Started [resumed?] work on a '69 Galaxie

[Can-Con]

I've had this model since the late '70s.

Originally it was given to my cousin Rocky when he was first hospitalized with juvenile diabetes around '78. He gave it to me after he built it with lots of glue.
I rebuilt as best I could back then but decided to give it another go in the '90s.

Rocky was a couple years younger than me but we were raised close and were like brothers growing up and until he passed a few years ago from complications from the diabetes.

I cleaned up the body and repainted it with nail color but it kept "frosting up" for years. I had this problem with a couple models I used Revlon nail polish on back then. Every time I'd clear coat it and polish it out it would come back a month or two later, So, back in the box it went. I didn't have a good set of chrome or glass for it so didn't think a lot about it. Not too long after he passed the kit was reissued so now I have what I needed to do a proper job on it.

So. I checked the paint last spring , wet sanded it and gave it another coat of clear and it seems to be holding up well this time. Glass and foil done now and working on the chassis and engine.

Edited August 5, 2020 by Can-Con

[Tom Geiger]

Cool model and great tribute build to your cousin! 

[Monty]

15 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Cool model and great tribute build to your cousin! 

Agreed.  Love that color too.  How far are you going to go as far as chassis and engine detailing are concerned?

 Here's a question I'd like your opinion on:  How hard do you think it would be to turn this kit body into a convertible?  As a kid, one of my favorite cars was our '69 Ford XL convertible.  White, blue interior & blue convertible top & a 390.  

I'm new to this kind of thing, but I'd guess the trunk lines would be the first thing I'd need to address.  

[Can-Con]

7 hours ago, Monty said:

Agreed.  Love that color too.  How far are you going to go as far as chassis and engine detailing are concerned?

 Here's a question I'd like your opinion on:  How hard do you think it would be to turn this kit body into a convertible?  As a kid, one of my favorite cars was our '69 Ford XL convertible.  White, blue interior & blue convertible top & a 390.  

I'm new to this kind of thing, but I'd guess the trunk lines would be the first thing I'd need to address.  

Yea, the trunk would be the big thing. 

But not really all that bad either. After you have the roof cut off, I'd cut a couple triangle shapes from sheet plastic to fill the gaps left in the trunk area.  Reinforce them from below with more sheet plastic, putty and sand. Remember not to make it too flat. If it's flat, it will actually look slightly dished down when finished. An optical illusion. 

Be careful around the windshield, that frame is fragile as is and will be worse after the roof's cut off. 

Make a pair of sun visors from sheet stock and a simple boot for the convertible top and that's about it.

[Bills72sj]

Nice subject. My younger brother had a white one with a black vinyl top in high school.

[Can-Con]

I'm using the "resto rod" engine from that issue of the AMT '66 Galaxie with the valve covers from the '69 Galaxie donor kit.

 Nice of them to include a complete spare engine in those kits. This one looks to be a 428 but it's kinda hard to tell for sure.

[Deuces ll]

WoW!..... ?? 

What color Revlon is that nail polish if you don't mind me asking????.....

[espo]

As many others have mentioned, the color is outstanding. Good looking engine and well detailed. To me the Valve Covers especially look good. The 1:1 Fords had, on some hi-performance engines, these tall Valve Covers that were kind of flat on the top. I think they even used offered them in a cast aluminum also. They really dress up the engine on big block Ford's. 

[yellowsportwagon]

Where did you get those sweet plug wires with boots.

[dino246gt]

Great looking so far, and yeah, where did you get those angled plug boots?

 

[Can-Con]

17 hours ago, Deuces ll said:

WoW!..... ?? 

What color Revlon is that nail polish if you don't mind me asking????.....

I don't mind you asking but it was done around 20 years ago and the bottle's long gone.?

[Slotto]

6 hours ago, dino246gt said:

Great looking so far, and yeah, where did you get those angled plug boots?

 

X2

[Can-Con]

7 hours ago, yellowsportwagon said:

Where did you get those sweet plug wires with boots.

 

7 hours ago, dino246gt said:

Great looking so far, and yeah, where did you get those angled plug boots?

 

I made the boots by cutting lengths if material at 45 degree angles and mating them up on the plug wires. 

The wire itself is some from scaleproshop.com 

Nice stuff. has just the right "gravity" to it to hold it's shape but still stay a bit soft and springy. I highly recommend it. 

 

Here's a little photo how-to on the plug boots. I learned this years ago, can't remember who showed me how to do it now.

https://public.fotki.com/SteveMilberry/projects/90-degree-plug-boot/#media

Edited August 25, 2020 by Can-Con

[yellowsportwagon]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

 

I made the boots by cutting lengths if material at 45 degree angles and mating them up on the plug wires. 

The wire itself is some from scaleproshop.com 

Nice stuff. has just the right "gravity" to it to hold it's shape but still stay a bit soft and springy. I highly recommend it. 

 

Here's a little photo how-to on the plug boots. I learned this years ago, can't remember who showed me how to do it now.

https://public.fotki.com/SteveMilberry/projects/90-degree-plug-boot/#media

Thanks man

[Slotto]

Awesome! Thanks bro!

[Can-Con]

Not a lot of detail inside this one and I didn't bother doing much besides paint and flocking.

Only change I made was adding a basket handle shifter, the kit only comes with a stick which is incorrect for this console.

The car's actually almost finished. Just want to add a bit of detail under the hood before I call it finished.