426-Hemi

Then I'm off to begin the engine compartment details..... Here you see both batteries in place.... The details are about to surround this all! Notice in the pic above, the little black box? Thats the electrical box for having 2 batteries, as well as 2 "charging" sources.... In the top of it, is 2 holes, one hole for each red wire, one off the Alternator, and one off the generator. THEN in each end of it, is a hole, one for the black "main" battery, and one for the whit e battery, BOTH "positive" sides of the batteries.... They will have red wires going into it, and red going out to the each battery.... As you'll see! As I said, one red wire each to the top of that little black electrical box. One from the Alternator, and one from the generator! -Notice there is one "lonely" red wire going to the black battery? Thats the starter positive wire! Its NOT in-place to stay as there needs to be 2 more red wires added to that! Now theres 3 red wires going to the black battery, as well as a link black wire going between the 2 batteries and into the firewall! One red wire off the Alternator going to the firewall..... As well as a red battery wire off the black battery going also into the firewall! Slightly better view of all these wires and where they're going.... ALL the posts of the batteries tied in, red going to its respective locations as well as the black. ONLY the black crossing between the 2 batteries! The positive sides will be meeting elsewhere unseen.... BUT go in the right direction! Stay tuned MORE to follow!!! ENJOY -Thanks for looking!

Well now, I had mentioned a few posts ago, that looking at the model as well as Daisy's REAL Jeep (from the show, with her or someone of the cast in the TV Series in the shot), I noticed that the roll bar was NOT right in the kit.... The supports to the upright were not made to be rounded corner, and horizontal..... (This had to be a Jeep from a Military Kit they retro fitted) As the Jeep Daisy had had those braces/supports angled.... I took the factory kit part "up right" and made and added my own "angled" supports!!! Not painted yet, and won't be added till I'm at that stage of the build, BUT will be ready when I am! I still have to figure out the placement of Daisy's CB BEFORE I add ity to the model, as I do not think where they show to "put" it in the instructions is the correct location, we'll see. I'm trying to build this as close as I can get it, and let me tell ya, its not even close! Short posting, on this interior detail, BUT more to come! Stay tuned, more to follow after these short messages!

So as I mentioned early this morning, there was more to come, and here it is! I finally got the body on the frame to STAY!!!! Its mounted up, with in-need of some touch up underneath, BUT looks and sets nicely... I also got a Radiator Shoe-Horned in the front too. what fun that was! Then I actually got the steering column in-place, that way, I could also get the drivers side seat in the model too.... As the steering column in this is quite long, it goes from the steering gearbox, all the way to the interior where the steering wheel will be place, BUT with the Driver's seat in place, would have made that really difficult to do so, I went the other way and added the steering column AFTER the body was mounted to the frame! So the rest of the parts would pretty much fall into place! One thing I have to mention, AFTER ALL the parts this kit is missing, one thing it did have that I didn't have to make, was the damned turn signal lever! This to-date, is thee only model I have yet to build to have the turn signal lever on the column! Was a nice change!!!! For now under the hood, looks REALLY "bare" thats going to change pretty quick! Head on shot of the front.... I have to add a bunch of exterior detail in here, which to come! Then as you can see the detail coming on, the black wire going up the firewall, is from the starter!!!!! -Still tho, a LOT of loose wires just hanging out, what seems to be EVERYWHERE.... Like a real one, these will be placed accordingly! -I also added dual batteries too! Notice, they do NOT match! Cooter's way of adding them to keep the ole Jeep going, one, BUT have the AMPs to keep the General in-need going too as for a Jump, PLUS its a "Jeep" if they ever needed a winch in front or in back, or both, the battery power would be there.... The engine ALSO reflects this, has a Alternator, as well as a Generator too! To feed the need..... BUT because all was on a "Limited budget" I did the non-matching batteries, to show this they did what they needed to do to keep going.... Necessity is the Mother of Invention.... ENJOY more to follow!

So then, a little more, as the brake details were drying, and the glue was setting up, I picked up the body to see what and where I could then go with it, from where it last was, I got a little better picture of the inside with the gear shift in place as well as the 4x4 gear shift all in place as well as the Emergency Brake lever too! I have to say, its amazing what you can achieve with different "sheens" of the same color! And the outward look it gives off.... You have flat black, semi-gloss black as well as gloss black seen in the above picture! ALL from Testors 1/4 ounce square bottles! Then, you have the front passenger seat & mount in place..... Not lookin' to shabby I have to say! Little different angle.... Shows that its turning out well! This has to be thee hardest "dash" I ever worked on even tho, it doesn't have much on or in it.... Then while I was looking over the "Chrome" parts tree.... for interior parts, I seen the head light bezels.. WELL BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH, they need to go in place! So off the tree they came, cleaned them up and in place they went..... NOW its starting to look like a Jeep! Enjoy! More to come, as I have more to type out but I'm running out of gas..... LOL Stay tuned later today, more will follow!

Well since I got a kick in the ass to get "moving" on this model, I actually sat my ass down to do just that! -Over the weekend some GREAT strides were made after the new kick-start to go on it was done! As this model, really isn't (or wasn't all that far from the finish line!) So then, I'm not sure I mentioned this in the whole build as of yet, BUT here goes, (I'M DISGUSTED with the details of this model). there is A LOT and I do mean A LOT, to be desired of.......... under the hood for starters (NO I didn't go the 4 cylinder they came with in the kit), when I bought it was already started by someone else, and the engine to the kit was missing parts and have some broken parts. This what made me lean onto my parts bins to see what I could cough up for a motor.... Hence it got a AMC "401". ANYWAY, onto the build.... -So really thats why I said in the title "Resurrecting" as this really is a "save" kit.... The firewall, NEVER had ANY "master cylinder" NOR a "booster" for it, not even something "molded in-to the plastic"! ... I went into the parts bins to see what I had to spare.... Have a couple, BUT they just were not, what this Jeep needed. SO, I cut the first one apart, carefully to save the "booster" as this was a single master cylinder (I had no interest in a little single) so.... I tossed the front half! Then drilled a hole to accept a AMT-Ertl, master cylinder out of what I believe was a '70 Dodge Cornet Super Bee kit, one I just happened to have laying out. WHY I don't know, (I had that part for a VERY long time) so.... Being put to good use after being a "dust collector" for I bet its longer then 20 years now.... The engine compartment I don't even recall seeing a BATTERY in it either! Not in the instructions, I go and have a look later I'll make a note of that here that there is or wasn't even a battery in this kit, nor a place to put one! -I actually made the battery compartment, holder/box........ I had originally planned to put 2 Alternators on that 401, as well as 2 batteries, for when Daisy had to "jump" the General in-case of keeping her troublesome Cousins out of trouble or well saving there asses in time of need! Here's the master cylinder, and booster together, and then some brake lines coiled up and ready to go. also notice those 2 little green things.... That is wire insulation, NOT to the copper wire seen here (the copper was bare, the whole spool is bare) so.... I took the green insulation off another wire for another use, and I save ALL of this insulation, as once painted "brass" or gold, they look like little fittings!!!! Not the best of picture, BUT the best one out of the 3 I took, due to my hands and the camera and holding the thing still long enough to get a half-ways decent "clear" picture is not always easy for me.... And no, I normally DON'T shake, by the physical shape my hands are in at times the oddest things are very difficult! So here in the above picture, you see the positioning of the whole works, "together".... Again, not the best pic, BUT the best one I got! Now as you see, the whole works is painted!!!! -Green wire insulation painted "Brass" and the pipe work painted steel, as well as the master cylinder being painted a custom color I mix up as I call it "Bare Cast Iron" and looks the part! The brake booster wasn't touched (was a "used part" to start with), BUT it will get a coat of semi-gloss black, as at this point, it was my "gasping" area, to paint the fittings as well as the wire "pipe". So as I built the master cylinder and brake booster as I thought it best for the Jeep, I got to thinkin' (yeah I do that once in awhile "think" that is! ) Well if I add the piping to the master cylinder, it has to go to a triple valve down on the frame, right? WELL then I sat out to make that the best I could.... Nothing special, but sort of looks the part, I think! I took a section of plastic scrap laying on my work bench, and made the front sort of pointy, and then flattened where it had cut marks in it, and then drilled the 2 top holds for the master cylinder piping, and then one hole in each end of it. Painted & in-place!!! Here is where "Modeler's License" come in, the frame is solid..... SO there really isn't a good way to "run" brake or even fuel lines, so I dead-headed them into the frame with no fittings, kinda simulating that the pipe just bends and follows up the lower part of the "[" channel of the frame, even tho it really doesn't exist on this model.... -I have some other brake lines to bring up to snuff too. The whole front axle has nothing currently! Thats to come! As I have to "dead-head" a bunch of that too......... Stay tuned, MORE to follow after these short messages!!!!

OK Guys, a little update, since I got a good "SHOVE" by a member to get me motivated on this build again after about a YEAR's absence!!! Thanks Chas, just the push I needed!!!! I got the interior looking really good! (I took more pictures of this, BUT this is the only one that turned out well to see what I've done!) I have since this picture, got the passenger-side seat in place, as well as other small details.... I hand painted ALL the flat black, you see, by brush, and then took a Sharpie "paint Marker" with Oil based paint in it, to make the raised edges, "shiny". Just to stand out a little, EVEN those on top of the inner fenders!!!! I looked up pictures of Daisy's actual Jeep and the roll bar is completly WRONG in the kit, It has NO top running lights as the kit shows it to have and the side braces in the kit are horizontal, and the real Jeep in the show, had no lights on the roll bar, And the braces are angled! SO, I plan to change this part of the model to reflect that of the real one! I got the 4x4 shifter in place, as well as the Emergency brake lever, and the gear shift as well. The steering wheel column is being painted but will not go in till the model is firmly planted on its frame! As the end of it has to be glued to the gear box for the power steering down on the frame! I also have yet to add the CB in it, BUT I want to look for the location a bit better then it shows in the kit instructions! I am NOT using/putting the "rear" seat in this time! I'm going to load the back with items that Daisy would have taken to Cooter's garage, to keep the ole General Lee runing, as well as keep her 2 troublesome cousins on the move..... Feast your eyes on this BOAT LOADA BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH..... My "General Lee, (I have 2 of them) one I did like 27 plus years ago, and one I'm doing now to show my growth as a model builder... ANYWAY, both will have 426 Hemi's in them..... SO, the above detail is reflecting that..... 426 Hemi Heads headed to Cooters by Daisy.... Check out the valve detail I'm adding!? I got a ways to go on this, BUT they WILL look real when I'm done like new replacement heads for the General Lee!!!! I haven't decided if I'm gonna do 2 of them like that, and have the valves to add, or not, I may, OR I may turn the other one right side up, to show inside the head..... (Be a lot of work tho!) We'll see! Just to show what I am able to do.... I plan to drill a hole in each combustion chamber to reflect the spark plug location, with nothing in it! I have some clean up to do to these heads, BUT they are my resin castings!!!!! More to come as things progress, and pics are taken! -Enjoy!

So, as I said this kit, was missing the decals, BUT I have the body painted and awaiting decals as I get them, stored in its box, protected from scratches and such, but heres a look at the body....I have some (A LOT) of detail to add, and paint in, the body must be painted white on the outside BEFORE any painting inside can be done so. Thought when I was painting, I'd get some shine to her. ENJOY Daisy! Its gettin' there! I'll be pleased when a few of these are completed, as then I can get moving on some others that are waiting!

So then, with the frame looking this good and my energy being so intense at this time of the things completed, I had to test fit everything as the steering axle being well, in a steered position.... I had to see if they were "turned" to taught for the body! And as seen they aren't they turned out VERY well this way. Plus with the wheel issues mentioned, I also had questioned fit of everything as it was being assembled, BEFORE the rear axle was placed to "stay" onto the suspension, I tested the fit of the tires with them able to be removed as they are now, they don't spin freely. I do that purposely tho, I learned the hard way all that hard work can land it on the floor in a million pieces and the breakage just isn't worth it PLUS, I display at a couple local places and would NOT want to hear that one of my nicest models wound up on the floor or bottom of the displace case because they "roll"....So, yeah, don't happen! Pretty good clearance overall front to back, and all around looks....(The height seems high, but isn't really) I have Nerf type "steps" to add to both sides for Daisy to get in and out....These probably pre-date the actual "Nerf" brand by 10 years LOL Looks good on the driver side front corner and having the wheels steering into a left hand turn!!!!! More to come as more progress is made! ENJOY!!!!

So the "today" update as this frame things are happening FAST. SO, one of the things I have to learn is to get pictures even faster then the speed any one thing is going together. (Thats a learning experience all in itself!) So anyway....Here is that frame: Its now on its own wheels and tires! BUT these tires, have a story, they were NOT the ones with the kit! See, when I bought this kit, I found that those with it, did not fit correctly, the tires were cut out to large on the inside to take the rims that were to be in them to be "Daisy Dukes Jeep" so. Was stumped for a couple days on how I was going to go about this task. Then, it dawned on me, I had these "Military" tires that had rims cast into them, all in one piece. Sadly, I had to ruin the set I bought for a whooping $3.00 a box, that went with a well known Taiwanese model part company. But, I center drilled the rims out, and re fitted the left over tire with the rims originally with Daisys Jeep! I had thought first to use the "bigger" wheels I had till I seen the sheer size of them, and went tot he smaller ones that were in the kit, and were actual the same size as the factory ones! And look just as good! This shot shows the nicely added 5th tire, for use as the "Spare".... GREAT downward looking shot as well, over the frame! I have yet to paint the spare "mount" to be colored to match the body of the Jeep! Because of the frame and the origin of this kit, I bought it used it had some slight....issues, shall we say. That well both rear axles needed re-built, re-designed, something just the whole set up as messed up and the guy who did it well. I'm not sure "looking" over the model said exactly, what his intentions were....BUT, because of this, the front rear had a really "WIDE" stance, why? I'm not sure, I tried every trick I could to make it more narrow, BEFORE mounting it to the suspension, and it still had a good 1/8th to much on BOTH side so a quart inch to wide. SO, what I did was take and make the "steering" do a little.....With the vehicle looking as it was to take a left or right turn with the wheels as follows, helped A LOT, as it hides that issue pretty well I do believe! I think it looks really well, considering what it did look like when I first began to study the parts within the box after getting home! This picture is a close up depicted as so, to show the detail, I went and added in all the rear brake lines! They cross the rear axle, and then to a "T" joint, to then run up to the cross-member as in real life....To the drivers side frame rail, to the front where the Master Cylinder will be located on the firewall. More to come.....This is the "Frame work" done, the following pictures are of "Moch-Up" of the engine and body setting onto the frame to clearing and looking to make sure all comes together!

Group of crazy modelers like myself, I picked up an older Model at Hobbytown USA that was a "Backroom special" Why? The local store to me got a liquidated purchase from a guy that I was told was a model car hoarder, (yeah at this time, I'm liking what I'm hearing) so I start in, do you have..... Goes on and on my wife says I'm headed over to Hobby Lobby, I'll catch ya there when your through here....So she leaves and takes my little girl with her.... As she walks out, is when I said so there are "others" the guy I normally deal with, sure there is, partially built ones that we can not display out here due to the franchise but, to guys we know we can sell them "As-is" So, then lets go have a look the next words outta my mouth, followed by "if ya don't mind me in the back rooms (2 locations to the store) We go....And holy good GAWD, yes this guy who owned them prior to HobbyTown getting them, WAS a hoarder! I bet there musta been 500 partially built models in the back to rooms! They had all of the "new" unopened stuff, out front. BUT these opened partially built models I was in my glory, LOL So I started asking if he saw anything "Mopar" he looked at me and i was like Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, Jeep.......... yep a few in both areas! I was like cool lets go have a look, I was actually seeking out specific models but he had a few, one being Daisy Dukes CJ-5 Jeep, "Dixie".... Its been YEARS since I've seen this model for sale on the shelves, so....He finds it and brings it to me, and I have a look, its missing the decals....Seems to be otherwise all there... So I ask, what ya take? He looks hows $3.00 sound? GONE! Then I found a pretty much NEW '70 Plymouth Roadrunner, $5.00 Wheels were missing, $5.00 GONE! Then he pulls out a box of parts to a Little Red Wagon, $2.00 GONE, Then a Daisy Dukes '74 Roadrunner, $12.00 ALMOST brand NEW! GONE, Then he slips out a '70 Dodge Super Bee Pro-Street, $5.00 GONE. All in all, I didn't pay the suggested price at the very time, I had, $20 cash in pocket....I got them all for 20 bucks! This was what the frame looked like right out of the box after I got home, I got to looking a bit better only to find that the engine was missing half its self! Was "OK" its a 4 banger so....I have in my parts stache, a AMC 401 C.I.D. that came from a member to the forums here that was extra due to the model he had in real life had a different engine in it. SO, now Daisy's Jeep has a pretty big V-8 for a Jeep... Now its got a bit more details on it, Spark plug wires, Distributor cap, Fan belts, dual Alternators, as the Jeep when done will have dual batteries, to keep her cousins Bo and Luke out of trouble with a dead battery in the General.... Sorry Daisy, your 401 will only be getting a 2 barrel carburetor....Don't have a 4 barrel to fit it, replied Cooter! Then to get a "test fit" as the V-8 is a bit bigger then the 4 popper that once was in here.... ...an BARELY it fits will have to do some shoe-horning on the radiator to get it all neatly under the hood! ENJOY.....More will follow as time and progress happen! Haven't started the other kits yet!

Well I waited for the body to dry from wet sanding with 1500 grit, I got to try to see if I was able to run my air brush with no issues. And yeah by God, I was able.... (Been trying to run it on and off over the span of time since I began building, again, from the accident) so..... This means, all those models I have "sitting, waiting for body paint, can NOW be painted, or well, started to get them ready for paint!!!!! Having said that, What did I have sitting there, waiting? OHHHH yeah, my '68 Roadrunner. so out came the paint, Lacquer thinner and some stirring sticks to mix/thin the paint for spraying through my Air Brush! Heres the 1st coat of color.... Let it dry for 48 hours.... then gave it another wet sanding with 1500 grit paper..... 2nd coat of color: Let it set again for 48 hours, and gave it a final wet sanding of 1500 grit..... Let it dry, and gave it a 3rd coat of color: Painted just like a real car would be. Each coat is VERY THIN, and VERY light, to not cover up any detail, BUT build up the paint to be "worked" and smoothed out. At this point, I think one more nice "wet" coat of paint, and a light wet sanding with 1800 to 2000 grit will be great, and then I can move on to the first coat of clear coat. More to come as time allows! Thanks for looking! ENJOY!

So this one has been awhile huh guys? WELL some (little) more has been done! WELL, I got this model to where you see it here, and had to sit it aside as I had to go and get my hands to the point that I could run my air brush correctly. So, it sat, for over 2 months maybe 3 (I can't remember) BUT it has been in the box for a bit! Anyway, at one point, I got out my spray can of Primer, and did a wet sanding on BARE plastic, to get any mold lines gone and smooth the whole thing to take primer nicely, which it did! So, heres that! One side, then the other: In the last picture it got wet sanded one more time with 1500 grit wet/dry, and then I got that last picture, it had to then sit and dry for further inspection. Short update, BUT more to follow! Thanks for looking.... ENJOY

-I'll be doing a search locally for the Tamiya TS-23 Blue then! Thanks guys (I actually put this model on hold till I located the right "Petty Blue" color to go on my '70 Superbird! That model tho is a "Street" car that included the #43 Petty decals, so..... and I have another one, I plan to make a street car so..... I'm good with my choices to make the kit with the decals #43!

Thanks everyone for the replies! Sorry for the really LATE reply, I had some serious computer issues that wasn't allowing me to sign in to the site! SO, it took me since that time till most recently to be able to sign in. EVERY time I went to sign in, it time out on me! So..... Anyway, I have located rims for in these tires for my "Dream Truck" build! I actually found a set of Mopar "Rallye" that fit, and have the space to add a custom made "bead-lock" ring to them too! SO, I'm pretty happy, and appreciate everyone's thoughts and insight on this as I wanted something so specific for this particular build..... This build: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/107712-my-dream-truck-1978-from-the-90s-when-i-had-a-real-one/ Thanks again everyone!

This is AWESOME!!!!! I been a Testors consumer most of my life so I have to ask, does this paint work like the Testors paint or close? (I ask as it looks like a Lacquer system just as Testors is) so. I'd like to try and keep things working the same that way they can be used similarly, even together..... For instance, Krylon, Does NOT play well with others... SO having said that, I try my best to stay away from the Krylon spray bombs. due to the fact you can't spray it over or spray over it with any other types of spray paint in a can..... So I like what I see here, I might have to try it!

Well Testors paints can be made to Transparent colors ANY of them, a known trait they used to advertise, you take the color and thin it right down, The more thinner (Lacquer) you add the more or less transparent they get......... THEN you spray that over a base, of gold or silver, and polish between coats, and once happy lacquer clear coat and your done! I have NOTHING to do with the company myself, I just have been working with Testors paint most of my life! -And actually is my paint of choice I LOVE working with the stuff. Candies? I think if you go and go and go, adding a few good cover coats of their list of paints, and high polish between coats to get smoothness, you can get the "candy" look if you "work the paint".

-Jeeps, They ALWAYS look good lifted......... this is no exception, NICE work!

-Yeah I got an air brush.... is that an enamel or Acrylic? -Looks to be an enamel they offer Lacquer thinner for it so..... I'll be looking into that paint! (I see a LOT of colors I'd use!)

It was your GTX that I had confused as a Roadrunner!!!! GO figure! I replied to the PM!

Kevin here is where I confused you building a Roadrunner.... I confused it with the GTX! LOL and you and a few other as well as myself have one in the midst of being built!!!!! LOL NOW it makes sense!

I'm sorry, I musta mistaken you for doing one! LOL there are a few of them being built so I was thinkin' you were doing one of them LOL sorry about that!

Either way if you molded it or not thats nice!!! That paint work on the grille its self looks GREAT! NICE job on the headlights! Is Modelhaus back to taking orders again? I read that they stopped for a bit to catch up... so I was wondering..... I might see about trying old mail ordering. worth a try and at this point I got nothing to loose! -Thanks for posting that! Much appreciated!

Have any models that its been used on? See thats just it, I have to "see" what it looks like. I have to see what that Tamiya blue looks like! It sure looks good on screen, (I looked it up while I was thinkin' what I was gonna reply back to you on it) Any comparison from the Tamiya TS-10 to the Testors "Petty Blue"????

-I GOT TO comment here................ how'd you go about the "wrinkle" finish on the valve covers? That looks AWESOME!!!!!!! The whole build is nice! But I can tell you, the '71 Hemi 'Cuda did NOT come factory with headers! AND to this model kit itself, the box-stock exhaust manifolds weren't right either! Or well at least they weren't made to look as the kits do! The BEST 426 Hemi exhaust manifolds I've seen yet are the Revell Foose '67 Coronet & Foose '67 Charger. Those 426 Hemi's for the basic "street" have correct details, ALL EXCEPT the air cleaners, they're not right on either car.... BUT that is easily replaced. The Monogram '71 Hemi Cuda was plagued with certain detail issues..... You however have fixed one of such as the street/stock version of the car never came with chrome valve covers on the 426 Hemi, they were ALWAYS wrinkle finish black. Only Aftermarket and racing versions were in fact chrome. Street cars could have them added by the consumer but not off the show room floor. Plymouth was a bit......fussy with that way back when! -SO this detail fact you made right, and done VERY WELL NIICE job man!

GORGEOUS paint on that 300......