Rosco's Patrol Car 1978 Dodge Monaco NEW Progress 3-3-2017

[426-Hemi]

Guys,
As I got to looking, I'm forgetting a couple cars, that well....Were the first ones I've started to build!
Because of my general liking of Mopar, AND that led me to build or try to locate and build (I'm behind the 8-ball, in finding all the models) of the Dukes of Hazzard...
Well the first models I got in this collection was the General Lee AND Rosco's patrol car....
So, with that, all those years ago that I built models, and even today, I've NEVER built a model of a "Cop" car, never once, so, because this "set of cars (YES they came to me together in one package), the '78 Dodge Monaco, AND the '69 Dodge Charger,
Being excited that I found both together, I couldn't wait to begin building the police car! (you have to remember), this was the first cars I got to get back into the model car world!
So, as soon as I could, working on Rosco's car was straight away....Hell bent for plastic I go....


I forgot about something! Trial and error! This motor thats seen here was my FIRST "try" at something a bit different, a "wedge" motor with spark plugs! LOL I had NO detail parts at the time this was started so I tried to use some heavy "thread" I had, and was going to give it the treatment of heavy clear coat to look like wire....
I sadly, got to looking....This motor not only did it NOT get the result I was looking for, BUT, is the wrong engine for '78 to be in a police car! It ought to be Chrysler Engine Blue, NOT Chrysler Engine Turquoise as seen here. AND the car itself, was a automatic shift, NOT manual shift! The interior has a brake pedal and a gas pedal....SO, with all these combined issues, I yanked it, sat it aside and went to looking what I had for "left over junk" from 20 years before! With that, this engine is in that pile now and a new one was being worked on!


The old 440 "Interceptor" Engine yanked, and sitting & put away, This is the new one thats taking its place! Assembled and painted correctly for a Police Cruiser....
Interior is next tho. More pics to come! I got a bit yet to do!

Edited March 3, 2017 by 426-Hemi
Title Line Update

[426-Hemi]

Why does real life things got to get in the way when your really into what your doing/working on? Seems to never end some times!
Anyway......as I said in my last posting here, the interior is next! So we have Rosco's interior:

Basic, VERY basic, WHY? Its a police car! They got drunks and sick people in these cars either to get them to help or help them, themself! SO to keep down "cleaning" they used vinyl for the seat cover and sides of the door panels and such....Pretty easy to model, I think! 
The detail in this interior, is a bit "plain". Because it was my recent "first" go at it as a re-start into car models, I didn't have much to work with (THAT however is about to change when ever possible as cash flow permits!) So, I had to work with, what i had on hand....As you can see, mostly done with paint!

The interior, "rear" seat had this Phone, and first Aid cluster on it, NICE detail a lot to have done to it to look good.... Being an inside detail, I didn't spend a lot of time on it but got it to look halfways decent! Theres a phone in it, that has a real cord to it, and the item to the far right there has what looks like some sort of gauges on it and push buttons, I added "glass" to it, and made the buttons appear shinny to stick out to the viewer just a bit....Then the First Aid kit to the far left....
Can't forget the Gun rack behind the front seat, (Those were fun to paint!)
I may even try to put spent shells on the floor of the passenger side of the front of the car, in and around the drivers feet as well....

Sadly, upon adding the "radio" AND the CB.....I did NOT like how they directed the builder to position them! SO, I made my own mount, to hold up the items a bit so 'ole Rosco himself could see the gauges and stuff, and be positioned as if the driver was in the car, driving, and could simply glance down and get a good "view" of his Police Radio and the CB radio.....
This as you see is all the further I've gotten on this model BUT this was the first one I started so...
Needless to say, I want to add Rosco's doggy in there, that he always talked too and that will be fun to put on the front passengers seat! 
More to come as always as progress happens!

[426-Hemi]

And for now, I got a little done on the frame (this my friends was done over a year ago now!) BUT, heres what I had left off this model with its build:

Since this last picture was taken, I have not touched this model, its so close being done, I ought to pick it up again and finish it off, Its just, I had some others that took place of it for build contests and sort of lost a little interest in this one due to that fact but I'll be back on this one soon as I'd like to finish it before the decals are no good!
Enjoy! More to come as I get things done on it! -Thanks for looking!

[426-Hemi]

Well guys, it sure has been a L-O-N-G time since I've done ANYTHING to this model! Since I've finished Daisy Dukes Jeep "Dixie" and got to thinkin' how long I've had this model and how the decals have aged since then, I thought it be about time to get this one done too! So, I started out, by pulling the frame out of the box (No engine in it yet) but got to lookin' and seen WHY I got discouraged with this build!!! 


All that stuff, I just can not stand, blaring in front of my very eyes, molded in EVERYTHING! Exhaust (I hate that!), Molded in drive shaft (EVEN worse!), metal bar type axles through the lugs and a part they call a "rear end", is just BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH sad really. BUT, like Daisy Dukes Jeep, I'm gonna finish this BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH thing! LOL
I took and seen what I had done to the wheels and tires (they're assembled) and ready to go onto the frame, BUT I noticed, I had drilled the drum brakes for brake lines!!!! SO, that was first call of duty.... -I was NOT impressed with the choice of color I made when I started painting this model! (I don't know if I had said, but just over 2 years ago, when I got back into model cars, this was THEE FIRST kit I bought! SO, I was "practicing" a bit with colors!!! (NOW however, I have it down to a science!) So the color of that rear-end changed pretty quick! AND I painted that damned molded-in drive shaft! (I wasn't about to begin hacking this apart, I have no donor kits to rob from that I can actually justify going to that extent! SO..... I'll have to live with it!!!!

One thing I didn't do when I painted things on this was paint the cat! Thats gonna be something other then the pipe color as well as the muffler, I plan to change its color just a bit to make it "stand-out" a little more..... -Look more realistic!



More to follow right after these short messages....

[426-Hemi]

I did however last time I worked on this, do a little "fitting" to that rear-end, it did not fit right, nor did it set right for the frame to look as it should, so the front shackle I had to build up about 3/64th of an inch to get it right.... The other thing I am NOT impressed with is those BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH shocks! GAWD, what the hell are those? They're to be "shocks"... not in my eyes! I'm NOT done hacking a little on this frame so those BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH things may wind up milled off!!!! And I'll scratchbuild NEW ones that look like shocks to put in there place!

For molded-in exhaust, I didn't do to bad painting it! Thats about all I can say for it (I H-A-T-E it like none of you know!)


First order of my detail technique was to see what "lines" I had to put in first, and HOW I was gonna go about it with all the damned molded-in details.... SO I went on to begin fitting the fuel tank with a fuel line..... I drilled holes as tho the fuel line was running UNDER the exhaust pipe..... SO this fuel line, will be in sections, but look like they're all one part. (MOST of my models, have complete runs of wire front to back and even have fittings on them!) This one, because of the molded-in details, isn't gonna allow me to do it as I normally would!
Brake line "fitted" and in-place, with a fitting on it.... ALL that needs painted "steel" silver now!
I had to get the fuel line from the tank in-place BEFORE I could even think of a brake line that goes across the rear end, that then has a single brake line coming up from the front off the triple valve, that would have a "hose" between the frame rail line, and the rear-end line.... -That is to come in a day or so.....
Right now, I'll get the fuel line in-place....


Fitted, in place a little to far "forward" but its merely setting there for fitment purposes.... I removed ALL that copper wire to have it all painted "steel" silver, and left to dry, as this is being typed out, ALL that wire is now painted, and in-place on the frame! Pictures of that, when I am back at the bench!
Thats it for now! More to come as I get things done! -ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well right back at it on this build.... I got to looking at the body to the kit and it wasn't real bad, but it needed some cleaning up and some fine sanding BEFORE "primer" went onto the body..... this is how that fine sanding turned out:

Not to bad, like I said. BUT it needed a little!

Top & trunk was pretty smooth, even tho a very light 1200 grit dry sand turned out well!

Not to bad! I was impressed with that part of the kit! (NORMALLY I have found when the frame and parts to the whole kit need fitting work or there is a bit of "flash" on the parts, the body ism't much better, this time around the parts to the rest of the kit needed cleaning up for fitting purposes, but the body was in decent shape right out of the box!!!!
Stay tuned, more to follow right after these short messages!!!

[426-Hemi]

So, I took the body after the fine dry sanding and washed it with dish liquid soap, and let it set to dry, BEFORE I give it its first primer coat. SO, while it was setting and air drying, I took the frame and got to looking what I could do to make it better.... First thing was, all those copper wire fuel lines needed to be put into place and fastened down to the frame securely....


The longest section of the fuel line down to the frame as well as the 2 other short sections leading to the fuel tank! This frame adding these lines was a bit of fun, due to the way the frame itself was made.... AND to add those lines and keep them looking as one long piece was a bit of a trick!

That looks really good! 
The forward or front section of fuel line leading to the engine was left "loose" as I will fit it to a mounted connection that will then have a wire made to look like a hose going from the frame to the fuel pump! 


This will allow me to place the mount close to the fuel pump..... I'll be able to place that mount anywhere on the frame at this point!
While I was at this end of the frame, I seen the way the torsion bars were made to fit the model, OMG I HATE IT! There really is nothing that I consider "front suspension" in this kit! NOTHING! It merely has a "K" frame cross-member, and thats it! And that isn't even suspension related! So I began, by cutting the torsion bars off, (I'll replace them with something that is way more round and consistent in diameter! The things they had on this frame were terrible!


GONE!
It sure "opens" up that area in the frame doesn't it? SHOULD also make it easier to add the "Y" pipe exhaust too!

Looking at it from the front like this, shows me just how bad the detail was lacking! WOW! Seeing this, and not liking it, I went to look through my spare parts to see what I may have had from other glue bombs I picked up along the way, and even NEW parts that I got from someone in trade.... I found something that resembles a front suspension WAY better then what the kit had, BUT its gonna take a bit of work to make it all come together.... Sadly, (for me) this won't be the first time and sure won't be the last I'm sure!
Finding a suspension, I then began cutting that "K" cross-member off the frame!

Those "tower" lugs that the wheels were to glue too, will be useful to have something to glue the new suspension too but that too needs some carving work as well, (they're simply to wide for the new "K" cross-member, and the A-Frame detail thats going to go in place of what I have cut out!

Looking at the pictures as I type this, I left that front center bar from the stock kit frame along, and cut it that I could use it as a starting point for the new "K" cross-member thats going to go back onto the frame.
More to follow, yet another thing I noticed I am just NOT fond of......... as you'll read about in my next posting!!! -Stay tuned more to come!

[426-Hemi]

So to go and mention another build I'm doing, what was the one thing I really stressed about in my Pap's '79 Ramcharger? The part I just down-right HATE that model companies do a lot of times to the kits? Mounting the damned engine to the "K" cross-member, by gluing the oil pan to it, NO motor mounts, period! Yep, you guessed it, this model has nothing to represent engine mounts whats-so-ever!!!! WELL, you all know me enough by now that isn't gonna last long!
SO I went to looking for the same materials I used on Pap's Ramcharger (I was lucky with that one, I had a bunch of scraps laying on the bench....) BUT this one, notta. I had to go into my stock of new stuff, and find the same "H" column I used for pap's to make them on this one! I got a section out and got to fitting it!


Almost cut the same way the engine mounts were made on Pap's Ramcharger! Difference was, I didn't have the "frame rail" tops to mount too, to make things "strong" on this one, so it took a bit of patients to allow things to "dry, enough to be worked.
I have found the first thing you do when doing this is find "center"!! By doing that, I used that section of support that was part of the "K" member. PERFECT "center point" to start from! I then cut the "H" beam in half right at the center point. I then took and put the engine in place, and got marks on both the "H" beams that just allow the engine to slump down between the 2 of them, or will, when fully trimmed out right, and the H beam, engine mounts meet up to those on the actual engine too! That is key here. Getting the newly made mounts to meet the engine mounts, on the engine block, and then the other trick, getting it sit right, remember the real things sit NOT level but downward pointing to the rear differential! -I think its a 15 degree decline if I remember correctly!
Anyway, I got them "rough" trimmed, till they're solid in-place, I then got the scrap materials from my bench, that was used to make the angle plate braces, one on the INSIDE of each of the mounts, and then UNDER the mount that each got a angle plate for "support". NOW normally, I go the other way and stick the vertical mounted angle plates on TOP of the engine mount H beam. BUT this time, I had to put them under the mounts!

Roughly trimmed and fit pretty good! 

I tested the position of them up and down to make sure, one they held the engine "level side-to-side. and then kept the engine at a location that the air cleaner could be put on the carburetor, and NOT effect the closing of the hood! -And easy adjustment while the glue is still not fully dry, as it allows you to "move" as needed in small increments! -No large relocation should be needed at this point if ya done your math and test fitting right.
In my last picture those vertical angle brackets are in place, having the area all be bright white doesn't allow it to show up very well when the flash of the camera goes off!

Inside the engine compartment.... Looks pretty good! But by God, that engine bay, and those inner fender wells look so empty!!!! I'll cure that problem as the build progresses (Specially once the engine is in-place!) LOL
Thats it for now, more will follow as things progress!!!! My next detail is the rear brake lines!!!!
As always, comments welcome, Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

So workin' on this I sat the frame aside long enough to get some primer on the body..... I wanted to see just what needed work, and what was OK. the body is in fact NOT in to bad of shape!



The above 2 pictures show some notations written in them, a few small issues need addressed but I think a good wet sanding between coats will remedy the issues on both rear top passenger compartments!

Trunk is in GREAT shape too. NICE and smooth and flat!

Front not tin to bad of shape either. I WILL however look closer when I am getting ready to add some flat colored primer to it. So it will show a little better with some real color on it,. but for now it doesn't look bad! -I'm surprised!
More to come right after these short messages..... Stay tuned! As always comments welcome! Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

So, I sat the body aside to dry a little better BEFORE it gets a good look-over for trouble areas (if any) as I only noticed those 2 so far..... SO, I went right to getting the stuff on the frame painted that I added, the new engine mounts!


They both turned out pretty good..... They match up to the engine and they allow it sit low enough for a dual snorkel air cleaner so...... I'm happy with them!
NOW, as you all know, I hacked the kit supplied suspension out from under it (IF thats what you wanna call that jumbled mess they put in it for a front suspension) I looked through my spare parts, for something, ANYTHING had to be better then what this frame had on it for front suspension! I did in fact find a "K" cross-member, and lower A-Arms, that look to have come off a '70 Dodge Coronet Super Bee, OR the '68 Plymouth Roadrunner..... As these parts from MPC were exactly the same.... SO, I checked ALL of my '70 Super Bee kits to make sure none was missing this in them! And in fact, it is an "extra" I got from someone! (Don't ask, I have no idea where it came from, BUT being a "new" part and all my NEW kits having this part in the box, who knows at this point!


That first pic is some bright! WOW a lot of white in that pic for the part plus the flash.... BUT after hacking the frame a bit to get it in-place and test fitting EVERYTHING including the engine, I got it all to fit and look half-ways decent! -Now it has to sit for a bit to harden up and make all 4 glue joint solid!

Let it set for awhile (couple hours) and then got right to painting it to match the frame! -Added a few "highlights to the detail on it too, the tie-rod ends paint semi-gloss black as the the steering parts and spindle pivots were painted in my custom mixed "cast iron color to stand out a touch.... I then let it dry did a bit of surfing on here to see what everyone was up to and had to say long enough to go back and begin to add the front stabilizer bar......

Let it all set for a bit too to cure and keep from moving after being located to the mounting places of it, I went right back to painting it! The 2 center mounts got painted flat black, and the rod parts themselves got painted semi-gloss black.....

Not to shabby.. I am pleased with the looks!


I like it! Not the best it could be, BUT a LOT better then what it was! I'm pleased with it at this point! Thats it for now, more to come as I get things done on it!!!! Comments welcome, Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

Well how about some more? I had out that I needed parts for A/C belts with Power Steering, & a Alternator.... I got some, (I'll be needing more), so.... BUT, I found in my research on the police cars, Specially Mopar versions all had some sort of A/C in them (Figured!) BUT one I got, was a used pat. Not in bad shape, not at all, BUT this one, didn't have Power Steering on it. SO, I sat out to make it have "Power Steering" -It was a matter of just adding an a other belt to it! BUT that also meant that I had to remove the factory crank pulley to make the lowest pulley big enough to hand all the belts on it, and this also allowed me to better fit it to the engine it was going onto (Wasn't made to fit the engine I'm going to be putting it on!) SO, having said that I went to my parts bin to see what I had for a "glue Bomb" part that was either in poor shape, or even broken! (As long as the Power Steering pulley and belts were good, it be GREAT, and to that I needed a different crank pulley.... So I found a good crank pulley belt part that was pretty much broken apart, some parts of the "belts" were lost, so, was a good candidate for to save the pulley and use it here for the crank pulley. I cut off all the left over pieces to that pulley and sat it aside. It wasn't to difficult to do (making it round was the most difficult part of it!) Then got to cutting the crank pulley off the belt & pulley details I got with the A/C pulley and A/C compressor on it. That way I could get right to getting the Power Steering Pump belts and pulley in-place! -The Power Steering pulley, and belts, needed some work!

The crank pulley on this belt detail was in need of just EVERYTHING! The thing wasn't no where near like a pulley or showed to be, let alone how it was molded, it didn't show the belt detail well at all, BUT with a little Dremel work that soon changed!

I had this angle plastic to trim out from the crank pulley on this one, due to the Alternator belts being "across" it, which was molded solid, not showing any of that area of the belt, as you can seem I trimmed that "angle" bit out, to show the shape of the pulley more!

That white belt part all trimmed out (it did happen to break on me while I was doing this, but a little glue to the belts where they broke and some time to sit went a long ways! Here in the last pic, you see the NEW Power Steering pulleys and belts beside the one used A/C belt detail. As well as the Power Steering Pump I will be using (One of my molded Resin details!) In the above picture, the Crank pulley is still original to the part! I had not cut it out from the A/C belt detail as of this picture!

NOW thats better! Not the best, but it doesn't look bad at all.. The NEW crank pulley in-place, and then had the Power Steering pulley and belts glued to it, and all sat to dry!

Here I've pointed out each "area" pulley, and what its too.....

Seen here I drilled out the Cam/Water Pump Pulley.... this will have a section of plastic rod slipped though it, from the engine! THEN the fan will slip onto it it afterwards and that part will be done! BUT this sub-assembly will wait to go onto the engine LAST! I have a BUNCH of detail to add to the engine before this is placed on the engine to stay!
I had noticed on the Power Steering belts and pulleys that the crank pulley on that wasn't the greatest, I've mentioned this, SO I took and used that left over "crank pulley" as a Harmonic Balancer!!!! This makes the belts fit the front of the engine way better and looks really good too!

Belt details upside down.... Just to show the back side of it!
Thanks for looking, comments welcome, More to come after these brief messages!

[426-Hemi]

For those following along, so the belts are ready, BUT I had said about that plastic rod in the water pump part of the engine, I had to get it in-place. In the pictures of the belts that showed the engine, the plastic rod was merely for positioning purposes. It wasn't glued in to stay!

NOW its glued in, positioned where it needs to be and looks pretty good as far as position goes with belts on it! -I'll also mention here, the Police Interceptors, all had the "California Smog" equipment on them! SO that bendable pip coming off the exhaust manifold is part of that! It leads to the air cleaner!

Other side, showing a little different engine detail!

Front of engine, everything looks really good!!!! I'm pleased!
Stay tuned, more to follow!

[426-Hemi]

So then all the work above had to sit for a bit to dry, before I could go any further on it, I sat it aside and picked up the frame to see where I needed to begin on it from getting the front suspension done!
I looked and my next detail to go on the frame is the Rear Brake Lines! I looked and seen I had to make a small Brake Line mount that goes on the end of the hard "fitted" brake line. This is where the Hose and fittings would be, to go to the rear end "cross" brake line!
So I made the part from a piece of scrap H beam that really little. I cut the ends on an angle, and removed one flange from it..... Then drilled a small hole in the center of it for the brake line to fit through it.
Made, and glued in-place:




In-place, it had to be glued and left to sit overnight, as this part is really small, BUT the glue joint had to be solid as I have to use it to make the Brake Line fit the rest of the frame! SO, I want to make sure there is no chance its going to come loose while I'm doing that! I first took the Dremel and removed a little paint that was where it needed to be, so that the glue gets to the frame's plastic, as well as the H column Brake Line mount. Once glued, that was it. I sat the whole frame aside to dry. 
This is it for now everyone, more to come as progress is made! Comments welcome, ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

So moving right along on the frame detail, I got that Rear Brake Line mount painted and ready for use to make the brake line to fit the frame!

Not to shabby! Painted, it shows up nicely! -Now you can really see it! In the pictures where it was white, it was almost impossible to see it, as the flash made the "white" glow, whether the frame paint being removed exposing the white frame plastic, as well as the unpainted Evergreen Styrenen "H" beam being unpainted made it all sort of glow and blend together, SO here you can really see it well!


SO, the mount is painted in-place and ready for the Brake Line to be formed from that point..... I got most of it done as it was pretty easy to do with a good starting point, in this case, like the fuel line, I started from the back and worked my way to the front. (Normally in other models, I work front to back). 
You can see the "copper" wire in the air as its being held up by the Rear Brake Line Mount, that has to have some wire pulled out from it due to it sliding into the mount further, BUT was a good time I get pics of the wire before it gets painted, installed and has the hangers on it!


Showing how the brake line is curved down to the mount, adjustment of it, is pretty easy, push int further, if needed ,or pull out from the mount if needed, THIS is the easy part, HOWEVER, once painted, the line forward will be silver, AFTER the "mount" that same line will have to be painted either flat black or "rubber" to represent hose, under the rear differential. 
So I took the wire clipped it in a tight alligator clip to be painted steel, and hung on my magnetic took holder for drying (the steel silver takes a bit longer to dry.....) More to follow, Stay tuned! Thanks for looking, comments welcome, ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

So, while the rear brake line was drying after being painted, I got to looking at the frame some more to see what I needed to make or fit or simply put, add detail to it.. And remembered that I had cut out the front stabilizer Torsion bars! The ones the cars frame came with WITH where those things? WOW. SO, go digging in my scrap pile (I have a bin for longer lengths of stuff like this) BUT, didn't have any "rod" laying on the bench as I TRY to use up as much scraps on the bench as I can and not keep adding to it, (Its an ongoing challenge, to use up as much little scrap as possible!) SO, I had to pull out some fresh lengths of the rod for these torsion bars! They're just a bit to long to use the short lengths up I have on the bench! SO....

Fit tight just tight enough that the glue will soften them on either end to make a good solid join, when in-place, as the front of them hasn't got a lot to mount too. SO, care will be taken and glued to the frame in the back first! Then to the front suspension! The black rings, are detail to show the mounts on either end, and is merely wire insulation that just slips over the styrene rod!

In-place but unpainted! This looks a BUNCH better then what was originally on this frame! I'm pleased with how it looks!

In-place and painted Semi-Gloss Black! Now they're starting to "fit in" to the build! Nice, compared to what I had cut out and had I let it all "factory" this is much better looking then what was offered in kit-stock form!
I then sat the frame down for a short time to allow to dry, to check out the other stuff I had done prior to this to see if the paint was dry, so that I could attempt adding all those details too! Its to follow, Stay tuned, Thanks for looking, comments welcome, ~ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well to add a little more into this build, I got the frame in the back about done, The rear differential has its cross brake line and the fittings into the rear hubs, as well as the fittings for them and the wheels & tires are on it, Sitting drying right now! (I'll have pics of this bit, later today/this evening) SO, while the frame was sitting aside, I picked up the engine to see what it needed and well, I know the police interceptors were a little "odd" Mopar engine blue, engine, and a high performance air cleaner (I THINK they did this to easily depict, the engine type for the car it was to go into..... Makes sense if thats why to me but more-so then not, the "police" orders didn't care what the engine looked like as long as it served its purpose, well. SO, Having said that, I had to go and find an air cleaner! As the one that came with the car just wasn't anything to look like a dual snorkel air cleaner! I pull out my parts organizer bin and all I got left was a chrome dual snorkel air cleaner so it took a bath in over cleaner, to remove the chrome to be painted Mopar Engine High-Performance Orange. BUT I got to looking at it once the chrome was removed, and seen there was some needed details, 2 small hoses from the "bulge" caps on each snorkel that runs under the air cleaner, and then with that, the ends of the snorkels were not "open".... WELL, ole John had to remedy that........ 

I could have done it with my Dremel, BUT the mill does this with ease. SO, it went for a ride on the X-Y table of the mill!

Yeah that looks really good! Right after this was done and any "cleaning" (was very little needing cleaned up) the air cleaner was "stuck" to the end of one of my paint sticks and got a nice coat of that Mopar Engine High-Performance Orange!!!! Its currently drying right now, as it was drying, I took and went on to pull the parts out to do the Distributor, and wires and got that all assembled and the top part of the distributor painted Tan.... It too is setting and drying..... Later this evening, or tonight, I'll have more pics of progress made to this little bit of work, for all to see, 
For those following along, thanks for following along, and as always comments welcome, ~Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

Well as I had mentioned in my last short update, that pics of what I gotten done the past 2 days was laggin' behind that I'd have pics of it tonight so. here they come!!!!!
I got the rear differential detailed (as best as I was willing to go without doing a lot of butchering on the frame.) There were some factory things done to the model I just was not willing to try and correct even tho I KNOW Had I not started building this kit already before I was as confident as I am now, I didn't realize then just how far off the details were.... SO, I got the brake line across the rear differential, and got fittings on it just before it goes into the rear axle hubs for the drum brakes! Then I got the wheels and tires on the model in the back. So far, this all looks pretty good!

I have a little touch up to do, but not a lot, but some.... That will be done when the front of the car has its wheels on it so I can do any of that frame touch-up all at once!

You can see a little of that brake line running across the rear-end just below the pumpkin, (actually above if the car was right-side-up)
Not to bad! You can see the fuel line fitting in the tank real good in this shot, as well as all the lines running to the front of the frame for the engine compartment. -ONE of the things that really irk me on this frame is how they molded the shocks to the rear suspension, they're nothing but "lumps" really, and sadly, I wasn't willing to try to make amends to this, as it would have required the engine exhaust to be cut out of the frame possibly ruining the work I had already done, AND making things a bit more interesting to replace, as its so close the frame as well as the fuel tank, and then to remove the pipe, I'd have to leave the Muffler, as well as the cat, due to the way the frames made, would have left holes or long channels in the frame work to them figure out how to amend too.... It irks me yes, BUT I'm just not willing to start over, I'm to far into the build so I'll have to live with that discrepancy in the shock detail as changing that would require a lot of other changes in order to make that one right, more work then I'm willing to get into on this build!
Stay tuned, MORE to follow!

[426-Hemi]

So as that all sat just as I had said, I went to pick up the engine to see what it was needing and where I could start on it for detailing it a bit more. WELL. Being a Police Interceptor, it had to have all the California Emissions BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH on it, so. without going to wondering how to make it something told me to look in my parts organizer bins, as I recall I had something, WASN'T sure what that "something" was at first, but then, I remembered while thumbing through the loose parts (most the parts are zip-lock bagged), with small baggies to keep all the same "type" parts together that way I could select the part type then select the part best suited for whatever build I'm doing (YEAH I have that much!) So, while browsing through, I seen this part that I THINK came off the '71 Dodge Charger R/T kit that went onto the drivers side manifold that lead up to the air cleaner (I can't not remember what the hell thats called BUT, its part of the emissions equipment....Its a heat shroud of some sort, so, I too kit and made it fit my application.... 

It had a small pipe like thing going off the top of it to the air cleaner that I cut off, as it would not have fit this engine! SO, having said that, you can look back on the build and see I had a small wire type thing coming out of the exhaust manifold, THIS part of mine? Was made from REAL Guitar string! I merely took the plastic kit part I had and made it fit around the guitar strong part that I made.... Once all was together and looked good, I glued in the plastic part, and then did a little "filling" around the pipe I made and the shroud I fitted with Krazy Glue and baking soda, and took and rubbed it with a small section of scotchbrite, and painted it gloss black....
I sat it aside and went right to making the distributor, and plug wire sub-assemble....

I turn the "clear" part myself on my Unimat lathe, and then drill the bottom end for a 1/16th diameter rod of styrene, as the distributor stem, and then glue the 2 pieces together. (I have a few of these made-up, modular style ready to go when I need them!) I then take and find whatever plug wire I'm gonna use, (mostly 30 gauge wire), I take and cut it to length of 4 inches long, 4 pieces, then take each piece and bend it in half, make each piece have a 2 inch lead. I do this 4 times.... THEN I cut another section of the same wire, 2 and a 1/4th inch long, and make a "hook" on the end of it to loop all the 4 pieces in the hood at their center, and then take the hook and twist it around all 4 pieces centered in the hooked piece, NOT 100% as tight as you can get it but tight enough that it holds all 4 pieces but allows you to then take that hooked piece, and spin it around the 4 pieces so that its like a slightly longer "center" wire (this wire would be for the coil wire!) Then take I took a really small flat washer, and thread all the 9 wires through it, and then pull it down to the "knot" thats going to stop it, and once its there, TEST fitted into the distributor detail BEFORE gluing as a little adjustment might be required, so that you get a snug fit, not to loose not to tight, and that you can get the washer to fit FLAT onto the clear turning, its good to glue in-place with CA and then set long enough for its first coat of paint, in this case, the distributor is being painted that famous Mopar Distributor Tan, and the base of that (recess in the clear turning) will be semi-gloss black, and the distributor stem will be shiny silver (almost chrome looking, and then be looked at for touch up painting, and when dry, glued into the engine where the "B" engines would go, on an angle! (I've already drilled the block for this detail, when I had drilled the heads for the plug wires!
Thats it for now, more to come as I get things done! Comments welcome! Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

Well for those following along, got a little further on this build.... I got the belts and pulley detail all done to have all 3, Power Steering, A/C and a Alternator. And then needed all painted for such, from the work that was done to it....


In these pics everything is "painted" for basic color, BUT there is some added detail painting, as well as a few small touch-ups needing done! -I have yet to add the Power Steering Pump to it, as thats not something I had molded as I had first thought, I had to dig through some "glue bomb parts to see what I had, if anything! _I had found something for that part, BUT it had to take a bath in oven-cleaner to remove the chrome on it, as it wasn't something I'd put in a police car "Chrome"..... It'll be painted gloss black when its time comes! BUT I too have yet to drill holes into the front "casing" of it for the power steering lines and fittings!!!! (YEAH, as you'll see me adding those!!!!)
So I had sat the belts aside to dry, to just pick up the engine those will be goin' on!
I got to drilling the holes in the engines heads for the plug wires, the distributor, and BOTH heater hoses from the water pump!

Heater hoses go in first, as they're sort of difficult to get to once the distributor is in place!

Notice captions! The Alternator got is copper winding paint detail added, as well as pointing out the heater hoses!

Distributor, painted and in-place. Whats left is to direct all the plug wires correctly from REAL fire order paper work....
Thats it for now, More will come as more is being done (I had to take a short break from the model building to get some things "in the shop" done for mailing)
For those following, Thanks! Comments welcome, ~ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well its been awhile since I've posted an update on this build, I have been busy in the shop molding parts and cleaning up what was left from y last molding session so.... This was sitting & waiting till I was able! SO, in that time, I got only a little done (that time of year with different household mendings to be done as well!) 
SO, having said all that, I got the plug wires "tamed" a little (BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH is that plug wire I used difficult to work with! I tell you, I got it, and tried it on a a "Engine Christmas Bulb" last year to "try it" and well I SAID Then I'd never use it on a model car, BUT totally forgot what one it was, and so, picked it up on this model and BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH it LOL that memory came back! (YES guys, I take some of my out-casted resin parts, and sit them aside for other interesting projects, like representing family members with their "favorite" Mopar engine.... I have 4 total so far, (EVERY YEAR I make 2, one to represent me, and one to represent a family member, and finish it just before its hung on the tree! 
ANYWAY, back to the model here. This wire however, was a PITA to make look "lay" naturally, as it would on a real engine BUT once you have it, it doesn't look bad at all its getting it there, you know? BUT, it does in the end look good! So, off to taming this wild plug wire!

I use thin cuts of heat shrink tubing when I don't have true wire looms and to me they look just as good! BUT once each wire gets loomed with the next one, I add "plug boots" to the ends just before the wire is placed into the head.... Once in the head, the wire is messaged to look to lay naturally, and then held in-place, and a small (And I REALLY DO MEAN "small" drop of super glue placed at the location it goes into the head, and then that plug boot is slipped up to the head and the super glue holds it all in place! A little time has to be taken between EACH plug wire here, due to the PITA wire I used....

The other side.... This is the hardest to tame.... as its longer and have to "roll" around the corner of the engine block! UNDER the exhaust manifold no less! Also seen here is the 2 BIG "hoses" coming off the front of the engine. Yep those are the heater hoses! They too have "looms" to hold them together so that I cam made a silver wire hold-down for the inner fender!
Now, something I'm gonna mention here, that is well, something I been pondering..... The engines carburetor, I'm not sure I'm 100% happy with it. By what I have read, Mopar Police Cars, were ordered with the choice of a BIG Carter, or a Rochester carburetor, I got a Rochester pictured here, BUT I'm not sure I like this particular one! One, its a bit to low-profile..... And 2, the air cleaner will not sit on it right. I have to make up a mount for it to sit right....
And this I THINK is where Stace pointed out that the Distributor looked "big"....... And hes got a good eye, as I don't think its the Distributor thats the issue, (The angle of picture didn't help it, BUT that carburetor is awful low to the intake, throwing off the whole "look" of the engine.
NOW, using that air cleaner I milled the snorkels out to be "open" I test fitted it to the engine.....

WITHOUT a modified mount to the carburetor, it will NOT sit right.... Plus, the air cleaner is so low, that the bottom of the snorkels almost "sit" on the valve covers!!!

This is the one that gets me! The carburetor is so low, that the air cleaner sits so low that the snorkels almost sit on the valve covers.... PLUS, the real detail that caught my eye, look at the California Emissions tube going from the exhaust manifold to the bottom of the air cleaner snorkel? (Now I KNOW that the air cleaner isn't sitting "level"), ain't no way it can till I figure out how it mount to the carburetor, BUT, its not that far off either! MAYBE 3/32" MAYBE.... BUT, that Cali Emissions tube has to mount in the CENTER of that Snorkel meaning I have to drill a hole in the bottom of the snorkel for it to fit right.... EVEN SO, it it be to far up inside the snorkel for when I do and still it sit to low.... SO, I'm not sure that Carburetor is gonna remain on this engine! -I'm just NOT happy with it!
Stay tuned, more to come as I get things done!!! (Some changes I believe are gonna be made too!) -ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well it sure has been a bit since I worked on this model since my last update on it.... A lot going on around the house takes up valuable bench time!!!!
Anyway, with my last posting, I had mentioned that I was NOT happy with that carburetor that was on the engine. It sat to low for the air cleaner to fit right.... SO, I spoke of removing it, and thats just what I went and did! I took that carburetor off, and got a pic of that removed.

I then took and cleaned up the place the old one was glued, to get a nice flat surface to place a new carburetor. NOW however, what was I gonna use? I had to go and dig through my parts organizers, to see what I had. As I just wasn't sure what I had to fit this engine for what it is!
SO, I dug and I dug, (I have several little packages of all different carburetor "types" to choose from), but something HAD to fit this build....
Then It hit me, like a ton of bricks.... I went to the "Glue Bomb" organizer to see what may have been floating around in there.... And then I seen just what I thought would do the trick! Was nicely chromed, a bit "taller" in height, and just looked the part, sadly, I only had one of them so..... NO mistakes can be made (and for choosing & mounting a carburetor, what would it take to keep from ruining it? I mean, really....
So, I cleaned the chrome off the bottom of it, fitted it without glue, and it looked GREAT, SO, on to glue it in place all nice shiny chrome it went!

The VERY FIRST thing I did? AFTER it was glued in-place? DULLCOTE the chrome. wanted that "Aluminum" look.... In this picture, you'll see some added "extra" detail, not to the carburetor, but in and around it.... -I got the PCV valve in the valve cover seen in white, with a hose leading to it. This was pretty simple to do, (Fitting the wire to make it look like a PCV valve was a little interesting, without scratching the blue paint, but I managed getting it in there pretty well! -You'll notice here, there is NO Throttle Linkage................yet! BUT, plenty of space to work for adding it in time!

This shot shows the fuel line with filter. this part was re-used from the old carburetor! I just drilled accordingly to fit, and in-place it went, and followed by a little touch up paint to the line itself (painted silver copper wire). -I ALSO went to adding in the Valve cover breather as well. This is a painted gloss black aluminum turning off my lathe. Drilled to have a hose go to it from the air cleaner that in real life would complete the PCV system. Sadly, I'm still gritting my teeth, as this part is painted.... GRRR, its made of ALUMINUM! Normally, I polish the aluminum parts for "show" BUT, I had the Unimat set up as the Milling Machine, and did not want to reset it as the Lathe, because of up coming things I'm going to be making with it.... SO instead of turning a plastic part to be painted gloss black, I used a not the greatest aluminum turning I had, and simply bit my lip and painted it.... This right here is why I keep telling my wife, I NEED a second Unimat! LOL One set up as the Lathe, and one set up as a Mill, ALL THE TIME never transformed again! -Heres to wishful thinkin'!!!


Either side from the back of the block, to show a little depth and detail from another angle!
Thats it for now! The next update will be of the air cleaner being fitted and all the little stuff that has yet to be added! As always, comments welcome, Thanks for looking, ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well for a while not getting any updates a few are due..... In my last posting update, I went and replaced that carburetor, and thats in-place and going to stay put (it fits, looks good, and sets the air cleaner quite nicely!) SO, I then refocused my attention to detail (DETAILS, ME? OH you BET!) LOL
I seen I had not added a oil-dip-stick.... WELL to the wire stash I went to see what I had that best fit the size (diameter) and look. I have a small coil of this wire thats got a green insulation, that takes paint nicely, BUT the key to it? Is the wire! The wire in it, is silver, like bare metal, requiring NO paint! AND have a little shine to it..... So, I begin, by stripping a short section of insulation off of it, and then setting that insulation aside (it can be used on other wire later for fittings, or boots, you name it, Green, yes, takes paint well, yes, so it can be used and then painted! Anyway....

Showing the Dip-Stick entrance, and how it goes up and around the engine mount (barely seen) but it does.... You can see the "silver" grab at the front corner of the valve cover.
THEN I sat the engine down in a way that it turned enough that at a glance I also noticed I had not yet added a automatic transmission dip-stick either!!!! -WELL, while I had that wire out, why not add it too!? SO same thing, different use, & location.... Painted differently too! As per the prototype! And in-place it went!

Looks pretty good on the side! 
So an over-all pic?

Not to shabby!
Pointed out for those who aren't sure....

Thats it for now! More to come as things happen and get done! As always comments welcome, ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well it sure has been awhile since I've worked on this one! Its been out on my bench while working on my shops remodel and a little at a time, I'm pounding through. whether that be on the shop remodel, OR on the slow moving model building....
So last time, I left off with this:

I had added both the oil and transmission Dip-Sticks, and had a little wire still "hanging" off the engine, that one single wire is the coil wire! The 2 larger "wires" are the heater hoses from the water pump! -The heater hoses will hang till the engine is in the frame permanently. As they will run into the passenger-side of the cars firewall!

BUT I had to look, as you all know in this build I been changing things as I go (Don't I always!?) SO having said that, being an MPC kit, there was NOTHING to represent a "coil" so I sat out to make one! These from me? Are made of Billet Aluminum, I turn them on my Lathe, to look as tho the "wrap mount" is there, and then just make a plastic piece painted "aluminum" flat behind it, to look the part of the mount. I then don't have to BMF or paint that "wrap" as it goes around the coil! BUT do have to paint the mount plate. In this case, there will NOT be a "plate"......... There simply is not enough space to add it, NOR would it even be seen when all said and done with. this motor is CRAMMED with detail! I mean holy Detail Batman! -I have to check every little piece as I go there is that much of it to make sure it all FITS! Once the coil however is made, the painting required is only to signify the make. if its factory? Gloss Black, if its a MSD its Gloss Red, and if it be a Mallory it be Gloss Red.... In this case? Its stock OEM Dodge, so its gloss black! -If you look closely to my last pic, its literally STUFFED in-behind the Distributor! Getting it in there was a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH fun challenge in itself!

Starting to take shape! I'll be glad when this engine goes in the frame, I gotta say! I'm really looking forwards to finishing up up yet one more model! Its coming, slowly!

A little better shot of the coil....  CRAMMED right in there let me tell ya!
Anyway, stay tuned! More to follow, right after these short messages! As always comments welcome, ~Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

Well right back at it. I had to cough up a good air cleaner (I think I had mentioned before) BUT I had one left of the dual snorkel OEM factory Dodge air cleaners, done some detail work to it with the Milling Machine, and then got some of that Hi-Po Orange on it, and then got to looking at it to see if there was ANY detail I could add.... AFTER it was "fitted" to the carburetor....... that took a little to get it right! -But I managed to get to sit right. BUT looking at it, it sure could use something "more" compared to the only one picture I have of a 440 Interceptor!

For the life of me, I know that MOST OEM air cleaners have them, but I can not say or tell you what those little black hoses do or are for..... I THINK they're part of the PCV system, OR part of the California Emissions BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH.... All I KNOW is most times, I was removing it, and not putting it back on! The FIRST time I have EVER added it, is seen right here, right now! On a model! LOL

Showing a slightly different angle of the 2 little black hoses!

And again, another shot. Detail-wise, the air cleaner is done! I can't think of any other detail it would need or have! BUT, does ANYONE know if there was a "pie-Tin decal on the Interceptor air cleaners? Depicting the engines size or carburetion? I can't say yes or no to that one, as I simply don't know! (I'm gonna take a WILD guess here and say no. they were as plain and simply as can be, they weren't built for looks, they were built to perform and do their job..... SO, anyway, does anyone truly know?
Thanks for looking, More to come as progress happens. Comments welcome ~Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

So, As I'm getting wound up right back into this build. MORE progress to add! (A few "steps" closer to the finish line!!!!)
ANYWAY, Now that the Carburetor is in-place, and I'm happy with it, and the wires have been "tamed" and the coil stuffed in-place, and all that, I got to looking at the engine and what it was still "lacking". -that being said, throttle linkage! SO, I got right to it..... Took some scrap wire that was on the bench and silver, and began to bend it to look like the the linkage from the throttle cable mount. Added a throttle cable return spring and its mount. Seen here:

Nothing is painted yet, nor "fitted" its merely setting drying the glue, in-place.... The more difficult part will be "fitting" it.... I have to make the cable end look the part, and fitted into the firewall! HOWEVER, This model just HAS to be difficult for such things! The firewall is attached to the front of the interior tub! -Not to the back of the inner fender wells as some of the prior builds I've done! SO I'll have to fit the engine with the interior sitting in-place! BUT getting the firewall onto the front of the interior tub had to be done (its setting drying right now as I glued it), and then let it set about an hour while I was working on something that I'll be mentioning in my next posting. BUT, sanded the bottom lip of the firewall smooth where it meets the bottom of the car interior tub! Then wiped it clean of any sanding dust, got a good shot of flat black to match the rest of the under frame, let that dry and hit with Dullcote! That is drying as this is being typed out!
Stay tuned more to follow! As always comments welcome, ENJOY!