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Pics of Dodge Monaco's please


57peppershaker

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  • 2 months later...

Well, I've built a couple.

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This is a '78 "Force 440" kit converted to a four-door. In 1981, that was the only way to get a Monaco, and a number of these conversions showed up in the original Scale Auto Enthusiast. Were I to do this again (why?), I'd do a better job on door lines. But this was the first time. The Testors paint has really yellowed over 30 years.

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This is a test shot of the '78 Monaco (as it was designated at the time) that I got from Tom West in 1982 just before the kit was released. This showed up in my first story for Scale Auto Enthusiast. I did it as a fictional San Francisco Fire Department vehicle. Note that the front and rear bumpers are painted silver. Parts came to me unplated, so I stole grills and hubcaps from the "Force 440" kit. Wheels are from the AMT '69 Chevelle kit--a common practice at the time, even though the Mopar wheels have six slots instead of the Chevy's five. But it's what there was.

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This is the "TJ Hooker" kit. I did a lot of little modifications to the basic kit and built this. This particular model eventually became the box art model for the AMT "Joker Goon Car/Gotham City Police Car" kit that AMT released in 1989. I had contracted to build the Goon Car and a cop car for the box art, but couldn't meet the deadline, so I sold this to AMT. It was destroyed in photography. One goofy story--I added all kinds of parts from other kits to the interior to get a better looking appearance. I added a steering wheel and the whole radio set up from a Yodel Plymouth kit. Since AMT had the interior exposed, they photographed it and used that on the box. Modelers howled when they found out they couldn't duplicate the interior with the parts in the box. Wouldn't be the last time....

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This was built for "Build and Detail Scale Model Trucks and Emergency Vehicles" in 1997. The interior and dash also showed up in "Build and Detail Model Cars Like a Pro" in 2001.

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Oddly enough, the latest Monaco is another "Force 440" kit. Nebraska State Police actually did use '77 and '78 Monaco two-doors for patrol cars. Who can resist that? Still using the Chevy wheels, but it's good looking. This was built for Tim Boyd in 2001 for his book "Collecting Model Car and Truck Kits."

Couple more things to come....

Terry

Terry, where did the light bars come from ? Not the standard Rosco / Goon issue.

I've got 6 Monaco's to build & want to vary the lightbars, wheels, ect

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All those squarebars came from the "Force 440" kit. Back when I built those models, that kit was cheap.

I think that the MPC snap '76 Blazer that AMT reissued a couple years ago had a squarebar with red lenses (like the red Monaco). You might look around for some of those. It's not as detailed as the "Force 440" bar, but it's still pretty nice.

Terry

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  • 6 months later...

Time to wake this thread up again. There's been several Monaco's finished lately, so c'mon guys add your pics.

These are not mine, I found them a French (I think) site, Kustom Kruisers. As I cant read French, its difficult to get more info. I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

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Edited by 57peppershaker
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Here's my 1:32 resin '77 Monaco slot car, with custom chassis that leans and steers

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And this is how most of them ended up on TV!

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And a 1974 Monaco I created too, on the same custom chassis

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On the track

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This one was built by someone with far more talent than me, from my kit

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Here's the '77 in action, chasing the bad guys in their black limo, a 1972 Cadillac I made

And the '74

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Chase-cars; How do they fair on the track ? I seem to remember Ford Escorts & stuff from when I was a kid, would always loose bumpers (fenders) etc when they flew off the track.

tvandmoviecars; How many have you built ? Seeing your line up of 'waiting to be builts', looks like your a big fan of them.

Keep the pics coming everybody !

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Chase-cars; How do they fair on the track ? I seem to remember Ford Escorts & stuff from when I was a kid, would always loose bumpers (fenders) etc when they flew off the track.

Me too, which is why I made these to be stronger. With all the track time my cars have had, the kids racing them and they were used all day non stop at an exhibition I've never had one break. The body post came loose on the van once but that's because I used the wrong glue, once it had been fixed it's been fine. And you don't want to know how many takes it took making those videos... The A Team video had the van jumping 20 times at least!

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Were they really used as taxis? I remember seeing them like that on TV, but they were used everywhere on TV at the time! There must have been a fabrication shop in Hollywood making a dozen roll cages per week B)

hollywood crews would go to sacramento to the police auctions and buy up retired police cars, to use as whatever was needed (That's what Dukes did.).. Taxi companies do that too, all over the country....

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Don

Doesnt look much wrong with that bodywork !

You must have a bigger garage than me ! Great 1;1's & 1;25's lol

her bodywork was great.... but the car had a LOT of bondo in it, filling holes. I had 3 months to get it ready for a Dukes Of Hazzard eventt, when I bought it.... and finding rust free parts is not easy, unless you have a BIG wallet... which I dont!<LOL>

I did have to build myself a new garage though... 24x36.. ironically, not a single REAL car in it, right now.. but in winter I have had up to 3 cars in it, and 1 in the old barn... which is 24x40.. but that one is my parents barn.

although I do keep a FEW cars, including Monacos in mine, during the summer!<LOL>

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Edited by tvandmoviecars
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Okay, okay.

  • You've got me on the Monacos. I have 6 less than you.
  • We're even on the Force 440s and '70 Fords.
  • Likewise on the Squad Rod and the Caprice ProMod slammer.
  • I won't have the 1/20 Camaro (I'm a scale bigot).
  • I've got you beat (by double) on the Crown Wicks.
  • I have twice as many '67 Plymouth Pursuits.
  • You have two more Yodels than I do.
  • I don't have a Caddy Hearse but I have 4 of the Fire Rescue Ambulances.
  • I've got you beat on the Caprices (3x as many) and Impalas (10x as many).
  • And, I have 4 Vintage Police Car kits (Model T), 2 Vintage Fire Chief kits ('32 Vicky), and 1 each of the AMT early 70's Chevy van Paddy Wagon and Fire Rescue van.

So, ya got any fire trucks and engines?

:lol:

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Okay, okay.

  • You've got me on the Monacos. I have 6 less than you.
  • We're even on the Force 440s and '70 Fords.
  • Likewise on the Squad Rod and the Caprice ProMod slammer.
  • I won't have the 1/20 Camaro (I'm a scale bigot).
  • I've got you beat (by double) on the Crown Wicks.
  • I have twice as many '67 Plymouth Pursuits.
  • You have two more Yodels than I do.
  • I don't have a Caddy Hearse but I have 4 of the Fire Rescue Ambulances.
  • I've got you beat on the Caprices (3x as many) and Impalas (10x as many).
  • And, I have 4 Vintage Police Car kits (Model T), 2 Vintage Fire Chief kits ('32 Vicky), and 1 each of the AMT early 70's Chevy van Paddy Wagon and Fire Rescue van.

So, ya got any fire trucks and engines?

:lol:

these are jsut my unbullts!<LOL> I have a LOT of caprices built!!<LOL> but you probably do have more... ditto on the Vics.. but only because I can never find any!<LOL> I do have the Johan ambulance built, and 2 of the 60 Plymouths.. 1 you see in the pic, and 1 built. Only got 1 fire truck, sorry... and it was cut in1/2 for a project I never did!<LOL> GOt a few of the Taurus' also.. did a robocop one, BEFORE they made 1 as a model.... also made 2 robocop Mustangs.. .1 from a AMT 1 from Monogram kit. Also have 1 or 2 Baywatch Toyotas.. but they are 1/20 scale also... and like the camaro, I never built them.. jut had to have em for my collection.... and to use 1 of the decal sets for another project I did. BUT.. this is about Monacos.... so time to get back on track!<LOL>

Edited by tvandmoviecars
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Holy smoley !!! Thats some collection !

Now, with all those 1;1 Monacos & all those 1;25 Monacos, you must have built reps of them ? Tho saying that, I've got 60 odd 57s & still not STARTED a 1;25 of my 1;1 !!

Any more pics / info on the beater in your 1st pic ?

Funny, always think of them as 4 doors. Seeing a 2 door, it seems kinda odd.

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I am ashamed to say I have built ......................ONE 77 Monaco.

CHP naturally, and I left it in St Louis with the rest of the display at the academy library. I need to build at least three more, a CHP slicktop, a St Louis County ride, and my first ride off field training.

-insert look ashamed emoticon here-

G

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Checks in this thread, sees its turning into who has the bigger , cough, cough , collection, clicks the back button as fast as I can :lol:

I guess I will join in, but all mine are built

I have three AMT Monoco's, one is the DOH, one is from the tv show Hunter, the green one he drove, and then another in white

I have couple of the AMT Tarsus , two are RoboCop, one finished, one not, and then another plain white

I have more then 12 of the Lindberg CVPI's, either in Phoenix Pd or AZ DPS markings, and some plain white wrappers

I dont have very many of the Revell Caprice's left, two in Phoenix Pd markings, one is a B/W private one owned by a PHX PD officer, the rest are junk units, I blame the officers that were assigned to them :lol:

I have 7 of the Linberg Charger kits, 4 are in white, one Phoenix PD, one AZ DPS, one in black, was going to do it as MSCO , but no decals for it

I have three of the Revell Impala police, again, two are in Phoenix markings, one in B/W , trying to do Goodyear PD new colors and markings

One 70 Ford kit, that I bought from Dan, its going to be, can you guess, Phoenix Pd, but its on hold tell I can come up with the door shield decals

I want to get me a few more Monaco kits

Edited by martinfan5
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Holy smoley !!! Thats some collection !

Now, with all those 1;1 Monacos & all those 1;25 Monacos, you must have built reps of them ? Tho saying that, I've got 60 odd 57s & still not STARTED a 1;25 of my 1;1 !!

Any more pics / info on the beater in your 1st pic ?

Funny, always think of them as 4 doors. Seeing a 2 door, it seems kinda odd.

what sort of info on the beater?

and.. seeing as 1 is a hazzard Sheriff Car... I did post 2 of those!<LOL> Also Have a replica of the one being built... about 1/2 done, and did 1 of the green car, using paint mixed to original factory color.. or so they said.

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