av405

Thanks guys! I have to give a shoutout to @Texas_3D_Customs for printing the cab and @Oldmopars for designing it for print.

Just released info from Round 2: Coming soon! The 1981 Chevy Stepside Pickup modified reissue. Based on the GMC Deserter kit, we’ve retooled the front grill to bring the 1981 Chevy Sod Buster! With retooling needed we took the opportunity to improve this kit with all-new clear headlamps as well! Look for the Sod Buster to hit hobby shelves Early 2023! Due Early 2023. 3D Mockup samples subject to improvements in production. #MPC972

Thanks guys! I appreciate the support!

The truck is complete!

Here's my completed CHP Dodge Ram 2500 Commercial Vehicle Enforcement truck: Here's the WIP thread I did for this project:

So I lied in my last post...sort of. I forgot to mention that I had to add license plates. I have many California law enforcement decal sheets, but most don't contain the specific kind of exempt license plate I needed. And the plates that I did have that were period correct looked a bit cartoonish. So I dug into my stash and found this excellent Warbird decals California license plate sheet. It had the correct plate that I needed, but unfortunately does not contain the "diamond" style E that signified an exempt plate during this time. So I decided to remove the diamond E from this CHP set that I had: Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I cut out the diamond and each number individually and then added it to the blank plate. I am more or less satisfied with the results, though the diamond E decal is thicker and literally stands out more:

I got hit with the building bug last night and managed to do a lot of work. The topper shell is done and has been mounted in place. The third brake light was made from scrap clear plastic and I placed a 1/24 scale cone inside of the bed. I glued the front push bar, bumper-mounted red light, side mirrors, and spot lights into place. The truck is 99% done. I just have to mount the light bar and some extra antennas into place and it'll be done! This will be the last WIP post, the next shots will go Under Glass.

I know it's been a while since my last update but I ran into issues with the topper, including warpage issues, BMF issues, and an accident in which I dropped some thinner on it. Combining that with being busy at work, I decided to put the project away for a few weeks because we all know that we shouldn't work on projects while frustrated. Well, I'm finally coming back to it. I sanded and repainted the portions where thinner fell and I settled on using Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver to paint the aluminum hinges. I'm going to continue working on the aluminum and black trim portions. I was hoping this project would be done a few weeks ago, but sometimes you have to set this hobby aside for a bit to recharge.

Haven't posted here in a while. Here's my cumulative haul from the last 2 weeks from various online and brick and mortar sources. Most of it was bought at some type of discount.

They always have. Even the previous cases (same design, but they were previously sold under a different brand).

Looks fantastic!

Interesting. During my visit, there was actually a 3rd 1/24 display case on the shelf. Unfortunately that one had no plastic wrap and there was a deep cut/break along one side of the case. It was still $6.99. I tried to get it for a deeper discount but was told that they couldn't as it was already on sale. In principle I disagreed given its state and decided not to buy it.

I finally went to my local Hobby Lobby specifically to buy a 1/24-1/25 display case and to see what the fuss was all about with clearances. The only kit I found on clearance was the Slammers 1998 Chrysler Concorde kit for less than $5. But to my pleasant surprise, the display cases were all marked down! Normally the 1/24-1/25 case is $9.99 but they were listed at $6.99. I picked up both remaining cases and a 1/18 case as well. All in all, I essentially got a 1/24-1/25 case for free.

Thanks for the continued encouragement fellas!

Thank you. It's never too late to dust off old plans ?

I've been doing work on the topper. First I added evergreen styrene strips along the bottom of the topper to match the strips on the real piece: I then worked on the whip antenna. I started with a piece from policecarmodels.com: I attached a satin pin to the piece to simulate the antenna and have started some detail painting. I need to paint the pin black: I used a pin vise to create a hole on the topper. I'm going to secure the whip antenna with a satin pin to the topper. I painted the topper with Tamiya Pure White. Just waiting for it to dry:

As others have mentioned, Burbank's is top-notch. I live about an hour from them so I can vouch for both the in-store, pick up, and shipping experience. My go-to online site is Tower Hobbies. Their main focus is actually RC but they carry a lot of supplies and kits as well. I just wish they carried Mr. Hobby products. They are always running discounts and best of all, they have a rewards program.

Thanks! I attached the grill and headlights and completed the most satisfying part - the decals. License plates will come later. Thankfully the kit's door decals were still good, if not a bit yellow. I'm sure with time that'll correct itself. The real CHP Rams had a V8 engine, but since the kit comes with V10 decals, that's what I went with. I want to give a shout out to inquarters decals for the sheet. This is a comprehensive sheet made through commercial printing, not homemade. I cannot be clearer when I say that these are the best CHP decals currently available for scale models: https://inquarters.com/Large_Scale_Law_Enforcement.html

The entire body has been polished out (since I'm going for a brand new look). I've put the main truck together as well. Of course it's not until I've put everything together that I noticed a slight warp in the bed. Pre-build checks are very important folks!

I ran into the same issue a few months ago when I ordered some items from them. I even inquired about it here too. Long story short, this is how they (he?) operate. You'll get your parts. It took about 2-3 months to get mine.

Thank you. Agreed on the '79s.

I'm not really interested in doing a 1979 CHP Camaro, but I'll have to check the kit out to see what's possible. I shouldn't say never. So I had an accident with the topper. I was laying down some Duplicolor White Filler Primer and it did not lay down well at all. Not sure why since the grey version went down just fine. Well, I took the chance to strip it and fix some alignment issues with the piece. I heated it in near boiling water and have braced it to be a bit straighter: While the cab dries and the topper falls into shape, I worked on some other details for the topper. I finished the rear directional bar/arrow stick. The piece was spray painted with Tamiya TS-73 Clear Orange and then hand painted with Vallejo Black. I then used clear Evergreen styrene to cut out windows for the topper. The topper was designed and printed in such a way that I can drop these pieces into inserts from the interior. Since the windows will be tinted, I wasn't too concerned about the edges being 100% straight since they will not be visible:

Ha! Well I'll take it as a good sign that you can't see them. Thank you. I do not work for CHP but I am in law enforcement. Building CHP cars in scale is enticing since given the agency's iconic status, there are various aftermarket decal providers, photos, and references for interior equipment. Even references dating back decades. My goal is to build many of their vehicles from the 90s - Caprice, Crown Vic, Expedition, etc. The availability of the relevant kits and aftermarket items certainly helps.

Thank you Carl. Speaking of which, the cab has been painted and clear coated. All with Tamiya spray cans. I'll give it a week or so to dry before I wet sand and polish it out. After that I'll hand paint the rubber molding/trim and door handles. In the meantime, I will continue working on the topper. Even though I gave it what I thought would be a final coat of fine primer, I've gone back to sanding and working on slight alignment issues. I knew I wouldn't be happy with it if I had left it as is.

Forgive me if this is a project you want to take on your own regardless, but Greg Wann (he's here on the forum) has a 4-door resin Lemans that should be near completion.