ModelcarJR

I had a long-winded explanation of what I am doing with this one but my computer decided to disconnect to the internet. I want back and pulled it back up but there was a tag that said clear editor and I did. When I did that everything disappeared. So don't even click on "clear editor" or you will lose everything! So now you get the short explanation. I had a 74 McLaren from the MPC Hall of Fame kit. I have previously built one of these. I studied phots of the 75 McLaren and determined that the turbo was more centrally located over the transmission instead of directly back and to the left of the body with a straight exhaust pipe. The rear wing is also smaller. So I bought an AMT 1975 McLaren from e-bay for $35. What I found was that AMT took the 1974 MPC McLaren with new instructions and decals and stuffed it in an AMT box. So I am right back where I started but $40 lighter. Here are some photos, I hope:

Thanks, Jim! No the kit did not include slicks. All the parts are on the car, except the rocker trim, the horns and some side badges that are not in the instructions. Also there was a remnant interior console but no bucket seats. What you see is pretty much it! I thought about using some cheater slicks on this but didn't want to waste them on this build. Probably the last AMT Ford or maybe even the last Ford with separate inner fenders that I will build. Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks, Jim and Len! I appreciate your comments! Well, I didn't think the inner fender liners were that far off but that was all the difference. Once I had them square, I was able to move the body back just a bit, maybe 1/16" so that the wheel position looks good. Not enough room for the horns but that's OK with me. The horns are there somewhere. everything else went OK but the decals in this kit are terrible and the Ford lettering would not register. So I was able to use chrome pen on the front but not the back because they are too shallow and I am not talented enough to draw a letter with a chrome pen. I left off the side rocker chrome because I thought it looked better without it. Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks, everyone for the lively discussion! Yes, Lenny, the tires are wider on than the GT/GTA but that doesn't account for the issue with tires outside the fenders. Well, I thought I was on the way home with this one but that may have been wishful thinking! For the third time, i tried to attach the body to the frame/engine compartment/interior assembly but it wasn't to be. The first time I mounted the body too far forward and the wheel position was not good. The second time I got the wheel position just right but the front bumper/grill assembly wouldn't mount on the body correctly. I tried to "customize" the radiator support and front of the frame with my sprue cutter hoping that I could bend the grill/bumper a bit in the middle to clear the middle of the frame but that was to no avail. So the third time I was right back to where I was before with the wheel position. Part of the problem is the inner left fender liner/spring tower/kingpin that is an issue with all the Fords. Its as crooked as a backyard stick. So I have taken everything apart again. Now it will sit for awhile so I can think about how I can solve the other issues with the wheel position. Fixing the left side inner fender issue will help but I don't think it will solve the problem. I really don't want to shorten the rear springs and drive shaft and that will only solve the rear wheel problem. The front wheels are still an issue. Maybe I can move the radiator support (or what is left of it) in toward the engine so I can move the frame forward a bit more. But I'll let it sit a few days and work on something else. I normally don't do that and work on only one at a time but this one will be the exception. Thanks for looking! ☹️

Looks great, David! You really did a nice job on the paint! Hang in there! 😎👍

Thanks, Jim! I appreciate the info! I noticed that the instructions indicate that all 66 Ford Fairlane 427s were white out of the factory. Almost done with this one. I built the engine box stock, finished he chassis and installed the window glass. I wasn't able to get the steering poseable. I checked the red one again and noticed that it was the same front suspension but one of the wheel kingpins is loose on the left side and that is why it is turning. The steering linking has also broken free. So I guess I'll have to fix that. I also had to shorten the front wheelback stems on the the one I am currently working on in order to get the front wheels to sit inside of the front fender. The hood at the cowl sinks so I will have to make sure that I get the body glued down tight in front. They put a set of redline tires in this kit, I am not sure why. They look a bit too close to the wheel to me and they are hard to see with the blue but I am going to use them since I don't want to look for other tires to fit the wheels. I might turn them around since they don't really add anything, IMO. While installing the window glass I noticed that there were no mirrors in this kit. No interior mirror and no outside mirrors. I guess this model was meant only for straight line racing. So since I have no extra interior mirrors in the parts box, I stole one from another AMT kit, the Petty stock car released not too long ago. I have already built one of those and have robbed other parts from this second kit so I won't be building it anyway. But I had intended to enter this one in box stock at the annual IPMS contest in a few weeks so that out now. But mirrors are a pet peeve of mine because you can't drive a car without at least an interior mirror. But I have plenty of other possibilities, so this one is destined to be a shelf sitter. Thanks for looking! ☹️

Thanks, Jim! I appreciate your comment! Yes, the hood scoop is a separate piece and without it they would be a long trough in the hood. I think that this kit is mainly a quarter mile race car just like the box art, although there aren't any race car parts like a roll bar, etc. I haven't seen the article that you forwarded but I can't view without disabling an ad blocker which I don't want to do. Thanks though! Here are some photos of the interior. The speedo decal included in the kit has no registration of the numbers so it looks like a black decal. I didn't use it I just painted that the panel black and trimmed the outline with chrome pen and added a chrome piece of trim on the bottom of the dash. The chrome trim on the doors is probably too thick but its what looked good to me. I also added wood trim as it was engraved that way on the door but I left off the chrome trim around the wood as I thought it looked too busy once I got one door done. So I removed it. I re-painted the floor black as the blue I had on it clashed with the blue on the seats, doors and dash. I didn't add any chrome trim on the seat because its not molded on the seat. Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks, All! I appreciate your comments! Jim, I didn't see your question until just now. Len, thanks for bailing me out! I am not spending a lot of time with this one as it is not as detailed as the GT/GTA kit. That kit, that I build years ago, had bucket seats, console, nice wheels, rear quarter windows, poseable steering, etc. I realize that this one is a different model and style. But it still would be nice to have bucket seats and nice wheels. I don't have the right bucket seats in the parts box and no sense looking for an alternate set of wheels. I'll just built this one quickly and move on. Here's a photo of the one built years ago. Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks, Mike, Bob, and Graham! I appreciate your comment! 😎 Rubbed out the body today and foiled it. The Ford lettering on the hood and trunk are too shallow to foil either before paint or after. I'll have to use the kit decals on the trunk and hood. There's rocker chrome also included in the kit. I'll be working on the interior tomorrow. Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks again, everyone! 😎

Its pretty easy, Mike! Make sure the foil is cut so it covers the letters and toothpick it down good. When the topcoat is dry after about 1/2 hour, use a small Tamiya cotton swab dipped in lacquer thinner (not too wet, wipe it a bit so that lacquer doesn't run) then rub it across the letters only, very carefully. Use more than 1 cotton swab, if necessary. It is much easier than foiling the letters after and then tediously cutting out each letter. That takes awhile. And using a chrome pen will probably clog the letters or run the chrome on more than the letters. Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that you have to re-paint over the letters and try again. Or not!

Picked this one up last week at HL. I've built the GT/GTA years ago. It was more detailed and had a 390 in it I believe. This one is pretty simple, bench seat, steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps. I've painted the body Dupli-Color Bahama Blue Metallic. I foiled the Fairlane lettering before the finish coat of paint and then revealed the BMF lettering with some lacquer thinner. So that's done. I painted all the other parts today so this one is ready for assembly. I had a partial can of Tamiya light blue metallic so I used it on the interior hoping for a little different shade of blue. Actually, it is very similar to the Dupli-Color. I just used some Dullcote on the seats and painted the carpet dark blue. I'm out of pre-wired distributors and I guess they are backlogged. So this will be a simple box stock build. Not too many parts anyway and its looks like a simple assembly. I'll rub it out and foil it tomorrow. Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks for the comments, everyone! 😎

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate your comments! 😎

Very nice! Nice, clean mild custom! I like it! 😎👍

Looks good, David! Nice paint and foil! 👍😎

Looks great, Mario! And your background really suits the subject! Nice work! 👍😎

Thanks, Jeff, Mario, and Graham! I appreciate your comments! I just realized that I should have posted this in trucks. I hope nobody minds! Thanks for looking! 😎

Inspired by the article in the latest Model Car Magazine by Cliff Read I started this buggy. The frame, fender unit sans fenders, suspensions, radiator and shell and pickup box are from the Monogram 29 pickup truck. The body bucket and seat are from the Revell 29 pickup and the all chrome engine and tires are from the Lindberg 34 pickup truck. The headlights are from the AMT 25 T and the taillights are from the Revell 32 five-window coupe. Everything else is from the parts box or scratched. The paint is Dupli-Color Dark Toreador Metallic and Krylon Matte Sand Dollar. Thanks for looking! 😎

I forgot to post the last update so now I've posted it and have another. Painted the box and added some decals to the bed and detail painting to the chains. I've added wheels and tires. the tires are from the the Lindberg 34 Pickup - at least they were in the box so I assume that's where they are from. The wheels and wheelbacks are from the parts box and the whitewalls are from the Revell 37 Ford pickup. There is a black border around the rim before the whitewall begins but I like that although it is a bit different from the standard wide white. I also added tailpipes from the Monogram 29 pick-up kit and the radiator and shell as well. I added an aftermarket top radiator hose. All that is left are the headlights, taillights, radiator supports, and mirrors. I have the headlights figured out and the radiator supports will come from plastic rod that I will cut to fit. Still have to find some taillights. Then this Parts Box Buggy will be done! Thanks for looking! 😎

Thanks, Bob and Jeremy! I appreciate your comments! I assembled the simple chassis suspensions, installed the engine, found a steering wheel, instrument cluster and decals, and a shifter in the parts box. I made a steering column from 1/8" tube and found a steering box with shaft to fit in the steering column tube. I've glued the body down on the frame rails but then found that the box I intended to use wasn't wide enough. So I went to the box that came with the Monogram kit, same as the frame and fender unit, and it fit so I cut about 1/2" out of the length. I also cut out the end of the box and glued it back on the box so that the tailgate will fit nicely. I'll paint the box tomorrow as I have run out of daylight today! I still need to find wheels, headlights and taillights. Not sure where I'll put the taillights; might have to settle for 1 taillight attached to a license plate frame. Thanks for looking! 😎

Inspired by the recent article in Model Car Magazine by Cliff Read, I decided to try my luck using some kits that I have and some spare parts. I am using some parts from a Monogram 29 Ford pickup, Revell 29 Ford Pickup and Lindberg 34 Ford Pickup. I started with the frame and fender unit from the Monogram kit that was basically spare parts but I have all the suspension pieces for it and I don't know what I did with the rest. The all chrome engine is from the 34 Ford pickup as an alternate engine. I've seen some nice all chrome engines but this is not one of them. But I am going to use it anyway with all these other parts to try to put something together. I can still build a 34 stake bed truck with the Lindberg kit so I will only use the alternate engine. I'm not sure where the body and truck bed came from but I think they came from the Revell kit or at least were in that box. So putting all this together will be a bit of a challenge. I don't have the tools or talent to actually manufacture leaf springs from sheet aluminum or shaped frame rails from sheet styrene so everything is from one of these kits or the parts box. I started with the fender unit and frame and built from there. I removed the fenders from the fender unit which wasn't easy. I broke one side in three places, but was able to glue everything back together and sand it out. The body has opening doors from kit hinges which also were very finnicky but I managed to get them together so that they work. The three carb setup on the engine didn't fit the manifold so I reduced the carbs to two, painted a few parts on the engine and slapped it together. I painted all the body parts with Dupli-Color Dark Toreador Metallic, one of my favorite colors. I still have to find some wheels and tires. I wasn't sure this was all going to work so I haven't posted photos. Here's the progression so far:

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate your comments! 😎

Thanks again, Everyone! I appreciate your comments! 😎

Thanks, Everyone! I appreciate your comments!