1962 Chevy Impala

[ModelcarJR]

This is my next build, a Revell Special Edition kit. I bought it at the last contest thinking that I had built it before and I knew I had an extra one in the closet. I normally buy a kit and if I like building it, I buy it again while its still on the shelves and store it away in the closet. I thought that I had built it before but I couldn't readily find it on my shelves and in cases. Then I got smarter and thought to check my Built Models List that I keep up to date from time to time. Its contains 320 models that  have built. I have two 62 Chevy Convertibles but no hardtops on the list. So apparently I haven't built it. So l am going to get started! I haven't decided on a color yet. Any suggestions? Thanks for looking! 

[Kah puts]

Great body style, any colour will do, have fun?

[slusher]

I built the AMT version years ago and painted it Boyd’s Dusty Rose. Still looks good in its case.

[customline]

 I haven't built it yet but I have this one and it seems like a very good kit. I already stole the engine ?.  I'm following. ?

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Glen, Carl, and Jim! I appreciate your comments! 

How about a nice Dupli-Color Bright Platinum Metallic! I haven't done a silver one in a while and i noticed there were quite a few silver 62 Chevys with red interiors on the internet. I'm going to add a red stripe on each side inside the stainless but first I want to rub it out to make sure its smooth. I think I got pretty lucky since the finish is pretty smooth already and I haven't noticed any blotchy spots as can often happen with silver. I may go with red steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps but not sure yet. The interior and wheels are painted Dupli-Color  Bright Red. Thanks for looking! ?

[atomicholiday]

Great color!  That’s going to look sharp.?

[Shark]

Being a fan of the '62, we have a lot of good choices to build. Between AMT and Revell, we can do the Impala hardtop and convertible, Bel-Air street or strip versions and MCW does a Biscayne conversion kit.

We'll be following along on this one, like the color you chose.

[KWT]

Gonna be watching this close. I've thought about getting this several times, but have always passed on it

[customline]

Silver is a fine choice for a formal roofline Impala but I don't think the dog dish wheels work as well in that context as would a set of 5 spokes, John.  A Biscayne would have "doggies" (bought that way with drag racing in mind....a sleeper?) An Impala would have full covers, right?  I like the dog dish idea but not on a top-of-the-line Impala. But that's just me.?

  

 

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Todd, Jeremy, and Jim!  Jim, you are right - I probably will go with some mags with this Impala.  And as Todd pointed out, I already have a 63 Biscayne from MCW that I built several years ago that has dog dish hubcaps. This is the only resin kit I have built because I wanted a replica of the car I drove in college for 4 years. I commuted everyday and also used it to get to my job in the summertime and dates on the weekends. I drove it at least 40 miles everyday on the commute good weather or bad and only had to do oil changes, plugs and points occasionally. My dad bought for me from a older woman whose husband had died and she only drove it to church and the grocery store. So in 1969 it was still low miles and was in good shape. It was drab green and had a radio, heater and 283. Not much to look at but a great car!  So my build was as I remember it. I don't know if it is unusual for a Biscayne to have a 283. Maybe it was a Bel Air but I think it was a Biscayne but its been too many years ago and i don't have any photos. 

I also have built the 62 convertible and I have another one somewhere but I can't readily find it. And finally, I have some photos of my progress on this hardtop. I taped off the side stainless and brush painted the insert with some Testors square bottle red that I thinned. I peeled off the tape before the paint was dry so I wouldn't pull paint and let both sides dry overnight. This morning I trimmed it with BMF on the right side. It turned out pretty good so here are the photos. Thanks for looking!

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by ModelcarJR
fix name

[customline]

That looks really nice with the red accent, JR. I can't always use the wheels that are my first choice (gray center Americans ?) but this is just my "old-man-thinking" that the wheels say a lot and convey a certain attitude. By that I mean the wheels/tires tell part of the "story" about the car - who it belongs to and how they use it. I hope this isn't too philosophical but I've got like 6 car bodies to paint and I'm running out of detail jobs and the humidity is keeping me here commenting instead of progressing.....anyway I'm glad you are, all the Impalas looks terrific! 

Edited July 28, 2023 by customline
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[espo]

I remember your builds on the '63 Biscayne , and the Impala Convertible. The silver body with red trim here should look great. If you're going for an absolute stock showroom model, check the wheels color with the full hub cap. I think those would have had a black painted wheel on cars with the full wheel covers. You questioned the 283 engine. The 283 would have been available in any full-size Chevrolet body style with the 170hp 2 bbl. carb. The other options would have been a 250 hp or 300 hp 327 cu. in engine, and a 380 hp or 409 hp 409 cu. in. engines.  

[KWT]

Man those Impalas look good. That red strip pops on that silver

[mustang1989]

Following this beautiful beautiful build JR. Paint work is just outstanding. 

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim, David, Jeremy and Joe! I appreciate your comments! 

I kinda regret painting it bright silver now. I can't see the chrome foil! Maybe I should have used a darker color of silver? But all the foil on the body is done! I'll tackle the interior next.

[customline]

But it's a good slick paint job, John, so that counts for a lot. Maybe "pewter" the next time you get an appetite for something in that range. The red interior is going to bring it home for ya, guaranteed. 

Have you found some wheels yet? 

Edited July 29, 2023 by customline
Added question

[slusher]

Great silver paint John, nice touch on the red stripe ..

[H.A.K]

Looks good sofar.

[ModelcarJR]

 Thanks, Jim, Carl, and Samuel. I appreciate your comments! Jim, I haven't looked for wheels yet but I am sure that I have a set of chrome 5 spoke mags in the parts box. The bigger issue will be fitting them to the tires in this kit or finding another set of tires that will work. 

I have been working slowly on the interior since it is so hot out I really don't want to have to paint another one in this heat. I've been watching a lot of baseball too so that has slowed me down. I have finished the interior but not without some missteps. I tackled the seat insert decals first and noticed that one of the seat decals was all one piece for the seat bottom and back. So I used the other two-piece decal to measure and cut the one piece decal before I got started. My mistake was assuming that the one piece decal was for the back seat. I don't know why I didn't look at the instructions, I usually look at them to get the lay of the land but this time I didn't. I had to trim the decal that I put on the back seat as it was too big. When I put the two-piece decal on the front seat I noticed that it was a bit short. That's when I looked at the instructions and realized that I had reversed the front and rear seat decals. But it was too late to change anything so I made the best of a not so good situation. They look fine if you don't look at the trim borders on the seats too closely. 

The rest was pretty straight-forward. I dullcoted the chrome pieces for the dash to look more like aluminum, foiled the steering wheel, seats and door panels, and added all the decals. The interior is done. Thanks for looking! ?

Edited August 1, 2023 by ModelcarJR
spelling and grammar

[customline]

Don't sweat the decal thing, John, the interior looks fine....Great, in fact. This color combo is classic, in my humble opinion. Go find some Keystones! And skinny white-walls! ?

[beeRS]

This is looking great. Silver with red interior is a timeless classic. 

[Zippi]

Looking good.  I like the two tone red interior.  

[H.A.K]

Looking good.

[mustang1989]

I doubt many onlookers would notice anything about the seat cover decals JR.  Your interiors always look good and this one is following that same standard. The paint / masking work you've done on the body is also "all that". Looking good ol' buddy.

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim, Sonny, Bob, Samuel and Joe! I appreciate your comments! 

The engine is done. I added plug wires and was going to add a fuel line but its not worth the trouble and you won't see much. I added a couple of 409 decals from Keith Marks but they wouldn't fit above the Chevy emblem. I'll add some blackwash to the trans and exhausts. I've drilled holes for the heater hoses that I'll add later. Thanks for looking! ?