1955 Chrysler 300 - stock build with lighting

[Andy Oldenburg]

This is a Moebius kit and while I was building I remembered how I missed the crisp molding and the fine details of this manufacturer. Everything fits perfectly and the parts have more texture and sharpness than many AMT kits. This 300 is a fine example.

The Chrysler 300 was a muscle car long before the term was established. Real power and a handling for fast driving, it wasn´t your average family car. Even the design looked fast and ahead of it´s time. Offered only in black, white and red, my choice for my build was easy. My goal was to get as close to a sales room mint stock look as possible. The red body is rattle can Montana Gold label S3000, finished with 2 layers of AK clear varnish. The BMF and the decals are protected under the final coating. I had to do some sanding on the bumpers because they had some molding issues. Instead of brush painting the Molotow chrome, this time I airbrushed the big parts with Molotow liquid chrome. After 4 days of drying they received an finish with AK clear too. 

I didn´t use much second market items this time. Actually only the door handles and the windshield wipers. The kit comes without a rear view mirror, so I fabricated it from styrene and a 8mm brass rod. I opened and hinged the doors and the trunk and equipped the door panels with hidden magnets. The second magnets are hidden in the front bench.

The dash is enhanced with wire gauge rings and tiny toggle switches. The kit shift and winker levers were replaced with thinner home made wire levers. Plus the parking brake.

The engine and the bay received a bunch of added details like extra wiring, hoses and lines. The radiator front is covered with metal mesh. The air filter cover and the valve covers are pimped with etched metal hex nuts.

This is the first time I have equipped a model with lighting. It did add some extra time because I needed a little consulting. But fortunately I have an electronics shop in town and I could buy my stuff there. They only have 3mm LEDs though, so I made the best of it. In the meantime I have sourced 1,2mm LEDs, so the next build with lighting will give me some more options. Especially for the interior lighting. The battery is hidden in the gas tank, which I can open if the battery needs to be exchanged. I was able to hide all the wires and the lines to the front are the "brake and fuel" lines on the undercarriage. 

I hope you like my build and would be happy if you watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/NeDH_tsS5Yg

Thank your for watching and best wishes!

[ChrisR]

Very nice.

[Tom99]

Very well done!

[ea0863]

Incredible work! Just the opening doors and trunk must have take a month  

[Mike 1017]

BEAUTIFUL !!!!

[espo]

Beautiful paint and trim finishes. The engine detailing is very realistic looking. Like the added lighting. 

[karbuildr]

Really nice  build. I like the color and excellent details all around.

[gtx6970]

Very nice.

 

But....

im pretty certain an outside mirror was not avail on them in 1955

[SpikeSchumacher]

Ausgezeichnet, Andy! 😉

[charger74]

Very nicely done

[Andy Oldenburg]

Hi guys,

thanks for your friendly response! This hobby means so much to me, and my motivation is just to have fun and make those tiny steps forward in my skills. But well yes, I do enjoy getting the feedback out of our forum community 😊🙏😉

@Emre - Actually the door and trunk cutting was about 2 hours. What takes more time is the finishing with the lips and getting those hinges in a correct place. I am still not completely satisfied with the turnout, but it is getting better. I have a new technique to cut out the shapes. After the stress with scalpels ( they get stuck and are quite dangerous handling) and with a tiny circular saw (gets hot and melts the styrene) I SCRATCH out my doors. I found a small awl in my tool box and sharpened it and i just follow the molded outlines. I takes about 10-15 careful scratches to get through. Additionally I minimize the thickness of the body by grinding or sanding from the inside. Here are some images from my current build. It is worth a try!

@Bill - you could be right about the mirror.... But I found images both with and without a mirror. Maybe it was an option to order. But I did refrain from adding seat belts 😂

[cifenet]

Fabulous work, I like the details on the bash and the engine bay.  Great execution making the car look simply gorgeous!

[Musclecars]

really sharp build Andy and great work on the detailing. Thanks for showing it

[slusher]

Impressive and beautiful Chrysler 300!

[Ken Car-Fanatic]

A wonderful & great build even if it was just box stock with the great paint work & detailing.   But all the extras definitely push it to the next level, beautiful detail work.  I especially like the hidden details with the magnets, battery for the lights in the fuel tank & even the switch which looks like it would be partially hidden by the exhaust & would blend-in on the underside at the back.  Very nice!

[PappyD340]

Awesome build, well done!