18 replies to this topic

[MAGNUM4342]

First off, thanks Jacen for the title!


I won this Petty Caprice by ERTL on eVilbay for .99cents. I am good with plastic but i've never messed with altering a diecast. This kit has given me a reason to try. How do I change this...


To this?


My first thought is bondo to fix the opera windows and a Monogram aeroback window for the rear. I'm just not sure how to go about the mods for the deck lid.

[cobraman]

JB Weld works pretty good for die cast mods.

[MAGNUM4342]

I've seen it around but never used it. It's like an epoxy no? Two part deal?

[Fat Brian]

Wow, that diecast is so wrong. I had an early 80s Caprice and that thing is OFF! The roof it too tall and the trunk and hood slope too much. You have your work cut out for you on this one to back date it to the seventies style two door.

[MAGNUM4342]

Crum! I see what you mean now about the roof and slopes. That's just way too much work. When I first got it I thought naybe the roof was too high, and I could probably live with the front and rear, but having never worked metal before I don't think I want to chop the roof. Bummer.

[Ace-Garageguy]

It IS epoxy, with a thickener. Bondo or two-part automotive glazing putty will also work fine on die-cast, scuffed to 180 grit.

[Fat Brian]

Here is a pic of the real car to compare. Someone made a resin caprice body, it might be easier to start with that.

[MAGNUM4342]

Here is a pic of the real car to compare. Someone made a resin caprice body, it might be easier to start with that.

But where's the bubble rear window and sloping opera windows?

Edited by MAGNUM4342, 30 September 2012 - 06:16 PM.

[MAGNUM4342]

I want to do the Petty car. Isn't this one much closer?

Edited by MAGNUM4342, 30 September 2012 - 06:17 PM.

[Fat Brian]

It is, I was posting what the diecast should look like. The Petty car and the black car you posted are the body style used from 77 to 79, the diecast and the green car are 80 to 85 models.

[MAGNUM4342]

Okay. Sorry for the confusion, but yes, the car Petty ran was a 1977.

[jeffs396]

Chop it up Kevin!

You paid hardly anything for it, that's how you'll learn on diecast. They're FUN to modify, I actually PREFER the diecast bodies in some ways to styrene

[outragis]

Here is a resin body I had a few months ago, that rear window was in the 77-79 impala's and caprice's

[MAGNUM4342]

Chop it up Kevin!

You paid hardly anything for it, that's how you'll learn on diecast. They're FUN to modify, I actually PREFER the diecast bodies in some ways to styrene

I want to...but what's holding me back is if I screw it up, odds are i'll never get another one at that price, so if I do it i'm going to leave the roof height alone. I just can't see how I can re-align the a pillars after the chop.

Eric- I'm not sure what you're trying to convey. That's a nice resin kit but as with the above green car it's not the right one.

[jahmaljasson]

how much are you charging to cast and sell one to me? I had a all black caprice landau.

[shafer]

^{i have been wanting that car i had one as a kid}

Edited by shafer, 22 January 2013 - 03:22 AM.

[Edsel-Dan]

I have the DW version. Bought it new.

As I understand it, Modelhaus actually used this die-cast as the starting point for his 4dr resin kit

 

Not sure if he has done a 2dr.

[Joe Handley]

Here is a pic of the real car to compare. Someone made a resin caprice body, it might be easier to start with that.

 

That's interesting, I've heard people comment that Landau Vinyl Tops looked like a Receding Hair Line.......would that mean that this top looks like an Advancing Hair Line

[charlie8575]

The 1977-'79 B and C-Bodies had completely different sheetmetal from the 1980-90 B-bodies.

 

A bubble-back Caprice or Impala coupe is on my personal most-wanted list, but with what's out there, we'll have to wait for a new tool or an old-school wooden buck master and a resin kit.

 

Charlie Larkin