Update 2019/03/01 - Minor issues fixed now - '69 Dodge Charger "General Lee" (MPC snapkit, 1/25 scale)

[Tommy124]

Hi folks,

after completing the '69 Camaro I felt like doing something that should be quick, easy and fun. So I chose this snapkit and indeed it was the right choice. Despite the small number of parts, it builds up pretty nicely IMHO. I did only a few modifications such as: trimming the floor panel/ chassis massively (it's way too big to fit into the body, don't know why they did it like this), replacing the molded-on door handles with separate metal parts, making new exhausts from aluminum tube (bent to the right shape), adding fog light lenses from the parts box and adding PE side markers from CTM on the front and rear end.

Painting has been done with ZP Hemi Orange Basecoat and ZP 2k clear.

Here it comes, hope you like it:

Edited March 1, 2019 by Tommy124

[FabbricaP]

Looks great, nice and clean build

[espo]

Looks better than the cars they used on the TV series. Great looking paint work.  

[shoopdog]

Lookin' good!

[Classicgas]

Nice job.

[Snake45]

Great finish, and a nice looking model. I might have to get one of these. Well done and model on! 

[Tommy124]

Thanks to you all for your kind feedback!

8 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Great finish, and a nice looking model. I might have to get one of these. Well done and model on! 

Thanks to you too, Snake, appreciated. This kit in fact comes molded in 3 colors (orange for the body, "khaki" for the interior and black for the rest). So building this kit box-stock without painting will look better than your average snapkit which is molded in 1, max. 2 colors. And the orange plastic looked good on mine, so it could be polished...

[PappyD340]

Super nice General Lee,  there are several of the snappers that make nice builds

[donb]

Looks great. Some snap cars look great. Thus is one of them and you did it nicely. 

[Dann Tier]

Now that is a nice looking build!!!

[ewetwo]

Excellent!

 

[crowe-t]

Real nice looking General Lee!  I built one of these a while ago and it's a very nice kit, much better than how the old glue kit is now.

[Tommy124]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

After taking the photos I noticed some minor issues that needed to be adressed.

Such as:

Closing the gap at the lower front lip:

Adding the mirror (this is an MPC kit, so no mirror included, I took one from the parts box):

Replacing the somewhat thickish kit antenna with a finer, scratch-built one:

And finally, adding the rollbar I forgot to put into the interior in the first place:

[Snake45]

On 2/27/2019 at 5:26 AM, Tommy124 said:

Thanks to you all for your kind feedback!

Thanks to you too, Snake, appreciated. This kit in fact comes molded in 3 colors (orange for the body, "khaki" for the interior and black for the rest). So building this kit box-stock without painting will look better than your average snapkit which is molded in 1, max. 2 colors. And the orange plastic looked good on mine, so it could be polished...

Thanks for the additional info! I just built an orange '69 Charger 500 last year, but I don't have enough polished orange plastic in my collection so might have to get this one too. Can it be built factory stock--that is, without the front bumper ram, or does leaving that off leave holes or something? I can come up with Magnum 500 wheels from somewhere if they're not in the kit. Thanks! 

[Tommy124]

7 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Thanks for the additional info! I just built an orange '69 Charger 500 last year, but I don't have enough polished orange plastic in my collection so might have to get this one too. Can it be built factory stock--that is, without the front bumper ram, or does leaving that off leave holes or something? I can come up with Magnum 500 wheels from somewhere if they're not in the kit. Thanks! 

 

LOL, I considered the same thing at first, because to me this is the best way any '69 Charger could possibly look:

However, you assumed right, leaving the front bumper ram will mean leaving two small holes in the chrome bumper visible. I believe however the holes could be closed using a small amount of CA and painting with a Molotov pen.

Edited March 1, 2019 by Tommy124

[Snake45]

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll look for one in my travels. Might find one at the local toy show I'll be going to Sunday. 

[Joe Handley]

I've messed around with a couple of these a bit, the push bar and antenna holes can be filled with regular Evergreen rod sized, then you just need a little Moltow for the bumper. Will need to do that with the drop top I'm building right now.

 

BTW, good looking build Tom!

[RAMBENNA]

very nice job, always love the General

[Tommy124]

On 3.3.2019 at 7:21 AM, Joe Handley said:

I've messed around with a couple of these a bit, the push bar and antenna holes can be filled with regular Evergreen rod sized, then you just need a little Moltow for the bumper. Will need to do that with the drop top I'm building right now.

 

BTW, good looking build Tom!

Good idea with the Evergreen rod. IIRC, the antenna hole is not quite round in order to make the antenne fit in only the right way. Could be that this would need to be drilled open to have a bigger but completely round hole to fit the Evergreen rod in. 

Thanks for your feedback!

5 hours ago, RAMBENNA said:

very nice job, always love the General

Yes, as we say in German, it's a "Klassiker"