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'69 Impala SS 427 Convertible


Plowboy

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5 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Top notch work!!

Are you planning on a little work on the stance?

Might be just me, but it appears a bit high in the front when viewed in profile.

 

 

 

Steve

Thanx Steve! It is nose high in the photo. But, it's because the body isn't nestled down onto the frame like it should be. You can see the big gap between the inner fenderwells and frame in front of the tire. 

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21 minutes ago, Plowboy said:

Thanx Steve! It is nose high in the photo. But, it's because the body isn't nestled down onto the frame like it should be. You can see the big gap between the inner fenderwells and frame in front of the tire. 

I assumed something like that was likely the case.

I know how these mock-ups can be deceiving. ;)

 

 

 

Steve

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4 hours ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I'm rather shocked that the Convertible Promo received the correct 'flat' trunklid but then they ran the Convertible Kit with the incorrect Custom Coupe trunklid insert.

I didn't know the kit had the wrong trunk lid. But, I can't recall ever seeing the convertible kit. They did have the underside of the trunk prepped for the recess as I had to grind and sand it flat. Maybe they couldn't change it back after they added the recess for the coupe?

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Thanx for the feedback guys, I appreciate the comments! Bench time has been almost non existent lately. But, I've managed to get a little time in here and there. With this model being a convertible, the interior needs a little extra attention even though it'll probably always have the top on. I made some improvements to the door/quarter panels. The quarters had no window cranks and the door cranks/arm rests were barely there. So, I cut those pieces away from a junk '69 Camaro interior and added those. I also used the Camaro's kick panel vent detail. I also added pins to the bottoms to locate them to the holes in the floorpan. Big improvement over the originals!

The dash needed .020 added to each side for a better fit. It had A/C vents. But, with the design of the firewall and inner wheel wells, there was no room for the dryer. So, I decided to can the A/C. Plus, I didn't like the A/C setup on the '69s. For whatever reason, Chevy decided to put the compressor on the driver's side. It makes it have a cluttered appearance. The dash had an overdone texture to it. So, I sanded it semi smooth to tone it down.

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The passenger side door panel has some damage from assembly that luckily isn't visible with the seat installed. Theres also some on the driver's side that will be covered by the dash. Whoever put this thing together at the factory must have been a newby. It was everywhere it shouldn't be!

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5 hours ago, slusher said:

Roger how did you cut those small window cranks off the Camaro?   Big improvement on your interior..

Thanx Carl! I used the backside of an Xacto blade method. I use one that has a good sharp point. If the handles are a little too thick, I'll use a fine tooth photo etch saw blade. 

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1 hour ago, David G. said:

That'll be a tremendous improvement to the interior.

I've found that it's the details that most people don't notice that add the most detail.

David G.

Thanx David! I probably wouldn't have done it had it been a hardtop.

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1 hour ago, Plowboy said:

Thanx Carl! I used the backside of an Xacto blade method. I use one that has a good sharp point. If the handles are a little too thick, I'll use a fine tooth photo etch saw blade. 

Thanks Roger, I never thought of that..

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First squirts of paint! Bench time has been almost non existent still. But, I've been able to steal a little time at night and get some stuff accomplished. The interior is painted with Tamiya Dull Red (two coats). Just have to detail it and it'll be done. I dread painting the tiny chrome pieces on the seats! Pretty sure I'll have to mask those.

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I have the frame and floorpan/gas tank painted. The overspray is Tamiya Maroon. But, it looks kinda purple in the photo and in person. 

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I now have a set of COPO hubcaps in hand. I'm anxious to see what they'll look like on it. I may or may not like them. But, I want to see how they look on it. I have a bunch of small parts ready to be mounted, primered and painted. I think I'll go ahead and paint the body so that it can dry while I piddle around with that stuff. I'll be glad to see the body in color!   

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanx guys! I really like this color also! I have a couple of other models painted with it. A '29 Ford Roadster and a '39 Ford Coupe.

I've started doing some work on the chassis. I've had this idea for years. But, I've never tried it to see if it would work. Kit coil springs aren't very realistic looking no matter how well they're detailed. So, I decided to try making my own coil springs. It took a little testing to find the right sized wire and screw to wrap the wire around to get the right outside diameter. But, I finally got it.

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For the front, I cut down the kit coil springs to simulate the shocks and insure that the front suspension will assemble easily.

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Hopefully, I'll get a chance to get some of it assembled soon. I'm thinking that I should get the frame glued to the floorpan first. If I do, I'll have to do the carpet and splatter paint first. Then, I'll be ready for the suspension and exhaust. 

 

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Thanx guys! I now have a roller chassis! Everything went together better than I expected. I figured I would have some issues with the coil springs. But, they caused no problems. One issue I did have was with the drag link/tie rods. It was too wide and gave the front wheels a severe toe in. I narrowed it down by cutting each tie rod loose with my thicker razor saw and simply gluing them back on. I also had to cut away the stabilizers so the wheels could turn. I added disc brakes to the back side of the wheel backs. I still have to do some detail painting here and there, sand the tires and add valve stems to the wheels. I want to see what the steel wheels and COPO hubcaps look like before I commit though.

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I wasn't sure how the red interior would look with the Maroon body. But, I like it! Once everything is finished and detailed, it'll really come together. I'm not too happy with the fit of the boot at the front. But, I had to fix the quarters in that area to look right with the top. I'll probably never have it displayed with the boot anyway. So, no biggie.

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The body has been cleared. Just have to sand and polish. I did my scripts different this time. I used to foil them before paint. I was rarely satisfied with how they looked. This time, I foiled them before the last coat of paint. They look a lot more crisp to me. Once I polish off the paint, I think they'll look really nice. I didn't foil the letters on the hood. I can paint those. Still a ways to go. But, it's getting there!

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Edited by Plowboy
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