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1988 - 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Scratchbuild


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Lickin' my chops over this one. I'm retired LEO, but went back to work at a smaller University department (hence larger hobby budget LOL). At my first department we had 3 87s and later 2 89s, everything else was a Diplomat. No take home cars at the time, so we "hot-seated" everything. We would get to work early to grab a Vic from a guy getting off, cause we liked them better and dang sure didn't want to have to drive a Dip!! Later I had an ex-FHP 89 for a personal ride, one of the best cars I ever had, and a rare example that had clean seats and NO holes in the dash. Really looking forward to this car, one will be an FHP unit, love the black and tan, and the other probably my old personal car, in white. In reference to the tire discussion above, I would be happy to use the Fireball tires if the size is close, possibly even the old Monogram GT Radials, they looked fine on the Revell Caprice. Keep pluggin' guys, can't wait!!!!

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Thanks Ronnie.  As a fellow southern LEO of the 80-90's I know exactly what you mean about the CV's vs the Dips.  And chevies.  Those dips had a stretched vinyl cowhide seat that would have made a trampoline company proud. When we got the 86-87 Caprices & 87 & up CV's with cloth buckets we thought we'd finally got a seat that wasn't a twelve-hour torture rack.  Right now I'm sharpening up the grille for the 91 and then Greg & Mike should be right on top of the body process. Hers' a pic of the new grille texture.  Far more intricate definition than the first one. BTW this is the SECOND stab I made at the grille after spending 8 hours one the first one Saturday I had to trash in the end. Such is scratchbuilding.   Following order is old grille, actual grille, new grille with finer & more accurate blade texture. Just gotta shoehorn it into that surround.

171220 - 91 CVPI   frt  (1) - Copy.JPG

1988-1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria - FRONT header, Grille, Hood Ornament.jpg

180303 - New 91 CVPI Grille (3).JPG

Edited by DEL
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I’ve been following the work with this car at this forum for along time and been planning to add a comment for a long time but I don’t know how to describe how amazed I am about this product.

Thank you so much for all work that all of you are putting into this!

 

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Grille upgrade update. Pretty much done. Just neatening it all up.  I also think the necessity of it made me do a little better job this time around.  I even managed to inset the Ford Oval like Mike wanted..

 

180310 - 91 CV Grille build (6).JPG

180312 - 91 CV Grille old-new compare (4).JPG

180314 - 91 CV Grille Dunn (3).JPG

180314 - 91 CV Grille Dunn (2).JPG

Edited by DEL
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It does look nice.  Lots of tiny openings.  Sure hope I can pull it off.  Still might have to look into a photo etch part if it becomes troublesome.  Here are some of the first Ford Police wheels and caps that Don And Carol gave me permission to reproduce for this kit.  I am hoping to get the flash around the parts thinner, but this is not bad.  I place around three or four pounds of weight on the mold and around 65 PSI of air to crush bubbles that could form in the resin.  Proper resin casting takes good equipment, know how, patience and a somewhat controlled room temperature.

88 to 91 Ford CV 10.JPG

Edited by Greg Wann
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http://smcbofphx.proboards.com/thread/1467/mclaren-m8b-tires

https://www.polytek.com/products/pt-flex-60-liquid-rubber

https://www.aeromarineproducts.com/

 

I am working on the prospect of tires for this kit.  I asked Joseph to create a master so I might create the tires myself.  This is just more work on my part but making nice tires are doable for me.  Here are some tires I made from a Accurate Miniatures M8B kit.  You will have to imagine that the mold part on the right was clay and the tires were set on the clay stands.  This part was boxed in and the silicone on the left was poured over it entirely encapsulating the tires.  Once cured the clay was removed, a mold release was sprayed on and then silicone was poured in to create the part on the right.  The tires are made from Polytek PT Flex 60 with black dye added.  The Polytek material is not cheap either.  I only wish they sold smaller containers of it.  I just want to mention that getting the tires out of the mold once cured is not much fun, but is doable.  When they come out nice the work is worth it!  Here is a link to the silicone the mold is made out of, Aeromrine products.  It is a 10 to 1 mix and needs to be weighed.

Edited by Greg Wann
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Rob,

That is the basic car I believe we will be offering now that we have the go-ahead on the proper dodgdish caps from the great folks at ModelHaus.  At least, it was always my intention that it done with those caps.  Those who want the full wheel covers can get them from any Lindbergh or Revell 97 CV kit.  Or Greg MIGHT offer them as well as an option when ordering to keep a builder from having to scrap a whole kit for wheels..  As the kit itself is a 88-89 or 90-91 option based on the desired dash, column & wheel.

Greg that is some great tire work and you garnered that skill some time ago, I see. Fantastic! I always wished a Goodyear Blue Streak like those used on copcars of the 70s to the 80's could be done. But I have NO idea how someone masters a tire for molding.   Oh, and sorry about the bracing thing on the grille Greg. I already posted the pics of the old vs new grille prior.

I can only say staying up late modeling can make you frizz-brained. Well, ME anyway.  I mailed the grille to Mike last Friday so he should get it today or tomorrow.

Like everyone else, can't wait.  The ball is with Mike n Greg again now. I'm just another spectator... :)

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Got the grille today Dwayne. Thankya, thankyavurruhmuch. Dwayne sent along a nice, typed instruction sheet with illustrations that told of where slight modifications may need to be made to have the new grille fit the header panel. But...

fullsizeoutput_99d.thumb.jpeg.3c87fcc4ad7e85f067c147c1e2640835.jpeg

It fit perfectly anyway.

The windshield master is done, rear window as well. The new hood is pretty much finalized...

fullsizeoutput_9a0.thumb.jpeg.407bb032b96165dae3824d45c8b6a134.jpeg

And the whole works is getting along quite nicely.

fullsizeoutput_9a3.thumb.jpeg.185df3826ad5bb364e1df5bde731adeb.jpeg

Just a little bit of fussing here and there, some spot priming, and some micro-sanding and my work here is done. Give it about another week Greg, then it'll be ready for pickup and some Masterful Casting.

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WOW!  The top and underside of the hood looks really nice, Mike.  That grille looks good but full of really fine detail.  Fine detail like this is scary stuff.  Silicone can be pulled from the mold when removing a part from it.  If it gets too bad we just might still need photo etch grille detail.  I am going to send a set of wheels to Joseph.  He agreed to create the best possible masters for this project through his design work and shapeways printing.  Don't know the cost but what the hay!  He wants $12.00 for a set of tires.  I am just going to suck it up and see what I can do.  I have some of that Polytek stuff that has been around for awhile.  I'm just going to mix some up and see if it cures properly.

Edited by Greg Wann
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Ok.  ...Now I'M the Christmas morning kid!!!  I've sneaked peeks thru the wrapping, I know what I'm getting. I just have to WWWWAAAIIIITTTTT fer it!!  Mike, GLORIOUS work on that underside detail and the upper hood detail as well!!  As the Romans would say; Thou hast Skilz, my man!  (they realy talked that way. I'm a history major) So now, also in a continuance of the Roman theme let me encourage you to finish it and get it to Greg... so I can get MINE!!.     ; Move it, boyeh!! whipping-smiley-emoticon.gif

Seriously, when you're done with a master it's hard to stop yourself from just going ahead and finishing it, and doing what everyone else who wants one would do with theirs. Talk about your restraint and delayed gratification...  Well, mostly delay.  Excellent work Greg & Mike, just excellent.

 

Edited by DEL
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