MPC PEPSI CHEVELLE

[gks1964]

I have a question about this kit, is the chassis and engine bay correct for this car? My intent is to use this kit to build Earnhardt's 1976 Army car and detail it's engine and engine bay.

Any and all help with pic's, drawings, opinions or any other help!

Thanks for your help!

Gerald 

[afx]

I would look here for that information.

http://www.randyayersmodeling.com/modelingforum/

[yellowsportwagon]

1 hour ago, gks1964 said:

I have a question about this kit, is the chassis and engine bay correct for this car? My intent is to use this kit to build Earnhardt's 1976 Army car and detail it's engine and engine bay.

Any and all help with pic's, drawings, opinions or any other help!

Thanks for your help!

Gerald 

No the chassis is completely wrong. And it’s a pain to get it to look right. The best chassis for this body is the one from an AMT 90s TBird. It needs to be stretched about 1/16 inch in the wheelbase. The rear wheelhouses need to be sanded to fit this body too. And the top of the roll cage needs to be rebuilt to fit this roofline. It’s pretty easy to do. This chassis is close to a 70s Banjo chassis. I use it under most all of my 70s builds.  Most GM and Ford cars in that era used a Banjo chassis. Here’s how it looks. Some show mods to the chassis. Car will sit waaaaay better with this chassis.

[DoctorLarry]

In reality, this car would likely have a stock frame and part of the floor with the "Ford Galaxie" front clip welded in. It would then have a truck arm rear suspension from Chevy trucks with a Ford 9 inch rear. Tim is right that the T Bird is a good replica. I used a GM intermediate rear and glued the T Bird front clip on. I cut the gas tank and part of the floor out and used the fuel cell from the TBird. I also modified the floor pan to use the T bird truck arm rear assembly. Lots more work but I wanted to build one like it was done. In these pictures of the 77 Busch Olds you can see the stock rear half of the frame and the stock floor pans.

 

[yellowsportwagon]

 

32 minutes ago, DoctorLarry said:

In reality, this car would likely have a stock frame and part of the floor with the "Ford Galaxie" front clip welded in. It would then have a truck arm rear suspension from Chevy trucks with a Ford 9 inch rear. Tim is right that the T Bird is a good replica. I used a GM intermediate rear and glued the T Bird front clip on. I cut the gas tank and part of the floor out and used the fuel cell from the TBird. I also modified the floor pan to use the T bird truck arm rear assembly. Lots more work but I wanted to build one like it was done. In these pictures of the 77 Busch Olds you can see the stock rear half of the frame and the stock floor pans.

 

I’ve done it this way too. Looks real good but is a lot more work. 

[DoctorLarry]

It is a lot more work!

[Dave Van]

I use the 'two AMT Thunderbird chassis' method. Easy and quick. I bought a bag full of AMT 90's era parts for $5 and that supplied a lot! 

[DoctorLarry]

I've found the TBird kits on EBAY for as little as $5 and I have done the same thing-bought the chassis components in a bag. I have one coming this week, in fact!

[gks1964]

This good stuff guy's! Are you guy's using .080 plastic rod for the roll bars that you replace?

Going to get a couple of T-Bird kits and see what's what!

Gerald

[yellowsportwagon]

I always keep 5-10 TBird kits in stock. I’ve thrown out probably 40 of those bodies

[DoctorLarry]

Based on the number of your builds, I would believe it! Now I just try to find the chassis separately since I don't use the bodies either.

[DoctorLarry]

I match the tubing size to match the roll cage I use. I think this was 1/16" tubing. I have a whole box of evergreen and other plastic rods, sheets, tubes, square tubes, triangles, grids, etc. and I use them all.

[Wm David Green]

On 1/31/2020 at 1:09 PM, DoctorLarry said:

In reality, this car would likely have a stock frame and part of the floor with the "Ford Galaxie" front clip welded in. It would then have a truck arm rear suspension from Chevy trucks with a Ford 9 inch rear. Tim is right that the T Bird is a good replica. I used a GM intermediate rear and glued the T Bird front clip on. I cut the gas tank and part of the floor out and used the fuel cell from the TBird. I also modified the floor pan to use the T bird truck arm rear assembly. Lots more work but I wanted to build one like it was done. In these pictures of the 77 Busch Olds you can see the stock rear half of the frame and the stock floor pans.

 

Dear Doctor Larry,

Which kit did you take the GM chassis from ?

Thank you

David G

[DoctorLarry]

You can use any of the available GM A body intermediates. I think this was a 72 Cutlass. A Revell 66 GTO will also work but the Cutlass would be closer in years to the vintage of the car. The wheel base is different from the Laguna but you are cutting the front off anyway and part of the floor so it really doesn't matter anyway.

[DoctorLarry]

You can usually find the kits cheap on EBAY or you can also usually find people who sell the chassis separately. I have bought the Cutlass in both forms-whole kit or chassis. T Bird kits are super cheap as well. I have paid as little as $5 for one (plus shipping).

[NYLIBUD]

Great job so far.

[DoctorLarry]

More chassis work, based on pictures on the Rhine Built web site. They restored the buddy Baker Grey Ghost to perfection! They show crash bars in the back around the fuel cell as well as the trunk bars.

 

[afx]

Chassis looks good.

[DoctorLarry]

Here is the trunk on the Grey Ghost restoration. www. rhinebuilt.com. Lots of vintage NASCAR restos, including the Baker 77 Cutlass and a mid-70's RAHMOC Monte Carlo among others. Great resource.

[gks1964]

Thanks for posting!