'70 Dodge Challenger T/A 'detail freak build'

G'day,

The '70 Challenger is probably my favourite classic Mopar. You will see why I point this out.
I bought this Revell kit right when I started the hobby, but did not start it until a year later because the kit mistakes bugged me too much and I was thinking about it for a while (and built a Super Bee instead). Later I found out this is a styrene conversion from a die cast kit. No matter what, all '70 Challenger kits I saw so far had their headlight lenses bulging out as if they were choking on bad petrol or about to cough up come engine oil.  So I made sure those lights sit back deep where they should. Also cut the engine bay off the chassis and glued it to the body.

Then I didn't like the rear leaf springs... so I made them out of metal. With shackles and all.
Then I thought the front suspension needed some refinement, too (as seen in a build by... guess whom.... yes, 70CudaTJ, it's his fault). But when I started adding metal parts, I couldn't stop, so... it is all metal and has working torsion bars and arms, rods etc. To complete the suspension, I needed the 'shock towers' at hand, so those came off the engine bay... Oops.
Now, with all that work and detail, I naturally fiddled some with the fuel tank... and the exhaust... the transmission... and the motor of course... which was converted from the kit's big block to a 340 small block as much as I was able to. With pulleys made out of snap fasteners.



As for the interiour... I just had to make a rallye instrument panel instead of the base panel in the kit...
Then came the bonnet/hood hinges... made of metal junk and watch parts.



Apart from a MCG photoetched kit for this model, all materials used are small gauge wire, guitar strings, small electrical stuff and various household junk. Right now I'm messing up the windshiled area trying to fit in a windshield made of clear acrylic sheet. No, the kit 'glass' will not do.  Anyway, here is a video that shows most of the build so far. The ending is left empty, hoping to fill that up soon, once I manage to put all the glass in, assemble the kit, and finish with decals and the like. It might just happen this year!



Thanks for watching...
Csaba

Brilliant build so far , well done indeed

This is scale model scratch building 101!! Brilliance in scale mate, I've watched this for a few years now and I'm hoping a new forum might help light the fire again to get it finished.
Working bonnet hinges, working torsion bar suspension and I reckon the leaf springs in the rear probably have spring in them too!!

Glad to have been an inspiration to you mate but now you have set the bar very high, awesome stuff mate.
 I'm closely watching for the finishing story .

Thank you Micsmav and Tim.
Hoping... waiting for easier times. Our little boy is about to start walking, there's the 2 jobs situation... but there might come a day when I am not this exhausted in the evenings.
The leaf springs are funny because they do have some spring but they would be too weak, so they are joined by two-sided self-adhesive tape, and the result was a 'good enough' to hold the weight of the model. For these and the torsion bars the finished '69 Super Bee was the 'weight dummy'. With all that metal the Chally might just weigh the same.
The bar is high. Can I reach it? ;-)

This detailing just blew me away , i thought i had a fair crack at details sometimes, but this is just off the hook.
Especially the working bonnet hinges, JUST WOW !!!!!

I give up..........you win.

Absolutely brilliant workmanship so far!...

Wow I'm overwhelmed or what. Hope to live up to all this positive feedback...

Well mate, you got this far with it and have amazed us, so I'm confident that the rest will do more so

Working hinges Thank you Gr8t videos ..

Thanks! Them hinges are pretty easy to make... If you have a couple of months...

Way tooo good...
I'm with A.J.
I'm going back to lego blocks and icy pole sticks.

Oops, I didn't reply to this one. Thank you Clea, dry humour and exaggerations, just getting to know your style of post-writing.
Lego blocks remind me of resin casting. I'm afraid that is one or two notches too high a level for me yet. Still trying though.
I am messing around with what to use as windshield at the moment, whatever vacuum wrap or office binder clear cover I try it is too thin, too thick, scratched or hazy or uneven. Or when it is right, and I cut it the right shape and size, I smear glue on it. But one day it'll be done, and it very much seems it will even have weatherstrip.

Csaba have a look at this post we've just had going, https://ozautobuilders.forumotion.com/t8953-windscreen-replacement#114697
Some ideas there that you might be able to use for your windscreen

Thanks Tim. I usually find a piece of clear sheet in the trash I can use, but these days I seem to have scratches and 'dots' in everything. The laminate material is a good idea, will check that out!

G'day,
Just wanted to share the good news: today I actually made some progress on the Challenger! Made a masking tape headliner which got painted black, and needs another coat. Then finally made the decision and installed the hood on the body, using the pegs and sleeves fabricated about a year ago, then added the 'leaf springs', one on each side, which will help me cheat and keep the hood a little more upright when open, but will allow the hinges to slide downwards when closing the hood. This trick was necessary, because the hood is way more thick than scale thickness and I am not able to achieve the correct angle when the hood is open, even after this. I only have phone photos this time, so please pretend all the blur is sharp...





Will have sharper pictures soon, promise...

Wow, that headliner looks great and the hood hinges are just cool
This is going to be a 'working' work of art
Great stuff Csaba

Thank you Tim, wherever you are at the moment. You are always extra positive about my modelling crap.
And, well, I made some progress, and as we know, some progress is better than no progress at all...









So, as it seems, I have a windshield and a rear glass in, the hood on the body, opening-closing, pretty darn close to the proper upright angle when up (yeey!) and the interior in. I might even be getting somewhere.
BTW Tim, you were right, the springs do lift the hood up a little, but I have the pin holes drilled, and will have pins as well (pin friction will keep it down). More to come maybe in a week, rgds, Csaba

Coming along very nicely indeed!

This is coming along just beautifully Csaba, I love the colour and those working hinges are just sensational.

Thanks a lot guys! You keep me going...

Love it Csaba, looks great! Your trim work is so neat, is it BMF?

Thanks Tim! Yep it's regular BMF, but there's no paint not even primer under, and the foil is polished. Plus low resolution pix help a lot!

This build just blows me away, looking forward to more of this build. Cheers Steve

Thank you Steve, trying to squeeze in some regular modeling time between our 19-month-old son's bedtime and me fainting asleep...