1971 Ford Mustang "Eleanor"

[Marko Nykänen]

This is my "visualization" of the original Eleanor. This project was started over 10 years ago and put aside almost same time, when I should have started to build engine compartment.

Hood is from Jo-Han's Digger funny car (only option at that time without the scoops), body and frame are from AMT/ERTL 1973 Mustang, interior and dash came from MPC's 1971 Boss Mustang. Wheels were problematic back then, nowadays those might be available as aftermarket parts. "Luckily" there was one lonely wheel in the AMT/ERTL kit (maybe intended as spare wheel in some versions). So, what else to do than order three of those kits, take the one wheel and sell the rest. Problem solved. I would have wanted the white walls with double stripe for tires, but they weren't anywhere to be found. I had one set, in the AMT '66 Riviera, but they were just wrong to this car. Too thin and too high. So, six model kit boxes were used to this build. And some scratching and photoetched parts.

Paint is PPG "school bus yellow", not from that era, but I'm quite confident that the 90's color is practically the same than in the 70's. Nice color anyway. Black stripes and other areas are painted with Mipa's Rallye matt black 2-component acryl. The narrow stripe at the side ended up little bit too thick, it was hard to imagine when masking with tape.

What else... Yes, windshiel wipers and rearview mirror are missing. I didn't want to mess up the windshield with the mirror, because it should have been glued practically in the middle of the windscreen. And couldn't find any windscreen wipers, even though I thought that I have them as photoetch parts. Didn't then, now I have for future models.

I'm not sure if wip pictures are allowed at all in this area, so I put a link where to find those and also some reference pictures I had to make my build easi... harder. https://jva0316.1g.fi/kuvat/Eleanor+1_25/

 

[DonW]

Lovely model, well done.

[vamach1]

Let me say well executed version of the original Eleanor.  The old kits leave a lot to be desired under the hood.  You did not mention some mods you did that I can clearly see such as the radiator support and shock towers.  Also I notice you scribed around the front side marker light just like the real car and you added the 71-72 turn signals below the bumper which is also unique to the movie Mustang that began as either a 71 or 72 sportsroof with the front bumper and grille replaced with a 73 one.  It was a interesting mix of whatever Halicki though would look good on screen so he seemed to borrow ideas from the Boss (blacked out rear) and bottom painted black but the black on the hood was different than the Boss, Mach1 or sprint.  I would love to see pictures under the hood of the movie car as it is now.  My guess is there are some aftermarket parts (maybe carb and air cleaner).  The paint color was always a matter of debate as the "experts" believe it was a custom color somewhere between grabber yellow and orange similar to the 70 T/A Boss 302's (which actually were not Bosses but that's a whole other story)..

I searched and I found pictures of the back of the car but I am pretty sure since it was probably not a Mach1 even though both the stunt car and  had the pop-off gas cap and rear honeycomb panel.  I did find some information about the building of the two movie cars which seem credible.  There is a lot of incorrect information out there (mainly assuming it is a 73 Mach1) and I'm not sure about why one article describes the engine as a Windsor and not a Cleveland.  If anyone has any under hood pictures please share them.  It is very possible the hood will not open due to all the damage.  Well done Marko on a kit we will probably never see modified correctly by Round2 and even all the diecast versions miss some of the finer details.  I hope to finish my Eleanor by the end of 2022.

E

Edited November 29, 2022 by vamach1

[Marko Nykänen]

31 minutes ago, vamach1 said:

Let me say well executed version of the original Eleanor.  As out the old kits leave a lot to be desired under the hood.  You did not mention some mods you did that I can clearly see such as the radiator support and shock towers.  Also I notice you scribed around the front side marker light just like the real car and you added the 71-72 turn signals below the bumper which is also unique to the movie Mustang that began as either a 71 or 72 sportsroof with the front bumper and grille replaced with a 73 one.  It was a interesting mix of whatever Halicki though would look god on screen so he seemed to borrow ideas from the Boss (blacked out rear) and bottom painted black but the black on the hood was different than the Boss, Mach1 or sprint.  I would love to see pictures under the hood of the movie car as it is now.  My guess is there are some aftermarket parts (maybe car a and air cleaner).  The paint color was always a matter of debate as the "experts" believe it was a custom color somewhere between grabber yellow and orange similar to the 70 T/A Boss 302's (which actually were not Bosses but that's a whole other story)..

I searched and I could not find any pictures of the back of the car but I am pretty sure since it was not a Mach1 it had the standard gas cap versus the pop-off one.  I did find some information about the building of the two movie cars which seem credible.  There is a lot of incorrect information about there (mainly assuming it is a 73 Mach1) and I'm not sure about why one article describes the engine as a Windor and not a Cleveland.  If anyone has any under hood pictures please share them.  It is very possible the hood will not open due to all the damage.  Well done Marko on a kit we will probably never see modified correctly by Round2 and even all the diecast versions miss some of the finer details.  I hope to finish my Eleanor by the end of the year.

Thank you very much.

Yes, the engine bay is almost fully scratch built, shock towers are mostly as they were in the frame, modified only slightly. I attach below one picture when the engine bay was under construction. Yes, first I tried to scribe the side markers (body didn't have any markers, I almost forgot those totally). Well, the scribing went sideways right from the start, so I made holes, built the frames for the marker and made the marker from some old unused window from other kit. That way I got the panel lines almost automatically. They are not perfect, but done anyway. Turn signals under the mask are also scratch, basically "blops" of styrene with Molotov chrome and scribed styrene pieces from the same unused window. The paint tone was actually "no brainer" for me, I trusted the same wikipedia article which you quoted and when I look the color and compare it to the last reference pic I posted it is so close than it needs to be. Of course I mixed so little that paint (and I stil have most of it) that it obviously has some variation to the intended color. In that amount of paint one tenth of the gram is a lot, so... And I wasn't too worried about that... And the white balance is crucial when taking photos of the model (or the reference). They should be compared side to side in the same lighting to get the final answer. And there's that, that how much color is faded during years in the original Eleanor, even when kept indoors.

So, here's the engine bay:

And as requested, some screenshots from the movie for the back view. Notice the mudflaps on this particular vehicle.

EDIT: And... Now I notice that I have forgotten the lock from the trunk lid... Oh well...

EDIT2: As you can see from the wip picture, I cut the frame below the firewall. I actually had to assemble the frame in three different pieces so I got it to fit better under the body. There's no pictures from the under, because there are no detailing, it is just smashed together.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Marko Nykänen

[vamach1]

I love what you did with the screens and all the small details in the engine compartment.  Oh how I wish.the AMT and MPC its were not based upon the promos.  Thanks for the "rear end" picture.  Clearly he did prefer the "Mach1" gas cap and I honeycomb panel.  My brother had a 72 Grande that had the rear panel but it was textured not Honeycomb.  You mentioned wipers which are of course "hidden" with the hood shut but that is a detail I know I have overlooked.  I have expeimented with grafting the firewall and shock towers etc. from a 69/70 Monogram/Revell kit with pretty good results except of course there are differences between the 70 and 71.  One thing I noticed on various diecasts is they have the mud flaps which is hilarious given so many other details that are overlooked.

Once again great work on making the model we all wish someone would fix or start from scratch with an all new kit.  It would sure save me a lot of time as it's almost impossible to detail and fix all the problems with either the AMT or MPC or Testors kits when I am shooing for about 20 different builds of various 71-73 Mustangs.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by vamach1

[Bainford]

Cool looking build of the 'real' and only Eleanor. You captured the vibe nicely. Nice mods. Well done. 

[64Comet404]

Looks amazing! I’m glad that the resin people reproduced the flat Ford hubcaps that were on Eleanor, as well as the original 1971-73 AMT Mustangs; it took me years to find enough wheels to build a model of my ‘73 Mustang. Hopefully some manufacturer will step up and tool a brand new kit.

[Marko Nykänen]

Thank you!

Speaking of side markers, I'm still missing a pair. From the back. Might have to do something about it... Here's one better shot of the rear panel with the honeycomb. And another pic without mudflaps. Luckily I didn't add any register plates so I might have built any of the cars seen in the film. But I agree that it would be a lot easier if one had the model kit with all the modifications done already. No, side markers are not actually modifications, but when they aren't present, there is a chance someone forgets those. Why I didn't notice that earlier? Example at that time when I noticed that front side markers are missing..?

[vamach1]

Yes - this is what happens when molds are changed over the years.  For my sprint I used some reflective material I bought.  Just cut (straight) and glue in place.  Use expoxy are regular model glue does hold hold that well.  I was lazy and did not scribe the piece around the reflector though - as you mentioned it was not easy.  Here is the engine compartment on anohter build I started.  As you can see the vents unique to the 71-73s.  Here's the Danbury Mint Boss 351. You would almost swear you were looking at the real car?

[Marko Nykänen]

Quick and dirty fix. Piece of BMF for reflector, black vinyl, vinyl cutter, scotchbrite, yellow and transparent red paint. Drew 6 mm x 3mm rectangles with round corners and 0.8 mm border inside so I got the frame cut. Then matted the vinyl with scotchbrite, removed the vinyl from the lens area, applied yellow paint with brush. Then pieces of bmf to body, then the painted frames and put them top of the bmf, finally applied Tamiya transparent red. Not perfect. But done.

[vamach1]

I like it - the reflectors that is.  I hope you did not stay up until Midnight making them ?

[Dave Van]

VERY well done. Nice to see a REAL GONE Mustang and not that Cage thing. Having seen the film 100's of times, saw the promo car at the Peterson and one of my favorite movie cars.......I love your work!!!! 

I got to touch the real car when it was at the Peterson. My buddy and I went early one day. We are both old hot rodders.  We were there to check on my buddies car that was on display at the time, a Hudson Terraplane.  But this security guy kept following us closely.....way to close....as if we were going to steal a car!!! So my buddy went over to the other side of the room where Elinor was and got the security guy to follow. In a act of defiance I took my pinky and touched the tire!!!! A REBEL!! I understand the rules.....and having a car there like the security.....but this guy was a little over the top! 

[vamach1]

5 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

VERY well done. Nice to see a REAL GONE Mustang and not that Cage thing. Having seen the film 100's of times, saw the promo car at the Peterson and one of my favorite movie cars.......I love your work!!!! 

I got to touch the real car when it was at the Peterson. My buddy and I went early one day. We are both old hot rodders.  We were there to check on my buddies car that was on display at the time, a Hudson Terraplane.  But this security guy kept following us closely.....way to close....as if we were going to steal a car!!! So my buddy went over to the other side of the room where Elinor was and got the security guy to follow. In a act of defiance I took my pinky and touched the tire!!!! A REBEL!! I understand the rules.....and having a car there like the security.....but this guy was a little over the top! 

Reminds me of a visit to the Simeone museum.  I got close enough to the GT40's to place a model on the rear windows and take some pictures.   Tried to do this with the Daytona Coupe another time and the guy told me toback off.  While the Coupe is worth big bucks even if it got scratched nobody would notice. ?

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

Excellent

[Marko Nykänen]

35 minutes ago, vamach1 said:

I like it - the reflectors that is.  I hope you did not stay up until Midnight making them ?

Still hour to midnight!

[Marko Nykänen]

1 hour ago, Dave Van said:

VERY well done. Nice to see a REAL GONE Mustang and not that Cage thing. Having seen the film 100's of times, saw the promo car at the Peterson and one of my favorite movie cars.......I love your work!!!! ...

Thanks!

I saw Cage's version first and learned later that it was remake. Then I purchased the original version and I liked that better. Same thing with Ocean's Eleven. Even though the original was somewhat musical (not real fan of musicals) but it was at least equally funny or funnier than the remake.

 

Anyway, this Mustang felt more special, because there was nothing special in it. In amateurs eyes it looked just normal Mustang but still it was the "hero" of the movie. And I thought that "this is easy build, purchase the same year model and build it". Well, didn't go as planned.

Movie itself gives pretty good reference material and because there aren't many replicas made (if any?), I could be quite sure that every picture found in the internet was one of the movie cars. And yes, I'm building the Cage version too and it is quite difficult to spot the movie versions, because there are hundreds of replicas out there. Needle in the haystack.

[Dave Van]

39 minutes ago, Marko Nykänen said:

Thanks!

I saw Cage's version first and learned later that it was remake. Then I purchased the original version and I liked that better. Same thing with Ocean's Eleven. Even though the original was somewhat musical (not real fan of musicals) but it was at least equally funny or funnier than the remake.

 

 

The original film seen in theaters is different than the film released by HB Halicki's wife.  The currently available DVD has a entire sound track and many voice overs redone. I do not like what the wife did to the film but am thankful see got it released. I am not sure why the entire sound track is changed.....HB's wife claims it was missing or damaged.....but I have a  copy so I'd think she does.....maybe I am wrong. 

If you ever get a chance to see the original....do!!!!!  

[Craig]

Nice!

[vamach1]

One thing I thought I would point out when I went to look at the body I had already painted.  I realized the front bumper is the 71/72 style versus the larger 73 one.  So basically only the front grille was replaced on the movie car.  I thought I made a mistake but looking back at the pictures I guess I noticed that and had the bumper on hand.  I still think my paint is too yellow so I will probably respray it before I go any further.

[polybius]

Beautiful build!  The original Gone in 60 Seconds is among my favorites, and a few times I got the urge to build one along with some of the other cars seen in the movie.  The unmarked Montego police car and the light blue Satellite that got t-boned on the test drive are among some that I thought might be interesting to build and replicate.   You've done great work pulling it all together for this build, and it's a delight to see it!  

[Dave Van]

40 minutes ago, polybius said:

Beautiful build!  The original Gone in 60 Seconds is among my favorites, and a few times I got the urge to build one along with some of the other cars seen in the movie.  The unmarked Montego police car and the light blue Satellite that got t-boned on the test drive are among some that I thought might be interesting to build and replicate.   You've done great work pulling it all together for this build, and it's a delight to see it!  

This build was inspired by the GONE Plymouth........I have a Elanor that has been in progress for maybe 15 years!!!!

Edited May 27, 2020 by Dave Van

[slusher]

Super nice!

[PappyD340]

On 5/28/2020 at 9:00 PM, slusher said:

Super nice!

Yes indeed, well done!!

[spencer1984]

Awesome job on this! I totally missed the rear pinstripe on mine, looks like I'll be taking it back to the garage for some more paint work.

[fairlane1320]

On 5/27/2020 at 12:53 AM, vamach1 said:

One thing I thought I would point out when I went to look at the body I had already painted.  I realized the front bumper is the 71/72 style versus the larger 73 one.  So basically only the front grille was replaced on the movie car.  I thought I made a mistake but looking back at the pictures I guess I noticed that and had the bumper on hand.  I still think my paint is too yellow so I will probably respray it before I go any further.

Rex,

I'm looking for two of these flat hoods, do you have any extras?

 

Thx Ron