70's Plymouth Fury front end?

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

I've started a conversion to build Sheriff Little's Chickasaw County patrol car from the Dukes of Hazzard. I'm using the MPC Dodge Monaco body with the AMT '71 Dodge Charger chassis/engine/suspension/exhaust. I do have a resin headlights/grill panel to convert it to a Fury (along with bumpers) but it's pretty undersized. What options are out there to make the Fury front end?

[jefropas]

The MPC made 75' Plymouth Road Runner coupe promo has exactly the front end you need, if you can find it...I found mine at a show about 3 years ago that was broken for about $15. Models by Tony may have the parts too...

Jeff

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

Thanks! If I can just find a junked one I'll be in business.... wonder what the chances of that are? 

[CapSat 6]

Missing Link does the '75-'76 Fury grille.

[Casey]

oOOo

Edited March 20, 2018 by Casey

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

6 hours ago, CapSat 6 said:

Missing Link does the '75-'76 Fury grille.

Just contacted them, wrote back within minutes (great service to be sure!) saying they used to do one, but it sold poorly, so no longer.... 

[jefropas]

It's a Coronet grille, and you might be lucky, I've seen that promo around a few times since I bought it. It might take a while, have you checked Shapeways? I know they have a few front end parts for the ol Monaco...

Jeff

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

31 minutes ago, jefropas said:

It's a Coronet grille, and you might be lucky, I've seen that promo around a few times since I bought it. It might take a while, have you checked Shapeways? I know they have a few front end parts for the ol Monaco...

Jeff

Honestly I have such a limited idea of where to check since I'm mostly an aircraft builder....which is why I'm in huge appreciation of any direction you can point me in.

[iamsuperdan]

Check my thread in the "aftermarket/resin" section. I too was looking for Plymouth Fury conversion parts for the Dodge Monaco kits.

Found two options through Shapeways and EBay, ordered both, and both are a nice fit.

Also ended up buying a Yodel Fury kit. So now I have three Furys to build!

 

[jefropas]

As for the Coronet front end, the promo may be it, Shapeways had nuthin....keep your eyes open, I will as well, I know its out there...

Jeff

[Oldcarfan27]

This might be a little obscure but....

Have you checked the aftermarket parts for HO or O scale model trains? I've found photoetched catwalk for boxcars can sometimes look like egg crate grilles. With a little scratch building and strip plastic  (it is a very simple rectangle shape) you could try to make your own grille to fit the Monaco opening. Round headlights could be converted from the originals by carefully smoothing out the square headlights and adding in round ones.

Hope this helps.

[Dodge Driver]

Give this a look.https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-25-Scale-resin-1975-76-Fury-Conversion-parts-for-MPC/132525253664?hash=item1edb1ee420:g:1TUAAOSw3fpaqzix

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

On 3/21/2018 at 2:47 PM, Dodge Driver said:

Give this a look.https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-25-Scale-resin-1975-76-Fury-Conversion-parts-for-MPC/132525253664?hash=item1edb1ee420:g:1TUAAOSw3fpaqzix

Yep, that's the one I have, but first the main resin bit is too small, and second the grill won't even fit the opening if you see above. Third, the grill itself is warped in a sort of "S" when viewed from above.

[jefropas]

He quit selling as well, he said he was getting his resin ripped off, a shame.

Jeff

[Bucky]

MPC made "B" body  RoadRunner kits in '75 and '76. Kinda pricey on the auction circuit, but you might find a built-up that could be salvaged for the grille-bumper set-up.

The green and white in the first post is definitely a Plymouth.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Bucky

[SfanGoch]

On 4/12/2018 at 9:36 PM, Andrew D the Jolly Roger said:

Yep, that's the one I have, but first the main resin bit is too small, and second the grill won't even fit the opening if you see above. Third, the grill itself is warped in a sort of "S" when viewed from above.

By "main bit", are you referring to the header panel? That's the frame above the bumper that the headlights and grille mount to. To straighten out the grille, place it in near boiling water for a minute or so, until the resin is softened. Remove it from the water; and, using two pieces of styrene sheet placed on the bottom of the insert, press both sides down with your fingers and run some cold water to cool the resin. It will flatten and retain the shape. You didn't try inserting the grille into the header panel  in its present state, did you? That vertical divider would prevent you from doing so. Grind, or cut out, the divider in the header panel and the insert will fit. 

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

On 4/14/2018 at 7:49 PM, SfanGoch said:

By "main bit", are you referring to the header panel? That's the frame above the bumper that the headlights and grille mount to. To straighten out the grille, place it in near boiling water for a minute or so, until the resin is softened. Remove it from the water; and, using two pieces of styrene sheet placed on the bottom of the insert, press both sides down with your fingers and run some cold water to cool the resin. It will flatten and retain the shape. You didn't try inserting the grille into the header panel  in its present state, did you? That vertical divider would prevent you from doing so. Grind, or cut out, the divider in the header panel and the insert will fit. 

No, didn't even try because the header panel is undersized to the kit it's supposed to be for. Saw the vertical divide right away, trimmed it out and then discovered the size problem. 

I'm just about out of decent options.....

[Kayma367]

Try the following site: http://magister-plasticum.com/

3D printed masters and resin cast product. They are out of Portugal, but I ordered the '77 & '78 Plymouth grill and headlights and was pleasantly surprised by both the overall quality and the quick delivery time. You can order the '75 & '76 single round headlights and finagle the '77 grill to add the parking lights, etc. (or find a builder '75 Roadrunner and steal the grill). Much better than what is posted above.

As mentioned earlier, I know Missing Link offered a '76 Plymouth Fury 4 door trans kit at one time (I have one); you might want to PM him through this forum and see if he still offers the kit, or perhaps the grill and lights.

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

1 hour ago, Kayma367 said:

Try the following site: http://magister-plasticum.com/

3D printed masters and resin cast product. They are out of Portugal, but I ordered the '77 & '78 Plymouth grill and headlights and was pleasantly surprised by both the overall quality and the quick delivery time. You can order the '75 & '76 single round headlights and finagle the '77 grill to add the parking lights, etc. (or find a builder '75 Roadrunner and steal the grill). Much better than what is posted above.

As mentioned earlier, I know Missing Link offered a '76 Plymouth Fury 4 door trans kit at one time (I have one); you might want to PM him through this forum and see if he still offers the kit, or perhaps the grill and lights.

Yeah, I contacted Missing Link some time back and he told me it was gone, kaput, because it had sold poorly. Magister I also looked at, just not the right pieces I need....

So I did something different, using some of what is shown above, but adapting the Monaco kit itself to take it. Wasn't easy. I'll post photos soon...

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

Okay, so I tried bidding on a couple of 75 Roadrunners on The Bay and was horrified by the prices, as most of you knew before I did. 

So I took the above pictured resin set, and tried to adapt the Monaco kit front panel for the resin lights and grille. First, removed the chrome. Second, see the top view of the grille, how it's mis-shapen badly:

The grille and light openings were completely opened up on the kit, then styrene strip added to fill the gaps to fit the resin bits.

Still some refining to do, will come with priming and light detail sanding but it's basically there.