1988 - 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Scratchbuild

[Greg Wann]

Hi Dwayne,

  Yes, creating a master takes a lot of dedication and hard work for the hobby.  We do appreciate your taking time to do this.  I thought I had read in your post above that you realize your master was much more delicate than you thought.  You got upset in a personal email when I explained that your beautiful master might break upon removing it from the master mold and I understand that it might make you sweat.  I suppose it is like praying that your wife survives giving birth due to a difficult pregnancy.  You are doing a great job.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Greg Wann

[DEL]

Thank you for that, Greg. Yeah, I hadn't quite expected that to be honest.  Everything I ever read about casting said that molds after so many pulls will always deteriorate, so the master had to be maintained to be ready for re-molding when necessary.  In truth the only one I ever gave over for casting was the 78 LTD and far as I know it survived the molding process.  In my own experimentation of casting bodies I had two great experiences and one extreme failure. The first two made several perfect copies and the mold RTV did not hurt any of the three one bit.  The last one I went skimpy on the RTV itself and it made that mold problematic. I then wasted a lot of good resin making wrecks.  But I learned my lesson on RTV's.

After getting as close as I did on this 91 it was hard to tear into it again. HARD.  But it had to be done. Done it before and so far I've always been able to fix what I wrecked so I have some confidence I can bring it back out of ICU.  It's just time consuming.  As I said I thought it was pretty sturdy, I handle it all the time and while careful I am not exceedingly gentle with it.  But those A & B pillars snapped like twigs and showed that while visually good structurally this is what happens when 'welded' styrene gets pushed a bit too far. especially while sawing through it.  Anyway I'm sure it will all work out.  Thanks for the comment 67RMP, I do try.  I want it to be right as much if not more than a fellow modeler.

Thanks!

[Maindrian Pace]

Right on, Dwayne, that's already a big improvement in proportioning. The molding process is a little stressful, mainly in pulling the inner mold out of the body after it is pulled from the outer because it flexes the sides out slightly. But there are tricks to make it hold together: I use thin (maybe .010") sheet aluminum garden flashing and super glue a piece over any joint; plastic to plastic, and especially plastic to resin, as with this Mustang body.

Narrow pieces were added behind all spliced pillars, then worked in with red spot putty to smooth the inside of the body surfaces - also important to make de-molding the master and copies as easy on them as possible.

[DEL]

M. Pace:  Yes, Greg did describe that metal stress point procedure to me.  I'm thinking about it and may incorporate a version of it.  Say maybe rods, or strips as you've shown there, if they can be buried in the body itself.  Sort of battling with the thin thing right now. 

 

in trying to keep it as much like a production kit I've purposely kept all body walls and roofs/hoods as thin as possible on such a kit.  I've had resin kits with REALLY thick bodies in those places.  Shouldn't matter, you can't see it, but it bugs me a bit.  It may have to be a bit thicker to incorporate those strengtheners.  Plus I'll have the foreknowledge to work such things into future masters.  Thanks!

Edited May 9, 2016 by DEL

[Tom Geiger]

I need one of your Vics for sure!  Photo is my '89 that was my grandfather's last car.  I drove it for years!   

 

[DEL]

Hello, Tom!

While the car was modeled as a 1991 at the outset with that particular 90-91 style dash, I have also already built the 88-89 dash for the kit as well so you will be able to replicate your grandfather's ride down to a "T".  Thanks for looking in and check back.  I hope to finish up a few tweaks I had to do soon.  (In between work, yard work & dodging spring storms! )

[5.0man]

Hello, Tom!

While the car was modeled as a 1991 at the outset with that particular 90-91 style dash, I have also already built the 88-89 dash for the kit as well so you will be able to replicate your grandfather's ride down to a "T".  Thanks for looking in and check back.  I hope to finish up a few tweaks I had to do soon.  (In between work, yard work & dodging spring storms! )

Dwayne I want 3 LTD Crown Victoria, so I build a Police car like this

 

[DEL]

One D-Man to another I'm working on it Bro.  Promise.  I am just slow, but I hope that it ends in a better result in the end.

Thanks!!

PS: NICE LAPD ride I might add.

 

[5.0man]

88-91 Mercury Grand Marquis version would be good also....

[av405]

Any updates?

[DEL]

Well, I've been asked by message and assured all that the 91, while in ICU is allright, I feel compelled to show proof of progress.

Taking the roof off one is (for me) a rough thing to do because it rarely goes back on perfectly.  This one was no exception I'm afraid.  Add to that styrene that has been welded and pushed almost to it's limits and I had issues where it no longer wanted to 'melt' when I tried to join sections.  That calls for stronger contact glues,cyanoacrylates or other means. All that plus the added time to allow it to fully harden is taking more time than I care for.  I am sorry it is so.  I did need the feedback to find what I needed to address, I never meant to tease and not come through.  Anyway, here is a couple of pics, just remember the final fine detail work is yet to be done.  I've had symmetry problems I've finally resolved.  Thanks again to all

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by DEL

[bismarck]

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)

I would love to see a '77 LTDII Like the one my father drove. Almost the exact car except the headlights were stacked vertically, and no belt line.  I have a lot of good memories of that car. I just about flipped when I saw a resin copy being offered of this car. Now if I could just find a '70 Chrysler Newport 4 door sedan....

Edited June 3, 2016 by bismarck

[5.0man]

Well, I've been asked by message and assured all that the 91, while in ICU is allright, I feel compelled to show proof of progress.

Taking the roof off one is (for me) a rough thing to do because it rarely goes back on perfectly.  This one was no exception I'm afraid.  Add to that styrene that has been welded and pushed almost to it's limits and I had issues where it no longer wanted to 'melt' when I tried to join sections.  That calls for stronger contact glues,cyanoacrylates or other means. All that plus the added time to allow it to fully harden is taking more time than I care for.  I am sorry it is so.  I did need the feedback to find what I needed to address, I never meant to tease and not come through.  Anyway, here is a couple of pics, just remember the final fine detail work is yet to be done.  I've had symmetry problems I've finally resolved.  Thanks again to all

 

Dwayne new roof design looks good

[av405]

Any updates? 

[DEL]

Thanks AV,

It looks even better now as it has been raised just a tad bit more and thus it looks even better proportioned te the bottom half of the model.  I apologize to all who are patiently waiting but Greg W. knows I have a few issues I'm dealing with plus having to wear the mantle of Lawn Ranger or Grass Assassin almost every day.  The days are longer, but here in La. you spend them living on a mower or a tractor on a daily basis I'm afraid to say. I only have to cut about 2 1/2 - 3 of my 6 acres and by the time it's done it's pretty much time to start over again.  So glad I didn't buy the ten or twenty acres option 25 years ago!

On the 91CV I am down to doing the door window frames and the roof drip and chrome edge moldings.  It's tricky though to get such small thin pieces of styrene to weld where I need them to be. Made worse because the A, B & C pillers have been welded so much they now all but reject normal Tenax, Lacquer Thinner, etc. The welders I normally use. So I must use superglues and others with kickers.  Takes longer.

Thanks for asking.  I'm plugging away!

D

[DEL]

Me again, Margaret.

Just to let you good folks know I really am still working on the 1991, and it's still job 1, but I just had to finish another that had been around too long. So over the Labor day weekend I took a breather and finished a 1982 Diplomat of the Louisiana State Police.  If anyone cares to have a look it is over on the worrkbench forum or can be found below.  It has many sigular police parts built just for it.

 

 

[DEL]

Well, here's a couple of pics of where I am at.  The majority is done.  Though I admit I keep seeing.. stuff. to do.  I got intricate on some of the other details, raised the roofline, thinned out the A pillars, corrected C pillar angle, and a couple of other tiny details. 

Screech if you see something off. 

[Tom Geiger]

Looking real good!  I want one for sure!

[Greg Wann]

Hi Dwayne,

  This is looking really good.  I have been wondering about you.

[DEL]

Thanks Tom!  Hey Greg!  I tried to call you a while back to catch up but I missed you.  The last six months have been busy and very unfun.  If I haven't had a health issue someone else in my family did but I have been steadily grinding away at it.  They found a something by accident in December that had to be surgurated out in February so I was down and out for some time. Still some of the recuperation time helped the overall projects.  There's this 91 that's the main thing I'm trying to knock out, then the 77 LeMans Enforcer over on the Workbench forum, plus a 73 Chevy Bel Air 4dr and a 77 LTD II all in various stages. Hopefully this one will be done soon. Soon soon.

Edited May 1, 2017 by DEL
77

[martinfan5]

Very nice

 

[Againmikewins]

I want one of these! Any plans for a Mercury conversion? 

[MrObsessive]

It looks dead on nuts accurate from where I sit! You WILL be busy with orders for this once you get this out on the streets!

In a former life, I was a cab driver and these were all over the roads in the late '80's/early '90's. Now I can't remember the last time I've seen one. 

Excellent work!!

[av405]

It looks great, just like you promised! I will definitely be one of your customers for this.

[DEL]

I want one of these! Any plans for a Mercury conversion? 

Yes!

As well as each of the other incarnations of the 79-91 box body Panther platform in due time. I HOPE to do at least one of each of the big 3's four door police offerings from 71-91.  Hope hope hope.  Some are already in the pipeline. Baked in the cake. frigged in the pudding (?!) not sure on that last one, but I'm sure they used it on one of the current news shows.

The folks that love creating new euphemisms over just saying something simple like...  it's coming...

D.