coupe guy Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 I have 2 1969 Dodge Super Bee (by Revell I think) built up models from ebay, one of these is a project car. I notice that on both, the hoods don't close completely. The hood scoops are different on each, but the opening in the hood looks the same. That opening seems to be a bit too small front to back, and is the same on both cars. There is a feature on the engine, around the chrome air cleaner (if you have one of these you know what I mean, I think its an air seal on the real car) that seems to be preventing hood closure. Are these supposed to be displayed with the hood open, doesn't seem right....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Bonnets were made of fibreglass and were lift-off design / function . There are no conventional hinges to be found ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe guy Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share Posted January 17, 2020 Thanks for that reply. Yes, I understand that the hoods were lift off. But these don't fit down onto the body at all due to the interference described in my original post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Interference between model components is not uncommon, and a hood that doesn't fit well due to interference with the induction system is perhaps one of the more common fit issues. The close fit of these parts on the 1:1 car mean that on a scale model they will be practically touching. Because the engine is installed in the chassis and the hood is part of the body, the relationship between the body, the interior bucket, and the chassis determines the fit between the hood and the engine, and that relationship has a lot of wiggle room. Throw in some variables such as the cleanliness and diligence of the work by the original builder, tolerance stack of the various components, and the difficulties of scaling thick plastic parts to represent thin metal ones, and interference issues will be common. Good model building is about finding and correcting these fit issues during the build process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Brian Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 I seem to remember having to sand the top of the carbs down a bit to get my hood to fit correctly. With the giant air cleaner installed you can barely see them anyway so you wont miss a 32nd or so off the top. You could also try shortening the motor mounts a hair but you have to be careful because you can only go so much before the oil pan hits the crossmember and starts to hang distractingly low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 2 hours ago, coupe guy said: Thanks for that reply. Yes, I understand that the hoods were lift off. But these don't fit down onto the body at all due to the interference described in my original post. I just noticed how snarky my reply was , which was not my intent . Please accept my apologies . I haven't built one of those classic 1969 1/2 Super Bee kits in close to 30 years . If I remember correctly , the earlier iterations of this kit ( the c.1983 original issue ) didn't have the fitment issues . Like any kit that's been run virtually non-stop since its inception , warping , "core-shift" , flash , etc. , change the fitment of previously good-fitting parts . I agree with Brian's advice : shave the (under-detailed blob) carburetors until the huge air cleaner clears the hood's scoop "seat" . I can't help but wonder if Fireball's incredible , finitely-detailed carburetors , would help avert fitment issues ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plowboy Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 I built one way back when I was a teenager. Had the same issue. I left the breather loose so I could remove it to put the hood hood on and place it back on with the hood off. With the hood on, you can't see that the breather isn't there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 9 hours ago, Fat Brian said: I seem to remember having to sand the top of the carbs down a bit to get my hood to fit correctly +1, this is a common hair-pulling issue in model cars, and a real peeve of many. I ran into the same issue with that very kit, and carefully filing the bottom and top surfaces of the carb(s) to a perfectly flat surface, as well as truing up the top of the intake a bit did the trick for me. It underscores the basic need to dry-fit before committing to glue! You may need to sand a bit on the breather, that area that's interfering with the hood represents a rubber seal that in real life touches the hood to guide cool air in from the scoops instead of hot air from under the hood. The fit should be close, but not tall enough to hold your hood open as you've found. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Just caught that these are already built, so so much for dry fitting! I'd carefully pry off the breather top and/or carb, separate the pieces and start sanding. You might dry a Dremel or other motor tool to thin the backside of the breather as well. Take your time, it can work just fine; the hood WILL close! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Also, it could have been a slight mis-step made by the original builder. A lot of variables could be present. Even down to the way the engine block halves mate up. I've had a raised ridge show up that wouldn't let the intake manifold sit down flush, creating a taller profile under the hood. If that happens, I file the block down until the intake fits good. I've also had to work on motor mounts that had little ridges, or small amounts of flash that wouldn't let the engine sit as low as it should. These possibilities could be present in these previously built 'Bees. Probably not worth tearing the model down completely, especially if you can remedy the problem by filing the carbs and/or air cleaner. Let us know how it works out. Edited January 18, 2020 by Bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe guy Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 Thanks for all replies, gives me some options to think about. Back to the work bench! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalform Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 On 1/17/2020 at 9:50 AM, Fat Brian said: I seem to remember having to sand the top of the carbs down a bit to get my hood to fit correctly. With the giant air cleaner installed you can barely see them anyway so you wont miss a 32nd or so off the top. You could also try shortening the motor mounts a hair but you have to be careful because you can only go so much before the oil pan hits the crossmember and starts to hang distractingly low. Yes sir. Every one of these I built, sanding the carbs on the top, remove the mold line under the carbs, and touch up the mounting pad on the intake where the carbs attach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 It's almost as if the styrene swells up after it comes out of the molds!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 That's a good looking kit when finished, one of Monogram's best IMHO, but it will test your patience. I seem to remember having to fiddle quite a bit getting the wheels centered in their respective openings, both front and rear, and needing to adjust ride height as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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