Rosco's Patrol Car 1978 Dodge Monaco NEW Progress 3-3-2017

[426-Hemi]

Wow! Roscoe got hold of a rare, birchwood-stocked AR-15!

I WAS wondering how long it take for someone to notice that! 

I thought it be pretty dang funny to add it as it WAS in the kit parts from the box!

[426-Hemi]

Would you trust Roscoe with an AR?   Hey, where's Flash?

NO LOL I would NOT trust Rosco with an AR...... LOL that be a SCARY thought and sight and in the show might have proved to be a hilarious episode too! LOL

Flash? Rosco's doggy, yep, he'll be in their on the passenger-side front seat!!!! (Model NEVER came with that "extra" detail!) BUT I found something to use for Flash!

[mchook]

NO LOL I would NOT trust Rosco with an AR...... LOL that be a SCARY thought and sight and in the show might have proved to be a hilarious episode too! LOL

Flash? Rosco's doggy, yep, he'll be in their on the passenger-side front seat!!!! (Model NEVER came with that "extra" detail!) BUT I found something to use for Flash!

The old amt 57 ford kit came with a little Bassett hound. That's what I used for my patrol cars.

[426-Hemi]

The old amt 57 ford kit came with a little Bassett hound. That's what I used for my patrol cars.

Thats the SAME one I got and am gonna use too! GREAT minds think alike! LOL

[426-Hemi]

Time for a update? Yeah, its well needed at this point! As I had mentioned in my last posting, that the up coming updates would be of the engine compartment wiring. WELL, that is what your about to see! But, before I get right into that, I have to show some "Pre-Details" needed prior to getting into all that engine compartment detail. So with that by now in this build all following along should know, the engine is mounted, in-place to stay! Thats first and foremost to getting into all this!
So with that all being said, the first order of business was to get as much little stuff around the engine itself done, one of those things was the brake line detail. the triple valve and holes drilled for the brake lines to the front wheels. Thats all done, then the brake line that crosses the firewall from one side to the other (this part will be thee LAST "wire detail" installed on the firewall BEFORE it goes into place, just because the firewall is now part of the interior tub! But since I've got the engine in-place to stay, the first thing after that little stuff needing done was the exhaust work to the kits molded-in pipework.... Merely making a "Y" pipe from my exhaust pipe (Aluminum rod), I use! SO, thats what I did!


I buy this stuff in a 6 foot roll for $1.00 its Golden anodized Aluminum Floral Wrap (I have several other colors of it as well!) thats near PERFECT for "stock" size exhaust pipe! Seen above is the "Y" pipe and how it all went together! As you see it, isn't how its going to "stay" in those 2 pics above its just "sitting" there... I removed it, painted it to match the rest of the pipe and then fully installed it!

Looks GREAT all painted up, and in-place to stay, utilizing the kits STOCK exhaust "coupling" that was to have plastic pipe coming off the engine to that location where you see my "pipe hanger" loop in-place. Looks GREAT!


Sure is difficult I have found to work with kits that have molded-in plastic exhaust, I've never been real happy with the looks of that but this time, it doesn't look half bad, and considering the kit itself and what it is? I'm pretty pleased as there was a LOT wrong with this kit to even make it look like a detailed car, never mind Rosco's Police Interceptor!
So to sit this all down for a short time, to dry, I picked up the Radiator Core Support, to see what all it needed for detail, BEFORE anything more could be done to it before it goes in-place on the frame! One thing, I know the police cars had was a fan shroud! The model kit however did not provide one and so, ole John off to look within his parts stash to see what all might be there for such a part! As all should have guessed, I have multiples of the shroud that comes in the '70 Dodge Coronet Super Bee (As well as the same kit "Pro-Street") and the AMT-Ertl line of cars that follow that same style frame. SO those I wasn't interested in using, they're more geared toward the cars they came with, nothing to them has "Police Car" written on them. BUT then, I found something, I can't even say what its to or from or for that matter where I got it to start with! I just know, it was there, and it had "Police Car" written on it in big RED letters (No not really, figuratively speaking) And it fit! Like a million bucks in any one of our hands at a Mopar Muscle Car lot!!!! LOL It was prepainted, not badly, and so I trimmed it a little to get the surface to joint to the Core Support to fit and glue well, and just put it in-place!

Notice, the bottom of the fan ring is missing? I had to trim it! The way this kit goes together and things it needed up front to "sit" right on the frame caused the engine to sit under slung a little, and made the core support needing to be raised up a bit as well as I have to add extensions to the tops of the inner fender wells, so that made the engine and all that to sit a little off center, BUT in-place, with this, it will look OK! (Yes, with all that wrong or seeming to be, I thought it look a bit odd and even weird!) NOPE! Looks great in-place!

A little better shot! This is all that I can "add" to the Core Support without it being in-place on the frame, as some of the up coming detail, are wire, and some need to be "fitted for wire to go to... as you'll see! 
Stay tuned, More to follow, Thanks for following along, Comments always welcome and appreciated! Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

So more to go on the Radiator Core Support, I got the Fan shroud in-place, "fitted" and painted, ready to go. Thats when I looked to see what else needed "added" to the Core Support (horn, over-flow tanks, etc.) and seen that I needed to add a horn, as well as a Radiator over-flow tank! -Neither of these 2 details came with this kit "Box-Stock" so I had to source them from my parts bins! So I got the parts out that I needed to use for this build, got them painted, got the Core Support ready to mount those parts and then by that time the parts after being painted could be handled and the horn, was the first part to go into place! NOT wired, but "mounted" to the passenger side of the Core Support and drilled for wiring to go to it!
Thats when I had to get the Core Support in-place as the Radiator over-flow tank had to fit between the Core Support, and battery, as well as the inner fender! So a little "fitment" had to be done to that tank to get it in-place. Thankfully, the tank I choose was perfect and only needed sanded down on ONE side!!!! 
So then the Radiator, Core Support holding it, and the horn all into place and the Radiator over-flow to follow....


After that was all put into place, as you can see, I got right in to adding all the wiring! The red wire off the Alternator went in-place first, all the way to the battery, "loosely" not hard mounted to the battery but able to be when all was "set to stay! As then I had to think of how I was going to replicate a "Voltage Regulator seen on the top of the inner fender well by the battery! The red wire had to pass through this, and then be long enough to continue to the firewall! And have a red wire coming off it, to the battery, as well a red wire to continue from the battery to the engines starter, all seen above! -I also got the negative wire (black wire) connected to the battery, to then go 2 ways also, one short section to the engine, and one to the firewall. Both seen above are simply hanging loose off the battery, as seen!

Stay tuned! More to follow in just a bit!!!! Thanks for looking comments always welcome! ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

I got most of the red wire ran and mounted to "stay", as well as the black wire off the battery! Once that was done, I got right to adding the A/C lines! To show that see:



The piping off the sides of the A/C Condenser, and going through the Core support to be then connected to either the A/C compressor drivers side, or the fire wall on the passengers side. 

As you can see in the pic, I have yet to paint the A/C line "fittings" to a brass color!
Then once that was done I got to fitting the engine Top Radiator Hose! That was a task, there is NOT a lot of space to be had and real estate is running out quite quickly, even for "working "area" to not damage already added details! So things are seemingly getting more & more difficult!

I made up a slightly different type "hose clamp" then I normally use! I thought, late '70's car, I'd try the newer pressure clamp they use commonly even today, not much more then a spring steel wire, so I tried it, and it looks pretty good! I'm impressed it looks as good as it does!

As you can see in the pic, this is the other end of that A/C line that will go to the top front of the A/C Compressor on the engine!
And to get one last shot, Here you can see all the wire red & black, pretty much in-place, to run towards the firewall!


A very good shot showing the red wire coming through the Core Support to the Voltage Regulator, and then continuing to the firewall and then the connections of red wire from the Voltage Regulator to the Battery, then to the Starter! Black wire off the Battery goes from the Negative Battery Terminal, to the engine and then follows down the top of the inner fender well to the firewall.
I then went seeking a wire for the horn, I found some green wire but. I added it till I got a good look at it and pulled it right out! Heres what that DID look like:

I simply was not pleased with the look, the green wire for a simply horn hook-up wire was simply to large in diameter, so I removed it for a lot less thick gauge black wire that happen to be some left over from another build! (I have yet to get pics of the new wire in-place however) thats to come!
I did however go as far as pointing out the A/C line end on that side, seen here:

I have to add a fitting on the end of that to connect to the heater/A/C area of the heater core on the firewall.... That will be fitted when I have the firewall in-place a long with the full completed interior!
Well folks, thats it for now till I get more done and pics taken of the work accomplished! Thanks for looking, & following along! Comments always welcome! ENJOY!

[David G.]

Impressive detail for a less than impressive kit. Most impressive!

David G.

[426-Hemi]

Impressive detail for a less than impressive kit. Most impressive!

David G.

Thanks David! Gotta gain something, somewhere, and if anything I know I can gain it in the details..... that I have no fear, but the rest of that kit is well you know...... WOW is it not even close! 

I just finished up the flat black shadowing on the grille and seen the headlight OMG what am I gonna do there!? -Those need serious HELP with a capitol "H"!!!!  

[426-Hemi]

So for all those following along..... I got to looking at the grille, to see what it needed as far as the flat black "shadowing" and got a dang good look at the headlights too, (WOW, are those terrible!) I got right into adding that flat black "shadowing" to the grille.

I got that done and drying and went right to the headlights to add "something" as they are really bad..... Specially for my liking anyway! I went to painting the "backing Testors "Flat Aluminum" to give them something, to look like the real thing! Let that sit to dry, and got to looking at what I had for wire to make some sort of "lip" that on the real thing was "black".... And from what it is, I have "black" wire, sure, but I needed a way to "shape" it also! So while the Flat Aluminum paint was drying with the flat black on the grille I took some measurements to make some sort of "form" to wrap the wire around the same diameter as the headlights.....

Not the best, but "something". next question I was asking myself, was how I was going to fasten those wire rings for the headlights to the headlight parts! Because they're chrome, ANY "CA" type glue was out..... SO back to another thought I recently done, that clear glass glue? I used it to make "lens" on my '68 Roadrunner, so why wouldn't it work for this? SO I gave it a try....

Not bad, not great, but slightly better then what the box-stock parts were! I plan to add a little at a time to build up a "lens" on all 4 places, as that glue takes a little while to dry, so.... A little at a time till that ring has almost equal lens thickness over the box-stock parts molded-in parts!
I then, sat that all aside to dry, and cure, and got to looking at the rear tail lights too. they too needed a little added to them, by looking up pics of the real thing online I found that the centers had a clear area, and the inner-most part of that read tail light lens, was actually Turn Signal Amber! I painted that silver center area with Testors "Chrome" and then went on to do the same for the inner-most area too, only to then be coated over with Testors Turn Signal Amber to represent what the real car had!
I let that dry for a bit, and then did some work on another model I have almost done too, till those lens were dry, only to then go back and cut them loose of the sprue, to then take a Sharpie Paint marker and add that black ring around the edge of the red tail light lens, left to dry for a bit, and then took that same Clear Glass Glue from Testors, that I been making lens with, to glue the tail light lens right into place on the rear bumper seen here:

While I was at it, I went ahead and painted the turn signals that are in the front bumper too!

Looks pretty good, not the best, in any case, but slightly better then what the kit came with! I'm pretty pleased so-far with this, I think it could be better but given what the kit came with & parts at hand and materials used, its not all that bad! Thats it for now! Thanks for following along, comments are always welcome, enjoyed & encouraged! Stayed tuned, more to come as things are done or while I'm doing them!

Edited January 15, 2017 by 426-Hemi
Edited Wording

[David G.]

Excellent progress John. I did something similar with the tail lights on the version I built a couple of years ago.

Seeing your work reminded me that I never really posted it to the forum so this morning I created a build progress and a finished project topic for it. You'll see that it's not nearly as detailed as yours, but I think it still turned out OK.

It's not my intent to steal your topic, so let me know and I'll delete this post if you wish.

Thanks,

David G.

[426-Hemi]

Excellent progress John. I did something similar with the tail lights on the version I built a couple of years ago.

Seeing your work reminded me that I never really posted it to the forum so this morning I created a build progress and a finished project topic for it. You'll see that it's not nearly as detailed as yours, but I think it still turned out OK.

It's not my intent to steal your topic, so let me know and I'll delete this post if you wish.

Thanks,

David G.

David,

Thanks man....... Much appreciated! As you can see, I enjoy that detailing aspect of all my builds so. no matter how good or how bad a kit is, I try to go above and beyond. and with this kit, lets just say, that was not to difficult to do! LOL

As for my topic? heck no man, they manufactured way more then just one of these kits, feel free! I take no offense! I appreciate the asking, but you didn't have too! The more, the merrier! And to that other get to see the same model built by 2 different people in their own sorta way, maybe to inspire them to build one too! So by all means, keep it going on your build, I'll be having a look in a bit myself and expect comments too! LOL I enjoy 'em on my builds, and others should too! Thats how ya build a strong forum!

[426-Hemi]

Back to this one a little bit! I got the taillight lens in-place on the rear bumper and painted in the turn signals on the front bumper the license plates were next! AGAIN I find that the plate decals are either to big for location on bumper, OR the bumper "area" for the plate, has a "ridge" that the plate decal simply will not lay flat or fit correctly. So be me, I went and done the same thing as I have in the past, grab some .020th of an inch thick styrene, make the plastic sheet the size to fit the bumper, AND the decal plate, and off to painting it to be "aluminum" on its edges and when dry, decal applied and let to dry for 24 hours, and then clear coated and allowed to dry, and rin in-place they went!
And this is how that all turned out:

Added to the car as it would have been in the show. I wanted everything as close to what was in the show as possible. Sadly, because of how many cars they used, there were A LOT of little things used in some cases, that be on one car but not on the next. so that part of it is difficult.... BUT I think the plates were not one of those things that changed very often (specially the rear plate), I'm not sure about the Rebel Flag plate! BUT its the "Dukes"...... SO the "Rebel" it was!
Thats it for now! More to come as I get the next bit done and able to get pics! Thanks for following along comments welcome! ~ENJOY

[David G.]

The tail lights look great!

David G.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Wow, amazing detail you are getting out of that kit! 

[426-Hemi]

The tail lights look great!

David G.

Thanks David! Much appreciated!!! A little bit of work to get them to look like that! A lot of work in a not-so-detailed kit, and the extra stuff I've added makes it look a bit better as its a so-so-kit anyway (I don't think its the greatest kit out-of-the-box) so..... A LOT to be desired of OOB!

More to come as they're done! This one is really close done too! Part 2 of my Round Robin set of 3!

[426-Hemi]

Wow, amazing detail you are getting out of that kit! 

Sorry I missed your posting! But Thank You! I'm adding WAY more detail to the kit then its actually worthy of having in its own right as a model kit it leaves A LOT to be desired of! But, is the only way to make the model worth while if your gonna do it, do it as best "you" can is what I say so I'm doing all I can.....

Thanks tho! Much appreciated!

[426-Hemi]

Well a little time has passed as I been going on and on around the house with different things (I hate it when life things get in the way!) But it happens you deal with it and go on... ANYWAY in the middle of all that I actually got a little done on this build. As I had gone and put a lot in to another I got real close done too, and then theres a 3rd on involved too! BUT building as I am, I'm getting things going on each of the 3 of them and this one happened to come up next!
So in my last update, I got the taillight lens detail-painted and in-place and then installed onto the rear bumper, and then prior to that got the grille ready as well as the headlights and got the 2 license plates onto their own "plate" as decals and those got to be added to place on each bumper.
So with all that setting and ready I had to give the body yet one more shot of Gloss Lacquer Clear Coat and hopefully that was thee last it needed and it was! SO once that was dry to be handled by hand, I began looking and adding the waiting parts!

I got the headlights in-place, as well as the 2 part grille! (I would NOT mind finding a silver-ish/chrome lettering for the word "DODGE" pn the driver side lower grille) Theres a location for it but not "embossed" into the plastic enough to "highlight" it so.... Thats OK MAYBE before the cars considered "done" I'll locate something!


Front bumper headlights & Grille sections look pretty good (the best I can get them to be considering the issues with the parts and detail that MPC/Round 2 didn't add to the molds!) So I'm happy with what ya see, as there really isn't much more I can do to physically make it any better, without a total re-designing of parts..... And sadly, I think I've "re-designed" enough to make this kit look good! Its hard to make a silk purse out of a Sow's Ear!
Stay tuned.... More to follow these very short messages! Thanks for following along, ~ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Now right back to it..... The front bumper is in-place, as well as the headlight bezels and grille sections, so checking the body to get it ready for everything that it will either be getting for details OR need painting and finish work.... Looks GREAT as-is so, I thought I'd get to drilling the holes for the roof strobe light. (assembly of the roof strobe was a bit of a challenge!) WOW does NOTHING to it fit right too! So I got the roof of the car drilled for mounting the Strobe light to it....

I sort of followed the kits indents from inside the car starting out with a really small drill bit and "step Drilling" up till the holes were 1. Centered side-to-side with the light bar, and 2. fit just tight enough a little pressure was added to the light bar to pull it down once glued and the roof would make that "pulling force" all by its own nature of the curvature of it. (to make the light bar seem somewhat "flat" and level on the roof, as it was slightly upwardly arched.)

Not to shabby! I'm pleased how that all turned out with a little bit of thought and some skill machine work. As I wasn't 100% sure that the holes dimpled inside the car was accurately placed for the light bar up top.... PLUS having to drill through a PERFECT finish and not ruin it was a concern too (I use ALL brand new drill bits for that very reason!) -Then being only used twice, put them back in there package! As the ones I have out thats been used, aren't "bad" I just wanted that sharp new edge to cut and not possibly mar that finish! 
So with that, I'm gearing up and getting the gut fortitude to go about the BMF (I second guess myself on that stuff, I don't think I'm all that good at it) BUT, I also know, the more I use it, the better I'll get and lets face it, I got my share of models to add it too that are sitting and waiting to get that close to being finished so..... So then, BMF it is comming right up! -Stay Tuned! Comments always welcome, Thanks for looking!

[426-Hemi]

So getting that inspiration up to do the BMF..... 

WELL then.....

I got the BMF one the whole car, (took a bit over my night-owl ways) and got it all done! And once it was done, I added the light bar to the roof, to stay!

Not to bad!!! The light bar centered out well with how I drill the holes for mounting it.... 





I have to say, I'm surprised! That the BMF turned out as good as it did as I've said I don't think I'm all that good with it, BUT it did turn out pretty good on this one with very little error on my part, (It could be better if I had better prepped the body BEFORE I painted it), but thats my own fault from the very beginning, BUT thats OK as it really doesn't look all that bad! I am surprised! And pleased at the same time! 
I left the rear bumper OFF the body till all the parts for the interior are in-place and the interior tub is in-place, so that when I go to put the frame under the body, (something's telling me) that I am gonna have an issue mounting the rear portion of the frame and to leave that rear bumper OFF the body, will grant me the space needed to get inside there, to add any type of "mount" to hold both the frame to the body and vice-versa.... As we ALL know this kits "fitting" issues, are horrific but the fitting of the frame is probably THEE WORST I've seen on ANY model so far! (I honestly do not believe the frame in this kit is actually "made" for this kit!) In fact, I think that single one frame is used for several other models as it signifies a section on the back of it to be removed for another model (I can't recall it right now as I am not close by the instructions sheet) BUT, I know its not just for this kit!
So I thought it be smart to leave the rear bumper off till I'm ready to mount the frame just in case I need to get in there to make some sort of mount to hold the body up off the frame a little to get that factory spacing for the wheels and wheel openings in the back as if mounted right out of the box, it look like a low-rider!
Thats it for now! More to come as I get things done! As always Comments always welcome, and I appreciate the following of my builds! ~ENJOY!

[72 Charger]

I know what your saying about that chassis John it truly is a shockingly bad fit. Looking good so far BTW you still need to BMF the door handles

[426-Hemi]

Dave,

Yeah don't I know it on that frame. GRRRRR  I hate when model kits are made factory sloppy like this! LOL I have to go to all sorts of wild extents to get things to mate up right to "glue" right or seemingly right anyway. A LOT of work in some cases this one is gonna be a real PIMA to do! I can see it coming!

As for the door handles, yeah, I have some more BMF to do.... I stopped to take a bit of a break on the BMF to get things so I could have a little something "solid" to hold onto.... As I'm not sure you went and read through my '68 Roadrunner build, first page, first posting, but back in 2015 I went through a bad firework accident that made my hands not so easy to use on things so I go about things a little differently now and holding onto things at times depending on what I'm grasping is an interesting task so doing the door handles had to wait as I didn't want to "crush" the roof supports trying to hold that body while doing the BMF.... Specially because my right hand can hold an exacto knife easily, but its the left hand I have more trouble with! Which is the hand I'd use to hold that body with, SO with that I got all the window glass in-place, as well as the interior to "stiffen" up the body so that I could grasp it a bit easier!!! 

The things we learn when we have too to get the same end result.... Fun NEVER ends!!!! 

[72 Charger]

John I had read about you accident but I didn't know to what extent your injury stopped you building models . Looking at the skills you have I thought you had fully healed

[David G.]

Looking good John, you're doing quite well addressing the challenges presented by this kit.

David G.

[426-Hemi]

John I had read about you accident but I didn't know to what extent your injury stopped you building models . Looking at the skills you have I thought you had fully healed

I'm fully healed right now, yes! BUT back in 2015, it (the accident) happened on July 3rd, and took till I THINK the middle of November of 2015 that I could even touch a model (yep drove me crazy!) BUT I fought through it for 6 or 8 months later! NOW however, I'm facing yet one more surgery on my right hand because of the injury... But thats yet to come I'm trying to get as much done as I can before that time (I have yet to schedule it.) So.... Yeah the accident did take some modeling abilities from me for a time!