Convert Monogram 70 GSX to 71 GS

sdbos777 · November 20, 2017

I have Monogram's '70 Buick GSX kit, and I'd like to build a '71 GS convertible. I ordered a resin convertible body from Mill City Replicas. The only other real differences between the years are the bumpers and the grill.

--> Does anyone know if there is a '71 version of the bumpers and grill out there that I can use? Someone making them in resin or something?

If not, I'll have to fabricate them.

Below are pictures of the front and rear of the 1971 GS, which is slightly different from '70, the Monogram 1970 kit, and the resin convertible body I ordered.

sdbos777 · November 21, 2017

Can anyone recommend a type of photo etch mesh that I could use to make a new grille? I've been doing a lot of googling and have some options, like this, but I've never made a grille from scratch before, so I thought I'd check with the experts. (I.e. you guys.)

sdbos777 · November 22, 2017

Bump. Anyone know a good photo-etch mesh that I could use for the grill?

Can-Con · November 23, 2017

Model Car Garage makes PE mesh. Don't know if they make square pattern though.

That's the body you're getting? It's just the hardtop body with the top cut off, you could do that yourself if you can do the bumpers and grille.

I used to own a '70 Skylark cvt, that body is completely wrong from the roof opening back. Notice how the 1/4 panel goes almost strait back from where the window opening stops and the boot starts and the resin body has a pronounced hump where the roof was cut off? and how the tulip panel between the roof and trunk lid does not kick up at the sides like on a hardtop? If you have an AMT '69 Chevelle convertible and a hardtop you can compare this area on those to see what I mean. Here's a couple pics also . Good luck with it.

sdbos777 · December 16, 2017

The body I received looks pretty good. The pics below show it as received, and after some initial cleanup.

Beil

sdbos777 · December 17, 2017

I had time to begin transforming the bumpers from '70 to '71.

sdbos777 · January 2, 2018

Progress today.

Back bumper - glued in styrene rod to shape the new spaces. Putty will fill it all in later.

Front seat - I bought a second kit, cut out the back seat and cut it down to be a bench front seat. I cut the headrests off the bucket seats that were in the kit. I will fabricate sides and back, putty, etc. I may cut the seabacks down a bit, as they look high.

Dashboard - the 70 didn't have a center vent, but the 71 does. I'll cut a hole for it and use the photo-etch vent cover.

Greg Wann · January 2, 2018

The Green convertible above has the optional N-25 factory custom bumper where the square exhaust tips protrude through it. While they looked really cool, they had a tendency to melt tail light housings. The MCG photo etch set will really make this build POP! It's nice that the emblems can be painted with the red paint as the real car is. My first car was 72 GS.

http://smcbofphx.proboards.com/thread/750/1970-buick-gsx-marker-lights

http://smcbofphx.proboards.com/thread/1235/70-gsx-tail-light

Here is a link to our local forum where I created some marker lights and a clear tail light. You could get grain of wheat bulbs and light them up. They also really make the car look detailed, unfortunately the photos are a bit grainy. I also created the tail light lenses in clear so that the little back up lamp area be left unpainted. Send me a PM if you have any interest in my detail parts. Another detail that seems often overlooked when someone builds this kit is the top outer edge of the front fenders. This sharp edge needs to be sanded down to a curved shape and gets more soft as it gets to the headlights, just sayin'. Here is a photo of my favorite GS convertible. The only one ever built with a Cadillac color. I call it the big Purple Mopar Muncher! If I was rich and had the 200K the seller was asking, I might have sprang for it. It is a 455 Stage 1 four speed car too.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Greg Wann

sdbos777 · March 9, 2018

More pics of current progress. Last remaining fabrication issue is how to add some horizontal lines to the grille. I'm thinking artisan wire, very small scale.

sdbos777 · March 10, 2018

Dashboard Done. As the original kit had a console, I had to add the shifter stalk.

Edited March 10, 2018 by sdbos777

Snake45 · March 10, 2018

You'e doing nice work! Drive on!

sdbos777 · April 15, 2018

Afte much puttying and finagling, the front bumper is looking like a '71. The finished product will have the red "GS" logo on the grill. It likely won't have the fine silver trim work - I've tried jewelers wire, guitar string, hard spring steel rods fractions of a millimeter wide - none seem like I'll be able to get them into the proper shape, be smooth enough to look good, and be affixable to the model without the risk of ugly glue on the grill. So a black grill, which looks fine, is what it'll likely be.

Edited April 15, 2018 by sdbos777

sdbos777 · April 15, 2018

Here is the completed interior and chassis, and the body with paint and foil all done. It is Buick Verdemist Green from Scale Finishes. Tamiya white primer, then the Verdemist color, then Alclad clear coat, pretty heavy. Then rubbed out with 6 sheets 3200-12000, 3M rubbing compound, micro-gloss liquid abrasive and, finally, The Treatment model wax. In the photo the windhield frame is foiled, but the frame is delicate and it flexes and caused little ridges in the foil. I took it off and am doing it in alclad chrome.

The resin body did not sit completely right on the frame - too low in the back. I added stacks of flat stock styrene onto the chassis and under the trunk (you can see the passenger side stack in the picture of the painted body). When I put them together, the stacks will meet up, and I will slip in some final pieces of flat stock between the upper and lower 'piles' to align it properly.