1972coronet

Gosh darn it ! I knew I shouldn't have bid-max on that Teddy Ruxpin doll ! The same amount of money would've brought this baby home instead ... *GrUmPH*

Not only is Testors spray paint notorious for being thick , it's also a painfully-slow drying paint ! But , it hasn't always been that way ! I noticed that their paints --at least their enamels-- were getting yucky back in the late 90's . Prior to that , I never had a problem with their paints , dry time or otherwise . Be careful with how much of that paint you lay down on that Duster's body , as the side markers , the gas cap and the door lines are pretty faint on their own !

Thanks much for the link to that cool story , Greg ! I recall seeing the Aurora Racing Scenes kits when I was really young ( I was 4-5 years old in '74 / '75 ) . The local "high-end" department store carried them in their toy department . They looked absolutely huge to me ; and that realistic box art left me with the sensation that I could actually sit inside the completed car ! Of course , I would never know the pleasure of building one of these beauties ... One thing's for sure ; I didn't notice until now that these are snap-together !

Thanks for your reply . Stupid question time ; how did you replicate the 1967 upholstery pattern ; and , are you going to modify / scratch build the door panels ? Hopefully Revell will backdate their gorgeous 1969-come-1968 Dart GTS to a 1967 GT/ GTS ; or perhaps Missing Link will cast up a conversion kit ( grille , tail lights / panel , seating and door panels ) .

Alan - Where did you get the 1967 conversion parts and the seats ?

Nice build ! That cracked windshield reminds me of a friend's '69 SS from back in the 90's . Its body had been acid dipped ; a killer 383 stroker / hard-shifting TH 400 / 12 Bolt 4.88's combo was swapped in . It had surface rust because of the 'dipping . The day my friend bought it , he wanted to hammer on it , so he did ... Brake-revved it to about 3-grand and launched it ... then the body flexed radically ; the windshield cracked from lower left to upper right , and the outer layer of glass popped-out ! Ha ha ha ! Apparently the car's prior owner-builder neglected to add subframe connectors !

Beautiful work , Nitro330 ! Did you happen to replace the kit's inaccurate 8.75" rear with the correct Dana 60 by any chance ?

NICE one , Matti ! My favourite addition to your Olds : the correct , 1972-issue California license plates !! Yes , the first "F" in the plate = 1972-issue . Kudos to you !

Kataranga : Here's a link to the aforementioned Hamtramck Historical site http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/

I use the term loosely ; "incorrect" in the capacity of : - 1968-1969 (and 1970-1971 "Ramcharger" / "Air Grabber") air cleaner ; - Manual transmission wasn't available behind the 440 after 1972 (1974 for the 400) . 1978 model year was the last year for the B/RB engine series . As a side note ; ever see one of those oddball Mitsubishi 4 cylinder , naturally-aspirated diesel engines that was an option for '78 or '79 in the "D" and "W" Series pickups ? Gee , I wonder why *that* was a failure ...

No need to apologise , it's all good . Certainly , MPC did imply that the engine in the Little Red Express was a 360 , which is a small block ; a factory relica "360 EXPRESS" air cleaner lid decal was even included (!!) for their generic Chrysler big block . If you ever need thee reference for Chrysler stuff , go to "Hamtramck Historical 1970 Registry" ; I'll add a link in a minute ...

It's great to see pics of these old favourites ! I had many of the '76-'78 versions , none of them survived the ravages of my imagination ... Has this series always had a totally goofy and incorrect B / RB Engine with manual trans combo , or was the small "LA" engine / Torqueflite ever available ? I , too , would LOVE to see this kit --the original longbed , two-wheel-drive-- restored and reissued by Round2 , perhaps in the following guise : -The original kits' wheel covers -new plain steelies in a *correct* size - hub caps , perhaps sourced from Missing Link (their excellent '69-'75 Dodge "dog dish" caps) - engine / transmission from the 1971 Charger R/T (big block / Torqueflite combo)

Rest In Peace , Tom . My most sincere condolences to the Setzer family (thanks to whomever kept us updated on Tom's condition and passing).

1958 Fords are so gorgeous ; they take so well to customising , mild or wild ! Your drophead is looking great so far ! I, too , really like the J.C. Whitney idea . Maybe if you sent some pics of your finished project , they'd use it on their catalogue's cover . RE : Curb Feelers : Back in the late 80's when I got my license and I started looking for a car , I wanted badly to find one with curb feelers ! I had my sights set on late 60's-1976 Darts , Vailants , Dusters , etc. , etc. , of which there were plenty to choose from ( Whittier Calif was full of "old timers" and most of them owned Dodges and Plymouths !) . Oddly , I couldn't find a single , solitary car with the 'feelers ! And , no one --to the best of my knowledge-- was selling new curb feelers . Why did a late teens male want curb feelers on his car ? Simple : I liked the idea of cutting down on the possibility of scuffing the tyres' sidewalls on curbs ! Ne'er the less ~~ Keep up the great work , Richard !

Some inspiration ! From the Rod Shop fanpage via facebook :

Not to completely railroad the thread ... I wonder if a multi-piece car body would take well to clear casting ? In other words , perhaps something along the lines of how a full-scale ("1:1") auto body is assembelled ; main "skeletal" structure ; separate quarter panels , fenders , shear panels , door skins , etc. , etc. Certainly this would be "easier" in 24th or 25th scale ; however , perhaps it'd be *do-able* in 16th scale as well . Just a thought ...

I've had great luck with Duplicolor aerosol Chrome . It's readily available at any auto parts store ; it's reasonablly-priced , and goes on smoothly (well , it smoothes-out quite nicely). I've sprayed it over gloss black as well as dull aluminum , with equal results . Allclad is good ; I'm not going to knock it , but it seems to be "fragile" (e.g. , don't *handle* the painted part(s) excessively during or after assembly) .

After reading my post (the one which you've quoted) , even I can't tell you where I got the "4 speed in 1955" statement either . Thanks for the indepth info ; I'd always wondered about what transmissions interchanged with early "Gen 1" Hemi's . _______________________________________________________________________________ Casey : My vote for best early Hemi is a tie : 1.) De Soto Firedome in the AMT 1953 F-100 , or ; 2.) Chrysler 392 in the 1957 Chrysler 300 (got to love that 488 T-flite !)

My maternal grandmother gave my sister a cat (young cat , but not a kitten) for Christmas in 1985 ; a pretty yellow-orange tabby . By Spring 1986 , "Delilah" was looking a bit bigger in the belly (!!) , and on 12th April 1986 (four days before my 16th birthday) she gave birth to four little bundles starting at around 0700 HRS . I was never much of an animal person until around that time . My family did have two Dauchunds when I was young ("Burgie" and "Pepper") . My parents got them in '68 ; they didn't think they were going to be able to have children and needed some companionship . After Burgie passed away in 1980 , I was greatly saddened . I briefly considered adopting another dog , but never really followed through . My outlook on animals changed forever when my sister got Delilah . With the exception of a few brief intervals , I have never been without at *least* one feline in my life ! My two present "kids" are both shelter rescues : Molly (full name : Molly Anne McCalico) is my first rescue . She'll be eleven years on 18th May ; I adopted her when she was six months . She's the most colourful Calico I've seen to date ; borderline Tortiseshell , as she's got very little white . Her best patches are : an Africa-shaped black patch on her left side (a nod to her descendants , the African Wildcat ) , and the face of a bearded man right behind the Africa patch . Her most easily recognise sound is her "Jake Brake" growl when ... Oliver , my American Shorthair , tries to play with her . Oliver is shelter rescue number two . He'll be ten years this 4th of June ; I adopted him (actually , my mother picked him out ) when he was 8 months . American Shorthairs (not to be confused with their Brighton relatives , the British Shorthair) are a stocky , solidly-built cat . Most of their features are shared with Brits ; the puffy muzzle ; the big round eyes ; the thick , tapered tail ; the canine temperment (they absolutely must be in the presence of someone , but conversely , aren't dependent upon anyone) ; and their overall stature . But , unlike their U.K. relatives , they're athletic ! American Shorthairs are typically referred to as "Ship's Cats" . MNWildPunk : It please me greatly that you have recognised the wonderment of feline companionship ! These guys are like little angels ! One of the best things about kitties is that they're "self-contained" : they don't have to be exercised ; they don't have to be bathed ; and they don't have to solely rely on anyone for food sources (in es , if they are turned back into the wild , they'll adapt quicky , as they're still "feral" , regardless of their domestic stature) . May your kitties bring you many years of absolute bliss and unwavering companionship

The Valiant in the photos provided by Tom Geiger is a 1972 model ("universal" side marker lamp lenses) , and is an excellent source for the subtle differences between it and the 1969 Dart 2 door you're starting out with . Of special note ; the '72 in the photos is a base model , which is to say that it's devoid of the rear applique between the tail lights , across the trunk . The '70-'72 Valiants used in Duel had the applique . How about sending your completed Val body to a resin caster !

4 speed in 1955 ? Not a factory piece . Chrysler didn't have a 4 speed until 1964 (the A-833) with the exceptions of : - 1962 Chrysler 300 with the radical , optional solid lifter cam , had a Pont-A-Musson gearbox (a French truck trans) - 1963 Max Wedge Super Stock used a "stop-gap" (e.g. , a substitute until their own 833 could be released) Borg-Warner T-10 Isn't the trans in the Moebius '55 300 the Powerflite 2 speed (a short-lived predecessor to the A-466 / A-488 TorqueFlite) ?

...and it's a "more door" to boot ! J'm loving it , Bruce ! . '58-'59 Fords are the make's finest hour

That was my first thought exactly : the colour scheme ! Perhaps it's a '70-'72 van ... And like you've affirmed ; I proposed this as one for you to replicate precisely for the reason you've stated

The first time I can recall ever being greatly disappointed as to a kit's box's proposed contents versus what was actually in the box was the circa 1980 MPC Chevy Pickup (whose proper name escapes me at the moment) . The box art showed a stock , two-wheel-drive version in the background . It was red and it had the stock base model hubcaps ! I bought it at Gemco ; and when I got home and ripped-into the box to pour over its contents , I was astonished to find *only* 4-wheel-drive components , and absolutely no steel wheels / hubcaps ! I even wrote a letter to MPC about this abhorrent advertising ( ha ha ha ) , to which they responded in kind by offering me my choice of a free replacement kit (and I got to keep the other "disppointment" kit ! Talk about excellent P.R. !). After that ordeal , I was en garde ! nothing was below my suspicions !

As a visual and conceptual artist , the box art is a huge attraction ! I'll be 43 in April ; I first started building in '73 or '74 , and my sole decisions for a 32nd scale snap kit was based upon what was on the box (Monogram's Funny Car series was my favourite !). I ostensibly missed out on the golden era of box art (the Pop Art / Psychedelic artwork of '63-'70) , though I certainly do recall seeing those kits' boxes at older cousins' houses and in thrift stores and in outdated stock at dep't stores when I was a kid (wanted to build them , but they were beyond my abilities ...). When I started on glue kits (around '75 / '76) I was drawn (no pun intended) to the MPC annuals . Sears seemed to keep quite a few of them in their stock ! Also , being of an abstract mind , the reissues of Tom Daniel's kits (Vandal , etc.) were a feast for the eyes ! In subsequent years , I've passed on many kits just because of the crappy cover art ! The RC-2 era of AMT was thee worst !! In summary : The boxes' art still is a subliminal decisor for me , but not as big a deterrent as it was in the past . The neuvaux Revell box art is attractive . Round2's box art is the absolute best (and , yes , that's in full recognition that some of it is repro AMT and MPC work , which is-was another favourite of mine !) .