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1960 Dodge Phoenix Convertible


TooOld

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That's fabulous Bob!!

I found myself doing something similar for the gear indicator on the column of my '68 Coronet.

A little smaller, and I don't think a decal would be feasible, but I did it pretty much in the same fashion.

 

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I don't know about you Bob, but working out these sorts of issues are what really makes the hobby a lot of fun for me!

The danger of destroying a rare part in the process makes it even more exciting! :P

 

 

 

 

Steve

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3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

That's fabulous Bob!!

I found myself doing something similar for the gear indicator on the column of my '68 Coronet.

A little smaller, and I don't think a decal would be feasible, but I did it pretty much in the same fashion.

 

spacer.png

 

 

 

I don't know about you Bob, but working out these sorts of issues are what really makes the hobby a lot of fun for me!

The danger of destroying a rare part in the process makes it even more exciting! :P

 

 

 

 

Steve

Thanks Steve !  When I saw your gear indicator I pretty much decided that I could make my speedometer since it's at least ten times the size !

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12 hours ago, carbuilder1950 said:

Hi Bob

This is fun and informative watching your progress here.

Glad your taking your time and making all the upgrades so nice and clean, and clear for us to understand 👍.

Dave

Thanks Dave , glad you like it !

Worked on a couple more small items for the interior . . . a pedal assembly that will be mounted to the front wall of the interior and the steering wheel . Brake and accelerator pedal are from a '58 Plymouth and the clear steering wheel is from a '62 Catalina .

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Oops I forgot the turn signal lever . . .

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6 hours ago, John Goschke said:

Oh, those pedals are great!  More nice parts to rob from the '58 Plymouth!

I was going to make my own when I just happened to find these , they even have the correct pattern !

4 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

if I can make a suggestion, a shot of Testors clear enamel gives you the perfect yellowing affect on the transparent steering wheel.

Steve

I couldn't remember what you used and was going to ask , thanks !

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34 minutes ago, TooOld said:

I was going to make my own when I just happened to find these , they even have the correct pattern !

I couldn't remember what you used and was going to ask , thanks !

Testors clear enamel isn’t much good for anything else, but it works great for this purpose. 😉

 

 

 

Steve

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On 7/26/2021 at 2:46 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

Testors clear enamel isn’t much good for anything else, but it works great for this purpose. 😉

 

 

 

Steve

I had a bottle of Testors Clear Enamel but I tossed it a while ago because it was old and yellowed (sigh) . Pretty sure I can mix something using the Tamiya clear colors I have .

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On 7/27/2021 at 7:45 AM, David G. said:

Tremendously impressive work on the speedometer and steering wheel!

David G.

 

15 hours ago, Mike F. said:

Your attention to details and skills are amazing!

Not to mention degree of patience. 

Really enjoying your build.

 

10 hours ago, slusher said:

Great looking steering wheel pedals, and Dash Bob..

Thanks very much guys !  I'm hoping when everything is painted the clear parts will really stand out !

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I just went through this whole thread and you're doing some amazing work with this Dodge. Especially the door panels and seats are done very nicely. I will use the same method on some of my future projects as well. Excellent work so far.

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On 7/28/2021 at 11:34 AM, oldscool said:

This one just keeps getting better.

Thanks !

12 hours ago, W-409 said:

I just went through this whole thread and you're doing some amazing work with this Dodge. Especially the door panels and seats are done very nicely. I will use the same method on some of my future projects as well. Excellent work so far.

Thanks much Niko , great to hear from you !

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Over the weekend I finally started on the chassis , after doing the interior this should be a piece of cake !

For those that don't know 1960 was the first year for the Unibody but it still used the earlier front torsion bar suspension , I don't think the K-member front was used until 1962 or 63 . This is a drawing of the chassis layout , looking at photos on the web it's not exact but is pretty close .

5 - 1960 Dodge Chassis

Before doing anything I used the JoHan chassis to mark the axle centerlines on the wheel arches . I took some measurements but figured this was a good backup .

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Here's the AMT '64 Belvedere chassis and parts I'll use for the unibody .

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The rear axle from an AMT '58 Plymouth is more correct for the Dodge and it's the correct width . I just added some mounting posts to move the springs inboard .

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Here's the rear suspension set in place . In the background is the frame from the '58 Plymouth .

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I removed the front subframe and will add some .060" strips to each side so the chassis will fit snugly in the body .

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Those strips were glued in place and trimmed . I also added a filler plate to the rear of the chassis .

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Fits like a glove !

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The original plan was to make a new subframe using the AMT '57 Chrysler 300 but then I realized that the '58 Plymouth was more accurate for the Dodge .  In this photo you can see that the wheelbase has been stretched on the Chrysler frame . The Plymouth is also the correct wheelbase and I actually looked at using the floorboard and chopping up the frame to make it a unibody but there was too much interference with my interior .

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So I just cut the front off and made the new subframe .

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This is how it will look on the chassis .

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The JoHan tires in my kit are in good condition but I really like these Firestone Deluxe tires so they'll be swapped .

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Here's everything in place to check clearances .  Some of you will be disappointed that this will remain a curbside model .  Opening the hood and adding the engine compartment along with all of the miscellaneous goodies is something I'm just not up to right now . I will install an engine just for appearance sake so the chassis will look finished .

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And after three months my Dodge is finally up on all four ! :D  I had thought that the ride height would be too high and I'd have to make some changes to the suspension but it looks pretty good . That's a relief . . . something actually worked the first time !

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20 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Man, is that looking nice! 
Sits just right! 

Sure would look nice with an engine under the hood. 😁

 

 

 

Steve

Still think it could be a tad lower but I'm not used to building a factory stock .  I agree the engine would be nice but I'm fighting burn-out , now I'm motivated again with it on all fours and getting close to paint !

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