides here, and on the other two kits I pulled out of my hoard. It will be okay once the tail lights are glued in place.

Two things I noticed today. The rear slider track is indeed shown at the bottom of the rear side windows. Yea! And the downside is that I noticed that the front bumper doesn't include the license plate bracket (a big plastic thingie) for the 2 plate states. So I'll have to improvise. Or next time I'll do a PA vehicle.

[slusher]

Thats looking really nice...

[tomsheehy]

Looking good Tom, this build is so "you".

[Tom Geiger]

Update- Argh! Those Revell decals that were giving me issues sticking, wrinkled up once I hit them with a little clear coat. Interestingly enough, the ones I made are just fine. So I've waited a bit for the clear to dry well and most of them have dried 'good enough' for a taxi. I sanded one off of the tail gate and we'll see what I do there. Only one of the big "Checkers" decals on the doors has become unusable, so I will need to sand that one down. I did this a few days ago so I took a few days off to cool down.

[Tom Geiger]

Instead of just a little TAXI sign, I decided to make an advertising billboard like I see on the local Dodge Caravan Taxis. It was very easy to do. I made it from some thick Evergreen sheet pieces that were in my scrap box. I used the thick stuff so that I could sand down the edges to give it that rounded, translucent blown plastic look.

I have the sign sitting on the kit roof rack that was an option on probably 90% of the Caravans. My 1:1 doesn't have one since it's an aftermarket high top, but my previous two Caravans did have it, not that I ever used it. There will be a TAXI decal on the front and rear triangle along with a yellow light on the front and red on the rear.

Here it is with a sample sign just taped to it for this photo. My printer isn't working well, so I may see if I can get it printed nicely elsewhere. I'm just planning on doing these on paper and gluing them down.

And as all roads lead to eBay, I searched "Taxi Meter" and got a bunch of them for sale. Surprise! Modern meters don't have a flag on them. This is a current vehicle electronic taxi meter photo I swiped and photo reduced to make one for my project.

So I photo reduced the meter down until it looked right. I glued it to a small piece of thick Evergreen. Once dry, I cut the piece down to the right size with my Chopper II cutter and painted the unit edges black with a Sharpie. It's mounted on a bit of straight pin projected from the dash board.

Not shown are the two tone seats. I'm still going overboard and am carving the missing seat arm rests and probably making seat belts. I've already sketched out the masks for the rear windows so it will be one of those few Caravans without the tinted glass, but the correct black surrounds on the glass.

[Eshaver]

Tom, the Rockwell mechanical meters went out I guess around 1975 or so . I used to own a cab in Houston . Mine had an electric meter just like you'res.

[Tom Geiger]

So there I was sitting at the work bench, happily plugging away on my Caravan Taxi and what happened? This little voice said, "Pssst, look at that Caravan body just sitting there doing nuthin'!" Next thing you know I was cutting apart the glass and gluing the sides into their frames. One Caravan CV Cargo Van coming up! Color is Duplicolor Spinaker Blue.

I haven't seen one done in scale, so I figured I'd see what it would look like. I already have decals drawn up, I just have to get to Staples to buy a new printer cartridge set. I'm working on the front bumper since the kit is the Grand Caravan SE top of the line bumper and the base model one has less openings in it. Third round of putty on that one.

So now I have two of them going. And you don't even know what I did to the third Caravan body I have! LOL

[b_lever1]

To bad they still don't make those we use ours an 05 for camping but not for long hope to have our old 66 A100 back on the road next summer

[crazyrichard]

cool

[Wonderbread Kustomz]

WOW!!! I love the taxi, and the other Caravan is gonna be just as good!!!!

[Tom Geiger]

In case you didn't see these, I've been working on a pair of Caravans. Top is both vehicles and the bottom photo is the CV commercial van version right after I added my home made decals.

(post edited to replace photos that Fotki is currently hiding!)

Edited November 6, 2013 by Tom Geiger

[Austin T]

Cool. I have never seen this kit built up before.

[gray07]

Cool taxi, it could be the game show cash cab, the panel is cool too, i did a trade with someone on here that started one, they painted it pink, i guess i need to get it out and finish it.

[RodneyBad]

The Taxi van and Cargo Van are looking Great.

I think it's time for a Reissue..