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’73 Camaro


Scale-Master

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This is going to be a model of my car. Ive owned it for some 30 plus years and have made several changes to it during that time. It was bone stock when I bought it, but as it aged, I did some upgrading.

Im using the AMT 70 Z/28 Camaro kit as the base.

The body needed some standard clean up and there were a couple sink marks in the left front fender and header panel that needed to be filled and one in the center of the roof (from the interior dome light).

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The Camaro script on the deck lid, the lower rocker panel trim and the upper side window drip rails were removed. All the panel/trim lines were scribed in deeper including the line between the Endura nose (now fiberglass on mine) and the sides of the tulip panel/trunk torsion spring cover.

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I also removed the rocker panel trim and rescribed that area.

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I've done three of my cars already but I gave the Corvette model to the previous owner of that car, so I'll have to make another with changes I've done to it.

Besides this one I'm also preparing to build a replica of my first car along side since there are few parts that both cars share.

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385 C.I. small block. .040 over 350 with a 400 crank. Just under 11:1 compression, port matched original LT1 intake on ported Edelbrock Performer heads. The cam is a hydraulic roller, 278 duration with .625 lift. The carb is a modified 750 Holley dual feed single pumper that flows more like a 780 now.

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The top of the 1/4 panels have a slight "V" on top at the outer edges where it should be a gentle arch right to where it ends and curves down.

All other kits of this generation Camaro got it right but not this one for some reason. Maybe it's because in some pics I've seen of the real cars it look that way because of the play of light and reflections on the top of the 1/4s.

I haven't seen anyone else ever correct this on the kit but since you have the real car to compare it to and you pay such attention to detail you will be able to see just where the kit is wrong.

Not even gonna mention the shape of the headlight bezels, I don't think any Camaro kit got that quite right. <_<

Edited by Can-Con
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I don't think I'm getting what you're saying about the rear fenders Steve. The kit body looks like my car in that area, except the fender peaks are a bit harsh and I'll smooth/soften them out a bit. But just putting the spoiler on it takes the eye away from that issue.

You're right about the front and lights though. I don't intend to correct every issue on this, it's just not worth it. If I can keep some of the odd bits from being a focal point I'll be happy.

I sanded out the molded in headliner detail since my car has the one piece style. I’ll replace the dome light and shoulder harness (on the passenger side only) later.

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Great looking build. I noticed what looks like LT emblems on your 1:1 Camaro. That would account for the one piece headliner. Since I have not built this kit I'm not sure what you would have to do to the seats and door panels to match an LT, but I noticed in the model pictures it has the correct hidden wipers. Are the window moldings correct on the model? I like your 1:1 Camaro, I had a '69 for many years and ordered a '77 Camaro LT back when. They are great cars.

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Mine is a '73 Type LT and the badging is correct. There are only three LT emblems on it. It is also an RS. All RS 70-73 Camaros have the hidden wipers, it was part of the RS package (as was the factory rear sway bar on mine).

It has the velour upholstery and deluxe wood trim and door panels. The kit parts (1970) are similar, but not exactly the same. I have to make new seats to match my car, but I might be able to work the door panels into a reasonable facsimile. The dash is off too, but as I mentioned, I'm not going to try to fix everything on this one.

I had to add the windshield trim to the rear of the hood (still need to do the tops of the front fenders) and remove the drip rails on the side windows to match my car.

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Yes, That's what I mean, the fender peaks. Must be just me but they look huge to me. In fact, I always thought there was a smooth line from the trunklid to where the 1/4 drops off. Guess I was mistaken.

Edited by Can-Con
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The hood had a very noticeable sink mark running half the width of the hood in the center in front of the louvers (from the molded in under hood blanket). That and a couple other small ones were filled and the chrome trim at the rear was added with sheet styrene. It was also warped so I massaged it to fit the body better.

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looking good so far, the 1:1 looks great as well. I used to have a 71 SS [black on black, 270hp 350, 4 spd, console delete, tall spoiler], so have a couple of these kits to eventually replicate that car, just need to figure out how to change the nose to a straight bumper configuration.

will be following this for sure.

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That's looking great Mark. I have built a couple of those kits, and is now in the midst of doing a '78 Camaro from an ancient MPC annual. Yeech!!! I had to re-do just about every contour on that thing, but it is getting close. I am half way tempted to take an AMT '70, and turn it into a '78, as it may be easier that what I am working with, and the detail will be much better.

The Model Car Garage '70 Camaro Photoetch has the Type LT emblems in it. A friend of mine had one (73) when we were in college, and when the p.e. set was being developed, I suggested that those emblem be included, as I may do a model of his car.

mcg2186.gifThe LT emblems are under the dash insert on the right. I used them on a Baldwin Motion, and a Camaro SS I built years ago. I still have several of these kits to do, so if the '78 MPC doesn't work out to my satisfaction, I am going to cut it up, and fit it to an AMT '70.

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I know there was a resin conversion for a standard nose, (a friend was going to use one to make his son's car a couple year's ago). I don't know if it is still available or who produced it for sure.

I believe Modelhaus has a repop of the original AMT annual '70 non-RS bumper and grille. And it should be usable--I have an original glue bomb I'm rebuilding; a while back I checked its bumper against the new AMT '70 and found that it should work with only minor fitting here and there.

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Thanks for the info Ron. Bob's parts are nice, but I'll just make my own like usual.

The front valance in the kit is shaped like one from a standard nose Camaro on the outer corners. (For those that are not aware, the front fenders and the valence are a bit different between RS and non RS Camaro’s.) To make it look more like an RS unit I sanded and reshaped those areas; I also filled in the detent for the front license plate since my car doesn’t have one, and the mounting notches for the front spoiler (my car sits too low to run the spoiler and actually leave my driveway with it).

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Note the gray slag imbedded in the plastic...

The front valence fit too far forward and the rear edges did not line up with the wheel wells on the body. I cut the mounting tabs on the body and made it fit better. Then I added some sheet styrene to the front where it meets the Endura nose to make up the difference. The Endura nose is a little lower on the bottom than the valence where the two meet, just like on the real one.

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