Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Custom / Concept '09 Challenger SportWagon: Back on the bench, Feb.28


Ace-Garageguy

Recommended Posts

I am truly in awe of Your concept and design on this build

The body lines are very visually pleasing in the form and flow

and I like that You also kept the rear quarter window in

I am glad Your able to get back into the project looking forward to more

Thank You for sharing it with Us here

later

Russ

;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

One of the toughest parts has been getting the lines scribed back in the new roof. Several fillers I've tried wouldn't hold the sharp detail. I ended up using West Epoxy 105, and microballoon to get it.

AUG12014Caddy_Challenger_50olds075_zps78

I made filler / stiffeners for the sides of the Magnum pillars, to close up the back glass and reinforce the joints at the decklid...

AUG12014Caddy_Challenger_50olds073_zpsd5

...and another stiffener for the pillar joints underneath.

AUG12014Caddy_Challenger_50olds071_zps4f

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the encouragement. The scribing on the roof was very frustrating, as I'd get it looking nice and sharp, and it would flake off just when I thought I had it beat. Having to sand the whole mess off and start fresh with some other filler made me tend to put the model away for a while, between attempts.

None of the one-part putties would hold the sharp detail and stay stuck to the body, nor would any of the 2-part polyesters. Once it crumbled or flaked, there wasn't any point putting more on and trying again. It became obvious each material I tried had limitations, so it just had to be removed and filled with something tougher until I found something that worked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hold up now (it's always something) is deciding if the "reachover" (the height of whatever obstructs the rear load floor) needs to be improved. I know, nobody is ever really going to load little engines or surfboards or groceries into a model, but I like to get things so they COULD work in real-life.

 

Cutting down through the taillight casting and housing, and making the center part of the light assembly raise up with the deck is the obvious solution, but the saw-cut will go right through the centers of the little molded-in "bulbs" in the reflective housing, and will miss the scribed-in lines on the lens casting itself.

 

It's always something.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill, I know it's too late, since you've got the lines cut in the roof already, but give this stuff a shot next time!

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28553&st=0&p=274698

Scroll down to reply #11 to see how well panel lines come out with this stuff!

Edited by Custom Mike
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Getting the roof panel-lines scribed wasn't working as cleanly as I would have liked, and I shelved the model until I could work it out to suit my need for quality. I eventually found just the right mix of epoxy and Cab-o-Sil that would take sharp lines without flaking on the edges.

Then I had to find a better method for getting the lines on the left to match exactly the lines on the right. Few things spoil a model quicker (in my opinion) than poorly scribed panel lines, and since these were on the top of the car, very obvious, they had to be right.

I laid out the edges of the new lines with a piece of stiff aluminum tape, well burnished down.

The new photo-etched razor-saw blades I got a few weeks back made the perfect scribing tool, keeping the lines straight and true. She's ready for primer on the roof at this point.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very cool concept. Im glad on the other hand that they didnt make these in 1:1. We have a 2014 challenger and seeing yours, I could only imaging the blind spot on this car (the Challenger has a terrible blind spot on it, sucks when backing out of parking places). I love the car on everything else.

 

Keep up the great work....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...