55 Crown Victoria

[sdbos777]

This is the first build I've done using resin.  The goal is to recreate the white 1955 Crown Victoria that was my mom's first car.  Her dad, my grandfather, got it for her on her 16th birthday.  Swanky.  She loved the car and is very happy I'm building one for her.

Here is what I am using to do this build:

- AMT 1956 Crown Victoria

- Hendrix 1955 Crown Victoria set (resin)

- Continental kit from seller ronald6386 on eBay

- Aftermarket wide whitewalls by Pegasus, from HobbyLinc (1/24-1/25 1950s Style Wide Whitewall Tires Set (4) (Stevens))

- Wire wheels - either from AMT '62 Thunderbird kit, or more accurate ones if I can find them

Pics attached.

[sdbos777]

I originally ordered the resin continental kit a few months ago.  When I got it the part was just fine.  After a month or two, when I went to start the build, it had warped.  Is it common or uncommon for resin parts to warp like this?

[sdbos777]

For those who want to know, I got the Hendrix resin body from STAR Models - http://resinrealm.net/Star/HendrixGallery/HendrixAll.html

 

[BigTallDad]

Looks like you're off to a good start.

As a reminder, don't use the 12v battery from the '56 donor kit; the '55 Fords were still 6v.

[sdbos777]

BigTallDad - do you have a link to where I could buy a proper battery?  When I search I get lots of links to actual batteries.

Edited February 18, 2017 by sdbos777
spelling correction

[StevenGuthmiller]

Nice!

I may have to look into one of these Hendrix '55 kits.

I've always liked the '55 over the '56 & the skirts & correct rear fender trim for the Crown Victoria version are a plus.

How is the casting?

 

Steve

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Nice!

I may have to look into one of these Hendrix '55 kits.

I've always liked the '55 over the '56 & the skirts & correct rear fender trim for the Crown Victoria version are a plus.

How is the casting?

 

Steve

if it's anything like a '57 Fairlane I got from them, it's really bad. There is a odd texture all over, the trim is different from side to side, and there are spots where the resin is so thin you can see trough, while there are spots where it's so thick extensive sanding has to be done. Also, my body came ok, and warped after a few months. Still have it, but it's just too bad to use. It will be a lot easier to convert a AMT body into a Fairlane, than to fix the issues with the resin body. The '55 is a little more complicated, but can be done. Thank God I like the '56 better. Also bought a 1948 Ford tudor sedan conversion body from e-Bay, and it's rubbish. It looks like a styrene body that has being stripped about 10 times with lacquer thinner. I don't have the necessary skill on body work to convert a coupe into a tudor, but i'm thinking about trying. The second time I get a resin body that is bad. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

if it's anything like a '57 Fairlane I got from them, it's really bad. There is a odd texture all over, the trim is different from side to side, and there are spots where the resin is so thin you can see trough, while there are spots where it's so thick extensive sanding has to be done. Also, my body came ok, and warped after a few months. Still have it, but it's just too bad to use. It will be a lot easier to convert a AMT body into a Fairlane, than to fix the issues with the resin body. The '55 is a little more complicated, but can be done. Thank God I like the '56 better. Also bought a 1948 Ford tudor sedan conversion body from e-Bay, and it's rubbish. It looks like a styrene body that has being stripped about 10 times with lacquer thinner. I don't have the necessary skill on body work to convert a coupe into a tudor, but i'm thinking about trying. The second time I get a resin body that is bad. 

Thanks Tulio.

I have no experience with Hendrix kits, but from what I've heard, they're a little touch & go.

I've always had relatively good luck with Modelhaus kits in the past & the Jimmy Flintstone '61 Olds 88 kit that I picked up several months ago, is near perfect.

The casting is a little thick, but the body is straight as an arrow, & smooth as a babies butt!

I found one tiny pin hole in a rear fender, but other than that, not a single blemish anywhere.

I would not hesitate to purchase another Flintstone resin.

 

Steve

[vintagercr]

Steven, your mother will be very happy when you get it done.

[BigTallDad]

BigTallDad - do you have a link to where I could buy a proper battery?  When I search I get lots of links to actual batteries.

Sorry, I don't; make sure you include the word model in your search. There is a "Wanted" category on this forum and you might want to use it.

It also occurred to me that the 312 engine in the '56 would be incorrect for the '55, since the Thunderbird 312 was introduced in '56. I'm not familiar with your donor kit...if there are "Thunderbird" decals for the valve covers etc. I wouldn't use them.

[espo]

The engine from the '56 AMT kit will be fine. Ford offered the 239 cu in Overhead Valve engine first in 1954. In 1955 Ford changed the bore and stroke around to offer a 272 cu in and a 292 cu in engine based on the original  239 engine. For 1956 they had the same offerings and late in the model year they offered a 312 cu in version. All three displacements were offered in 1957 and in 1958 with the new FE engines starting at 331 cu in they dropped the earlier Y Block engines except for the 292 cu in that was kept as the base V-8. From the outside the Ford Y Blocks all looked alike. A 6 volt battery can be found in many of the Revell offerings of '30's and 40's Fords.  

Edited February 19, 2017 by espo

[larry ray]

There are 6 volt batteries in kits 51 chevy 49 ford. If you need one P M me.  Larry

[sdbos777]

Thanks Larry!  I now have the correct 6V battery.  And a cool little Altoids tin.

 

[OldNYJim]

What's the Altoids tin for?

[sdbos777]

I believe Larry carved the batteries out of the Altoids that were in the tin...

Edited March 8, 2017 by sdbos777
misread previous post

[larry ray]

yea thats right

[CometMan]

Cool project, Steven! I'm surprised no one has ever kitted the '55.

[sdbos777]

I had to do some work on the resin hood and nearby body panels and chrome trim lines to get it all to line up.  Some sheet styrene and shaved-down round styrene were needed.

 

[sdbos777]

The parking lights in the front grill were poorly molded, and one actually was so thinly molded it fell out when I tried to fix it.  I ended up drilling them out and creating my own.  I painted the grill with alclad chrome.  For the parking lights, I used a smaller tube of styrene inside a larger tube, creating a silver bezel and white center.  Then I put on a large dollop of Micro Kristal Klear and positioned them downward, so they'd drip and protrude as much as possible to create the bullet-shaped lenses.  It came out pretty good.  The first two shots below are some test runs, the last two are the final outcome.

[sdbos777]

These show the interior after correcting the interior trim.  I sanded off the two trim line's they'd molded in, which continued from the armrest to the base of the rear seat, and used sanded-down small tube styrene to create trim around the armrest.  The scratch marks in the white are don't show hardly at all in real life.  Photos accentuate every flaw, it seems.  I made the seat decals using GIMP and a white speckle pattern I found on the web, printed onto decal paper with my regular home inkjet.

[sdbos777]

Here are more photos of the interior trim correction.

[espo]

Great job on the interior. I like your pattern for the seats.  

[sdbos777]

Thanks espo.  Here is the completed interior.

 

[David G.]

Looks like excellent work so far.

"Makin' a silk purse from a sow's ear." as the saying goes.

David G.

 

[Maindrian Pace]

Interior looks terrific, a great preview for how the rest of the car will turn out.