mrmike Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 My friend Dirk started a build of the Vega$ '57 T-Bird the other day and I pulled mine off the shelf and it was filthy dirty and in need of a rebuild. I first built this model back in 1979 or 1980 when the show Vega$ starring Robert Urich was on the air and I had to build the model. Back then, I didn't care about accuracy too much and I just built the model as per the kit instructions. It wasn't very accurate looking and I need to correct some things on it. What surprised me was how quickly it came apart and now it will be off to the kitchen sink for a bath with Dawn dish soap and an old toothbrush. More Vega$ to come...
THarrison351 Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 This should be interesting. I just found the last of all my models and diecasts on my treasure hunt and one of them was the AMT Proshop 57 Thunderbird (same kit, only later and painted). Looks like all your parts are there except maybe the sun visors. That windshield should be fun to restore.
harti20 Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 Loved this series when I was younger. Will follow this restauration with interest
espo Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 I'll enjoy watching this rebuild. Considering the model standards of the day this does make a great looking Baby Bird.
mrmike Posted July 21, 2020 Author Posted July 21, 2020 Thanks Tim, Urs and David! AFAIK, there are no visors for this model. I will have to check and maybe make a set from some sheet styrene. I have been sanding the enamel clearcoat from the Vega$ T-Bird. If it was lacquer, I would have been sanding a lot harder to remove just as much. I'm using a 280 grit sandpaper to remove the clearcoat and I will follow it up with 400 and 600 grit sandpaper. This may take a bit of sanding, but at least it is enamel and not lacquer and I had applied it with a brush back then. I'm being extra careful on the scripts which are molded on the body and I have no decals to replace them with. I replaced the hand painted whitewall tires with a set of pad printed whitewalls from the AMT '60 Chevy Fleetside pickup. More Vega$ to come...
slusher Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 My dad and I watched the show and I believe we watched the first one...
Dave Darby Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 I think they tooled up some visors for the newer reissues. (Ertl).
hack-n-whack Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 Just wondering. What is not accurate? I haven't built that kit. Just curious tho.
mrmike Posted July 21, 2020 Author Posted July 21, 2020 The inaccuracy lies in the chassis. It is just on big hunk of plastic with the entire front and rear suspensions molded into it. All you would add to the chassis is the axle blocks and the engine. I have the AMT ProShop version of this kit and I will steal the chrome and the glass from it and put the old parts in the box and I found the visors in the ProShop kit. Those will be going on to this T-Bird!. I took a red Sharpie and traced around the edge of the wheel cover to create the red wheels underneath. The metal axle was exposed and while there are no holes in the engine block, I didn't want the axle showing, so I added some short pieces of styrene rod and glued them into the wheelbacks and the chassis. No more front metal axle! Now to find details about this engine (292 CID or 312 CID). More Vega$ to come...
Cpt Tuttle Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 I remember some reviews from the 80s in a magazine where they compared it to the Monogram T-bird, they were "a bit" salty about the AMT kit then....
espo Posted July 21, 2020 Posted July 21, 2020 41 minutes ago, mrmike said: The inaccuracy lies in the chassis. It is just on big hunk of plastic with the entire front and rear suspensions molded into it. All you would add to the chassis is the axle blocks and the engine. I have the AMT ProShop version of this kit and I will steal the chrome and the glass from it and put the old parts in the box and I found the visors in the ProShop kit. Those will be going on to this T-Bird!. I took a red Sharpie and traced around the edge of the wheel cover to create the red wheels underneath. The metal axle was exposed and while there are no holes in the engine block, I didn't want the axle showing, so I added some short pieces of styrene rod and glued them into the wheelbacks and the chassis. No more front metal axle! Now to find details about this engine (292 CID or 312 CID). More Vega$ to come... As for the engine all Y-Blocks pretty much look alike. Checking my very old Motors Repair Manuel they list three engines for the '57 T-Bird. 292 cu in with a two barrel is listed at 206 hp. Two 312's, a 245 hp single four barrel and a 265 hp with two 4 barrels. What is not listed is the Super Charged 312 offered later in the model year. Since this is an AMT kit I think you could raid on of the old '56 or '57 AMT Ford kits for just about anything you might want to add to this engine. This could become very interesting.
mrmike Posted July 21, 2020 Author Posted July 21, 2020 Thanks David for your research! My goal is to build this T-Bird stock or as close to what was on the TV series. I am taking a lot of dramatic license here since what I know and what I have been able to research is leaving me in a bit of a downer. All that can be said of that car is that it is a red '57 Thunderbird or T-Bird. Since this is a TV series car, my guess is that it was a 292 CID engine with an automatic transmission. The kit is probably a 292 CID 2-Bbl. engine with a 3-speed manual transmission. You are correct that Y-Blocks all look alike no matter if it is a 292 or a 312. You have to examine the crank to determine the engine size.
espo Posted July 22, 2020 Posted July 22, 2020 I was surprised to see the 292 listed as I don't recall ever seeing one. The majority of these that I remember were the single 4 barrel 312's with the Fordomatic. Fords very popular 3 speed with O/D was often seen but on the more performance models. The engine you have now has the optional aluminum T-Bird valve covers. Yes this was a dress up option on the T-Bird but most did seem to have them. These were polished aluminum and not chrome. I found a set for my '57 Fairlane 500 convertible to many years ago. The other part of that dress up kit would be the air cleaner you have now but with a chrome finish. The way the air cleaner is shaped to clear the low hood line and would hide what carb. you go with anyway. Those are the correct exhaust manifolds for the factory duel exhaust that I think was standard on the T-Bird. The gear box on your engine looks like a manual 3 speed without the O/D.
64Comet404 Posted July 22, 2020 Posted July 22, 2020 If you really have to have the automatic transmission, there is a Ford-o-matic in the Lindberg 1953 Ford kits. The Revell 1957 Fords also have some nice dress-up parts for the engine. If you wanted to go nuts on chassis detail, you could steal the running gear from the AMT 1956 T-Bird, but that's beginning to sound too much like work!
dino246gt Posted July 22, 2020 Posted July 22, 2020 I would use all that from the AMT '56 T-Bird, but I love doing that sort of thing, and I've done it to so many kits, however, no one actually cares but me! Build it how you want it and how much fun you can have building it, for me it IS fun changing everything, basically making MORE work for myself. I think the Revell '57 Ford engine is the best of the old Y blocks, but I'm no expert on those. HAVE FUN!
mrmike Posted July 24, 2020 Author Posted July 24, 2020 On 7/22/2020 at 2:23 PM, 64Comet404 said: If you really have to have the automatic transmission, there is a Ford-o-matic in the Lindberg 1953 Ford kits. The Revell 1957 Fords also have some nice dress-up parts for the engine. If you wanted to go nuts on chassis detail, you could steal the running gear from the AMT 1956 T-Bird, but that's beginning to sound too much like work! You are right Ken! Too much work! Thanks for the ideas! I decided to use some of the parts from the AMT ProShop '57 T-Bird on this old Vega$ model. The parts are cleaner, crisply molded and already painted. I'm starting with the engine and I have glued most of it together. I need to drill holes for plug wires in the cylinder heads and the coil which already molded into the intake manifold. The valve covers have been detailed. I have also found a mobile phone in the kit and I will drill a hole for a cord to the handset and paint it like the one on Vega$. More Vega$ to come...
mrmike Posted July 25, 2020 Author Posted July 25, 2020 I went shopping on Thursday and decided to pick up some Easy-Off oven cleaner and I sprayed the T-Bird with it to removed the excess clearcoat and paint from the body and parts. I just scrubbed and rinsed those parts and they are drying in the paintbooth. Not all the paint came off, but whatever paint remained easily comes off with my fingernail. A light sanding and a rinse and everything will be ready for primer and paint. More Vega$ to come...
mrmike Posted July 26, 2020 Author Posted July 26, 2020 I just looked at ebay and prices range from $12.50 to $106.49. They can still be purchased for a fairly low price.
64Comet404 Posted July 26, 2020 Posted July 26, 2020 I remember reading an article about this car a few years back, and it was mentioned that the windshield frame had been refinished in a satin chrome or brushed finish (can't remember which). It was done to prevent errant reflections from showing up when they were filming scenes with the cameras pointing at the interior.
mrmike Posted July 27, 2020 Author Posted July 27, 2020 Ken, I had heard the same thing, too! Ahh, the issues of filming for a TV show...
Maindrian Pace Posted July 28, 2020 Posted July 28, 2020 That was common practice on TV shows in the '60s and '70s. Note the dull coated mirror on the Falcon in Adam-12.
Tom Geiger Posted July 28, 2020 Posted July 28, 2020 I once read an article about renting your antique car to production companies. One of the warnings was that they may spray down the whole car with a solution that would keep it from shining into the cameras.
GeeBee Posted July 28, 2020 Posted July 28, 2020 On 7/26/2020 at 2:18 PM, 64Comet404 said: I remember reading an article about this car a few years back, and it was mentioned that the windshield frame had been refinished in a satin chrome or brushed finish (can't remember which). It was done to prevent errant reflections from showing up when they were filming scenes with the cameras pointing at the interior. One of the things used in photography and filmmaking for this is commonly known as a "Dulling spray", the ones professionals use can be easily washed off after filming https://www.krylon.com/products/dulling-spray/
mrmike Posted July 29, 2020 Author Posted July 29, 2020 On Spenser For Hire, I read that they use underarm deodorant and smeared it all over the door panels for closeups. I have been picking away at the Vega$ '57 T-Bird. Just little things. I added a wire to the phone receiver, coiled it and painted the holder and receiver. I added the wired distributor to the engine block, but I haven't run the wires yet. I also detailed the air cleaner assembly and will add that after I have run the plug wires. More Vega$ to come...
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