Questions on kit bashing AMT's 74 Plymouth GTX

[shoopdog]

Hey guys, working on the AMT Plymouth GTX and am using the 71 Charger chassis, engine and dash. My question is should I use the interior tub from the GTX kit or will the built up interior from the Charger kit work?  If anyone here has done this conversion could you shed some light on how you went about it? This is a first for me so any advice would be appreciated.

Heres a pic of the GTX KIT.........

 

[Mark]

I'd think about reworking the Charger parts.  The '74 Plymouth has an old style "bucket" interior, door panel detail is unchanged from '71.  On top of that, the issue pictured has the dashboard from the '78 Monaco cop car, totally wrong for the '74... 

[tim boyd]

Keith,,,,this is a project near and dear to my heart as I owned a real one, a factory ordered '74 RR with the E58 360 hi-po.  I still hope to build a 1/25th scale replica someday.  

My advice is to try and find the most recent reissues of the '74 RR kit, because as Mark points out the issue above  uses an incorrect post-1974 B-Body chassis (with incorrect single exhaust) and interior instrument panel.  (To the best of my knowledge It also does not have the correct '73/'74 RR body graphics (even though they are illustrated on the box art)).  The last two releases of the MPC '74 $$ added back the correct 1974 chassis and interior parts and a more correct set of bodyside graphics.  Between the two (the Dukes of Hazzard Daisy Duke kit and the metal box version with the Lucerne Blue Metallic/White Stripe illustration), the latter has the most complete and correct decal sheet.   

I do think the AMT-Ertl '71 chassis and driveline are the way to go.  If the 400 or 440 Wedge is not the engine you want to use, you can get a reasonable facsimile of the '74 RR E58 360 small block in the AMT-Ertl '71 Duster 340 kit, which has just been reissued.  I showed the conversion in my Mopar "Muscle V8's" story in the other mag a few years back.  Be aware that most '74 E58s had an orange air cleaner (along the Mopar Blue engine paint), but a few (my 1/1 included) had gloss black air cleaners instead. 

As for the interior, the '74 RR kit is a must to get the correct front and rear seat upholstery sew style.  Might be easiest to use these seats in the '71 Charger interior setup, and kitbash the doors to a more accurate facsimile of the real 1974 RR.  

Good luck with the project!  TIM

[shoopdog]

2 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Good luck with the project!  TIM

Thanks Tim. I will be using the 440 that came with my 71 Charger ( the Dirty Donny edition ) and most likely will order some decals from Keith Marks. I'm planning on cutting the rear seat inserts out of the 74 and replacing the inserts in the 71 interior and using the buckets from the 74. Definitely will be an on and off again project. Thanks for your help, greatly appreciated!

[Pat Minarick]

Not at home to get a picture, but I cut the Chargers inner fender, cowl , a pillars and part of the roof all out in one piece.  Then trimmed the Road Runner body for it all to fit . The interior and chassis pan fit real good . The front suspension of the Charger is not correct but it will work . The 73-4 had a separate torsion bar mount , mounted on rubber biscuits behind the tranny mount. And the K frame is mounted on big rubber mounts.  But it is still a hundred times better than the old chassis.

[shoopdog]

On January 1, 2019 at 9:16 PM, Pat Minarick said:

Not at home to get a picture, but I cut the Chargers inner fender, cowl , a pillars and part of the roof all out in one piece.  Then trimmed the Road Runner body for it all to fit . The interior and chassis pan fit real good . The front suspension of the Charger is not correct but it will work . The 73-4 had a separate torsion bar mount , mounted on rubber biscuits behind the tranny mount. And the K frame is mounted on big rubber mounts.  But it is still a hundred times better than the old chassis.

Hey Pat, did you use the GTX interior tub or did you use the Charger interior with the separate door panels?

[Pat Minarick]

5 hours ago, shoopdog said:

Hey Pat, did you use the GTX interior tub or did you use the Charger interior with the separate door panels?

Sorry  fogot about taking a picture. The Charger interior will fit with a little sanding . I was planning on making new ones. The Road Runner interior bucket will still fit too. The shape of the rear quarter window  looks a little off to me it is to straight up and down. I started on this when the Charger kit first came out. Was going to build a replica of my high school car.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Pat Minarick

[Pat Minarick]

Took some quick pictures.

[shoopdog]

On January 5, 2019 at 12:39 AM, Pat Minarick said:

Took some quick pictures.

Wow, your doing some serious work there! Is this finished or a WIP? Thanks for posting up your pics.

[Pat Minarick]

26 minutes ago, shoopdog said:

Wow, your doing some serious work there! Is this finished or a WIP? Thanks for posting up your pics.

This is as far as I got with it. 

[Bainford]

Nice body work mash-up. Thanks for showing your method here. I'm going to try the 74 Road Runner/Charger kitbash some day. Did you use the forward part of the Charger roof because it (or the windscreen) has better shape than the Road Runner parts, or was this simply the most straight forward way ahead?

[Pat Minarick]

3 hours ago, Bainford said:

Nice body work mash-up. Thanks for showing your method here. I'm going to try the 74 Road Runner/Charger kitbash some day. Did you use the forward part of the Charger roof because it (or the windscreen) has better shape than the Road Runner parts, or was this simply the most straight forward way ahead?

 Thanks. It makes the a pillars look better by being inside of the door and fenders instead of on top of then . The window trim  and window shield are better on the Charger and it just makes it stronger. 

[Deathgoblin]

Great job splicing!    I'm gonna have to try that.  

[shoopdog]

5 hours ago, Deathgoblin said:

Great job splicing!    I'm gonna have to try that.  

I agree but it's way above my skill level! LOL

[Deathgoblin]

Probably mine too. 

[MrObsessive]

Great bodywork Pat! Just the thing I like to see!

Makes it tricky though if I tried that to do opening doors.

Good observation about the quarter window. I have this kit, but it's been so long since I looked at it I hadn't paid that any attention. I do remember getting an extra '71 Charger as I had in mind to kitbash those two also one of these days.

[Pat Minarick]

19 minutes ago, MrObsessive said:

Great bodywork Pat! Just the thing I like to see!

Makes it tricky though if I tried that to do opening doors.

Good observation about the quarter window. I have this kit, but it's been so long since I looked at it I hadn't paid that any attention. I do remember getting an extra '71 Charger as I had in mind to kitbash those two also one of these days.

Thanks . I want to finish this one day , but I will probably use a tan Road  Runner body instead of the orange one. I owned my 73  (340 triple black)for almost 15 years .There are a few more things I'll change to make the body look better.

[tim boyd]

On 1/9/2019 at 12:41 AM, Pat Minarick said:

Thanks . I want to finish this one day , but I will probably use a tan Road  Runner body instead of the orange one. I owned my 73  (340 triple black)for almost 15 years .There are a few more things I'll change to make the body look better.

Pat....great idea on the cowl/top swap.   I'm adding your idea to my future build file for my '74  E58 360. 

Here's a picture of mine.  Fellow former Model Cars writer Bill Coulter also had a black '74; both his and mine were ordered new.  I kept mine for 16 years/140,00 miles (until the body disintegrated); Bill kept his off the roads in winter and sold it about a decade ago in pristine original condition.  

A few months after taking delivery in early spring, 1974....  

 

Summer, 1977....after adding BF Goodrich T/A tires and complimentary wheels as my prize for 2nd Nationwide in the 1976 MPC National Model Car Championship, along with other added factory parts like the rocker moldings, luggage rack, lowered front end (bless those T=Bar adjusting bolts), etc.  

 

The window sticker....with the "sold car" line at the bottom, instructing the dealership that this car was a specific customer order....

 

So long live '73/'74 Road Runners in black!    Glad to know you are a charter member of the club....Cheers Pat...TIM . 

 

Edited January 13, 2019 by tim boyd

[shoopdog]

Great looking Road Runner you had there!

[Pat Minarick]

7 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Pat....great idea on the cowl/top swap.   I'm adding your idea to my future build file for my '74  E58 360. 

Here's a picture of mine.  Fellow former Model Cars writer Bill Coulter also had a black '74; both his and mine were ordered new.  I kept mine for 16 years/140,00 miles (until the body disintegrated); Bill kept his off the roads in winter and sold it about a decade ago in pristine original condition.  

A few months after taking delivery in early spring, 1974.... 

 

Summer, 1977....after adding BF Goodrich T/A tires and complimentary wheels as my prize for 2nd Nationwide in the 1976 MPC National Model Car Championship, along with other added factory parts like the rocker moldings, luggage rack, lowered front end (bless those T=Bar adjusting bolts), etc.  

 

The window sticker....with the "sold car" line at the bottom, instructing the dealership that this car was a specific customer order....

 

So long live '73/'74 Road Runners in black!    Glad to know you are a charter member of the club....Cheers Pat...TIM . 

 

Wish I had other pictures of mine . Mine was triple black with the weird vyinal top and pinstripes.  It had the running Road Runner decals on the quarters under the vyinal top .  Not sure if someone added them or not . It was a Road Runner just with no stripes.  Ya I had the torsion bars loosened up the k frame was about an inch and a half of the ground and the front leaf spring hangers were flipped to get the rear down about three more inches

[tim boyd]

8 hours ago, Pat Minarick said:

Wish I had other pictures of mine . Mine was triple black with the weird vinyl top and pinstripes.  It had the running Road Runner decals on the quarters under the vyinal top .  Not sure if someone added them or not . It was a Road Runner just with no stripes.  Ya I had the torsion bars loosened up the k frame was about an inch and a half of the ground and the front leaf spring hangers were flipped to get the rear down about three more inches

Pat...my strong recollection is that the '73-'74 Road Runner graphic and letters on the upper rear quarter panels were used alone anytime the side and roof stripes were deleted, or superceded by a vinyl rool application.   So without seeing your car in person, I'd say they were factory applied. 

I was going to guess that maybe your car was a Satellite Sebring Plus (owing to your mention of pinstripes) with a prior owner adding the Road Runner logo, but you said yours was 340 powered, and the 340/360 E58 powertrains were restricted to just the Road Runner; N/A on the Sebring/Sebring Plus.  So I still think the RR graphics and lettering on yours they were factory applied. 

Your stance adjustments sound pretty darn cool, too!.     TIM 

Edited January 13, 2019 by tim boyd

[Pat Minarick]

7 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Pat...my strong recollection is that the '73-'74 Road Runner graphic and letters on the upper rear quarter panels were used alone anytime the side and roof stripes were deleted, or superceded by a vinyl rool application.   So without seeing your car in person, I'd say they were factory applied. 

I was going to guess that maybe your car was a Satellite Sebring Plus (owing to your mention of pinstripes) with a prior owner adding the Road Runner logo, but you said yours was 340 powered, and the 340/360 E58 powertrains were restricted to just the Road Runner; N/A on the Sebring/Sebring Plus.  So I still think the RR graphics and lettering on yours they were factory applied. 

Your stance adjustments sound pretty darn cool, too!.     TIM 

I know it was a real Road Runner. I just thought the placement of the decal was odd. It still  had all the original Road Runner parts  blacked out grill and taillights , horn interior emblems, exhaust tips , fixed quarter windows , sway bars ,hood ...  The original 340 was gone , but I did one in it my senior year of high school. It sat low , always hitting and the driveshaft hitting the tunnel with people in the back. Had alot of fun with it .

[tim boyd]

12 minutes ago, Pat Minarick said:

I know it was a real Road Runner. I just thought the placement of the decal was odd. It still  had all the original Road Runner parts  blacked out grill and taillights , horn interior emblems, exhaust tips , fixed quarter windows , sway bars ,hood ...  The original 340 was gone , but I did one in it my senior year of high school. It sat low , always hitting and the driveshaft hitting the tunnel with people in the back. Had alot of fun with it .

Making me smile....yours sure had all the right pieces for a "Road Bird" as I called mine.  Speaking of those fixed rear quarter windows (which mine had also), I was surprised to learn years later that, had I ordered the power windows option, it would have added opening rear quarter windows.  Since I had avoided ordering A/C (due to cost, complexity, and added weight) I needed all the interior ventilation possible, and having those rear windows open would have been a big improvement (you'll note I ordered the upper level interior vent strato ventilation, which turned out to be totally worthless when it came to getting cool, fresh air into the upper interior on those hot Michgan summers)....but I digress.    TIM  

[Pat Minarick]

 

2 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Making me smile....yours sure had all the right pieces for a "Road Bird" as I called mine.  Speaking of those fixed rear quarter windows (which mine had also), I was surprised to learn years later that, had I ordered the power windows option, it would have added opening rear quarter windows.  Since I had avoided ordering A/C (due to cost, complexity, and added weight) I needed all the interior ventilation possible, and having those rear windows open would have been a big improvement (you'll note I ordered the upper level interior vent strato ventilation, which turned out to be totally worthless when it came to getting cool, fresh air into the upper interior on those hot Michgan summers)....but I digress.    TIM  

Some day I would like to get another one. It seems like life just keeps getting in the way . I did get another one about 15 years ago it was a 73  street basin blue , white stripe and black interior. Ended up getting married and sold it , should of kept the car. For now I'm trying to put my old Dodge pickup on the road , but as always life gets in the way finding a new job after 28 years at the same place. This one not getting away ?

[shoopdog]

I have my inner fenders cut out of the 71 Charger body. My plan is to get it painted body color and get it glued to the chassis instead of glueing it directly to the GTX body. I also have the console cut out of the GTX interior tub and the Charger door panels trimmed down.

Edited January 15, 2019 by shoopdog