Junkyard Modeling - Resurrecting an AMT '64 Lincoln Sedan

[Ron Hamilton]

Several years ago, I came across a forlorn '64 Lincoln Sedan Body which was dirt cheap. It had a few issues, but it was stripped clean, and I figured that I could make something nice out of it. I went through my parts box, and I found a hood that would fit, so that part of the battle was won. At our club meeting, one of our menbers gave me a nearly complete AMT '65 Lincoln Convertible, that was missing the body, so that worked out great. Paul Gardner and me worked out a swap, where he gave me a front bumper/grille, that I touched up with a Motolow Chrome pen.

Once the weather breaks, I am going to shoot some primer on it. I am leaning towards Dark Green Metallic, I think the chrome will set it off. I have quite a bit of work to do on this one, but I think I can pull it off.

[Johnt671]

Gotta love junkyard builds.

[afx]

You sure have a knack for finding these diamonds-in-the-rough Ron.

[Ramfins59]

Great project Ron.  It should look good in green.  I've gotta get some of those Molotow pens.

[crazyrichard]

ahh cool project !

[CometMan]

Nice find there, Ron! It actually does look pretty straight and clean.

[ChrisBcritter]

Ron, have you test fitted that front bumper/grille yet? I'm putting a '64 together from a couple parts cars, and ended up having to cement a curved brace under the header panel to pull the outer edges down into alignment with the top of the grille (plus some trimming on the back of the grille itself).

[Ron Hamilton]

Ron, have you test fitted that front bumper/grille yet? I'm putting a '64 together from a couple parts cars, and ended up having to cement a curved brace under the header panel to pull the outer edges down into alignment with the top of the grille (plus some trimming on the back of the grille itself).

On all of the '60's Lincolns I have done, the grille fit leaves a lot to be desired. There is not much of an edge to attach the grille to. I will probably make a gluing surface out of plastic rod before I paint and prime it.

I have gotten my hands on a '66 Sedan that is missing a couple of pieces.(hood, front and rear bumpers) , and the custom roof glued on. I have two more '66's, one of which is going to be a replica of my Dad's '66.

Congrats on finding the '64 Cadillac Bench. I found an original, un-built '64 Coupe de Ville, which had the proper bucket seats for a convertible project.  I also plan to do a correctly shaped windshield header for the de Ville Convertible, using either a forlorn '63 Buick Electra Convertible windshield frame, or modifying the part from a Revell '64 Impala Hardtop, which I may convert into a 4 door hardtop if I get a derelict Johan '63-4  Cadillac Coupe de Ville. I really want to do a '64 Eldorado Biarritz Convertible. A friend had one when I was in high school, and it was so cool, as he restored it to perfection.

[DumpyDan]

Great story, funny thing is last summer at the Syracuse Nationals I picked up a 61 Lincoln in very ruff shape, I had to cut the front end off of a 62 Conv to make a complete car.  Still in progress 

[Ron Hamilton]

I love suicide door Lincoln Continentals. I built this '61 from a previously built kit

And this '67 from a unbuilt kit.

I have several more to do after the '64. I may do one of my '66 Continentals as a Coupe' (2 Door hardtop).

[Snake45]

Very nice! Ron, you know I love your "resurrection" work. Drive on!

[oldcarfan]

Great work. I actually prefer unkyard builds and restorations over buying an unbuilt kit and putting it together. It just seems more satisfying somehow, if that makes sense.

[ChrisBcritter]

Great story, funny thing is last summer at the Syracuse Nationals I picked up a 61 Lincoln in very ruff shape, I had to cut the front end off of a 62 Conv to make a complete car.  Still in progress 

I'm doing something similar:

Cut between the doors and back along the rocker panels (the PO cut off the tops of the quarters and removed the Continental emblems), replacing the back half with one off an incomplete/damaged '62.

[DumpyDan]

So we are insink, gonna be watching

[Snake45]

Great work. I actually prefer unkyard builds and restorations over buying an unbuilt kit and putting it together. It just seems more satisfying somehow, if that makes sense.

It makes absolute perfect sense to many of us.

[Eric Macleod]

I am watching with interest.  I have owned many 1:1 Continental Convertibles and have a goal to have models of all the 61-67 convertibles in 1:25 scale.  Your 64 is looking excellent.  I agree with dark green.  Maybe the light jade insidd? Just a thought. 

[Ron Hamilton]

I am watching with interest.  I have owned many 1:1 Continental Convertibles and have a goal to have models of all the 61-67 convertibles in 1:25 scale.  Your 64 is looking excellent.  I agree with dark green.  Maybe the light jade insidd? Just a thought. 

I just finished doing the color research on the car. While a Light Jade Interior would look great on the car, the color was not offered in 1964 on the Lincoln Continental. I may go with a beige interior,  if I stick with green. I have to gather a couple more pieces from the basement, and get some primer on the car to make sure everything lines up before paint.

[Eric Macleod]

I just finished doing the color research on the car. While a Light Jade Interior would look great on the car, the color was not offered in 1964 on the Lincoln Continental. I may go with a beige interior,  if I stick with green. I have to gather a couple more pieces from the basement, and get some primer on the car to make sure everything lines up before paint.

You would know better than i. While I have owned many 60's Lincolns I have never had a 64. I like where you are going with this one and you have inspired me to get at my 61 project. 

[Ron Hamilton]

You would know better than i. While I have owned many 60's Lincolns I have never had a 64. I like where you are going with this one and you have inspired me to get at my 61 project. 

I grew up admiring the car. Growing up in a "Ford family", I tend to notice things about certain aspects of them. My Dad, Grandfather, and uncles did a lot of work on their '60's Ford and Mercury products in our yard, and I got to either watch or participate. My Dad's '66 was just so cool, and I will build a Replica of that one in the near future. In doing my research on this car, I found that the '65 interior pattern is not the same as the '64, even though the tub will fit. However, whenever I go to an NNL, or a model club meeting, I tend to root through "junk boxes" for interesting items. I do have a '64 Lincoln interior with the biscuit seat stitch pattern somewhere in my basement. According to my research, that interior was available in several colors f cloth and leather trim. Now I have to find it.

[Ron Hamilton]

Good news!!! Last night I found the '64 Lincoln interior tub I bought several years ago. I tried to strip the Testors' copper paint off of it several years ago with limited success. Last night I manually scraped the leftover mess off of the seats with pretty good success, so now I can put some primer on it, and lay some paint and flocking on the interior. It took about 4 hours to do so, but I was able to save the detail. Now I have to make a final decision on the color combination.