Finished! 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car

[les paul]

The color coats on the body are 1966 Chrysler Turbine Bronze (Dupont Acrylic Enamel) which was mixed at a local paint jobber called B.A.P.S. It was put it an aerosol, and I then transferred it to an airbrush jar and sprayed it with my Badger Crescendo.

The clearcoat is Tamiya water based acrylic X-22, which also had to be airbrushed after thinning it down a bit with their thinner. After this was sufficiently dry.........I rubbed out the clearcoat with Detail Master polishing cloths (3600-12,000 grit) and waxed with Meguair's Car Cleaner Wax.

Thanks for asking!

thanks to respond me.

[Daniel Peterson]

All I can say is that anybody who thinks this is a nice job, scoot over to the on the bench section and see what it really took to get to this point. Typical Geary. Outstanding!!

[Andy Wyatt]

That turned out great Bill! Like Cruz said...I hope to see it Saturday at the club meeting (if I can get there...I'm on call at work).

[Clay]

Yeah yeah I know, bringing up an old topic. I actually have one of these I got off of eBay in lot of models, and if its suppose to look like this then the guy that made the one I have was a little lazy.

Bill if you want to do another one I will be glad to send you the one I have if I can find the front wheels.

[MrObsessive]

and if its suppose to look like this then the guy that made the one I have was a little lazy.

Bill if you want to do another one I will be glad to send you the one I have if I can find the front wheels.

I sent you a PM Clay.............

[Harry P.]

Unbelievable work. To take one of the worst kits ever produced and do this to it is simply amazing.

One of the worst kits ever produced??? I was under the impression, that aside from some very minor issues, this was one of the better kits from the 60s.

[george 53]

AWWW BILL , I cooda dun dat wit my hans behind my back anna toothpick in my mouf! Yeah ,Right! Hey Bud If you do really wanna build one on it's Fifteyith, I got one still inna box you can HAVE! Jus openin the box an seein ALL those parts made me just close it up again an put it away! It's yours if you need it for extra parts or sompthin(like front wheels, )

[John Goschke]

The ultimate build on this notorious kit that combined the best and worst features of Johan in their heyday! Beautiful job, Bill!

[62SS]

Awesome work as usual Bill. Your builds never cease to amaze me. This is, By far, The nicest Turbine car Ive ever seen. Great job. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Ed

[E St. Kruiser50]

Hey Bill

Absolutely "STUNNING" Great detail and finish

On the script for next time. After you primer and before the color goes on, I foil the script. After the color and before the clear, I gently sand away the paint on the high spots to reveal the BMF script, then clear coat. Let me know if you ever try it, and what you think.

Again very beautiful on an extremely difficult kit. Very thin and flimsy plastic and difficult to make all those pieces work properly together.

I have a couple of them.

Dave

[Clay]

Arent you glad I brought this topic back up?

[MrObsessive]

Hey Bill

Absolutely "STUNNING" Great detail and finish

On the script for next time. After you primer and before the color goes on, I foil the script. After the color and before the clear, I gently sand away the paint on the high spots to reveal the BMF script, then clear coat. Let me know if you ever try it, and what you think.

Again very beautiful on an extremely difficult kit. Very thin and flimsy plastic and difficult to make all those pieces work properly together.

I have a couple of them.

Dave

I'll have to give that a try again sometime Dave............I tried that a loooong time ago, but it turned out terrible!

Now with some more years under my belt............it'd be nice to give that technique a go.

I think months ago, someone did a tutorial on it............I don't remember who, but it involved a Toronado IIRC.

Arent you glad I brought this topic back up?

:lol:

[FactoryStock54]

Beautiful, ultra-clean build (as always), and the subject is one of my all-time favorites.

I've got two of those in my stash but have been afraid to start them. . . don't know if I ever will. Your build is fantastic (though I don't know if it inspires me or makes me even more afraid)!

[kk916]

I know you are done with this project but I saw this on a blog I frequent and thought of you and figured I'd share.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/08/1...er_turbine.html

[Harry P.]

That first video is pretty cool. I've never seen a Turbine Car moving under its own power before.

But that last video...man, what a shame Chrysler just wrecked them all!

[Clay]

I'm lost......

Why did they destroy them? Were they not safe or something?

[Harry P.]

There are several stories floating around.

The 50-some turbine cars made by Chrysler were all handed out to celebrities, industry insiders and various other "big shots" in order to get these people's response to the car. After the "research" part of the program was finished, Chrysler took back the turbine cars and destroyed all but a handful of them. The most common reason given is that by destroying the cars, Chrysler avoided paying a hefty import tariff on the bodies, which were provided by Ghia.

Another reason given is that Chrysler, after finishing the initial phase of the turbine car research project, simply didn't want the cars getting into the hands of the competition.

Either way, 5 or 6 of the cars ultimately avoided the crusher. I think that they are all in various museums around the country. Chrysler still has possession of 1 or 2, and there might be 1 in private hands.

[MrObsessive]

The one that's in the first video Harry is the only one that's running to be owned by a private collector.

There were 55 total cars built------5 were for Chrysler testing............a couple no doubt for crash testing purposes. The other 50 were for the general public to test out in 3 month periods. If I remember my Turbine Car history correctly, the first cars were given out in October 1963 and the last cars were turned in I think January 1966.

About 200 folks participated in the test and were given pretty much unlimited mileage to put on the cars in the 3 month period.

Another reason that Chrysler might have destroyed the cars was for product liability issues. In the free wheeling 1960's this may not have been much of a problem-------------but you can betcha it would be a big deal today!

As an aside I could swear I saw this car as a four year old in 1965! I had no idea what it was at the time-----I can remember though going past a shopping parking lot with a family friend who was a certified car nut as I remember. He all of sudden whips into the parking lot to ogle this bronze/copper car which for years I would figure out that it was probably the Turbine Car that someone in the area had.

I wasn't that much interested as a little kid.........I just remember a LOT of people around it.

Wish I was a little older then with a camera........I would have taken a TON of pics!!

I have to give credit to this "family friend" though as he would later date my Mom (for years!) and as I mentioned was a super car nut. The particular job he had gave him access to all types of cars----it seemed he had a different car every 3-6 months.

This ranged from '60-'61 Corvairs to '58 Ramblers, to a '60 Olds (I ruined that car one day ) just to name a few. He's probably the reason I have such interest in cars out of the '50's early '60's as I got to ride in 'em alot as a kid and as well as see 'em on the street in front of the house.

[forwardlook60]

Harry,

You are both right and wrong about the Turbine Car

program. Government tax levis along with liability issues

were the reason why 40 of the 50 cars were destroyed. Chrysler had been

experimenting with turbine powered vehicles since

1954 and the competition certainly had ample opportunity

to see what made these things tick. I am sure that during

the 1964-1965 test program, some GM or Ford ‘spy’ would have

been able to get a look at one of the test vehicles.

Actually Chrysler’s intention was to have these cars evaluated

by ordinary people. The records show that virtually none

of the ‘amateur’ test drivers were big-wigs or ‘insiders’. My

folks were among the 203 people chosen to evaluate the

Turbine Car. We received the car in March of 1964 and

had it for 3 months (as did all of the testers) and drove it

about 5,000 miles. At the end of the testing period, my

parents completed the company’s questionnaire and were

interviewed twice by Chrysler’s engineering and Turbine program

reps. The day that the car was returned (to my uncle’s dealership)

it was immediately loaded on a truck and on it’s way (presumably

to the next tester). One of the main problems facing the testers

was availability of fuel. Chrysler recommended JP4, Kerosene or

diesel fuel but NOT leaded gas. Back then you would have to

hunt for a source of fuel for the car...although my parents got

imaginative and ordered extra supplies of home heating oil and

threw in some Kerosene. But I understand it was an issue for

some of the drivers testing the car.

We took a trip to Florida with it (to visit my uncle there) during

spring vacation and it was one of the most exciting times of my life.

At any rate, 10 of the cars were spared destruction and 7 now

reside in museums and 2 owned by Chrysler (one being on display

at the WPC Museum and the other still being used for testing). One

is questionably in private hands (the question of ownership, I understand,

is one of title certification). I was able to ascertain that the Turbine Car

loaned to my parents was, in fact, one of the 40 vehicles destroyed in

1966.

Steve

[Harry P.]

Harry,

You are both right and wrong about the Turbine Car

Actually Chrysler’s intention was to have these cars evaluated

by ordinary people. The records show that virtually none

of the ‘amateur’ test drivers were big-wigs or ‘insiders’.

Steve

Right you are!

After I read your post I was curious. I had posted my Turbine car story based on my memory of what I had read in the past. Apparently my memory isn't very reliable...the fact is, as you say, ordinary people were chosen as Turbine car test drivers, not celebrities and insiders. I'll have to be more careful next time I post "facts"...

However, the real reason that Chrysler destroyed all but a handful of the cars is still open to debate. It depends on who's story you're wiling to believe. The most common reason I've come across is the "avoiding the import duty on the bodies" story...but that seems a bit strange. Wouldn't the import duty have been due immediately upon Chrysler's receiving the bodies, and not after the fact?

The real reason might never be known. I wonder how much one of those cars would be worth today?

[Clay]

I got this from Wikipedia, not sure if its true or not.

A total of 55 turbine cars were produced. When Chrysler had finished the user program and other public displays of the cars, 46 of them were destroyed to avoid an import tariff. Of the remaining nine cars, six had the engines de-activated and then they were donated to museums around the country. Chrysler retained three of the turbine cars for historical reasons. One of the cars kept by Chrysler is stored in running condition at the proving grounds, while another car was purchased from a museum by a private automobile collector and is also functional (Frank Kleptz of Terre Haute, Indiana). The last turbine car that is functional is owned by the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, was photographed for Mopar Action magazine, and appears at car shows around the United States from time to time. An owner of a non-functional car contacted the then Chrysler chairman Robert Lutz, who gave him the proper part to make it functional, making four out of the nine fully working vehicles.

[jjsipes]

Still the best build of this kit that I have seen.

[slusher]

Amazing build and detail...

[Dominik]

Love it. Why I didn't see it before?!?

[Dr Plastic]

Very nice Job Mr Obsessive! I for one can really appreciate the work you did. I to have built this kit. Here is a link to some pics if you are interested in looking at. As for the script what I did was primerd with Mr. Surfacer then I foiled like normal. Then I applied the color coats pf MCW Turbine Bronze Met. #6655. After each coat I gently removed the paint on the scripts with a Q-tip and a touch of thinner. After all the color coats were applied I then applied 7-10 coats of gloss over the scripts to seal them in!

http://public.fotki.com/ScottABregi/my_modeling_projects/63_chrysler_turbine/