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Posted

X3!!! I would love to build my 1st car so much, an 86 lx 5.0 coupe.

Also an aero fox era saleen "body kit" would be outstanding as well.. hint hint haha but an accurate 93 cobra would be killer too. Keep up the good work, the hatch area looks great already.

The trouble with a four eye nose is not the nose itself, which is easy, but all the other things. A hood, taillights, 1/4 window louvers, complete interior, dash, steering wheel, seats, and the list goes on. The side trim would all need to be changed, and the '85-'86 GT had recessed GT lettering in the 1/4 trim ahead of the rear wheels - that detail would likely have to be 3D printed. You could use the MPC '83-'84 Mustang kits for some of the parts, but they're not detailed to modern standards and those kits are not exactly plentiful or cheap, so nobody would want to do that. So, if all of the parts, including a revised body, were mastered and offered in a resin kit, it would be at least 2-1/2 times the cost of the current conversion kit.

As for a Saleen body kit, that's got possibilities, as Saleens of the era were dressed up LX's so no major changes to the body would be necessary.

Sketching in the 1/4 window trim detail:

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-MJS

Posted

Looks like another fine project in progress, Mike. I still need to get caught up on the first offering. Real life stuff has kept me busy. My oldest brother passed away Sunday. I will be in Lafayette, Indiana for a few days.

Posted

More minutia: As an improvement over the coupe version, I added upper and lower rails to the 1/4 window frames to serve as positive glass stops, making it easier to fit the 1/4 windows.

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Next step is tiny amounts of filler followed by primer; then the wing and interior extension.

-MJS

Posted

Rough bodywork done:

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First primer on, I always like this step because it is nice to see it in one color.

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Which shows all the little areas that still need to be addressed. I also need to add the trunk lock recess and lock bezel.

-MJS

Posted

I was originally questioning why this was being done, then I realized how much work would be required to convert the lower half of the body of the R/M fox Cobra to an LX hatch.

You're doing a great job! Do I see a resin body coming from this build in the future?

Posted

I was originally questioning why this was being done, then I realized how much work would be required to convert the lower half of the body of the R/M fox Cobra to an LX hatch.

You're doing a great job! Do I see a resin body coming from this build in the future?

Thanks Ken, and yes, this is the master for a resin body. It will include the rear spoiler, third brake light lens, rear interior insert, hood, glass, and front bumper. The R/M Cobra has many proportioning problems and a primitive chassis and interior by modern kit standards, so the new Revell LX is a much better starting point for a completely accurate LX hatch. And this one will be perfect before it goes off to the silicone bath.

-MJS

Posted

Hopefully the silicone and resin Gods will be better to me on this than the other Mustang Fox body project. It took five different molds to get something worth having. I also learned that the silicone I was using was not a good choice.

It is rumored at my work that the night shift job I like might be ending and I will be moved to four ten hour days. This is really going to suck for getting anything done. I also am partnering into an existing plumbing company. My hopes were to do some plumbing work during the day and work at ASU at night. Unfortunately I am severely ADHD! When was that going to leave time for resin casting? I had not really thought it through. That makes me pretty thinly spread. The shift change will really screw up my master plan if it happens. I only needed another year and a half to get the wifey through her Doctoral degree at ASU, it is cheap since I work there. Then she would get a good job and be my sugar Mamma. LOL, then the partnership would keep me busy and out of trouble after I leave ASU.

Posted

Greg,

I think you have paid your dues with the first Fox body, this one should be smooth sailing. (I hope I didn't jinx it.)

An important part of the project, the rear spoiler, was contributed by a man who reads the forum but doesn't post. We'll call him The Mysterious Mr. X. He contacted me through a member here who is also a member of our local PHX area club, the Moonlight Modelers. He pointed out, and correctly, that the spoiler from the MPC SVO Mustang was an ideal starting point for the '87-'93 LX spoiler, and graciously sent one my way.

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Should be a breeze. Thanks Mr. X!

The bodywork is nearly complete, it just needs a little more work to define the subtle character line beneath the 1/4 windows. It's visible when the light is held a certain way.

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Next: Interior insert and window buck.

-MJS

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