3 replies to this topic

[FIREMODELMAN]

in my own feable way, i began a project the other day to make a '73 DODGE POLARA..as all of you know, this car was never in kit form.. so with the aid of a fellow modeler in FRANCE, i have begun my terror on yet another kit...

THE KIT'S, i am using an AMT JOKER / GOON DODGE MONACO, plus pieces from an AMT '70 IMPLALA...(yes i said impala )...

THE OBJECTIVE, to back date the monaco, modifying a few body parts, like to flatten the hood, make a new grill, re-shape the rear window, lengthen the body, just to name a few.. i will be cutting up the front grill from the IMPALA kit, to achive the headlights and bumper for the POLARA...

THE PROGRESS, so far i have had to cut the entire car in half, add a 1/4 inch to it's width, and glue it back together.. that part was not to hard.. my next step was to start on the headlamps and grill..this has had one layer of bondo applied over some basic styrene shapes, i'll let this dry very well, then start sanding, re-bondo ETC ETC ETC.. until i'm happy with my results.. the hood is also ready for some bondo, to flatten it out, once i have a nice flat hood, i can add the center peak with some styrene, and sand into shape...once all that is done, i'll move on to the other area's of the car...

this will be a mid to long term project, that i may work on for 6 months.. but with time, lots of bondo and sandpaper, i hope to make this car reality..

here is a pic, and i have a few more in my fotki album...PLEASE REMEMBER, this is in it's primal stages, so lots of work yet to do....

[MrObsessive]

Wow! Now that's an ambitious project! 8)............And you're singin' my tune because I had to do the same thing to a '55 Ford project I was working on in the past.

One word of advice though when sectioning bodies like that....................you may want to reinforce the underside of the body with more plastic where you cut it. This will prevent any "shifting" of the bodywork especially as you do more work to the body.

It also may be a good idea to grind a slight "trench" in each of the sections you have joined, primer, and then fill those with putty and sand. This will prevent any ghosting that always seems to show up right when you put on those color coats.

But what am I saying.................you seem as though you have some good experience at this!! :wink:

Keep us posted!

[FIREMODELMAN]

thanks for the comments mrobsessive, the first thing i did after i cut the car in half was add piece's of .040 styrene on the inside of the car, crossway's, the layed a piece of .020 across the top (what you see in the pics), so it's below the original surface of the kit, and i'm thinking the bondo fill in will sand nice and flush...

[FIREMODELMAN]

i dont know if your supposed to reply to your own thread or not< but here goes.. i've got a few updates to post today.. i've been working on getting the front fenders the correct shape, and i'm getting real close.. the hood is coming into shape as well, i still need to add the center crease, but it's coming....the rear portion of the car has began to get some putty as well, i will rough in the drivers side, and most of the deck lid, then work on getting it 'right', BEFORE i do the other side, i feel this way i can gage the 'look' better if i focus on one side at a time??? we'll see... anyway, i've added somw newer pics into my fotki link, so check 'em out.. thanks for looking, dave.