AMT 1/25 '70 Dodge Challenger Ragtop

[Elm City Hobbies]

OK.....been building on this for a bit, but to the point now that I needed to prime before I went any farther.

Not much to see.....but at least I am working on it! LOL







First time using the new Vallejo Urethane Primers (grey in this case), and I have to say I like them very much!!

Picture of the car body was taken before the 2nd coat so it is a little rough, and should have used the flash on the camera, as the lights give an obvious yellow tint!

 

[mariosmodelkits]

Very nice car kit, have you had this in your collection for awhile? I havent seen this kit in a long time. Awesome, cant wait to see it done.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I actually got this at Xmas. The Car Model club here in the province has a Secret Santa thing last Dec. with the intentions of building the kit you got for their show coming up in mid July. So it is actually pulling double duty as an SMA contest build, as well as for the MASA show.

It is from AMT's old Johnny Lightning line, and comes with a little diecast version of the car.

Not the best of kits, comes with a really ugly stick on convertible roof that is in the up position (why would you ever mount that on a convertible model car kit?), but doesn't come with the boot to show it in the down position.....so that may be why it has the separate roof in the up position. Either way.....mine will have no roof, and no boot...sue me! LOL Thought about doing it "speedster" style.....but no biggie with no boot....so it won't be accurate...wouldn't be the first time I built something that wasn't accurate.

Still no idea what color I am going to paint it, have a few ideas, but nothing solid. Would be easy to go with a Dodge color, lots were seen in Hemi Orange, Panther Pink, Sublime Green and Plum Crazy.....but I want to do something different, and probably two-tone, just not quite sure what yet.

 

[Junkie]

Cool.

 

[mariosmodelkits]

How bout a nice deep super bee lemon yellow? Different for a challenger looking forward to to seeing your build up on this. No matter what the color im sure it will be dope.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Still haven't decided on an exterior color as of yet.....but have done a bit of work.

Painted the engine, color is supposed to be Chrysler Engine Blue from Testor's Lacquer line.



I did this after spraying some enamel through the airbrush (see the other 2 photos) preparing some parts for the Alclad Chrome. The lacquer seemed to come out with little webs....almost like I was spinning cotton candy, hence the webs you see in the picture. Once dry I wiped the engine off with a brush, and seemed ok.....was a little weird there for a bit though. I thought maybe there was a little enamel thinner left in the airbrush, and the lacquer paint didn't like it or something.

If anyone has had this happen before, please let me know what it might be.





Front and rear bumper, front grill and the wheels sprayed Humbrol Gloss Black in preparation of the Alclad Chrome.

 

[Backbreaker]

You need to thin the paint more
BB.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

@BB, that may very well be....the Testors lacquer in the bottle is pretty thin as it is (can't brush paint with it that well as it is too thin), I did add a couple of drops of lacquer thinner to it before airbrushing, but obviously not enough if that was the problem.

Little bit more done today.





Chrome on the shiny bits.



Engine masked off for the aluminum on the tranny, oil pan, starter and fuel pump.

I may try some thin localized washes to bring out some of the detail in the tranny....not that it will be seen once it is in the car!

 

[mariosmodelkits]

Nice alclad is awesome. I use alclad steel on my mak for under coat for when i start chipping away the top coats of paint it gives a good effect under chips. Awesome.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Thanks....love the stuff myself. I think I went a little too heavy on the bumpers with the chrome, should have stopped at the first coat, just seemed like there was a little black coming through. 2nd coat on, and while it looks ok.....it is starting to loose a little of its luster.

Ahhh well....looking through the kit, it is a ragtop, that has the roof, but who puts the roof on a ragtop??

Only problem is.....there is no part for the boot, or to show the top down. So it is either top up (NOT), or no top at all.

Ahhh well....

I think I have figured out a color scheme at least. 2 tone green. Darker green on the bottom up to the panel line, and a lighter green from the panel line up, but leaving a couple of dark pin stripes between the panel line and the top of the fender/door. Same colors on the interior, mostly the dark green with the lighter green inserts on the seats, and a couple of other accents.

Or.........ditch the pinstripes, and go with the light green below the panel line, and on the top of the hood and trunk, and go with the dark green from the panel line up to the top of the fenders and doors.

Least that is what is in my head at the moment! LOL

 

[noname]

So this is going to be a custom build then? Believe it or not I actually prefer the uptops on converts. Some of them add a cool kind of shape. Plus I build alot of drag racing models and you are usually not allowed to race with the top down.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Not so much a custom build, just a non-standard color. Have seen enough Panther Pink, Plum Crazy and Sublime Green Challengers to last a life time, something different is in order. Oh, and a different set of wheels, as the ones I painted above are a Dodge wheel, but not anything that came on a Challenger.

My view on a convertible built with the top up......why didn't you just build the hardtop version?

 

[mariosmodelkits]

Your idea on the color sceme sound awesome good luck bro.

 

[Grendels]

I agree, go with the color scheme that you posted. If I had a car like that in real life, it would have a custom paint job.

 

[noname]

There is a novelty in a convertible top. They have a little different shape. I guess it is like having a 4dr 57 Chevy model. In real life I would prefer a 2dr of course. But there is a novelty in building something different.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

OK....with less than a week to go....I think I have resigned myself to think I am not going to get this finished in time. Not giving up....just have a sinking suspicion that it is just not going to get finished in time.

HEHE, any chance of an extension Scott???

Either way....I will finish it, just might not be in time for the 30th.

With that said, I do have the top color on. Hard to see in the photos over the grey primer, but there is a light green on the hood, middle of the seats, some of the panels in the interior, top of the fenders, quarterpanels and trunk.

Here is where it gets funky.

Dodge Challenger, painted with Ford Diamond Green on the top, and GM Fathom Green on the sides (Fathom Green yet to go on it).

On to the pics:









It is probably not going to get the Fathom Green until maybe Saturday. Just did the Diamond Green today, and should give it a good 24hrs plus (lacquer paint) to dry before masking off the top to paint the bottom. Then have to let that dry for a another 24-48hrs before doing the gloss.....that pretty much puts it at the 30th unfortunately. I will still post updates of it....but likely not going to happen.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

OK, well obviously I didn't finish in time for the contest, but I am going to finish (Scott...feel free to move this to the Auto section now that the contest is over)

Anyway, got the green on:

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Let the paint dry for about 15mins (lacquer....was dry to the touch pretty quickly) and pulled off the masking and the tape.

I had used Vallejo liquid mask on the interior....but even with a brand new xacto blade....it just pulled off in places I didn't want it to. So I broke out the Bare Metal Foil and used it for masking.....you get very sharp lines, and is pretty easy to use. There are a few touch ups I need to do, but for the most part it didn't turn out too badly.













The Diamond Green (lighter shade) came out a little brighter than I thought it would, and the color is washed out in the pictures from the flash as I just took it quickly. Next is to clear the body, probably do that Tuesday, in the mean time I have to paint the chassis and suspension parts....not going to be anything fancy there, just black....might pick out a few pieces here and there, maybe a quick dry brush to bring out the details. Put the interior together, have to lay down some green flocking for the carpet, and paint a few details, but it should be fairly quick.

Then the engine and put the rest of it together.....all to be done by Saturday hopefully!!!

 

[Quaralane]

Looking really good here

 

[mariosmodelkits]

Sweet lookin paint work bro.