Rosco's Patrol Car 1978 Dodge Monaco NEW Progress 1-15-2017

Well right back at it. I had to cough up a good air cleaner (I think I had mentioned before) BUT I had one left of the dual snorkel OEM factory Dodge air cleaners, done some detail work to it with the Milling Machine, and then got some of that Hi-Po Orange on it, and then got to looking at it to see if there was ANY detail I could add.... AFTER it was "fitted" to the carburetor....... that took a little to get it right! -But I managed to get to sit right. BUT looking at it, it sure could use something "more" compared to the only one picture I have of a 440 Interceptor!

For the life of me, I know that MOST OEM air cleaners have them, but I can not say or tell you what those little black hoses do or are for..... I THINK they're part of the PCV system, OR part of the California Emissions crap.... All I KNOW is most times, I was removing it, and not putting it back on! The FIRST time I have EVER added it, is seen right here, right now! On a model! LOL

Showing a slightly different angle of the 2 little black hoses!

And again, another shot. Detail-wise, the air cleaner is done! I can't think of any other detail it would need or have! BUT, does ANYONE know if there was a "pie-Tin decal on the Interceptor air cleaners? Depicting the engines size or carburetion? I can't say yes or no to that one, as I simply don't know! (I'm gonna take a WILD guess here and say no. they were as plain and simply as can be, they weren't built for looks, they were built to perform and do their job..... SO, anyway, does anyone truly know?
Thanks for looking, More to come as progress happens. Comments welcome ~Enjoy!

So, As I'm getting wound up right back into this build. MORE progress to add! (A few "steps" closer to the finish line!!!!)
ANYWAY, Now that the Carburetor is in-place, and I'm happy with it, and the wires have been "tamed" and the coil stuffed in-place, and all that, I got to looking at the engine and what it was still "lacking". -that being said, throttle linkage! SO, I got right to it..... Took some scrap wire that was on the bench and silver, and began to bend it to look like the the linkage from the throttle cable mount. Added a throttle cable return spring and its mount. Seen here:

Nothing is painted yet, nor "fitted" its merely setting drying the glue, in-place.... The more difficult part will be "fitting" it.... I have to make the cable end look the part, and fitted into the firewall! HOWEVER, This model just HAS to be difficult for such things! The firewall is attached to the front of the interior tub! -Not to the back of the inner fender wells as some of the prior builds I've done! SO I'll have to fit the engine with the interior sitting in-place! BUT getting the firewall onto the front of the interior tub had to be done (its setting drying right now as I glued it), and then let it set about an hour while I was working on something that I'll be mentioning in my next posting. BUT, sanded the bottom lip of the firewall smooth where it meets the bottom of the car interior tub! Then wiped it clean of any sanding dust, got a good shot of flat black to match the rest of the under frame, let that dry and hit with Dullcote! That is drying as this is being typed out!
Stay tuned more to follow! As always comments welcome, ENJOY!

So to follow up on my mentioning the "next post" here we is! Anyway, knowing that I said the firewall had to be sitting in-place to fit any of the engines wires and such to it, I got to looking at it BEFORE I got to mounting it to the front of the interior tub..... Its lacking (Yep, you guessed it) DETAIL, terribly! Some there to give the idea, but nothing real.... in depth.... SO, the first thing that caught my attention was the master cylinder & booster, there IS one, but.. the master cylinder itself, needs MORE to it. I mean damn it looks like a bump on a bulge.... (Think "female" guys, LOL) Just....not easily detailed as-per the real thing would be! OR "close" to what the real thing has!
SO, to my stash of spare parts I go..... Found a couple to use but one os more for a truck so, this one:


Is what will donate to me the parts I need! That Master Cylinder! I filed around the mount of it to the booster, to make a place to "cut" it off as-in slice it off of the booster..... Then I drilled the holes for the brake lines down to the triple valve. (That I still have to make!) And then then sliced it off from the Booster, as the car has a half ways decent Booster molded into the firewall already, I'm merely gonna add to its detail, with this:

Notice the mount is still there, the holes are drilled and all waiting to be installed, ONCE the bottom of the interior tub is dry, this will be the first part added to it once I can handle it. -Then, I'll be able to begin making the triple valve as this time around, that will be mounted to the pipe work, and dangle till the interior is ready to go onto the frame! My other builds, the pipe work dangled and was presses into pre-drilled holes into the triple valve that was mounted on the inner frame rail just below the master cylinder..... A little change of technique this time!
Thats it for now! I'm at a stand-still till something is dry enough to handle.... I may try to add more to the engine! Stay tuned! Comments are always welcome, thanks for looking, ~ENJOY

So as the weekend rolls on, (I got a bit done around the house only to sit down and see how much more I could get done with this model!) Yeah guys, I gotta say,. I wanna see it DONE!) Its sat idle to long!
Anyway, from my last update, I mentioned that the firewall was lacking, Yeah, SERIOUSLY LACKING! Man 'O man, is that an understatement!
ANYWAY, I wasn't impressed with the Master Cylinder detail (The Booster backing it was "OK" and I could live with it) BUT, what they molded into be the actual Master Cylinder for the brakes was something to be desired of..... Have a look:


Pretty plain for the Firewall, and not a lot to it! It BARELY shows the Heater for the car, never mind anything else, AND the Master Cylinder is seriously lacking (I'm not even sure I could "detail" the existing part they molded into the Firewall for a Master Cylinder....

NO "Depth" of detail really at all from any angle!
So as you all know me by now, I cut that "BLOB" of plastic off even with the Booster.... The Booster was a little more detailed and I could live with it as-is, BUT, the detail part it is to "support" needed some detail, and depth.... Thats when I cut and made the one a few posts ago, to sit and be ready for when the booster was ready to have it glued in-place!

Ready to go! Now, I'll be adding that master cylinder, to the white area that I have filed smooth and flat on the Booster... This should add some detail, and depth to the firewall.....
More to follow as this all happened, Stay tuned! Comments Welcome ~Enjoy!

So on with the placement of the NEW choice Master Cylinder? Yeah, why not?


In-place, and the lower half of it painted, and the gloss black Booster touched up from the cutting off of what was on there. I have yet to paint the "top" to the Master Cylinder, and then onto making the brake lines with fittings! (That part is gonna be sort of a challenge as I have to do it the opposite way I would normally make them!)
Seen here I also painted the "area" to represent the Heater. NOT the best of job, as there was nothing really depicting the "Heater" on this Firewall. SO, I had to go from pictures of the real thing, and sort of follow through with them the best I could. So it sort of looks like the heater, with a bit of a bulge for duct-work and thats about it! I have drilled some holes for Heater hoses from the engine, and some holes for Electricals to pass through and I'm not sure what else I will add, BUT it WILL have more detail and way more "depth" of detail as I proceed on to completing it, to support the 440 Interceptor with all the stuff it was meant to have!
Stay tuned, MORE to follow! As always comments welcome, ENJOY!

So test fitting all what I have gotten done, and beginning to do, I remembered the engine is to run some A/C on it, meaning, I needed a A/C condenser Radiator! SO, off to my parts stash organizers I go to see what I may have had to create such a part....
I found a few parts that could have been used, BUT, they were "NEW" and were actual Radiators! SO, I kept digging and found a already cut up Radiator that was small enough to do the job as a "base" to build from! I seen it had a hole for a Radiator hose, and I plugged it right up....


BEFORE I went on to plugging up that hole, I had to make the "top" look more of a A/C Condenser Radiator then a true engine Radiator..... I filed the top of it to be more flat, and cleaned up all the parting lines, and will need to add a bottom to it sort of like the top.... But seen above is a good start as the A/C lines to and from will not be in the same place as a Radiator hose would be and not nearly the same size in diameter....
THEN it hit me! You know, the front of the engine going into this engine compartment is CRAMMED with details, I mean seriously... HOW on earth was I gonna fit a Radiator hose to the radiator, and get "around" everything, and then looking at the pictures I have of the real thing, the "top" Radiator Hose, enters the Radiator on the Driver's side top corner, NOT the Passenger's side, as the model shows to have it! SO I went on to "plug" that hole too and will drill a new hole for it, on the other side!

Thats it for now! More to come as Progress happens! Comments Welcome, ENJOY!

So back at it for an update? (Its been a few days) and I've been busy on some other projects around the house! SO some relaxing bench time was very well due!
Having the Master Cylinder ready for brake lines, I had one thing to consider moving forward. The detail of this had to be done differently then I normally would have added it. Because the firewall is part of the front of the interior tub, I had to test fit the interior to the body, and then add the frame to see what sort of distance it was from the Master Cylinder to the frame to add the triple valve to it, so that the brake lines were made long enough! SO doing this, I noticed a real issue! The frame did not sit "level" in the car! The rear wheels looked as tho, the car was lowered, and the front wheels looked as tho, they were raised! (Never thought I'd see a Gasser police car! NEVER MIND a 4 door version to boot! SO I added 1/8th inch thick section to the REAR-most mounts of the frame where the back of the frame makes contact with the bottom of the interior! Seemed to have worked out GREAT..... I got the look right. NOW the question will be when all said and done, if the trunk area might need some support for the frame to mount too! I'm not that far at this point, BUT I will be keeping that in-mind for when I am! (The frame to this model doesn't even look like it belongs to it as its WAY off and a bit narrow side-to-side!)
Having said that and getting it all sorted out, I got right to adding the brakes Master Cylinder.... I then got you all pictures of this, and then began making the brake lines, with fittings! The fittings are that same "green" wire insulation, that will be painted brass colored (NOT Gold) to look the part! BUT before I got them done, I went on to paint the top of that Master Cylinder to look like the cover of one.... Then followed with adding the brake lines that will follow down to the triple valve, mounted on the frame, and then it will have a line coming out the side of it, leading one end to the passenger-side front wheel and the other end to the drivers-side front wheel. Out the back of the triple will go to the brake line that leans to the back wheels, with a fitting added it ti just before the line is coupled to the triple valve!

Not bad at all! -Will look a LOT better once the fittings are painted!

I am pleased with the over-all "look" I do however see a little touch up paint I need to do, but thats OK, it has to sit a little to dry...
Stay tuned, MORE to come!

So while the brake lines and such sat for a little while to dry, I picked up the body to see what all it needed to get it even closer to being painted!
The first thing, I noticed, I thought about the Sheriff star that goes on the front doors, I noticed there was a "trim" part molded to the door, and was like I'm SURE that star would over lap that. BUT is it put onto the car? So I went on to looking up pictures online of the car, WITH Rosco himself in the pic to be sure that the car WAS the actual car in the show, and wasn't someones "Clone" of the car!
As I suspected! The car in the show, did NOT have that body line trim moulding! SO, I shaved it off, from the fender, to the front of the rear doors on both front doors!


Shaved off, sanded and fine sanded! To make it as mooth as I could get it!


It then got wiped down with a tack cloth to pick up any sanding dust from the body, and got yet one more light coat of white base color! Once thats dry, it will then get wet sanded with 1500 Grit sand paper, to smooth the whole body over to see if there is ANY other areas needing attention and smoothing and will proceed from there, with whatever it may require at that time!
Thats it for now, MORE will follow as I get things further to the finish line! As always, comments welcome, ~ENJOY

So while the body sat to dry, I looked a bit more at the frame to see what I needed to add, or needed to make and then add. SO, with this model and it getting the works on the engine, A/C power Steering, you name it, I had mentioned a few posts ago, that I needed to make up a A/C Condenser! Which, I pulled the parts to do and began about it as I would normally....
Was a Radiator I had already cut some off it, and then saved the remaining, and this right here is WHY I save whatever I can! You never know when you can use it!

Top right-hand corner is where I had "plugged" the original Radiator hose entry! I then took and added a length of strip to the bottom (that its sitting on) to give that "completed" look to the part! I plan to add mounts as well, made from Evergreen Styrene "L" angle.... One "leg" of that "L" will be cut down to the thickness of the A/C Condenser, SO I'll have to use 1/4 inch (rather LARGE) angle to make it all work out!

The other untouched side. This will probably be the front of the Condenser!
Sat this part aside to let the glue cure a bit, and looked at the frame a bit closer then I did the last time, keeping in-mind what it needs and what I NEED to change! Having said that, the Radiator needed some work! I originally painted it wrong! (YES guys, before I got into all the online research to some of this stuff), I made mistakes! BUT then, only 3 years ago, or so now, did I even think of looking things up online only to become accustom to it now! SPECIALLY if I'm unsure of any one thing!
WELL having said all that, I found that the top and sides of the Mopar Radiators normally are gloss black, I painted the entire thing flat black! The cooling fins in the middle of the Radiator, are Aluminum, and unpainted! SO,. knowing this then WHY I painted them black, I can not tell any one of you, BUT I changed it and brought it up to snuff to what it should be!

Inside the engine compartment..... I have a little touch up to do as its REALLY tight in there, BUT I'll be able to clean up the black where its un-even on the white pretty easily, its adding the black that was a real challenge!

Front side, just behind the grille! I have again, a little touch up here too, BUT this side has a bit more detail coming its way! As I have to add the A/C Condenser to this side of it! So some of that error of my own fault, will be covered, BUT, I plan to correct the errors as best I can.... I don't think its gonna be all that difficult to do however.....
Then while looking at the frame, I mentioned I added some raisers to the rear of the frame to lift the body up off the frame just a little to make the rear tires look "stock" height, so, heres those in-place!

As I said, that rise is only 1/8th inch in the back, to pull the tires and wheels OUT from the sunken look they were... as this would be STOCK and not a LOWERED car! LOL
The body is sitting and drying as it got yet one more base coat of flat white on it, and will need wet sanded again, as I THINK the next coat of paint will be actual gloss color! -The end is coming guys! The end is coming!
Thats it for now more to follow as I get things done! Comments always welcome, Enjoy!

After a short absence of this build, back to it we go..... As you all have already read, I was last working on the A/C condenser radiator..... WELL I got it somewhat together, and to that, some things of that part, I just wasn't "feeling" so.... I began to make that "happen"........as the details I put into a model not only has to look the part, but I have to feel that they do too!
So, in test fitting this back and forth, I just felt that the A/C condenser was just a tad bit to wide..... Saying this, remember, it is being made from an existing engine Radiator! SO in order to make it more look the part, I set up the Mill, and began to make it more narrow, to look like an A/C condenser!

As you can see the back here, is milled off flat, and made the part a tad bit more narrow. This ought to give me the "look" & feel that the part is what I'm making it be!
I also milled off the radiator "top" and then just left it alone!

With the top milled off, and a look from the front of it!
So far, I'm pleased with how this is turning out! -Then, I got right to figuring out how it was to "mount" to the core support. WELL a few strips of styrene does wonders for these sorts of things!
Fitted and cut to length:

Mounted directly to the back of the part after it came out of the mill.

Mounts cut to length. I think I MAY add a "foot" pad to each of these, I have yet to know for sure but that is a thought going through my head at the time of making this, if you look closely in the picture above the part being worked on, you'll see 2 different types of styrene strip, the wider, more flat, one is what I'll make the 4 foot mounting pads from!
I sat this aside for a bit to dry, and then got to looking more at the frame and area this will be put. I needed to do a little touch up as I had mentioned, so I went right on to get that done!

Nice bright white paint to match the body, and touched up the radiator a little while I was at it..... Looking like its ready for an A/C condenser!

From inside the engine compartment. It really needed some touch up here, and it got that too! I can see a little more that it could use, IF I have a good enough brush to make that happen it will!
This is it for progress for now! More will come as progress is made! Comments welcome, ENJOY!

So its been a little while since I've last made an update on this gem of a model! SO, As I last mentioned (one or 2 updates ago) I said there were some some mistakes made in the original building of this kit, one of them just so happens to be of my own doing! (Yeah I make mistakes too) SO, having said that, I found that I had painted the Steel Wheels gloss white, when in fact, they should have been gloss black! SO, I went on to change that, (try to do the easiest things, FIRST!)

So thats all done, (I'll next be adding valve stems to these wheels on all 4 of them, but that will come once I know that gloss black paint is dry! That little task in itself, was not easily done I might mention here!
Short and sweet (unlike me!) More to follow! Stay tuned!

Then while the wheels sat to dry, a bit, I picked up the engine to see where I was in its detailing aspect. And well, VERY close to being done, I seen that I had yet to add the belts and pulleys, so got to looking at that small sub-assembly to find, I did not add the Alternator wires! So, once those were on it, I went right to fitting the engine with the whole belt-pulley sub-assembly!

It took a little fitting to get it to work and look the part, I added it if you look without the power steering pump, in-place! I did this purposely! I had to add a wire loom mount to pull the plug wires back a little away from the area the power steering pump is to go! I'll then drill the pump itself, to add in the power steering hoses and pipes that will lead down to the power steering gear-box! I also have the "thread" the blue alternator wire back to the coil, and then continue on with it, to the firewall! The red alternator wire, will lead to the core support to the positive post of the battery, and down to the starter once the engine is in the frame to stay, and battery is in-place once again. Then continue onto the firewall! (Will probably be a second section of wire to lead to the starter, and that once long length on the alternator, will go to the battery and all the way to the firewall all in once length of wire!
I also have to drill the front of the A/C compressor, to lead to the top of the A/C condenser.... THEN the opposite side of the A/C condenser will get the line that leads back to the firewall in and or around the heater. With all needed fittings added and placed to make this all happen! -The FUN part will be the top hose and line that comes off the back of the A/C compressor.... I have some special parts to hand-make for this as I have no detail part to use or slightly modify to make it all look the part of the real thing!
And needless to say, add a fan blade as well, which is sitting waiting for paint as I type this!

Side shot. Engine looks pretty good considering what all I have had to to do to make it look as it is does and be a stand-in clone of what it should be compared to what was supplied with the kit!
THEN I took what you see here and fitted it to the frame, (test fit) and then it all came together in such a way, I was like OK now what do I do!?
NEVER good when your building something and things just do not fit right. Remember, this motor is NOT the stock kits engine! I sat the original aside as it came with all sorts of parts not suited to this build! NOR did I originally have it painted correctly! (I painted the original engine Mopar Engine Turquoise! And it should have been Mopar Engine Blue!)
SO, having the pulleys in place, and no fan, the engine would "drop in" but not have any space to add a fan! SO, having said that, I got to test fitting the interior, and the work I did to the frame to get the car to sit stock height, and seen that I HAD to cut the core support loose and rework it to fit!
Needless to say, I had the A/C condenser already on the radiator so I had to work extra careful not to damage anything..... I cut the thing loose, and got to seeing what kinda height space I had to work with, and what kinda front to back space I needed. And turns out 1/8th inch (3.5MM) would give me the space to add a fan to the engine, (MAYBE even a fan shroud!) -We'll see when its all together if I can! BUT having to cut the core support loose, and test fitting everything, I gained a little detailing "work space" so that adding the fuel line to the Mechanical Fuel Pump won't be such a task. (I'm NOT complaining, and also allow me to better detail paint the back side of the radaitor!
SO, with what I had to work with, I added spacers on the front side of both inner fenders, and filled in the joints and took out some moded on imperfections to the tops of both inner fenders!
Got one coat of paint on them as I type this, and then got to looking what I was going to have to do to the core support and possibly even the radiator to make it all fit in and look the part it is to be!
SO, I had to gain .188" in height, for the core support to "support" the body, and make the center of the added space look the same as the factory radiator! So off to my glue bomb parts bin I went to see if I had anything, to make a radiator look-alike with. Turns out one of the junk General Lee Chargers I had has the same radiator, and it was in fact a glue bomb part, that I merely hacked up to fit the purpose and began adding it all together!

The glue bomb radiator in-place, and then 2 sides of it to extend the core support down the frame were made of 4 pieces (2 parts per side), to get the same thickness of the factory core support, glued in-place AFTER the radiator was placed, and then ends trimmed off to suit!

Not yet painted, in either picture, but will be painted to match the existing part....

Leaning against the frame to show the front of the radiator, A/C condenser, and core support.
As of this message one side is painted, and one coat of paint has been done to the frames inner fenders, as it all will take 2 coats of the white to match....
The things we do to make things look the part and work all at the same time, I swear detailing gets me in more trouble sometimes! BUT I have to admit, I enjoy the challenge!
Thats it for now, more progress will be posted when things are done! Thanks for looking, as always comments welcome ~ENJOY!

So, in my last message/posting, I had mentioned that I was going to work on the body now (its sat long enough for the last coat of gloss white paint to cure so that it can be handled! With that, it got a half ways decent wet sanding, and this time around, I didn't burn through the white paint! AND where I had removed the door trim for the Sheriff "Star" looks really good too! (Will look better once the "Star" decal is one the body, I have to say) but I'm close!!!


The trunk and the roof look real good....

The front, looks GREAT! I'm so glad how the front has turned out with the painting.... The area just in front of the hood for a bit had me a little concerned but it is as even as the rest of the paint!!!!

Not to bad over all..... I'm pleased with how the body is coming out!
Stay tuned! More to follow right after these short messages! LOL Thanks for looking, as always comments welcome, ~ENJOY!

Then, it hit me! I got the body all nice and white, BUT I had made the interior "gray" so that it be as plain as a police car would be..... BUT what about the head liner? SO, having the white nice & cure, I went on to tape off all the windows, and got it all sealed up from the outside to then spray the headliner the same color as the interior!


That turned out GREAT too! I will be adding a "dome light" more centered and towards the front.... BUT not quite "centered" there as to shine just a bit of light into the back seat area.... This is a detail that will be made with something, as the kit has nothing for this! I, however plan to add it for detailing sake!
So this had to sit awhile as 2 coats of the gray needed to dry pretty good before I removed the tape from the outside, and hope to God, it didn't "bleed" under it, and it didn't! SO, I sat it aside right after removing the tape and white it was still there to go look and see what else could be done to the model to get the engine compartment ready to put the engine in-place!
Again, thanks for looking, Comments welcome ~ENJOY!

So after sitting the body down to dry, I got to looking at that core support that needed all that extra work done to it..... After a bit of filing down any joints in the plastic, I went right on to paint it while the headliner was drying.... Got it all painted and sat to dry, and was able in about an hour to handle it for some pictures of how that turned out....

Engine side of the radiator! Considering it has been added to height-wise, it looks pretty good! -I MAY have made enough space in the front, to add a fan shroud, so we'll see, if not, I can live with how it looks!

Grill-side of the core support and radiator! AGAIN, looks pretty good! I can see some differing lines in the joints, but once in-place, I think those won't even be visible to the eye so..... Close enough for me, and good enough for this model!

Holding it "up-right" so so depth of detail and what it will look like "looking down onto" it with the hood open!
Not to bad!!!! I'm pleased again, with how this turned out and will leave it as-is UNLESS further issues come up when its is ready to be installed onto the frame! I WILL however be drilling it for wires, and hoses, as well as pipe lines (for the A/C condenser) and things, BEFORE it goes onto the frame I WILL be adding as much and whatever detail is required while its out, and loose!
So this was set aside to fully cure a bit, and then went right to looking at the engine.....
As I had mentioned a few posts ago, the engine still needed a power steering pump added to it, as well as the blue wire on the alternator fished through to the coil and left to hang "long" off the back of the engine only to be cut to length when its ready to go in, and followed the wire to the firewall....

Pretty close! Will be made to sit a bit more "natural" when its in-place in the frame and the interior is in-place as the firewall is mounted to the front of the interior tub! -So looks a bit odd right now....
Then I went on to add the power steering pump. When I had, I noticed I had left out the starter wires! SO I remedied that issue, and added them, out in back of the engine, you can see a black wire over-laying the transmission, thats the wire from the firewall (from the ignition switch) going to the starter. the red wire will lead up to the battery! -I drilled the power steering pump for the lines & hoses that will go down to the steering box! I see, that a little touch up is required and will be done when Its ready to be "plumbed"....
Also I added the fan as well. I have to touch up the front of the fans "center" hub as it was added and not painted, till it was secure enough that it could withstand a little brush painting!
Thats it for now everyone! More progress updates to come when things have been done and I'm able to get pics! Thanks for looking, Comments are always welcome!!!

A short & sweet update.......... ITS DONE! Nahhhh. I'm yankin' your throttle cable.... LOL (was fun, for a second!)
I been sitting and waiting out white paint to dry, as the whole thing with white paint as we all know takes A LOT of time drying to be handled and NOT finger print! Patients is virtue here! SO, in that, I been working on another model as you all know in between times, as well as "knit picking" this one. a little detail here a lot of detail painting there, you know the drill with me....
So with that, all I've gotten done on this build is the under-side of the hood, and adding the hood insulation..... See:

Its slightly textured to look the part with the type paint I used, but once dry, I can then tape this all off and begin the final finish coat of gloss white and on to clear coating the hood there after!
Again, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer! Thats it for now, Stay tuned! Thanks for looking, Comments Welcome! ~ENJOY!

Well, a little time has passed on this build. Quite a bit actually!!!!! ANYWAY, because of the closeness of this builds state last left in, I sat one build aside to pick up where I left off on this one!
Now as all you know, this build, this model, was REALLY needing help. I mean WOW! Things did not fit right, the interior allowed the frame to sit so high up into the body, that it looked as a "lowered" car, when mocked up and all I was like, "REALLY"???? I had made that right, (or somewhere close to "right", anyway!)
Then I got to looking at the frame and seeing where I needed to go, and one thing I did not have done was the brakes "Triple Valve" for all the brake lines to connect too. That being said, I got right to making that part! The actual part, is merely a piece of Evergreen Styrene, cut to length and drilled for all the brake lines to fit into it. I will add the fittings as parts are added to it. Here it is, unpainted, but in-place:


The "rear" brake line going into the back of it, with a fitting in-place. I have yet to paint this, and the fitting to be like it would be.
So once that was all made up and in-place, I had to leave it sit and dry, as messing with detail that small, any further work would have just "moved" things to make the detailing task even more difficult so working on the engine compartment details, I went to have a look at the firewall, and really, OH MY GOD.... thing lacking details badly.... I don't think theres a lot I can do to make it look the part, but I can however, get it somewhere close and look somewhat half-ways decent!

Besides adding a BETTEr Master Cylinder for detail sake, I went to paint the heater blower parts separately from the actual fire wall to make them "stand-out" just a tad, and in most cases, I find that those parts were black, so I made this that very same way! This was done a while ago, so... I went right to seeing what "wire" details I needed to add, and what wire was what part from the engine and or hoses, and or, actual "wire".... I got to drilling the holds for each of them and once that was done, took out whatever "supply" of wire I had that were left overs from previous build engine compartment details. (I try to use things up as much as I can to not have any waste, or very little if I can help it!

Some wires in-place to stay, others one end attached and waiting for glue to dry. All the wire seen here is "left-overs" from other builds I did! The gray wire, WAS all that I had and used up EVERY bit of it, absolutely NO waste on that wire color at all!

Not bad! Its beginning to look better with just that little bit of added detail! I'm not 100% happy, with the model, and its nothing I did or can change but its all about making it "look the part".... NEVER an easy task with the kits that lack, as bad as this one does! For what it is, I am happy with it tho....
Stay tuned, more to follow on this build! Thanks For looking & following along!!!!

So back too it! As the detail on the frame and the firewall had to dry for a bit, I picked up the body, to see what it needed or if it was ready to add the decals to it!!!! And low & behold, I think it was more then ready for the decals to be placed onto it! (OH YEAH!!!!)

I think it looks GREAT! -I went looking through my spare decals to see if I had any decal "turn signals" and I did, so I added them! The good part was they all went onto the body with no issues at all! -THAT was part of why I wanted to get this done as decals age, they become more & more difficult to work with! And I wanted to not have the same issues I had with Daisy Dukes Jeep on Rosco's patrol car..... -And I beat that time frame!

A close up of the "badge" on the door!

A shot of the other side! I am really pleased with how the decals went into place! This is all really good and once all the decals are dry, only clear coat is left to do to "seal" them onto the body!

A close up of the other side!
I am happy, this all went on the way it did, took a bit to do, (over-night) But all turned out GREAT! I'm HAPPY with this OH MY GOD am I happy with how the decals went onto the body!
Stay tuned MORE to come shortly! Comments always welcome and enjoyed!

So staying right with it, I sat the body aside to dry, and then picked up the frame again! I got the triple valve in-place for the brakes, and then went to see just how close I'd be to install the engine! WELL, thats a "jump" but it was "ready" so... I got right to installing the engine in-place....



Engine is in like flint! I got right to securing some of the wires coming off the engine too! The Red Alternator wire onto the inner fender well, as well as some others! Heater hoses down the inside of the inner fender as well!

got the fuel line going ot the fuel pump, and looking good too! So far, this part went GREAT, had a little bit of a trial getting to the details, BUT, I got to them and got things into place without ruining other surrounding details!

Power Steering lines also in-place! THOSE, were a bit of a task to get in-place, making them to fit the location was the hardest part! BUT they look good considering there is no real "detail" for the gear box, they are to go too! BUT because of its "location" in the frame, theres a "lump" in the plastic, that could pass for the same part, just not all the detailed, and honestly? Not very well seen either! SO I made it "look" the part with the lines!


Had to get the Power Steering lines in-place so that the battery could be placed as well, and thats all done now too! I'll be doing all sorts of wiring work in my upcoming updates! Stay tuned, I'll have more as things happen! Thanks for following, Comments are welcome! ENJOY!

Time for a update? Yeah, its well needed at this point! As I had mentioned in my last posting, that the up coming updates would be of the engine compartment wiring. WELL, that is what your about to see! But, before I get right into that, I have to show some "Pre-Details" needed prior to getting into all that engine compartment detail. So with that by now in this build all following along should know, the engine is mounted, in-place to stay! Thats first and foremost to getting into all this!
So with that all being said, the first order of business was to get as much little stuff around the engine itself done, one of those things was the brake line detail. the triple valve and holes drilled for the brake lines to the front wheels. Thats all done, then the brake line that crosses the firewall from one side to the other (this part will be thee LAST "wire detail" installed on the firewall BEFORE it goes into place, just because the firewall is now part of the interior tub! But since I've got the engine in-place to stay, the first thing after that little stuff needing done was the exhaust work to the kits molded-in pipework.... Merely making a "Y" pipe from my exhaust pipe (Aluminum rod), I use! SO, thats what I did!


I buy this stuff in a 6 foot roll for $1.00 its Golden anodized Aluminum Floral Wrap (I have several other colors of it as well!) thats near PERFECT for "stock" size exhaust pipe! Seen above is the "Y" pipe and how it all went together! As you see it, isn't how its going to "stay" in those 2 pics above its just "sitting" there... I removed it, painted it to match the rest of the pipe and then fully installed it!

Looks GREAT all painted up, and in-place to stay, utilizing the kits STOCK exhaust "coupling" that was to have plastic pipe coming off the engine to that location where you see my "pipe hanger" loop in-place. Looks GREAT!


Sure is difficult I have found to work with kits that have molded-in plastic exhaust, I've never been real happy with the looks of that but this time, it doesn't look half bad, and considering the kit itself and what it is? I'm pretty pleased as there was a LOT wrong with this kit to even make it look like a detailed car, never mind Rosco's Police Interceptor!
So to sit this all down for a short time, to dry, I picked up the Radiator Core Support, to see what all it needed for detail, BEFORE anything more could be done to it before it goes in-place on the frame! One thing, I know the police cars had was a fan shroud! The model kit however did not provide one and so, ole John off to look within his parts stash to see what all might be there for such a part! As all should have guessed, I have multiples of the shroud that comes in the '70 Dodge Coronet Super Bee (As well as the same kit "Pro-Street") and the AMT-Ertl line of cars that follow that same style frame. SO those I wasn't interested in using, they're more geared toward the cars they came with, nothing to them has "Police Car" written on them. BUT then, I found something, I can't even say what its to or from or for that matter where I got it to start with! I just know, it was there, and it had "Police Car" written on it in big RED letters (No not really, figuratively speaking) And it fit! Like a million bucks in any one of our hands at a Mopar Muscle Car lot!!!! LOL It was prepainted, not badly, and so I trimmed it a little to get the surface to joint to the Core Support to fit and glue well, and just put it in-place!

Notice, the bottom of the fan ring is missing? I had to trim it! The way this kit goes together and things it needed up front to "sit" right on the frame caused the engine to sit under slung a little, and made the core support needing to be raised up a bit as well as I have to add extensions to the tops of the inner fender wells, so that made the engine and all that to sit a little off center, BUT in-place, with this, it will look OK! (Yes, with all that wrong or seeming to be, I thought it look a bit odd and even weird!) NOPE! Looks great in-place!

A little better shot! This is all that I can "add" to the Core Support without it being in-place on the frame, as some of the up coming detail, are wire, and some need to be "fitted for wire to go to... as you'll see!
Stay tuned, More to follow, Thanks for following along, Comments always welcome and appreciated! Enjoy!

So more to go on the Radiator Core Support, I got the Fan shroud in-place, "fitted" and painted, ready to go. Thats when I looked to see what else needed "added" to the Core Support (horn, over-flow tanks, etc.) and seen that I needed to add a horn, as well as a Radiator over-flow tank! -Neither of these 2 details came with this kit "Box-Stock" so I had to source them from my parts bins! So I got the parts out that I needed to use for this build, got them painted, got the Core Support ready to mount those parts and then by that time the parts after being painted could be handled and the horn, was the first part to go into place! NOT wired, but "mounted" to the passenger side of the Core Support and drilled for wiring to go to it!
Thats when I had to get the Core Support in-place as the Radiator over-flow tank had to fit between the Core Support, and battery, as well as the inner fender! So a little "fitment" had to be done to that tank to get it in-place. Thankfully, the tank I choose was perfect and only needed sanded down on ONE side!!!!
So then the Radiator, Core Support holding it, and the horn all into place and the Radiator over-flow to follow....


After that was all put into place, as you can see, I got right in to adding all the wiring! The red wire off the Alternator went in-place first, all the way to the battery, "loosely" not hard mounted to the battery but able to be when all was "set to stay! As then I had to think of how I was going to replicate a "Voltage Regulator seen on the top of the inner fender well by the battery! The red wire had to pass through this, and then be long enough to continue to the firewall! And have a red wire coming off it, to the battery, as well a red wire to continue from the battery to the engines starter, all seen above! -I also got the negative wire (black wire) connected to the battery, to then go 2 ways also, one short section to the engine, and one to the firewall. Both seen above are simply hanging loose off the battery, as seen!

Stay tuned! More to follow in just a bit!!!! Thanks for looking comments always welcome! ENJOY!

I got most of the red wire ran and mounted to "stay", as well as the black wire off the battery! Once that was done, I got right to adding the A/C lines! To show that see:



The piping off the sides of the A/C Condenser, and going through the Core support to be then connected to either the A/C compressor drivers side, or the fire wall on the passengers side.

As you can see in the pic, I have yet to paint the A/C line "fittings" to a brass color!
Then once that was done I got to fitting the engine Top Radiator Hose! That was a task, there is NOT a lot of space to be had and real estate is running out quite quickly, even for "working "area" to not damage already added details! So things are seemingly getting more & more difficult!

I made up a slightly different type "hose clamp" then I normally use! I thought, late '70's car, I'd try the newer pressure clamp they use commonly even today, not much more then a spring steel wire, so I tried it, and it looks pretty good! I'm impressed it looks as good as it does!

As you can see in the pic, this is the other end of that A/C line that will go to the top front of the A/C Compressor on the engine!
And to get one last shot, Here you can see all the wire red & black, pretty much in-place, to run towards the firewall!


A very good shot showing the red wire coming through the Core Support to the Voltage Regulator, and then continuing to the firewall and then the connections of red wire from the Voltage Regulator to the Battery, then to the Starter! Black wire off the Battery goes from the Negative Battery Terminal, to the engine and then follows down the top of the inner fender well to the firewall.
I then went seeking a wire for the horn, I found some green wire but. I added it till I got a good look at it and pulled it right out! Heres what that DID look like:

I simply was not pleased with the look, the green wire for a simply horn hook-up wire was simply to large in diameter, so I removed it for a lot less thick gauge black wire that happen to be some left over from another build! (I have yet to get pics of the new wire in-place however) thats to come!
I did however go as far as pointing out the A/C line end on that side, seen here:

I have to add a fitting on the end of that to connect to the heater/A/C area of the heater core on the firewall.... That will be fitted when I have the firewall in-place a long with the full completed interior!
Well folks, thats it for now till I get more done and pics taken of the work accomplished! Thanks for looking, & following along! Comments always welcome! ENJOY!

Awesome work!

Thanks Tim! Its been a fun one to do.... A lot of work in the details to make it look right! Those cars engine compartments were jam packed full!!!

a little detail goes a long way and you've gone above and beyond. awesome.