1988 - 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Scratchbuild

[gator52]

Really looks nice, this will fill quite a gap in my collection!  A 1986 CV is on my list also; that would require fairly substantial changes to the taillights, right?

I'd vote for the 86-90 Caprice next, followed by the 76-77 LeMans.

Thanks

Jonah

[SteveG]

The 76-77 Pontiac LeMans Enforcer would be on the on the top of my list followed by the 71 Dodge

Steve

 

[charlie8575]

Looks great. Excellent idea to use the Lindberg CV chassis. Even the wheel-covers are the same. 

Charlie Larkin

[Againmikewins]

I'm in love with this! I know I'd probably be the only one, but I'd love to see a Mercury Grand Marquis conversion. It was a staple in my child hood. 

Any idea on a price point yet?

[Agent G]

The Missouri Highway Patrol used the Mercury Grand Marquis from the 70's to the 90's. St Louis Metro had them in the Traffic Division during this same period. I'd love to see a conversion.

G 

[DEL]

Sorry to be so late in my responses here but as I said before I'm not around a computer on the weekends due to my being on one for work m-f.  That said let me answer a couple of your questions.

AV405: You are absolutely right. The police version of the Chevy was the Impala up till the Shamu the killer whale overhaul in 1991 whereupon it     became the Caprice or Caprice Classic.

Gator: The taillights unfortunately are not all that changes. All LTD/LTD Crown Victoria's  from 79-91 share the same fenders, doors, quarter panels & roof lines. After that everything else changes. The changes are in the front & rear header panels, the grilles & front park light and taillight treatments.  Then the hoods, trunks and bumpers change. Changes in all those last parts were done in 79-82, 83-84 & 85-87 increments with a tweak here and there.  BUT my hope is with the '91 done mods can be done to create the others using copies of it.

Agent G: Yes I am well aware of the Mercury versions of their police offerings.  A sheriff's office here in Louisiana, Lake Charles, used Police Package Mercs for all of the 70's and on up into the 80's at least so again, I hope to do those too.  Once I have these other big ones I have started done.  To that end along the way I've collected MANY different kits to use as donors for parts or for modification.

And finally, AMW: not sure just yet what they will cost, I need to see how hard it is for Greg and how intensive it all is.  I hope to make it no worse than a good Modelhaus kit in cost.  If it can be done for less even more's the better.

Thanks again to all for the positive responses on the car so far as soon as another hurdle is cleared or it is finally done I will update.

Thanks, Guys!

[Foxer]

That is some amazing sculpting you have done!

Somehow, and don't ask how, I immediately knew what you assistant looked like before getting to the last photo.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Foxer

[DEL]

That is some amazing sculpting you have done!

Somehow, and don't ask how, I immediately knew what you assistant looked like before getting to the last photo.

Thanks Foxer!  And you're right I guess the hint gave it away.  I've had dogs all my life but my wife finally persuaded me to let a kitten come home.  So I am a recent convert to the world of cats but they are cool as they can be annoying.  Doesn't matter what I'm doing. Something delicate or with the potential to explode, he wants to lay down on it and go to sleep!

The 91 is mostly finished,, I am making the windshield now and that will be that. I hope to make it like the clam shell w/s's that come in regular kits and so that it can be cast in clear resin.  If that proves too problematic for some reason we'll just fall back on the old stand by, the vac-formed one.

[Plasticfanatic]

This look GREAT, I want at least two when it becomes available, the 75/76 Galaxie 500 is another one I am really looking forward to, they will be a great addition to the Ford,Chevy and Dodge cop car line up that slowly have become available in resin. You did the master of my all time favorite Ford, the 1978 LTD of which I have the second casting offering made by  Missing Link resin

Think I will start finishing up my 1979 LTD-II project which have been collecting dust for ages!!!

[DEL]

Go for it Fred!

The 78-79 LTD II is another one on my overall list to go at it at some point but I don't know when that will be.  As said before if it was used as a police vehicle between 1969-2000 give or take I want to try and do each one. The ones i will do first are driven by requests here and by what I saw in my life being used a good bit as primary cruisers by the city, parish and state.

Hey Fred, on another note, is your ML 78 LTD suffering from 'hogback"?  In other words does it bow upwards about near the front A-pillar?  Like an upside down banana?  Most of the ones I have seen that were re-popped from the old original AAM offering seem to have this oddity.

Anyway thank you for your kind words and keep an eye here for updates.

D

[Plasticfanatic]

Hi DEL,

Unfurtunately yes, my two 1978 do have the problem you mention, I did build one like that, I am cutting and "bending"  a second body to try and fix it, still is a super offering from Missing Link and the only way to get that body style without paying a furtune in case a vintage AAM come to market. The casting from Missing Link is very clean and sharp and build into a very nice model.

I am REALLY looking forward to your CV and cant wait to start working on mine once they become available, it look SUPERB!

[vincen47]

Go for it Fred!

The 78-79 LTD II is another one on my overall list to go at it at some point but I don't know when that will be.  As said before if it was used as a police vehicle between 1969-2000 give or take I want to try and do each one. The ones i will do first are driven by requests here and by what I saw in my life being used a good bit as primary cruisers by the city, parish and state.

Hey Fred, on another note, is your ML 78 LTD suffering from 'hogback"?  In other words does it bow upwards about near the front A-pillar?  Like an upside down banana?  Most of the ones I have seen that were re-popped from the old original AAM offering seem to have this oddity.

Anyway thank you for your kind words and keep an eye here for updates.

D

I haven't noticed that with my missing link kit (still in the box) but I haven't looked for that issue. I will check. Still a fantastic kit of a really neat subject. The ultimate one, though, would be the 75-78 LTD wagon - Standard or country squire.

Edited April 19, 2016 by vincen47

[DEL]

The history of the 78 LTD up to now is that I gave my master to AAM around 1998 for use in return for a certain amount of copies for myself (a standard arrangement I was told by Terry Jessee of SAE Light Commercial at the time). So some some replicas were made, I don't know approximately how many, but then a year or two later the company went out of business taking my master with it.(AAM still has possession of my original 78 master as well as the first master I did of a 1985 Diplomat) 

In the early to mid 2000's a fellow 75-78 LTD Police car enthusiast/restorer in Ct. who had bought one of the original AAM versions sold his 1:1 and gifted the buyer with his built up model as well. (I know both these guys, they are friends of mine)  Around 2008-9 two unbuilt copies of the AAM version surfaced on eBay and brought just, astounding money (to me anyway: $800-900.00+ each  respectively.  If I had ever received the other five copies I was promised for the use of my master instead of only the ONE I also could have made a bit of coin of the realm at that point it would seem. Anyway..)  Noting that sensation and there being a subsequent clamor for more copies on other hobby boards, the then current owner of the fore mentioned builtup contacted Missing Link and offered his copy to use for a re-pop or continuation.  From what I understand (and you're  stated ownership of two of them backs this up) it is one of their most popular offerings.  Still the copy used for re-offering must have either gotten warped at one point... I'm guessing, or that it happened in the casting.

So around 2011 somehow the fellow who gave ML the builtup in 08 was given or received a copy of the ML re-issue, and he turned and gave it to the first guy who had given him the AAM one years earlier.  That fellow surprised me by sending it on to me as a secret surprise gift. He later stated on our copcar resto hobby board at the time that since I had done the master he felt I deserved at least one more copy.  It was kind of him to think of me in that way.

Yet when I opened it up I immediately noticed a warp to the body.  Now I have heard you can warm resin and straighten it but you really have to know exactly what you're doing or total ruin is a short few degrees away, so I decided not try it. It is a pretty big thing to try and correct  I would think, for me to do anyway.  So I will just re-make one for myself at some point and it will serve as base for both the 73-78 LTD and Custom 500's.. The original 78 was was also done at a point in my scratchbuilding skills, if you figure say on a scale of 1-10, 1 being a tube glue bomber and 10 being best you'll ever get, I'd say my skills were 4-6 at that point.  I THINK I've become somewhat better since 1998.  I hope so at least.

(EDIT: I have removed earlier derogatory comments made on this kit offering as they were made mostly using a narrow minded focus and a single example I had in my possession and one I saw a couple years ago online. I'm sure most of the others did not suffer the defect I described. See explanation below and revised comments)

On a final note I know whatever I may end up offering will  quite probably have it's faults, (I'm NOT perfect) and some who get them may also find things to criticize. But large defects I can see won't be tolerated, or I just won't offer them..

Ah, well as GoT's Qyburn once said.. The Work continues... 

Edited April 20, 2016 by DEL

[vincen47]

I haven't noticed that with my missing link kit (still in the box) but I haven't looked for that issue. I will check. Still a fantastic kit of a really neat subject. The ultimate one, though, would be the 75-78 LTD wagon - Standard or country squire.

I just gave mine a long hard look at multiple angles and it looks good - it isn't bowed or warped. I even compared it to photos of the real thing and it looks fine. 

[DEL]

Below is an example of what I meant.  Perhaps some or most all did come out straight.  All I know is that the ONE copy I have is a bit bowed.  I saw another pic online where someone had converted it into a LTD Landau with a vinyl roof and everything and I saw it in that one too, but I couldn't save he pic.  The pics below are some I took last night just to try and illustrate what I alone think I see.  The built up is the one copy I received from AAM in 98 or 99.  The unbuilt is the ML version I received in 2010 or 11.

Not trying to start a peeing contest, just have a look and see if you see what I see.. or anything or nothing at all .  (I'm no good at a'' with photoshop or Paint but I tried to put some lines on the pics to show what I see. Like I said, maybe the one i have got warped afterwards or something)

[kevin l]

I guess it is time that i chimed in, i have not knowingly sold a warped product & no one else since i began selling these has said a word, if  any of you wish to discuss this or any of my products please feel free to contact me here or by email kawifreek@msn.com

thanks

Kevin

[dimaxion]

I have a few (lol) of Kevin's Products . He started his business well after the "Soft Resin" Era . PM me for a reference as well as some other casters any time .   Thanx ..

[DEL]

Yeah I shot my mouth off far too much.  Can't we all just get along? (says the registered s**t stirrer)

I've spoken with Kevin on the PM side and offered my explanations and apologies. He requested any photographic evidence I might have to back up my assertions, I provided what I had and to his extreme credit he acknowledged it.  I've hit folks that just said NUH-UH, and God knows I CAN BE WRONG,  so I wind up questioning my judgement/sanity.  I was greatly  gratified by his integrity on my observation .

I have a lot of personal issues over the 78 model, as well as my first original 1:1 version that kind of let the 'evil' DEL go nuts occasionally.  I've tried to let it go but barring that I usually I keep it bottled up inside and use it to help the ulcers grow. Much better that way.  I made a sweeping generalization based on the ONE copy I had and another I saw online somewhere a couple years ago. I'd have copied and kept that pic but it was one of those copyrighted deals where you couldn't save it and I'm not savvy enough to get around it.

When I ragged on about resin BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH I was mostly thinking of some really, REALLY shoddy resin kits, lightbars and wheels I purchased years ago for which the sellers thereof should've been stood up against a wall and executed. No blindfold, no cigarette. Kev has responded as a good caster should and offered to make right to anyone unhappy. That's the kind of provider I want to be as well I might add.  Sorry I brought it up.

I have little recent experience with other casters besides AAM and the excellent Modelhaus. I thank you for the reference offer Dimaxion, but at this point I have decided to let Greg Wann have first crack at the 91 Crown Vic as soon as I get through with the final step of creating a windshield master so it can be cast in clear resin.  I'd like to try that anyway before I go the vacuform route but I don't want to kill Greg either on the project. So we will see. I am about 75% done on that score and will then be moving it on out to him, and then we can all start leaning on him for when we can get our copies, and I can move on to the next  project.

Then it will all be as my father in law used to say, goody goody god^^am gumdrops. (apologies to the gentle folk)

Keep it here. Same Bat-Time, same Bat-channel.

[gator52]

If no one objects to a brief sidebar, I could use some help nailing down some makes/years while we have the 1980s police car experts gathered.

These are screen grabs from  Youtube; the first is clearly a Chevy but I'm unsure of the year; I believe the remainder are also Chevys, but the second photo is tough to tell.  I know this PD bought Chevys in 79, 82, & 84; with 84 being the first year for the blue that replaced the yellow/white. I haven't found any records of what they bought between 87-90, so looking to see if the two blue cars pictured are 84s or if they fall in to the 87-90 timeframe, if there are even enough discernible differences to tell.

Any info is much appreciated, and it would be great to have whatever cars these are available in kit form someday!

Thanks

Jonah

Edited April 27, 2016 by gator52

[av405]

Based on what is visible, they are both 1981-1985 Impalas, so your IDs make perfect sense.

The Modelhaus offers this car as a resin kit, though the status of the company is in limbo right now. I myself have two of these kits.

[DEL]

Gator:

I would say the blue one is a 84, and the yellow one is a 81-82.  Both Impalas.  The distinguishable differences tend to run 77-80, 81-82, 83-84, 85, 86, then 87-91. the 85's and 86's being one off's either by grille/header or taillight treatment.The 77-80's also have a very distinct appearance and sorta 'look' smaller than those that came after it. At least by body panel appearance.  as AV405 said, Modelhaus had a serviceable 84/85 (?) I cannot recall but it was right in that space time frame. Hopefully whoever is taking over that company will retain the kit.

Ok, update on the 91: A bit of bad/good news.  I did decide to raise the roof & corresponding w/s and door window heights.  They did look a bit short though I thought I had obtained decent measurements for conversion. So I went nuts and got levels to use to re-measure exactly those specs.  As I told Greg W. this morning it was a good news bad news thing. Good: the bottom half was dead on.  Bad: The top was short by 1-2 inches 1/24 scale-wise.  A tiny thing but it was making a difference.  So up it had to go.  I've done this a couple times before and it's never pretty especially when done to what I considered a 'finished' master but it could not be avoided.  Subsequently it kinda tore up the A & B pillars and had to re-do all three of them with the C's anchoring it all.  The vast majority of that work has now been done (60-70%) or so, and laid to one side to allow all solvents and fillers to gas out a day or so.  What remains is the final resurfacing to bring back the body contours up there and the re-application of the final trim, the window frames, moldings and such.  I spent a large amount of time on it this past weekend.  I did also take a few pics, but neglected to bring the camera to transfer.  Not pretty to look at anyway, but I will try to remember to bring and show the butchery in all it's glory.

That is where it is. As I told Greg I'm anxious to finalize it so I can move on to the next one.  This one has really taken a lot. Nothing exists that in any way is usable as a base for the body shell though I did heavily rework one just to get at that base.  Probably the biggest part other than the grille.

I often recall an old 'funny' I saw in MAD magazine way back when I was a kid about model kits; on one page it showed a beautiful pic of the cover of a model box of the USS Constitution and at the top it said :"Intricately detailed model of the USS Constitution. At the bottom; Detailed instructions inside".  Then you flipped the page and it showed a box shaped block of wood with a knife stuck in it, and an instruction sheet that simply said "Cut away everything that does NOT look like the USS Constitution"  It gave me a hoot at the time.  Yeah, that should be easy, right?

But I never forgot it, because to me that has always been a bit of what it is like to build something that doesn't yet exist in the 1/24 or 1/25 medium. Please bear with me. Thanks!

 

Edited May 2, 2016 by DEL

[av405]

As impatient as I am to get my hands on the finished product, I'm very happy that you're aiming to be as accurate as possible.

Concerning the Modelhaus Impala: It covers the 1980-1985 Impala body but it has the 1981-1985 grill. 1980s had a unique grill.

[gator52]

Thanks for the Impala clarification.  If I can get 2 copies of the Modelhaus kit, then I'll be able to represent both the yellow 82 and blue 84, which will fill 2 gaps in my collection.

Looking forward to the CV also!

Jonah

[DEL]

Just a few photos to depict this past weekend's carnage.  While necessary it was in no way easy to do.  I am actually a fair bit past the work depicted below, but for now these are the latest pics I have.  Just to show that the Qyburn "the work continues" mantra is really happening and not a brushoff or stalling tactic.Thanks!

Edited May 5, 2016 by DEL

[1967RMP]

Wow, what dedication to getting it as perfect as can be! I'm definitely going to pick up one of these bad boys.