tomsheehy

I've got the same one in about the same condition, waiting for my Modelhaus parts too. I like what you've done here, I hope mine looks that good.

1962 Pontiac Catalina...sort of a restored build. I originally built this back when the AMT kit first came out, but the homemade decals I used back then sort of disintegrated. So I cleaned it all up and changed the livery to the New Hampshire State Police. The body is all plastic, I converted the AMT body into a 4 door with some filing, putty and plastic. Engine is fully detailed, lots of photo etch parts from the Model Car Garage set were used as well. Decals by Pursuit Plastics. My research shows that NH used Chevy Biscaynes in 62, but I read that their bosses usually had upgraded cars, so I went with the possibility that they may have used these. Overall it has held up pretty well over the years... http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrbgkbwsrqrkwksxsrfqsqgfsbt,vi/bsfsskdbqxwdkttwrwtxswfbrrbkk/4/41561/87990/photo4-vi.jpg http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrbgkbwsgqwrtwdxsrfqsqgfsbt,vi/bsgrftrgkxbdtqddsgxbsfgbftkk/4/41561/87990/photo4-vi.jpg http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrbgkbwrrsfqsqrxsrfqsqgfsbt,vi/bsgrftrgkxfrfqrfkbxwtwtqtfwk/4/41561/87990/photo6-vi.jpg http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrbgkbwrgkqrrsrxsrfqsqgfsbt,vi/trgsgdrkxswqfkgwbwxwdttffqkw/4/41561/87990/photo1-vi.jpg

Built using a resin 4 door sedan body from Hendrix, mated to the Revell 37 Ford street rod kit and the 37 Ford pickup for some of the stock parts. I had originally built up the pickup chassis to use as the donor because it more closely resembles the stock set up. The chassis fit very well, but the body sat way too high, probably about 5 or 6 scale inches. So I built up the street rod chassis and used the stock wheels and tires from the pickup. Not that easy of a swap, but I got it done. It basically curbside though, there's no engine or chassis details added. The body was a whole 'nother nightmare. It looked like a very nice casting and all test fits went well, but once everything got meshed together, the interior did not want to cooperate with the body and floor/chassis. In the end, after a bunch of trimming, I had to live with it. The interior sits too high within the body, allowing some of the side panels to rise above the window line at the back side windows. To lower it to correct height would have meant taking a substantial piece of the bottom of the back seat out, and it just wasn't worth it at that point. Paint is Tamiya, decals by Pursuit Plastics.

Just, WOW!! Love the full size land yachts, especially those that look this good. Everything about it is just so...right.

Excellent job. Love the plain work truck look you gave it.

Perry's was great, but he's out of the resin business. Bandit Resins does have a nice 79 2 door.

My built 71...built in 2006

Stunning...the realism is incredible

Thanks for the comments... Greg, the "to protect and serve" was first used by LAPD sometime during 1963. Most cars still in service were retro-fitted with the slogan as well.

Finally! This has been a long stalled project, lets call it 10 years on and off...last work was 3 years ago, but I brought it back out this week and finished it off. I'm really glad to have it done. 1960 Pontiac, started with the Trumpeter kit, then grafted on a Promolite 2000 (Tom Coolidge) resin 59/60 GM sedan roof. This required lengthening the interior opening towards the rear, shortening the rear deck a bit. The body was converted to a 4 door by scribing new door lines. New interior door panels were constructed, and Catalina trim was added. This is where a little bit of history is due... In the late 50s, the LAPD began experimenting with high performance sedans for use on their growing freeway system. In 1960, that unit officially became the Freeway Interceptor division. The cars purchased were large sedans, with the largest engines available and lots of heavy duty equipment. For the first couple of years, they purchased Pontiacs, then from 63 to 68 they purchased Oldsmobiles. I believe there were about 8 or 10 cars purchased each year. The interiors were outfitted similarly to race cars of the time, with roll bars, racing style harnesses and high back headrests or seats. Additional police equipment included a certified speedometer, radios and obligatory warning device controls. I used actual vintage photos to replicate the interior by adding a 3-point roll bar, fashioned from modifying a kit roll bar. Seat belts were added using aftermarket and kit parts. The headrests were scratch built and painted a different shade of tan than the rest of the interior to represent what would have been aftermarket parts. The rest of the interior was detailed with photo etch pieces from the MCG chromed fret, including window cranks and dash parts. On the body, I had a pretty tough time getting the vacuum formed windows to sit right, but got it "close enough". I added black 'crepe' tape around the window frames to help hide the not so perfect fit of the windows. The paint is Tamiya gloss black and white. Interior was painted with varying shades of flat tans. The roof lights and siren are from the Johan Plymouth police car kit. The rest of the exterior detail consists of more MCG photo etch pieces, including the grill, emblems and lettering. Here's a few photos, more are in my work bench posts, and here the entire album on fotki... http://public.fotki.com/tsheehy/scale_models/1960-pontiac-catali/

It is such a pleasure viewing your builds, no matter what they are. You have the knack of creating beautiful, accurate replicas. Bravo...

A resurrection of sorts...this must be the longest a project has ever been in progress for me. I just checked my images, and this sucker was started in early 2006, and the last progress above was 3 years ago. But here we go again... Finally have the body painted, BMF has begun, and there's nothing in the way of finishing it this time. I'll be really happy to get this beast off my bench. Wish me luck... Other images are here.. http://public.fotki.com/tsheehy/scale_models/1960-pontiac-catali/

Very nice, I love the "mainstream" colors instead of bright muscle colors. You're right on the grill...the taillights are pretty poor too, but Missing Link makes a nice replacement set in resin, they just need to be thinned down a bit.

Another one into the finished column...Revell 69 Dart GTS, box stock build up. Pretty straightforward kit, with nice detail. I added flocking to the interior and Shabo transfers to the tires, but all else if the kit. Painted Dupli-color garnet red metallic, polished with Tamiya compounds and Novus, interior painted with a combination of white primer and Dupli-color automotive interior paint. Finished engine compartment is nicely done by Revell, engine was painted with Mopar turquoise engine paint. Check my Workbench post for more photos of the build up, if you'd like...

Beautifully done, love the "Grabber" colors on these...

Andy...the switch from black to blue was 1953 or 54. Even though this 54 Chevy is in black & white, you can tell its not the black/gold stripe paint. Everything I have from before this year is the older scheme.

The sign on the hood, known as a shark fin, has been used by the Michigan State Police since about 1951. It does light up, the bulbs are inside the mounting tubes that illuminate the clear panel, making the lettering visible. They were used as an indicator to "pull over" as the Trooper rode up alongside the motorist. To this day, the MSP still uses this sign, mostly for tradition. Many local PDs in Michigan adopted it, but I don't think anyone else is still using it.

Couple of more...

Once I saw a color photo of a few cars in this fleet, I just had to replicate one. In my stash I had the perfect candidate, a Bandit Resins 58 Chevy Biscayne sedan. Changing the trim to the lower Delray model was very simple. I used both the AMT and newer tool Revell 58 Impala kits as donors. Most of the parts came from the AMT, but I used the engine/drivetrain/rear end out of the Revell, along with some trim pieces like door handles, mirrors, etc. The cars of Ann Arbor PD, starting in 58, were a combination of gold, white and dark blue, most likely as a tribute to the hometown University of Michigan colors. They maintained this color scheme up to the early 70s with only a few differences on paint breaks, etc. The cars were two-door sedans up to at least 64. Assuming they used the Chevy gold for 58, I used Testors Pure Gold as a close match to Anniversary gold of that year. The white and dark blue are Tamiya colors. I snatched a hood "shark fin" from a diecast Michigan State Police car and changed the lettering from State to local PD use, as per the prototypes. The rest of the police goodies are from my parts box. The door decals were custom made for me. The result is a unique addition to my police car collection.

Superb! Is there anything you can't do?

Amazing craftsmanship. In a class way above my pay grade! Congratulations

Interior complete, as well as the engine...

Stefan...those are precision cut decals that are included on the kit's decal sheet

Thanks Charlie...as to the exhaust, I used a rust colored Tamiya weathering powder over the aluminum paint...but I got more of a gold color than rust, go figure. So then I used some rust colored paint and dry-brushed a bit of the exhaust up closer to the engine and left the rest as is, so of an 'anodized' look.

I'd be in for a W-500 But a question...will there be a pickup bed for the W-300, or just the cab? To answer the donor question, the MPC 70s Dodge pickup kits can be adapted, but I know they're pretty rare.