1967 Chevrolet Impala 4 Door Sedan

[RichCostello]

3 hours ago, doorsovdoon said:

Are you currently building this model? Would love to see where you go with it. I Googled the 66 El Camino and those wheels are very nice.

I haven't started it yet, I just got the decals for all the chrome scripts for the body. I'm just starting on the new 69 Chevelle, so it will be a while. I'm planning on a high school kid's car that he got from Grandpa, took to auto shop, and replaced the auto trans with a 4 speed, and replaced the front seat that Grandpa wore out. Thinking gold body with black interior.

[Tom Geiger]

What’s interesting is that this isn’t all that far from what we drove back in the day. Summer of 1976 my friend Mark came home from college and purchased a 1969 Chevy Impala 4 door sedan as his summer car.  

Note that this car was only 7 years old but the body had lots of visible rust and the interior was tattered. It ran marginally and we all thought of it as a heap. He paid a few hundred dollars for it. 

[doorsovdoon]

On 8/8/2020 at 3:36 AM, Tom Geiger said:

What’s interesting is that this isn’t all that far from what we drove back in the day. Summer of 1976 my friend Mark came home from college and purchased a 1969 Chevy Impala 4 door sedan as his summer car.  

Note that this car was only 7 years old but the body had lots of visible rust and the interior was tattered. It ran marginally and we all thought of it as a heap. He paid a few hundred dollars for it. 

I have heard they were fast rotting car.

[doorsovdoon]

Nearing completion now! The underside is finished, glass is in, detailed the inner wings and got the completed engine in the chassis. I also added the spot lights to the car just because they were in the kit and they look pretty cool:) Interior is almost finished, I had paint reaction on the steering wheel. While trying to remove the paint the whole thing turned to mush! I have a replacement stock steering wheel from the Mercury Cyclone which is close so will have to do.

[doorsovdoon]

[Deuces ll]

Lookin' good!..... ??

[doorsovdoon]

Thanks, Guido.

[doorsovdoon]

I added a tachometer to the transmition tunnel cos there's hole there for, I assume, a gear stick or centre console? The steering wheel is from the Mercury Cyclone. It was the closest looking wheel I had to replace the mushed up original, but there we are, interior is done and looking not too bad:)

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by doorsovdoon

[doorsovdoon]

Because I'm using different wheels I've had to slightly modify the hub fixings and the wheel plates. The wheel plates are the original from the kit but not the tyres, they're skinnier, so the wheel centres, caps, whatever you want to call them, wouldn't seat flush to the tyre. I had to sand down some material on the wheel plates so the two halves would sit nicely in the tyre, but then the hub fixings were too long and the wheels were wobbling around, so I had to trim them back too. Same treatment on the front, but the wheels were rubbing on the steering rod and wouldn't face straight, there was huge toe in! To fix that, I had to use the hub fixings to space the wheel away from the steering rod by putting them the other side of the wheel plate, I then just used some spare hub fixings to hold the wheel in place.

[doorsovdoon]

One step forward 150 steps back, Lol! Trying to get the body to fit to the floor is impossible. I have tried everything, and still it won't sit right. First I found the rear parcel shelf is completely the wrong shape and there was no way it was going to fit without cutting a fair amount off, that got the back sitting ok but I I need to trim the sides of the parcel shelf too to get it just right. The front for some reason just won't fit no matter which way I look at it.The front chassis legs with all the suspension components get in the way of the inner wings and forces the chassis legs downward but even with the chassis removed the interior tub wont fit. I've completely stripped the chassis now because parts were breaking off from too much handling, I have no idea where the problem is. I can't see where the fit issue is, it feels like I'm trying to force an interior tub that's from a completely different car! 

[doorsovdoon]

Looks like another kit where the firewall and dashboard has major fit issues! Not sure if you can see in the picture, but I had to cut a huge amount of plastic off the firewall and some from the floor where it meets. I also had to shave the edge of the dashboard to stop it interfering with the windscreen. I trimmed some more off the parcel shelf and after countless test fits it seems to be fitting ok now. Slowly refitting all the suspension parts back on now. Man, what a flipping hassle!

[1972coronet]

The windscreen and backlight components in AMT kits of this era SUCK . 

Firstly , they're undersized around their perimetre ; secondly , they have HUGE "extensions" in the cowl-area which impede final assembly , and ; thirdly , the quarter lights / windows are out-of-shape and-or undersized . 

The first time I built the 1971 Duster 340 , I almost stomped on it because its fitment issues were getting the better of my Celtic "patience" . After I'd discovered that the inside of the doors' area --inside of the body-- required a good filing ( their thickness prevents the upper door of the interior-side from properly settling in-place ) , I noticed the undersized windscreen . Then the quarter windows didn't want to fit without a tonne of fudging .

Five flippin' months later , I finally had it assembled . However , I'm a glutton for punishment :

1971 Charger R/T . Another close-to-being-smashed kit . The fitment issue with it is its windscreen , and that "BLAH-BLAH-BLAH" under-cowl 'extension' . ARRG ! I sanded it until that ridiculous "embellishment" was tissue-thin .

Problem... solved ? 

YES !

Then the decals --- another story for another time .

I'd begin by doing as I did with the '71 Charger windscreen : sand the ever loving poop out of it until it's tissue-thin . That should remedy the front clip / cowl firewall fitment issue.

Another option : buy a sheet of Evergreen (et alia) clear plastic , and make a new windscreen .

Edited August 10, 2020 by 1972coronet
Typos Galore

[Spottedlaurel]

Looks like you've had a battle with this one! Keep persevering with it, what you've done so far looks good and it will be worth it.

It's tricky when a kit is designed and engineered in such a way that you can't easily trial fit everything until you have a load of assembled components. I've a horrible feeling I'm going to encounter the same thing on a project I want to start next.....

Edited August 10, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[slusher]

Very nice clean work!

[doorsovdoon]

Yep, I feel your pain, John. I had to leave it for a few hours and come back to it before I threw it in the bin! You're right, Nigel, I trial fitted the rear seat and door cards and they seemed to fit like a glove, until it was time to fit it after it was all glued together! Anyway, she's all done now and looking sweeeet!! I'll post more pictures in the completed section.

[Deuces ll]

Looks good!!!!!..... Hope I don't have any problems when I start on my '67 2-door SS.....

[doorsovdoon]

4 hours ago, Deuces ll said:

Looks good!!!!!..... Hope I don't have any problems when I start on my '67 2-door SS.....

I don't know about the two door but the four door has issues around the parcel shelf and firewall. Don't be put off though, I thoroughly enjoyed this build.

[doorsovdoon]

18 hours ago, slusher said:

Very nice clean work!

Thanks, man:)

[doorsovdoon]

18 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Looks like you've had a battle with this one! Keep persevering with it, what you've done so far looks good and it will be worth it.

It's tricky when a kit is designed and engineered in such a way that you can't easily trial fit everything until you have a load of assembled components. I've a horrible feeling I'm going to encounter the same thing on a project I want to start next.....

Yeah, Probably why I prefer the old promo style interior tubs. It's not a bad kit actually, the most frustrating part was having to remove all the glued parts to see where the fit issue was, looks dramatic, but when I trimmed where it was needed it went together great from there on. What I would suggest when you build yours is to put the interior together with the chassis using some canopy glue or tape and trial fit it before it's all painted.

[charlie8575]

That blue is pretty close to Marina Blue, which I think you could get on the full-size cars, I know you could on Chevelles, Novas and Corvettes.

I saw mention in here of an eBay seller making more stock-like wheelcovers, and I can't find it again. I want to get a set.

I also found a bench seat. Heare's House of Resin on Facebook, and he'll direct you to his eBay site, where he sells. At least in photos, the seat looks pretty good. I'll know more when I get it.

Charlie Larkin

[doorsovdoon]

The colour I used is a Vauxhall colour from Halfords called Breeze Blue. Try an ad in the wanted section, I'm sure someone here will be able to cast some stock wheel covers.