Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Has anyone built this kit? If so, would they be kind enough to post some pics? I’m looking into one, if I can get it for a fair price, and would like to upgrade the engine, suspension, and chassis. Otherwise everything else would remain stock. Anyone have any input on what chassis, and engine would be a good candidate for this build? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SfanGoch Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 The chassis from the Lindberg '64 Plymouth/Dodge kits are excellent replacements for the Johan part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 I did build one, but I used the chassis from the kit, with a few mods. Not nearly a great job, as I turned it into a tubbed pro-street type! (Don't know what I was thinkin'!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Would the AMT '57 300 parts work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBcritter Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Not really; the '57 was body-on-frame and the '62 was unibody. You could use the centers of the '57 wheelcovers but the outer part is different; you'd need to somehow add the 14 slots around the perimeter that were added for cooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Okay, got it. I have another '62 300 in the stash for later on. I'll keep this in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 A friend of mine gave me his tiny collection of unbuilt and "started" (painted) kits ; and among them was the USA Oldies release of the '62 Chrysler 300 hardtop . All that he did to it was paint the body in Testors Gloss White , and parts of the interior in flat red . The engine is partially-assembled , painted in Testors Sky Blue . It's 100% complete and is not a gluebomb . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 I'd concentrate on the interior more than the chassis or engine. Several of the USA Oldies kits had upholstery pattern detail from later years. The Chrysler is one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 7 minutes ago, Mark said: I'd concentrate on the interior more than the chassis or engine. Several of the USA Oldies kits had upholstery pattern detail from later years. The Chrysler is one of them. I think the Johan interiors are as bad as the chassis. They are too shallow and sometimes didn't even have trans tunnels. Johan test drivers had very short legs. There is work that can be done to lower the floor to add some realism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plowboy Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 I started building one. But, couldn't get past the interior. It's terribly shallow and not worth the effort to fix it. So, I canned it. I wouldn't pay more than the price of a new kit for one. I didn't and still felt like I paid too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Keep in mind, the USA oldies version of the 62 300 has a 65 300 interior tub in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 1 hour ago, Plowboy said: I started building one. But, couldn't get past the interior. It's terribly shallow and not worth the effort to fix it. So, I canned it. I wouldn't pay more than the price of a new kit for one. I didn't and still felt like I paid too much. I’ve always loved the body lines on this car, and the headlights, etc. I can live with the way the interior is. From the few JoHans I’ve seen, the interiors all seem too shallow. Maybe if I buy it, I’ll just go to town on the body, and it will make a nice display model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 34 minutes ago, gtx6970 said: Keep in mind, the USA oldies version of the 62 300 has a 65 300 interior tub in it So is getting a correct tub going to be next to impossible to find? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 24 minutes ago, gtx6970 said: Keep in mind, the USA oldies version of the 62 300 has a 65 300 interior tub in it Correct. If you're worried about correcting the interior, you will be starting from scratch, except for the dash and steering wheel. Only the original issue versions of this kit had the correct '62 interior. I built the original issue convertible version with the correct interior some time back. They are still typical Johan, but at least they are the right configuration. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 2 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said: Correct. If you're worried about correcting the interior, you will be starting from scratch, except for the dash and steering wheel. Only the original issue versions of this kit had the correct '62 interior. I built the original issue convertible version with the correct interior some time back. They are still typical Johan, but at least they are the right configuration. Steve Looks stunning. A convertible would have to have the interior correct. No way to avoid looking at it. But for a hard top, as long as the dash and steering wheel are right, I can live with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Brutalform said: So is getting a correct tub going to be next to impossible to find? Tough. Yes. Impossible. No. Ive bought trashed / customized builtups just for the interior. I think i have 2 maybe 3 correct interiors stashed away. Last one i bought cost me maybe $25 give or take. I put the later tub in it and resold the builtup kit for cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 4 minutes ago, gtx6970 said: Tough. Yes. Impossible. No. Ive bought trashed / customized builtups just for the interior. I think i have 2 maybe 3 correct interiors stashed away. Last one i bought cost me maybe $25 give or take. I put the later tub in it and resold the builtup kit for cheap. Yea, Bill, I’m not too worried about the interior, but I could change my mind. Especially if a resin caster had that 413 cross ram manifold available. Then I’d probably want the correct interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 3 minutes ago, Brutalform said: But for a hard top, as long as the dash and steering wheel are right, I can live with that. Absolutely! Under no circumstance would I let the incorrect interior stop me from building it. I have 2 or 3 of the USA Oldies '62 300s. and I won't let it stop me. Although it might be a fun challenge to try to basically scratch build one. The '62 300 interior is not particularly fancy. Just basic pleated seats and fairly simple door panels. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Brutalform said: Especially if a resin caster had that 413 cross ram manifold available. Then I’d probably want the correct interior. Ah, but then you need to be aware that there are no recorded examples of a '62 Chrysler 300 ever being built with the cross ram intake. I researched this fairly extensively when I built my convertible........But it still got one anyway! Steve Edited August 5, 2019 by StevenGuthmiller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 5 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said: Ah, but then you need to be aware that there are no recorded examples of a '62 Chrysler 300 ever being built with the cross ram intake. I researched this fairly extensively when I built my convertible........But it still got one anyway! Steve I did a quick search, and from what I found I can go with a 383, or the 413. Where did you find the manifold Steve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 (edited) 49 minutes ago, Brutalform said: I did a quick search, and from what I found I can go with a 383, or the 413. Where did you find the manifold Steve? The "Long Ram" manifold came as a custom option on every Johan Chrysler 300 annual kit produced all the way up to and including 1968. Of course the '62 USA Oldies kit did not, but coincidentally, the inline dual quad was correct for '62 anyway. The Long Ram intake went away after 1961, made a return in '63 and '64 and then disappeared after that. I researched and found that there were no '62 Chrysler 300s ever recorded to have been equipped with the long ram intake, although it seems that it was available in '62. So I decided that my '62 vert would be that "unicorn". My manifold came with the model. Steve Edited August 5, 2019 by StevenGuthmiller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 (edited) Steve, can we see the rest of your '62 300? Your work is always the best.. The last time I had one of these kits, was sometime back in early 80's. It's been a long time. I seem to remember that car had the 300H markings on the trunk, but really represented a non-letter car in other details. Am I remembering that correctly? I can't remember why I thought the kit did not correctly represent a true letter car? Maybe it was the interior that tipped me into thinking that. I'd love to see photos of what came in the USA Oldies kit. Especially the interior and dashboard. Edited August 5, 2019 by unclescott58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 8 hours ago, Brutalform said: Yea, Bill, I’m not too worried about the interior, but I could change my mind. Especially if a resin caster had that 413 cross ram manifold available. Then I’d probably want the correct interior. I might have a spare long ram intake setup. If i do....its yours if you want it Will ck tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 1 hour ago, unclescott58 said: Steve, can we see the rest of your '62 300? Your work is always the best.. The last time I had one of these kits, was sometime back in early 80's. It's been a long time. I seem to remember that car had the 300H markings on the trunk, but really represented a non-letter car in other details. Am I remembering that correctly? I can't remember why I thought the kit did not correctly represent a true letter car? Maybe it was the interior that tipped me into thinking that. I'd love to see photos of what came in the USA Oldies kit. Especially the interior and dashboard. I'm not an expert on what represented a letter car either. I know that the interior in the USA Oldies kit was actually from a '65 300 promo and the wheel covers were never correct for a 300. As far as I know, there is nothing else in the Johan kit that would make me think that it is not a letter car. My convertible had the original '62 interior and I used the custom wheels from the AMT '58 Impala kit, which strangely enough are fair representations of '62 300 wheel covers. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 2 hours ago, gtx6970 said: I might have a spare long ram intake setup. If i do....its yours if you want it Will ck tonight Thanks Bill, I might take you up on that, all depending on which route I want to go. I don’t even have the kit yet, but fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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