1969 Dodge Charger Convertable

[Joe Handley]

Well, just thought this would be interesting to build and that the MPC  General Lee Snap-It kit would be a good starting point. I ordered up one of Missing Link's Coronet convertable boot and started cutting!

 

To start, here's that boot, quick shipping on it too, thanks Missing Link!

And now the victim, bought a several back in 2015 since I liked the kit and wasn't sure how long it would be available after Warner Brother's pulled stopped the DoH licensing.

And here was the first cut with some masking tape used to protect the plastic while cutting.

And here it is, topless and cleaned up some with my cordless Dremel.

And here it is with the Missing Link boot, considering it's a part engineered for a 50 year old Coronet kit, it fits this recently tooled snap kit Charger frighteningly well, it even lines up with the C-Pillar butress footprint like it was made to!

And now it is pieced together for now with the kit glass cut down to fit, but may use the windshield and vent windows  from the same Revell '68 Charger kit I swiped the Magnum 500 wheel faces from, although I have contemplated a set of Recall wheels......being phantom build and all.

Now one thing I won't do, however, it reangle the windshield since the phantom 1/1 builds are build off Coronets or Satillites, which used the winshield and vent windows  from the sedans and taller with less rake, just looks off with the Charger's lines, as seen below.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Joe Handley

[rickcaps55]

That's cool looking I'm from Chicago there is a guy from around my area I'm by O'Hare area who has a 69 that was converted about 10 years ago his is in the copper color with white in side and strip it was done at a local shop they did a great job on it and it's a big hit at all the local car shows it should have been a production car it would have been a hit back in the 60,s. can't wait to see your project finished.

[Joe Handley]

11 minutes ago, rickcaps55 said:

That's cool looking I'm from Chicago there is a guy from around my area I'm by O'Hare area who has a 69 that was converted about 10 years ago his is in the copper color with white in side and strip it was done at a local shop they did a great job on it and it's a big hit at all the local car shows it should have been a production car it would have been a hit back in the 60,s. can't wait to see your project finished.

I'm out in West Chicago (near the DuPage Airport) and have somehow never seen that car!  I'll have to keep an eye out for it now, hope it makes it out this direction.

[Modlbldr]

That looks good. I thought about doing this myself a while back but never got around to it. I may need to get ahold of Missing Link. I'll be watching.

Later-

[rickcaps55]

2 hours ago, Joe Handley said:

I'm out in West Chicago (near the DuPage Airport) and have somehow never seen that car!  I'll have to keep an eye out for it now, hope it makes it out this direction.

Hi I'm just east of Park Ridge normaly right around the end of April I see it driving around and it shows up at the local small shows I bring my 67 Mustang out about then and show it at some of the shows it's a Resto mod and in 2013 at a show in Niles Gene Windfield  sigend the underside of the hood for me.

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, Modlbldr said:

That looks good. I thought about doing this myself a while back but never got around to it. I may need to get ahold of Missing Link. I'll be watching.

Later-

Thanks! Not sure how it will be on the Revell and reworked MPC/AMT glue kits, but a Dremel is very useful on the buttresses that make up the C-Pillars on this MPC kit. Had to grind those as close to the quarters and daisey panels as I could before getting them to where they are now, as seen in the last two pics in the first post. Also found there will need to be some heat reshaping of the daisey panel since it wants to ramp up instead of lay flat, again, not sure if that will be an issue with the Revell Chargers, or even the reworked MPC/AMT glue kits. Been thinking about adding door handles and mirrors from either the Revell kit or from an aftermarket source to this build too. Still may look for the Recall Wheels, especially after seeing how good they look on that red 1/1 I posted the pic of.

1 hour ago, rickcaps55 said:

Hi I'm just east of Park Ridge normaly right around the end of April I see it driving around and it shows up at the local small shows I bring my 67 Mustang out about then and show it at some of the shows it's a Resto mod and in 2013 at a show in Niles Gene Windfield  sigend the underside of the hood for me.

I'll have to keep an eye out for both if I go to any shows this season, between Mom and work, there hasn't been much time for that, but now that I don't work Sundays, it'll be easier. Do you ever go to Wheaton or Lombard for their cruise nights?

[Modlbldr]

9 hours ago, Joe Handley said:

Thanks! Not sure how it will be on the Revell and reworked MPC/AMT glue kits, but a Dremel is very useful on the buttresses that make up the C-Pillars on this MPC kit. Had to grind those as close to the quarters and daisey panels as I could before getting them to where they are now, as seen in the last two pics in the first post. Also found there will need to be some heat reshaping of the daisey panel since it wants to ramp up instead of lay flat, again, not sure if that will be an issue with the Revell Chargers, or even the reworked MPC/AMT glue kits.

I understand that reshaping and grinding. I built a 70 1/2 Camaro convertible years ago and the rear panel had a definite ramp up to it. I never thought of heating it and reshaping. Spent a long time sanding that panel to get it to look better.

http://

I'll be watching and gaining ideas.

Later-

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, Modlbldr said:

I understand that reshaping and grinding. I built a 70 1/2 Camaro convertible years ago and the rear panel had a definite ramp up to it. I never thought of heating it and reshaping. Spent a long time sanding that panel to get it to look better.

http://

I'll be watching and gaining ideas.

Later-

I figured a little heating would work best with how much that daisey panel sticks up in relation to the quarters.

[Tommy124]

Nice idea! Good to see your Dremel managed to do the cutting work. I am currently in the process of finishing my build of this very same MPC snap kit, and it has the thickest plastic I have ever seen in a kit! 

[Bob Ellis]

13 hours ago, Modlbldr said:

I understand that reshaping and grinding. I built a 70 1/2 Camaro convertible years ago and the rear panel had a definite ramp up to it. I never thought of heating it and reshaping. Spent a long time sanding that panel to get it to look better.

http://

I'll be watching and gaining ideas.

Later-

National Coach Engineering converted these Camaro convertibles and other cars too. These since gone out of business.

[Modlbldr]

10 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

National Coach Engineering converted these Camaro convertibles and other cars too. These since gone out of business.

Interesting. I never knew anyone did the Camaro. I'll have to look it up.

Later-

[Joe Handley]

Moved the daisey panel using scalding hot water. Also have started modding the interior tub to imitate a top frames around the back seat and ordered the Recall Wheels from Kris at MAD Modeling for it too.

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Joe Handley

[Joe Handley]

On 2/25/2019 at 8:46 AM, Tommy124 said:

Nice idea! Good to see your Dremel managed to do the cutting work. I am currently in the process of finishing my build of this very same MPC snap kit, and it has the thickest plastic I have ever seen in a kit! 

I figure that with these kits being a snap kit intended for the kids and grand kids of those of us that grew up with the show, they probably designed them to be a bit sturdier than the original kits or a more traditional model would be.

[gearhedjon]

Not sure if you have the kit, but would any parts from the 69 GTX convertible be useful for your conversion?

[Joe Handley]

4 hours ago, gearhedjon said:

Not sure if you have the kit, but would any parts from the 69 GTX convertible be useful for your conversion?

It would if I had one or was able to get one easily, but only thing I would really need was the  that I couldn't get from the Revell Charger kits would be the top boot that appears to be a resin copy from the original issue of the MPC '69 Coronet Convertible.   I have thought about the Fireball  "Late 60's Dodge" door handles to replace the not so great molded on the door handles and the Revell kit ones have a portion of the sprue is attached in a less than great spot in comparison. Not sure what I want to do for the side markers, the as molded in ones really aren't much better than the also molded in door handles.

[Joe Handley]

Forgot to post a pic last night, filled the antenna and pushbar holes as well as started modding the back seat for where the top structure folds into.

 

[Joe Handley]

Having discovered the GTX Convertible is coming back to market, I ordered one to see how they have the back seat area mapped out  for where the top and it's well wraps around the back seat, then Dad is going to try and build it for the model club's end of year project, "Convertibles", while this Charger and one of the Prowler Concept Car Snap-It reissues made info a "Highboy" (basically, fenderless) is what I'm going to try and finish.  Still waiting on the Recall Wheels, for some reason the USPS chose to route them through Chareston, SC on their trip from Michigan to Northern Illinois

[Tommy124]

Just curious, did you test-fit yet the underfloor part into the body already? On my build I couldn't believe how much material of the underfloor part I had to cut off to make it fit more or less into the body. And that body is very stubborn with its thick plastic, as you will well know... 

[Joe Handley]

13 minutes ago, Tommy124 said:

Just curious, did you test-fit yet the underfloor part into the body already? On my build I couldn't believe how much material of the underfloor part I had to cut off to make it fit more or less into the body. And that body is very stubborn with its thick plastic, as you will well know... 

Yes, multiple times, it was a struggle to put together and may trim the chassis a bit so I don't hurt what ever I use for paint.

[Joe Handley]

Got the Recall Wheels in for the Charger.

Still got to fill in the quarters where the rear butresses were before I started hacking things apart.

[Tommy124]

Looks good but it seems like the rear left wheel is somewhat damaged/ broken on the outside...? 

[Joe Handley]

3 hours ago, Tommy124 said:

Looks good but it seems like the rear left wheel is somewhat damaged/ broken on the outside...? 

That one got crunched in transit, think it happened in a mail processing machine or something. Not only does the wheel look somewhat curbed, but the baggie they were in 's face had it imprinted in the plastic and and was even embossed into the paper invoice in 3-4 spots  These also took 2 weeks to get instead of 5 days since they went Charleston, SC for a weekend the disappeared for a few days before getting to the Chicago Distribution hub and on out here to the 'Burbs

Kris is replacing it, even though the damage was done when the USPS had it, so I ordered a second set of Recalls and a couple Finned Hudson heads from him  as well.  I have a rather blasphemous idea that's going to require 2 more of those Snap-It Chargers from that stash I bought in '15 to build this idea.

[Joe Handley]

Finally got around to doing more work on this car today, filled the holes left by the C-Pillars by chopping a couple wedges out of the roof and trimming them to fit.

Also ordered up some of the smaller Redline tires from AMT a while back, seemed to go well with the whole build.

 

[ewetwo]

This is so cool. 

[High octane]

Interesting build so far.