whale392

I mean as far as taking a portion of the Ram Air hood from the 98-2002 kits and using it to get the basic shape of the Ram Air hood (like you have on your 1:1). By using the nostrils and styrene, you might be able to make the 98-02 look like the 93-97 unit.

Engine looks good sitting down in the bay. You asked for some pics of my T-Coupe; I hope you don't mind me posting a few here. Rough idea of wheel choice and stance. Wheel centers will be a darker Gray or Bronze color Had to shorten the hood and front fenders as they are too long. Makings of the Volvo B234F DOHC conversion (just like my 1:1 GT Turbo Mustang is getting) The front lower belt guide plate for the 2.3T (usually hidden by the Black plastic guard).

Mortal enemies it is then, Rick! I have a few rust-free spoilerless hatches at the house, and I was thinking of going that route should i find a clean 79-80 Hatch. Run it hatchless, with the 79-82 Forward-facing hood scoop and dropped down low!

You mean parts from Revells new Coupe? If so, different scales. The 'Bird is 1/24th and the Coupe is 1/25th. May not sound like much, but believe me it is (I have already had the two side-by-side and there is a LOT of difference). I think a Cop TurboCoupe would be cool! Since I am at work and the computer doesn't allow photobucket, I will have to get you pics of my TurboCoupe (non)progress when/if I get home!

I always liked the 83-86 and 87-88 Thunderbirds, especially the TurboCoupes. An underappreciated car for the time (same with the SVO Mustang). I need to get my TurboCoupe kit back out and work on it. Seeing you get yours done makes me think about working on mine (it has only been 4 years started now!)

I can tell you that with just a bit of shaving to the trans tunnel and a bit of work to the trans crossmember, the Revell 99 Cobra engine will fit, and the blower from the Super Stallion will fit down onto the 99 Cobra engine (as the Super Stallion kit engine is a 5.0L Pushrod block they adapted 4.6 heads to). I got my case of kits Friday, so you should be getting yours soon (as you are in the same region of the country I am).

I like your 1:1. Have you thought about trying to adapt the 98-02 WS6 Ram Air hood back to your early 4th-gen (I mean in scale, this time!)

This is looking very nice, Erik. Attention-to-detail painting is paying off on the chassis, engine, and interior. I am liking it so far, and look forward to seeing more. On a side note, I got my case of these Friday, and will be cutting into one this week to see if I can correct some of the body issues (ok, if I can ever get my butt home, as i am on another company road-trip at the moment).

It's getting there, Andre. You'll be done with this before you know it, and wanting to build another one!

Mike, The greenhouse is about 2" out of scale (too low) when measured up against a 1:1. It is a combination of pretty much everything above the dew wipe trim being out of whack. And before anybody else says it, yes, it is also a mess below it too (as I am using the styling line (body breakover) as my reference for scale measurements of the body type). As you can see though, the rest of the kit is quite nice and goes together well. Eric: the chassis plate (and trans tunnel) would be primed in Gray, with body colored overspray extending (in various intensities) almost all the way to the trans tunnel (and in some cases, such as between the rear wheel wells, into the trans tunnel). The transmission crossmember will be Natural Steel or Semi-Gloss Black. Gas tank is a black Plastic cover with the straps in Aluminized Steel. some cars, depending on region of the country, also could have had undercoating applied (my 84 GT Turbo is that way........too bad it still didn't help much in Ohio winters!) That would be a semi-gloss Rubber Black (I will post a reference pic down in the LX Reference pic section). The K-member will be Gray primer with a heavy overspray of body color on the top and sides with light bits of overspray on the lower portion. A-arms will be Semi-Gloss or Gloss Black. Spindles will be natural Iron in color, with the disc backing plates Gloss Black. Calipers will be either a dark Gray or natural metal. Struts are Gloss Black. Steering rack is an aluminum body with Rubber Black boots, inner tie-rods in Steel, outer tie-rods in either Semi-Gloss Black or natural metal, and since this kit has the steering arm portions of the spindle cast as part of the rack, they will be Natural Iron. Fornt sway bar will be Semi-Gloss Black to Gloss Black with the clamps a Natural Steel. Driveshaft was Aluminized Steel with Iron-colored U-joint detail. Rear differential will be Natural Iron carrier case, Natural Steel axle tubes/brackets, Natural Iron (albiet darker than the case as it was a different alloy) vibration-dampening weight, Aluminized Steel differential cover, Natural Steel (with a Galvanized look) upper and lower control arms, Gloss Black springs, Semi-gloss to gloss Black sway bar. Shocks (both upright and 'quads') will be Gloss Black. I hope that helped a bit, as I see the kit directions aren't quite up to snuff for color call-outs!

Having used both, I can say Alclad has a slight advantage in shine, but the SpazStix is a bit easier to use (for those who don't want to use the airbrush). I shoot their Chrome over a Gloss Black base as well, and can vary the intensity of some of their 'flip' paints by shooting them over varying darknesses of undercoats. I haven't had any trouble with them when I use Dupli-Color primers (then again, that is pretty much about the only primer I use). I have had some of the 'hotter' flips burn through the Tamiya primers, so I stay with Dupli-Color.

I will be out of town this weekend (without much access to a computer I am afraid). If you have any questions of color reference, feel free to ask though (as I don't leave until Saturday morning).

I am still waiting for my dozen as well, Darin. I am working with the kit Ed sent me right now to try and correct some of the off proportions (and get everything laid out for an LX Hatch conversion, maybe). I look forward to seeing you pull this off. What drivetrain are you going to use, the kits? (it is really quite nice)

Edit for fan color: I stated the fan was white with the aluminum center (which is correct). The viscus fins will be aluminum with the center carriage being a Zinc-washed (kind-of a yellow-green washed over the aluminum) shade. So, it would go (outer to inner): White blades, aluminum cooling fin ring, Zinc-washed Aluminum center.

Darin, have you received your kit yet? I am still waiting for the rest of mine to come in (ok, the ones that I ordered).

I have over 40 of the MPC offerings and about 8 of the AMT kits..............I am going to need a LOT of Coupe kits! If they fix the body, I will need a LOT more!

That would be what was called a 'Street Freak' style build, middle 70s I believe to early 80s.

The rest of the kit is quite nice indeed. It is (almost) worth the price of admission just to get the chassis/drivetrain/interior bits to retrofit back into the MPC/AMT kits!

What area of the kit will you be working on next, Erik?

I have always liked this concept, and it would certainly solve the kit issues. When you get your kit, I look forward to seeing you do this. Edit Note: Casey used to cast a wheel insert very similar to what that car illustration has, and Jada/Dub line in 1/32nd scale has a set of wheels that can provide a center if you are willing to sleeve.

Skip, Ed, and Don; Thank you for adding positive content to the thread. If any of you would like to contribute something that we can use to properly evaluate the kit in question, feel free.

Fred, Ford was funny about the rear ends on these cars. They were left unpainted, but the brake backing plates were painted Black and the sway bar was Black. Upper and lower control arms were a natural steel (but looked to have some aluminuization), along with the Axle tubes. Carrier case was natural Iron. That pig-heavy weight was natural Iron, and the quad shocks Black.

I will say this for the 'chopped top' look; it makes it easier for anyone who would like to make a Pro-Mod body out of it! I can get more of my measurements up later this evening, and we can all take an objective look at it from a purely scale versus 1:1 standpoint. Anybody really interested in that anymore?

Ford Motorsports painted their pans Black. Every Fox I have seen from 1987-93 has had the Gray pan. And the 'pull-ahead' and 'use up' was common, but I have yet to see a black pan used in place of a pan they started painting Gray in 1983. I have come across a late-sequence 1986GT with the 1987GT brakes (as was posted on FEP, so there have been more than a few that camw with the upgrade brakes). Look at your 87GT and see when it was constructed. If it was prior to Oct86, there is a good chance it did come with the E6 heads AND pistons. But back to THIS build (you know, we should pool all of our resources and info down in the thread instead of plugging up Erics build thread), it is looking good so far! When you get ready to paint the K-member, it should be primer gray with heavy body color overspray on its top and sides. The a-arms should be Semi or Gloss Black with the spindles being natural iron (or rusting iron as they rusted quite quickly).

You will find it................................minus the B16 and trans. They will probably stuff it down into a CRX or something. Sorry to hear about the theft. Any car stolen (no matter the make) pisses me off and it is my belief that the thieves should be treated as 'Horse Thieves' were (as these are, after all, the modern horse).