1965 Dodge Coronet 500 by Polar Lights

[Jon Cole]

I'll try and get some pics later. I can just cut the six protrusions off the distributor. I have some bead wire I want to use for the spark plug wires. I'm not sure exactly where they go on the engine. Like I said, I was looking at some pictures of the real thing. Some engines have the wires going down into the engine out of shot of the camera. A couple pictures showed the wires on top of the engine like the one Dave showed above.

I was going to strip the paint and paint the car a different color. I decided I wanted it to look stock like it just rolled off the assembly line instead of a custom. Since the kit isn't that great I didn't really want to spend the time stripping and then the money to get the primer, paint, and clear for it. I probably wouldn't have bought this kit if I saw it in the store, but since it was given to me I didn't want to see it just sitting there in the box. I'm really using the kit as practice for stuff like foiling and then bead wire for spark plugs.

Too funny! PL did a six cyl. cap for the Wedge!

I would recommend saving the six distributor for another project, or your parts box. Go with either an aftermarket distributor, or swap in a proper 8 cyl. cap from another kit. Drilling plastic caps can be tedious, and if your eyes aren't as good as they used to be (as mine are not), you should drill the caps with the aid of a goose-neck magnafying lamp. You do know you will need a set of jewelers size drill bits, and a twist drill, yes? You know the old saying, "The right tool for the right job".

Bead wire, I'm not familiar with that, I'm sure it's fine. Again, the aftermarket has plenty of wire. You could also find wire in old land line phone wire, or tear open old electronic junk such as fans, VCR's, computers, etc.

[JayC]

Here are the pictures of the engine components.

Yes, my keyboard is dusty.

If more pictures are needed I will take them.

Bead wire, I'm not familiar with that, I'm sure it's fine.

I got the idea for bead wire from this thread:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.p...opic=23117&

Edited November 2, 2009 by JayC

[Jordan White]

The spark plug wires attach to the cylinder heads (the two rectangular parts in the middle tree, if you didn't know ).

They basically sit in the spots between the exhaust manifold runners where they leave the heads, if that makes sense.

[GMP440]

I built the Polar Lights 65' Coronet too. I agree with some of the innacuracies that others pointed out.

If I were to build another Polar Lights Coronet I would just use the body ,interior, glass, chrome and for everything else I need I would get from the Lindberg 64 Dodge.

[Snake45]

I looked without success for any reviews/discussion of the Polar Lights '65 Coronet in this section. Just found one in the Snakepit, prepainted in a nice red. Thinking of whipping it together. Any pitfalls with this kit, any major corrections to be made, any other comments on it?

[High octane]

It's been awhile since I built mine, so I don't remember too much about how it went together. I did build the bottom end of the engine and glued the hood shut to make this a curbside build. I'm plannin' on doin' the pearl white one in the near future and I also have a beautiful candy/metallic red(?) convertible kit in the stash also. Here's a photo of my Coronet..................................

[Bob Ellis]

If this kit is like the 1964 GTO, it doesn't fit well, or snap together as they implied years ago

[High octane]

I almost used the '64  GTO to build the Mystery Tornado, but opted for Monogram's GTO kit instead.

[Craig Irwin]

I didn't like the dual firewalls, did some modifying there to get the scale driver some legroom.

 

[unclescott58]

I didn't mind the kit. I build mine several years ago, shortly after they came out. The only problem I had with the Coronet was getting the headers up into the engine compartment. A little tight going in. But once little, they fit alright. I think the Polar Lights Coronet is better than their '64 Goat. At the same time. I didn't hate their GTO as much as everybody else seemed to. 

Scott

 

[Snake45]

 I think the Polar Lights Coronet is better than their '64 Goat. At the same time. I didn't hate their GTO as much as everybody else seemed to. 

Scott

 

Only major problem I have with the GTO is the shape of the C-pillars, but as I showed here, they're easily filed back to the correct shape.

Thanks for the comments and tips, everyone. Keep 'em coming!

[gtx6970]

IMO, the Polar Lights 65 Coronet gets a bad rep.  especially once you take in your options . Either find an original ( not cheap ) or a resin repop of an original very hit or miss to quality .

 

I used one to build my OB Hewitt car,,, and my daughter ( she was 12 at the time ) Built a Ramcharger car. My only contribution was help her with few decals ,otherwise its all her.

 

On mine I used the Lindberg Hemi in place of the kits wedge

 

[Snake45]

Very nice! Those both look great!

I think my next step is to get the thing out of the box and see how the paint looks, and if I think I can pimp it out with minimal work and my beloved Silver Sharpie. I'll probably be going for a daily-driven "Day Two" cars a couple years old, or maybe even an early-'70s High School Hot Rod, so a super-shiny, super-accurate factory paint job isn't a must. I'll probably also just do it curbside, at least for now. Maybe I'll add the engine and detail the chassis later.

[garagepunk66]

I also have a couple unbuilts of this kit on the shelf. The most glaring flaw to my eye is the grille. Headlight engraving too flush and too faint, ends of grille are too rounded, and grille surround molding is too thick for an overall blob-tastic toy-like effect. Does any resin caster offer an improved grille for this kit mastered from the AMT annual?

 

  

Edited March 1, 2017 by garagepunk66

[gtx6970]

I used to have an original AMT grill ( a buildup that's long gone now )  But I seem to remember nothing from an AMT kit fits this body.

 

To me the biggest pet peave is the body line that runs the side of the car gets too close to the top of the fender at the forward end compared to a 1/1 . You can alleviate that to some degree by sanding off the molded in trim that tops said body line and with a sanding file lower it to the slightest degree like I did on my Gold one. If your on a budget or just want a slump buster ,, the car can me made into something very respectable without to much effort

 

I have a few of them put back  for future ideas.  My next one will be to do Roger Lindamoods non AFX  Color Me gone car

 

And BTW, I had a heck of a time stripping the paint off that these come in . My next one, I'm just going to primer / paint over it .

 

 

Edited March 1, 2017 by gtx6970

[Bob Ellis]

I also have a couple unbuilts of this kit on the shelf. The most glaring flaw to my eye is the grille. Headlight engraving too flush and too faint, ends of grille are too rounded, and grille surround molding is too thick for an overall blob-tastic toy-like effect. Does any resin caster offer an improved grille for this kit mastered from the AMT annual?

 

  

I agree, the grill is not as good as the original MPC version.

[Edsel-Dan]

Had 1 each hardtop & Convert

Wish I still did
Convert was Nice Turq. Metallic

Tires look too wide for my taste, and maybe too tall of a rim/hubcap, 

but....

 

Only 65 Coronet available so....

[BubbaBrown]

Built a couple oh them. Don't see what all the fuss is about on body. Looks ok to me. 90% alcohol will strip paint overnight , even red. The crossram intake isn't correct but the exhaust system with the cutouts is over the moon. Does it snap together, no . But no problem glueing. Its based on a fancy coronet 500 with console and buckets. So not apt for a race car. Try it you'll like it.

[Snake45]

Thanks all for the comments and great pics. I'm hoping the paint on my example is usable so I can just pimp-slap the thing out.

[johnbuzzed]

Snake, I built two of them a few years back.  They are not perfect kits; if I remember correctly, the distributor has just six plug wire towers.  But they are good slump-busters, just to build for fun, and they can be great starting points.  You can see more of mine in "Super Stock Dodges" in under glass, back around June of 2014.

[jjsipes]

I liked the kit. Can't really say how it builds uout of the box, since I cut mine up. I have a couple more that I started cutting up as well but haven't finished. If I had a gripe about the kit, it would be the lack of depth in the grille.

[Mr mopar]

there nice kits my 2 cents!

[Motor City]

Aare the Coronet 500 emblems decals or photo-etched parts?

[High octane]

Aare the Coronet 500 emblems decals or photo-etched parts?

Decals

[Edsel-Dan]

Since Round2 has re-issed the 64 GTO Twice, both Hardtop,

I wonder why this one has not been re-issed or announced for re-issue