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Dual 68 Chargers - a new build and a restoration


Kmb0319

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The Revell 68 Charger kit is an awesome model of one of my top 2-3 all time favorite cars, but it has NOT been good to me.  Before I really got back into building in early 2015, I dabbled once.  Back in 2008 or so, our older son was in 4th grade, and was asking a few car questions.  I thought he'd like it if I built a couple models for his room.  I bought 2.. the Revell 68 Charger and a 69 Camaro.  I didn't know anything then about polishing out paint or extra detailing, just painted as best as I could and assembled.  The Camaro went together beautifully... The Charger, not so much.  I couldn't get the body and chassis to fit together for anything, and the front end sat so high it looked like a tractor.  I gave up and threw it in the trash.

So, in 2015, I started building NASCAR cars when I started back into the hobby.  After building several, I wanted to build a street car again, and my first attempt was that same Charger kit.  I fought it like crazy... in the end, I got it built, but I had a TON of problems with it, and my final results were far less than I had hoped.  I had wanted it black, but I didn't want a black interior.  I ended up with tan, which wasn't a satisfying choice.  Partially because I had one tan paint, a very "blah" shade, and I painted the whole interior with it.  Partially because I used a dark brown for the carpet that was too earthy and dull.  The whole thing just looked sad, and while I like the combo overall, black with tan interior wasn't a popular choice in the 60s.  Then there was my paint job... I tried like crazy to polish it out, but it was that Rustoleum paint for plastic, and it just didn't want to smooth out nicely.  I cleared, polished my brains out, but it wasn't good... not bad, just not good.  Finally, I had a million assembly problems, broke some pieces, and ended up with the same stance issue as before and the body/chassis not wanting to come together.  After breaking things a half dozen times, I finally got the body and chassis together, broke off the mounting points on the front end and raised them, then finished it up.  I posted it on another board under the title "My Dream Car Hates Me" for all the issues I'd had both times.

So for Christmas, my sister got me a model.  She got me the Dominic's 70 Charger.  I don't build street machines.. I build everything stock except for maybe wheels.  So, I took it for exchange, and decided that I'd take one last shot... I got another Revell 68.  This one HAS to come out well.. I've built it twice already.  At the same time, I kept looking at the black one, and feeling like it could be better.  So... let's do both!  It'll be a Charger family!

Here's the previous build I tore apart:

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I tore things apart, and dropped the body and engine compartment pieces into some brake fluid.  For the interior, I grabbed two other brown colors to bring it to life.  The seats remained the same tan, but I used a military brown for the dash, steering wheel, upper and lower door panels and seat inserts, then used leather brown for the carpet and package shelf.  Overall, much better.  I also touched up a few spots.  Not quite done, but I like it a heck of a lot better than I did.  (sorry, don't have a before pic)

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The chassis is what it is at this point.  There were so many issues when I was building it, that everything ended up fused with super glue.  I MIGHT try to get this engine out, as it was before I wired anything, and wire both of the engines in the new kit.  But if not, I can live with it.  I used the dog dish caps on this one originally, but I think I'm going to use the dog dishes on the new build, so then this one will need the Magnums.  As for color on the redo, I looked a lot, and decided on Testors One Coat Bronze with the tan interior.  I think I'm going to put a black vinyl top on this one, but not 100% yet.

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Then, for the new build, I used Tamiya Light Blue Metallic for the body.  Got the body painted, wet-sanded and compounded and painted up the chassis.  I assembled the front suspension first, as that caused me so many problems on the others.  If I can make sure the body and frame properly meet when it's together, the stance will be perfect.

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As for my interior, it will be the subtle two-tone blue.  I painted it with a two Duplicolor paints; light blue metallic and Acapulco blue.  I like the look, but the light blue metallic is too light...almost silver.  So, I'll probably use Testors Bahama blue as the base seat and mid-door color.

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A little too much contrast to me.  So, I'll try again and repost.  In the end, since I love these cars, I hope to have two with different features, but both good representations.  I plan to use the white stripes on the blue and the black stripes on the Bronze.  More to come...

 

Edited by Kmb0319
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New update:  masked off and repainted the door panel centers and seats with Testors Nassau Blue.... much better to me.  This has more blue color than the Duplicolor silver- blue I had used, but still contrasts nicely with the top and bottoms of the door panels.  

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I detailed a little, but not all to get a good idea of the look....  I'll touch up and finish.  Also, the blue I have for the carpet, which is on the bottom strip of these panels, is a gloss color.  I'll mask off and hit that with dullcote, as shine isn't a good mix for carpet.  Now, I think the interior is more cohesive.

I also laid the body stripes on both cars.  I bought some .01 brass wire that I thought I could use for the trim at the base of the vinyl top for the bronze car, but it's far too tiny and I can't get it to stay in place to start laying it.  I'm either going to try a larger gauge or chicken out and not do the vinyl top at all before I mess up the paint trying.  Not sure yet.

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I really like the color choices here.

But just as an fyi, there is no carpet on the lower sides of the doors on a 1/1 1968 Charger

Good catch and thank you for the info.  I literally have a picture of a door panel saved on my computer and still got it wrong.  ?  So instead of dullcote, I'll be shooting that darker blue on that bottom strip!

 

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OK, a little new progress.....  I corrected the lower door panel per Bill's input (thanks again!), and then started on engines.  I'm a little uncertain here...  My original thought was put the Hemi in the new kit, as I've got the 440 in the other one, and the contrast of the orange engine would be better than more blue, but there are more details to the 440.  And, the Hemi is a race version... so I'm still debating.  I started building both, and hopefully it will come to me.  I have a wired distributor waiting for whichever engine I pick.

Interior mock-up thus far

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Which one shall I pick? (Still lots of detail painting to do, just a "so far" shot)

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In the meantime, since I got the stripes on, I clear-coated.  I LOVE Mr. Hobby clear... and this one may be my favorite.  Last visit to the hobby shop, instead of the taller can of "Gloss Clear," they had the regular sized can that said "Clear Topcoat."  I really love the finish I got from this stuff:

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There's a smudge on the rear fender of the bronze body, but it was just a passing piece of dust... fell right off.  

I put the windshields back into the bronze car.  It will get fully cleaned up and reassembled.  The blue one, as my new build, will get some extra stuff like seatbelts, extra wiring, etc.  Of course, today I learned a new thing:  I put all of the disassembled pieces of the bronze car into  box.  I haven't messed with it much, as the body and parts I had to paint bronze were kept out of that box.  Today, I pulled the box out...  I am missing 1 windshield wiper, 1 quarter window, 1 door handle, and 1 exhaust tip.  How that happened, I have NO idea.  I guess I'll be emailing Revell.

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On the missing parts, sometimes the interior folded walls of the box will catch very small parts. If you haven't already checked that might be possible. I'll have to check out that Clear paint, your paint finishes are very nice and shinny.

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Well, I got a little more work done tonight... some good, some not so much.  The bad:  I reinstalled the firewall in the bronze car, and then, since I had everything else in place (other than my missing vent window and rearview mirror), I wanted to get a mockup of it with the Magnum 500s and Polyglas GTs.  Well, the old problems cropped back up... I got the body and chassis to snap together, and in doing so, the passenger seat broke loose.  I thought that was it... but when I took the body and chassis apart again, it broke off the dashboard, the left door panel, and the heater box.  I swear this model hates me.

On the positive side, working with the new kit, I got a few things accomplished, and they came out nicely.  Painted my firewall:

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My console, other than having to put some dullcote over the "carpet" on the sides:

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And, last but not least, my dash, which I'm very happy with...

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If I can get this thing to fit together, I'll be very happy with the build.  I can tell that Bronzie is itching for a fight.....  she'll get it.  But first, sleep.....  G'night, all.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The adventures of Bronzie and Bluebell continue.  I've made some progress over the last couple weeks, mostly with the Bronze rebuild, as I've not received the replacement steering column for the blue car yet.  Anyway, the problems with the bronze car did give me a benefit...  when everything broke again, I went ahead and tried to get the 440 out, and was able to.  So, I wired the hemi in the new kit and put in the bronze car, and then detailed up the new 440 for the blue one, so at least they will both have wired engines.

The spare parts I needed for the bronze car also arrived, so once I got the engine in, I could move into putting it back together.  

With her new engine installed, just lacking an air cleaner

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Now, both builds of this thing have cause major problems... this model hates me.  Along with things not fitting back together properly, my glue suddenly decided to call me problems.  When I re-glued the front suspension attaching the hemi, I had the car sitting upside down.  After letting everything dry, I flipped it over to find big drops of glue dried on either side of the front fenders.  I'll probably make an antenna to hide the right one, but sheesh.....

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As of today, I got wheels and tires back on, using the Magnums for this car.  Other than wipers, door handles and a few other little bits, she's rebuilt.  Not perfect, but at least better than the black version.  Next post on this will be under glass:

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Meanwhile, over to blue.  I wired up the 440... there will be a couple additional hoses added.

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And, I painted the inserts in the seats.  I will do extra details on this one, so I'll work on seatbelts next.  Then, when I get the replacement steering column, I can put it all together.  

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So one is pretty much done, the next one will be coming together soon.

 

 

Edited by Kmb0319
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NICE job! PERFECT gold one gets the Elephant! THATS awesome!!!!

Thanks!  I'm glad I was able to get the motor out to make the switch to the Hemi.  I've made more progress on the blue  one... it's coming out phenomenal, and I'm happy that in the end, they have contrasting engines.

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Thanks!  I'm glad I was able to get the motor out to make the switch to the Hemi.  I've made more progress on the blue  one... it's coming out phenomenal, and I'm happy that in the end, they have contrasting engines.

Yepper contrasting engines, but GAWD that Gold Charger looks good with an hidden Elephant under its hood!!!! The Blue one however isn't bad either, looks GREAT too, I just "favor" the looks of the gold charger is all! The Blue one tho is fitting with a 440 in it..... -Just to have 2 of the same car built 2 different ways!

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OK, final post for this.  After getting the 440 together and wired for the blue car, I installed it and added a few extra details: some carb vacuum hoses, a hose from the master cylinder and I used some .01 brass wire to make the brake line squiggle also coming from the master cylinder.

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Then I added seatbelts and got my interior together

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Then moved into final assembly.  I used the larger Polyglas GTs at all 4 corners this time... just liked that look here.  On the rear wheels, I added a thin disc brake from another kit to the wheelback and then super glued them to the end of the axle, as I felt like I wanted to push the wheels out a little.  They can sit a little too far inside the fenders to me, and I wanted to give this one a little more aggressive stance.  I am still going to put a little wash on the hubcaps and paint the dodge symbol, but other than that, I'm done.  I will take some pics of the two together and post under glass tomorrow, but since I threw a couple of "Bronzie" up, here's one shot of "Blue Bell."  Third time was the charm...  I think I finally got this kit right, and it may be my best result ever.  

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