Maindrian Pace Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 (edited) After a few years of auction watching, I gathered up all three Lindberg 1/32 '70s Fords; the Granada, Monarch, and Thunderbird. I Started with the Granada, the other two will be coming later. It didn't make any sense to do a build thread on a kit with 25 parts, so here's the last page of the story. These Lindberg '70s American car kits are all nice little units, well proportioned and reasonably accurate bodies with minimalist interiors and little else. But it's rare to see one built and detailed, they mainly go into the collector stashes. The Granada started as a box of light yellow plastic with a light tan interior insert. The interior had no side panels, so you would see the inside of the body looking through the windows. I made the side panels - no detail, just to carry the interior color to the sides. Wheels were swapped for the Magnum 500s from the Monogram '69 Charger kit, (optional on Granadas in the day) and those whitewall decals are the very first set made in 1:32 scale by Vinyl Nation. Darrell didn't offer them, so I asked if he could make them, he said "Sure", I gave him the specs, and there you are. Great product he offers. Paint is Model Master Italian red base/clear lacquer rubbed with a polishing kit and Treatment wax, roof is Classic white without the clear, interior is white primer, carpets brush painted red, and the whole assembly semi-gloss cleared. The white rub strips in the middle of the side trim are self-adhesive model airplane Monocote cut into strips with a straight edge. You really haven't lived until you've BMF'ed a 1/32 car with a lot of trim, at least the Monarch will go faster. -MJS Edited November 3, 2013 by Maindrian Pace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Minarick Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Very cool , I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Looks great ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Neat little model . Brings back a few memories . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Thats sharp. l never knew they made this kit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBcritter Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 What a nice job! I've never had the Granada kit; it really captured the car's lines better than I expected. I built one of the Grand Am kits but it was an SPFX miniature for a friend's Godzilla movie, so it was short-lived... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Very NICE build Mike, brings back memories for me too, I owned two 77 Granadas one was white the other was dove gray. Yours looks great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom99 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Great looking model, I'm looking forward to seeing the other two when you get them built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cortinanut Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Great to see such a modest kit brought up to such a standard. Fantastic work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbowser Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Really nice work, especially considering it's 1/32! I remember there being a LOT of these on the road back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Beautifully done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 WOW!!! Cool work! I remember those kits....never picked them up...other than the 77 T-Bird. Call me odd but I'd buy that kit or a cloned 1/25 version today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris White Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I really enjoyed seeing a showroom Granada again. I don't think they looked that good when they where new. Thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Mike , that is one spectacular 1976 Granada !! The 'Magnum 500' wheels look spot-on . I've wanted one of the Monarch kits since they were new !! In spring , 1976 , my parents bought a new 1976 Monarch 2 door ( Ghia 'package' , 351W two barrel , A/C , etc. , etc. ) . It was silver metallic with a silver 1/4 vinyl top , and 'cranberry' red bucket / console interior . The dealership had those Lindberg Monarch kits available through thier parts department ( almost 40 years later , and I can still see that display behind the parts counter !!). I wanted one in the worse way . My pleas and beggings went unrequited ( ). Now , it's on the "the 'bay" , in search of one of these 32nd scale Monarchs ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Remember when Ford ran ads comparing a Granada to a Mercedes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maindrian Pace Posted August 25, 2013 Author Share Posted August 25, 2013 (edited) Thanks everyone, this was a fun stress-reliever between bigger builds. Mike , that is one spectacular 1976 Granada !! The 'Magnum 500' wheels look spot-on . I've wanted one of the Monarch kits since they were new !! In spring , 1976 , my parents bought a new 1976 Monarch 2 door ( Ghia 'package' , 351W two barrel , A/C , etc. , etc. ) . It was silver metallic with a silver 1/4 vinyl top , and 'cranberry' red bucket / console interior . The dealership had those Lindberg Monarch kits available through thier parts department ( almost 40 years later , and I can still see that display behind the parts counter !!). I wanted one in the worse way . My pleas and beggings went unrequited ( ). Now , it's on the "the 'bay" , in search of one of these 32nd scale Monarchs ! John, Funny you should mention the 1/4 top, both the Granada and the Monarch come with full tops (and some pretty deep sink marks in the front fenders): I wanted to differentiate the Monarch, so I added trim and sanded the vinyl off of the front of the roof to make the 1/2 top: And believe it or not, I was planning silver with maroon interior and top. The Monarch will take longer, because it isn't exactly accurate. Monarchs used different fiberglass front header panels, headlights, taillights, grilles, and marker lights. Lindberg just changed the scripts and rear trim panel, tooled up a new grille, and called it a day. It comes with the incorrect Granada headlights, and since they retained the Granada header panel, the grille was made to fit the hole, and is too narrow. So some plasticology will have to take place there. -Mike Edited November 3, 2013 by Maindrian Pace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Very nice, would like to get these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realgone58 Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Wow, you really made this kit look fantastic! Can't wait to see the Monarch! Oh how I wish these were 1/25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMO Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Thanks for posting this. I owned an '80 Granada ESS two-door coupe. It was one of the last of the original body-style Granadas. It was Silver-Gray Metallic with a matching Vinyl landau top. It had the basket weave 15" wheels a Burgundy interior. In my opinion it was one of the best looking cars that I ever owned. I kept it for 5 years and traded it in on an '86 Ford Mustang 5.0 ragtop(mid-life crisis upon turning 40). Well done on your build. Adios, Larry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porscheman Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Beautiful build!!! I remember these but never built one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I always thought the Thunderbird was the worst of the 3 but I did not know the Mercury had the incorrect front end!! Great work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blunc Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Nice work, nice to see those wheels worked out so well. Can't wait to see the other two done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Smith Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Very nice model. I like 1/32 scale kits - different subjects and they don't take up much space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S. Svendsen Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) Neat. I had one of those Monarchs when I was a kid. In fact I had pretty much all those 1/32 Lindbergs. Then I sold them all because I wanted all my models in the same (1/25th) scale. Yours is the nicest one I've every seen built. Edited August 26, 2013 by S. Svendsen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehansen Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Excellent, fun memory lane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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