78 Chevy Nova police sedan

[tomsheehy]

Working on this Greg Wann resin Nova 4dr sedan trans-kit, being built as a replica Phoenix AZ police unit.  Its being mated to the old MPC Nova Squad Rod kit.  The resin parts are very well done and should yield a nice finished project.  The old MPC kit lacks a lot of detail.  I should have tried using one of the current Revell Nova kits and modified as needed, but too late now.  Paint is Tamiya sand and white, now awaiting clear coat.  Photo of actual unit is from a Phoenix PD page.

[slusher]

Looking great sir'!    I have always admired your builds! 

[oldcarfan]

That's going to be nice! My granddad ordered a police package Nova like that for his company. I remember him driving it with that 350 and four barrel. The only thing he added was a nicer interior because he used it on long road trips to projects.

Do you have a contact for Greg Wann? I bought an Eleanor Mustang transkit years ago and it was great.

[tomsheehy]

28 minutes ago, oldcarfan said:

Do you have a contact for Greg Wann? I bought an Eleanor Mustang transkit years ago and it was great.

Sir, he is listed as a member of this forum.  Search him out and send him a message.

[Danno]

Greg can be reached at Mastercaster1@cox.net

His resins are superb. Superlative. Super. 

 

Tom - 

I have a couple of the 9C1 Novas going also.  One a replica of my patrol rocket from back in the day. I've been toying with doing the second as a Phoenix PD car.

Question:  Do you have a source for the old PPD shields like the one depicted in your photo? 

Note:  Constructive - not meant to be critical, but . . . the color breaks were not as you have on your model. In that era, 50's through the 70's, Phoenix painted the vertical sides (fenders and door skins) light tan over all-white vehicles. They were trying to offset the desert sand discoloration of the all-white cars so they didn't have to wash them so often to maintain better appearance. By the eighties, they gave up and just ran with the all-white cars with no custom paint. That's how they still appear today - all-white but with large blue swoosh panel graphics. 

Regardless, your Nova is terrific!!  Once finished, I'm sure it will be another winner as all your builds!  

Like Carl says, I've always admired your fleet.  

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Danno

[tomsheehy]

57 minutes ago, Danno said:

 

Question:  Do you have a source for the old PPD shields like the one depicted in your photo? 

 

 

Decals were sourced from Scale PD  https://scalepd.com/ 

As to the color break, I have a bunch of images from mid-70s PPD cars showing the all tan with white roofs.  In the 60s, the images I have show the tan only on the sides, like you mention.  The photo I posted above sure looks like the hood it all tan.  Here's a bun of 75/76s put out to pasture, and a 74 in service

[MeatMan]

On 11/24/2023 at 9:37 AM, tomsheehy said:

Working on this Greg Wann resin Nova 4dr sedan trans-kit, being built as a replica Phoenix AZ police unit.  Its being mated to the old MPC Nova Squad Rod kit.  The resin parts are very well done and should yield a nice finished project.  The old MPC kit lacks a lot of detail.  I should have tried using one of the current Revell Nova kits and modified as needed, but too late now.  Paint is Tamiya sand and white, now awaiting clear coat.  Photo of actual unit is from a Phoenix PD page.

 

When did you get the body? I've been nagging him for 2 years now.

[Danno]

Tom, You are right also!  I forgot about that batch of Satellites and Furies that were, indeed, all tan with white roofs. Apparently, Chrysler spec'd them in that two-tone cheaper than Phoenix could get the sand/tan sprayed on white cars.

Just goes to prove what I always say . . . and should remember my own dang self . . . there are no absolutes except that there are no absolutes! 

This '67 Ford lives a couple of blocks from my house . . . driven by a honcho of the Phoenix Police Museum. Like many photos of the cars, the sides are so light in hue that it's often difficult to see the paint break (depending on lighting as you can tell from these two pictures of the same car), but generally these were all white with just the sides, rockers and wheels sand/tan. The breaks were right along the top crease. The Novas were painted this way. 

PPM has been working on restoration of a '60 Studebaker Lark - also in the white with sand/tan sides scheme.  

     

Thanks for the lead re: Scale PD.  I had mine custom made and haven't seen any others anywhere else.  

Again, your Nova is shaping up very nicely.  Farther along than either of mine. (Two started; two others unstarted.) 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Danno

[dragcarz]

I’m loving this build, when I was 17 I live in St Louis Mo. and was heavily involved in street racing, I received 21 citations that year 17 of which was moving violations. The St Louis PD used these Novas painted a medium light blue. I’ve always wanted to build a replica of the cars I tried so hard to avoid. Great looking build!

[GLMFAA1]

Nice build, glad to see 3d four door sedans showing up. Off subject item that I see a lot of from western states cop cars and on model kits is the large side spot lights mounted on the light bar.  Didn't that hinder the revolving lights efficiency? I could see the use as so called 'alley lights' but when responding 'code 3' I would want some side alerting system to be effective. Running 'code 3' with the spots on would wash out the revolving red light. What was your experience?

Step 12 from MPC Force 440 instructions

greg

[Danno]

Greg, Good observation. Many agencies ran "alley lights" mounted to the ends of the light bar base, usually dropped somewhat to not obscure the side 'flash' of the beacons. Often they were offset to the front or rear of the light bar. Some agencies used rectangular halogen driving lights, which had a much lower vertical measurement. 

Altogether, the large round lamps - such as depicted in the kit instructions shown - were rare . . . for the very reason you cite.

But, yes, some agencies paid no attention to that detail and mounted the 'alley light' in a fashion that blocked the side 'flash.' Those were the days when emergency vehicle lighting was minimal. 

BTW - there's some argument as to why 'alley lights' came to be in the first place. It was said that they were a convenience for one-man patrol units (they were), but there seemed to be a surge in use when the bean-counters figured out a set of 'alley lights' - at least on the right side - was cheaper than A-pillar mounted spotlights.

 

[Danno]

PS: A couple of other non-essential comments from a keeper of odd knowledge:

The Greg Wann Mastercaster Novas are not 3D printed or cast from 3D printed masters. They are cast from a master very expertly and artfully created by a friend of mine here in the Phoenix metro area. [I wouldn't mind identifying him, but he prefers a lower profile and I don't have his permission to 'out' him.] 

Greg is also a friend of mine. I can take a little credit for the Novas, as I pushed, pressured, and cajoled him into doing them - and our mutual friend ponied up an excellent master. The rest is history.  

I was supposed to have a Nova build camera-ready a few years ago but life got in the way. (It remains partially completed.) 

I also used the same sort of strategies to get Greg to cast his exquisite Cosma Ray kit - also not 3D printed. I managed to get a build of the Cosma Ray finished just before another friend, John Teresi, debuted his amazing build. Mine stayed in the shop.

 

*Sorry to highjack the thread, Tom. I'm looking forward to seeing your Nova finished.