51 replies to this topic

[mrmike]

Yesterday, I went to drill out the distributor cap for plug wires and since I wasn't exactly centered, I destroyed the cap. I cut off the cap and dug through my parts box and found a small distributor and using a lot more care, drilled through the cap and then mounted it to the distributor base.

I then drilled the holes into the engine block for the plug wires. Before I add the wires, I'll paint the block with a new coat of Ford Engine Blue.


More to come.....

Edited by mrmike, 22 September 2010 - 01:59 AM.

[mrmike]

More progress! I gave my Dremel something to do by cutting off the axle mounting bosses. A very happy Dremel complied!

Then I painted the spokes with Aluminium Metalizer.

The motor got a new coat of Ford Engine Blue lacquer.


More to come.....

[charlie8575]

Those are nice looking wheels, Mike. This will be a nice-looking build all said and done.

Charlie Larkin

[mrmike]

Thanks Charlie! I am now starting to notice things about this Mustang that I didn't notice before. The hood is from a '68 Mustang and the hood from the Revell kit is too long and I'm not about to try to modifiy the Revell hood to fit. For now, I'll just keep going with this one.

[Rick R]

Hey, Mike, just curious about your build of the '65-'66 Spenser Mustangs...

In the series, the pilot episode showed the car in a great stance, top of the wheel wells at the top of the tires much like the Mustangs sat when hew. In the series, the cars were raised to contend with Boston's tank-trap atreets and potholes. Years ago when I built my first model of the car I had it sitting nice and low... what 'set' did you use for yours? I'm planning another one, deciding which I should use.

Old notes...

Back when the show started in '86 I built one with the cheap black-center round-hole modular wheels used the rims from the old MPC stock car kits, looked good! Which kit did you source your Keystones from? I like the ones in the old-tool AMT '57 Chevy.

Ever wonder why the series used that Mustang? When I talked to Urich's S2&3 stuntman Mike Runyard years ago he said it was Urich's call, he wanted it because he had a first-gen Mustang when he was in college...

Also, the Mustang GT used for a few eps in S2 was the same car used for Ford's brochure photos for the Mustang GT for that model year. Brochure pics that year were taken in an assortmrnt of cities, Boston for the Mustang GT, and when the shoot was done Ford gave the car to the production company. Apparently there were a lot of complaints from viewers who hated that the '66 was destroyed, (I only wrote once...)part of the reason for the 'new' '66 after a couple of months, but the switch was always planned...

Use of the new car gave the new GT a good early 'hero image' with the public and the production company used the time to refinish their original cars. The presentation of the car to the show was covered in USA Today's entertainmant section.

Ford took the GT back and it was totalled (t-boned a Thunderbird or a CV IIRC) in a driver training film that ran on ABC later in '87, hosted by... Robert Urich, then it was crushed.

Edited by Rick R, 23 September 2010 - 08:14 AM.

[mrmike]

the Fast&Furious Mustang kit has the twin scooped hood if you want to try and turn one of those up. most people dismissed that kit because they didn't care for the movie or the kit's goofy box art but the stock GT is still in the box and with the hood that everyone wished AMT had included in the first place.



Dave

Dave, I just looked around eBay, Model Empire and Express, and a few others in between and I found nothing. I found plenty of the Eclipses, but no Mustangs and not even the Monte Carlo! My LHS is having their 30% off Sale on Saturday and I'll look there.

Rick, since my Spenser's '66 Mustang was the 3rd season version, it sat "high" which was just as well as I used the Keystone wheel and tire set from MRC which placed the tires right at the edge of the fender. For some reason, I happen to like the high riding Mustang that was depicted during that time and it also had a "gasser" look to it. I wanted to do the first season version years ago, but I wasn't able to find the right wheels for the project and it sat for almost 6 months until I happened upon the MRC wheel and tire set at my LHS. Here's a large pic of Spenser's '66 Mustang.

[mrmike]

I got the body of Spenser's '67 Mustang painted with two coats of Tamiya TS-11 Maroon and it looks really close to what I want. I'm even comtemplating whether or not to even polish it.


The distributor has been wired, but I won't install it until I get a new set of smooth valve covers.

I have held off on the hood until I can find the GT hood from the Fast & Furious Mustang kit. If I can't find one, I'll use the one that I have now.

More to come.....

[mrmike]

I couldn't find the F & F Mustang anywhere so I'm forging ahead with the flat hood and I have a set of smooth valve covers coming from Eric Stone.
I finished paintin' and polishin' the body today.

I decided to strip the paint from the chassis and start over from scratch.



More to come.....

[davyou5]

Hey there, from what I have seen so far, your doing great! Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see it when its all finished .

[Clay]

Well mrmike you are doing that old build justice. Keep it up!!

Edited by Clay, 26 September 2010 - 10:15 AM.

[mrmike]

Thanks David and Clay!

Well mrmike you are doing that old build justice. Kelp it up!!

Kelp it up???

[Clay]

Sorry my iPod auto corrects

[mrmike]

No problem Clay!

I have started chassis assembly. The exhaust, rear suspension, transmission mount, and chassis have been cleaned, repaired, reassembled, and repainted.


More to come.....

[horsepower]

Being a fan of Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels and the Spenser For Hire TV series, I am starting another Spenser project. Spenser's '67 Mustang GT as shown in the TV movie Spenser: A Savage Place. In the movie, Spenser is told by an old girlfriend that he is still driving the same old car, to which he replies, "Same car, new paint job." As a fan of the series, I immediately noticed that this is not the same car. The series ended almost 10 years previously and this movie was filmed in Toronto, Canada and the original Mustang was reportly stolen according to Robert Urich's website prior to his passing. This car was sourced from Canada by the movie production company. A picture of Spenser's '67 Mustang GT.

I am using an old built up model for this project and this morning I blew apart the model for reconstruction.

The motor will be refreshed and wired.

I need a set of wire wheels for this project and all I have seen are the low rider style with deep offset. I found these wheels in the '66 Merc Park Lane kit and look close enough for what i need.

just a quick question, what was the original paint you used on the 'Stang?

[horsepower]

No problem Clay!

I have started chassis assembly. The exhaust, rear suspension, transmission mount, and chassis have been cleaned, repaired, reassembled, and repainted.


More to come.....

I know it's kinda nit picky, but the Mustangs didn't use a sub frame, they were uni-body cars, & the Fords were painted with the bocy color underhood, along with the front rails & the paint was allowed to over spray from the firewall into the tunnel area, Most of the Mustangs I worked on have had the chassis painted with a primer-sealer that was a little browner than red oxide primer.

[mrmike]

Thanks for the info, Del! Not knowing exactly what the floor pan was left me to my own devices and the kit instructions. I chose to paint it with the red primer and it was redder than I had expected. And, the original color of the model was Testors British Green Metallic.

More progress on Spenser's Mustang. The front suspension is on. The disc brakes are in the purple pond and the rear drums are mounted on the rear axle.

The wheels and tires are ready to be mounted.

The interior floor has been painted flat black and is ready to be flocked.


More to come.....

[mrmike]

Some progress to show. The chassis is up on 4 wheels.

Motor assembly has resumed with the addition of the smooth valve covers, ciol, and the distributor.

Foiling has begun.


More to come.....

[charlie8575]

The chassis plate isn't warped, the engine looks good, and that gloss!

Very nice, Mike.

Charlie Larkin

[Eric Stone]

Got your PM. Glad the valve covers made it there in good shape. The engine is looking good so far.

[mrmike]

Thanks Charlie and Eric!

More progress! The foiling is done and I have begun installing windows and chrome. I had no molding on the fenders to follow with the foil, so I cut a straight piece of foil and carefully placed it along the edge of the fender and I must say that it came out pretty good! No trimming necessary!


The interior has had additional detailing added since I had very little when I first built this kit oh so many years ago.


More to come.....