Going to resurrect a Daisy Dukes CJ-7 Jeep "Dixie"!

[426-Hemi]

Group of crazy modelers like myself,
I picked up an older Model at Hobbytown USA that was a "Backroom special" Why? The local store to me got a liquidated purchase from a guy that I was told was a model car hoarder, (yeah at this time, I'm liking what I'm hearing) so I start in, do you have.....
Goes on and on my wife says I'm headed over to Hobby Lobby, I'll catch ya there when your through here....So she leaves and takes my little girl with her....
As she walks out, is when I said so there are "others" the guy I normally deal with, sure there is, partially built ones that we can not display out here due to the franchise but, to guys we know we can sell them "As-is" So, then lets go have a look the next words outta my mouth, followed by "if ya don't mind me in the back rooms (2 locations to the store)
We go....And holy good GAWD, yes this guy who owned them prior to HobbyTown getting them, WAS a hoarder! I bet there musta been 500 partially built models in the back to rooms! They had all of the "new" unopened stuff, out front. BUT these opened partially built models I was in my glory, LOL
So I started asking if he saw anything "Mopar" he looked at me and i was like Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, Jeep.......... yep a few in both areas! I was like cool lets go have a look, I was actually seeking out specific models but he had a few, one being Daisy Dukes CJ-5 Jeep, "Dixie".... Its been YEARS since I've seen this model for sale on the shelves, so....He finds it and brings it to me, and I have a look, its missing the decals....Seems to be otherwise all there...
So I ask, what ya take? He looks hows $3.00 sound? GONE! Then I found a pretty much NEW '70 Plymouth Roadrunner, $5.00 Wheels were missing, $5.00 GONE! Then he pulls out a box of parts to a Little Red Wagon, $2.00 GONE, Then a Daisy Dukes '74 Roadrunner, $12.00 ALMOST brand NEW! GONE, Then he slips out a '70 Dodge Super Bee Pro-Street, $5.00 GONE. All in all, I didn't pay the suggested price at the very time, I had, $20 cash in pocket....I got them all for 20 bucks!

This was what the frame looked like right out of the box after I got home, I got to looking a bit better only to find that the engine was missing half its self! Was "OK" its a 4 banger so....I have in my parts stache, a AMC 401 C.I.D. that came from a member to the forums here that was extra due to the model he had in real life had a different engine in it. SO, now Daisy's Jeep has a pretty big V-8 for a Jeep...


Now its got a bit more details on it, Spark plug wires, Distributor cap, Fan belts, dual Alternators, as the Jeep when done will have dual batteries, to keep her cousins Bo and Luke out of trouble with a dead battery in the General....


Sorry Daisy, your 401 will only be getting a 2 barrel carburetor....Don't have a 4 barrel to fit it, replied Cooter!
Then to get a "test fit" as the V-8 is a bit bigger then the 4 popper that once was in here....



...an BARELY it fits will have to do some shoe-horning on the radiator to get it all neatly under the hood!
ENJOY.....More will follow as time and progress happen!
Haven't started the other kits yet!

[426-Hemi]

So the "today" update as this frame things are happening FAST. SO, one of the things I have to learn is to get pictures even faster then the speed any one thing is going together. (Thats a learning experience all in itself!)
So anyway....Here is that frame:



Its now on its own wheels and tires! BUT these tires, have a story, they were NOT the ones with the kit! See, when I bought this kit, I found that those with it, did not fit correctly, the tires were cut out to large on the inside to take the rims that were to be in them to be "Daisy Dukes Jeep" so. Was stumped for a couple days on how I was going to go about this task. Then, it dawned on me, I had these "Military" tires that had rims cast into them, all in one piece. Sadly, I had to ruin the set I bought for a whooping $3.00 a box, that went with a well known Taiwanese model part company. But, I center drilled the rims out, and re fitted the left over tire with the rims originally with Daisys Jeep! I had thought first to use the "bigger" wheels I had till I seen the sheer size of them, and went tot he smaller ones that were in the kit, and were actual the same size as the factory ones! And look just as good!


This shot shows the nicely added 5th tire, for use as the "Spare".... GREAT downward looking shot as well, over the frame! I have yet to paint the spare "mount" to be colored to match the body of the Jeep!

Because of the frame and the origin of this kit, I bought it used it had some slight....issues, shall we say. That well both rear axles needed re-built, re-designed, something just the whole set up as messed up and the guy who did it well. I'm not sure "looking" over the model said exactly, what his intentions were....BUT, because of this, the front rear had a really "WIDE" stance, why? I'm not sure, I tried every trick I could to make it more narrow, BEFORE mounting it to the suspension, and it still had a good 1/8th to much on BOTH side so a quart inch to wide. SO, what I did was take and make the "steering" do a little.....With the vehicle looking as it was to take a left or right turn with the wheels as follows, helped A LOT, as it hides that issue pretty well I do believe!

I think it looks really well, considering what it did look like when I first began to study the parts within the box after getting home!

This picture is a close up depicted as so, to show the detail, I went and added in all the rear brake lines! They cross the rear axle, and then to a "T" joint, to then run up to the cross-member as in real life....To the drivers side frame rail, to the front where the Master Cylinder will be located on the firewall.
More to come.....This is the "Frame work" done, the following pictures are of "Moch-Up" of the engine and body setting onto the frame to clearing and looking to make sure all comes together!

[426-Hemi]

So then, with the frame looking this good and my energy being so intense at this time of the things completed, I had to test fit everything as the steering axle being well, in a steered position....

I had to see if they were "turned" to taught for the body! And as seen they aren't they turned out VERY well this way. Plus with the wheel issues mentioned, I also had questioned fit of everything as it was being assembled, BEFORE the rear axle was placed to "stay" onto the suspension, I tested the fit of the tires with them able to be removed as they are now, they don't spin freely. I do that purposely tho, I learned the hard way all that hard work can land it on the floor in a million pieces and the breakage just isn't worth it PLUS, I display at a couple local places and would NOT want to hear that one of my nicest models wound up on the floor or bottom of the displace case because they "roll"....So, yeah, don't happen!
Pretty good clearance overall front to back, and all around looks....(The height seems high, but isn't really) I have Nerf type "steps" to add to both sides for Daisy to get in and out....These probably pre-date the actual "Nerf" brand by 10 years LOL
Looks good on the driver side front corner and having the wheels steering into a left hand turn!!!!!
More to come as more progress is made! ENJOY!!!!

[426-Hemi]

So, as I said this kit, was missing the decals, BUT I have the body painted and awaiting decals as I get them, stored in its box, protected from scratches and such, but heres a look at the body....I have some (A LOT) of detail to add, and paint in, the body must be painted white on the outside BEFORE any painting inside can be done so. Thought when I was painting, I'd get some shine to her. ENJOY Daisy!


Its gettin' there! I'll be pleased when a few of these are completed, as then I can get moving on some others that are waiting!

[426-Hemi]

OK Guys, a little update, since I got a good "SHOVE" by a member to get me motivated on this build again after about a YEAR's absence!!! Thanks Chas, just the push I needed!!!!
I got the interior looking really good! (I took more pictures of this, BUT this is the only one that turned out well to see what I've done!)

I have since this picture, got the passenger-side seat in place, as well as other small details.... I hand painted ALL the flat black, you see, by brush, and then took a Sharpie "paint Marker" with Oil based paint in it, to make the raised edges, "shiny". Just to stand out a little, EVEN those on top of the inner fenders!!!! I looked up pictures of Daisy's actual Jeep and the roll bar is completly WRONG in the kit, It has NO top running lights as the kit shows it to have and the side braces in the kit are horizontal, and the real Jeep in the show, had no lights on the roll bar, And the braces are angled! SO, I plan to change this part of the model to reflect that of the real one! I got the 4x4 shifter in place, as well as the Emergency brake lever, and the gear shift as well. The steering wheel column is being painted but will not go in till the model is firmly planted on its frame! As the end of it has to be glued to the gear box for the power steering down on the frame! I also have yet to add the CB in it, BUT I want to look for the location a bit better then it shows in the kit instructions!
I am NOT using/putting the "rear" seat in this time! I'm going to load the back with items that Daisy would have taken to Cooter's garage, to keep the ole General Lee runing, as well as keep her 2 troublesome cousins on the move..... Feast your eyes on this BOAT LOADA BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH.....


My "General Lee, (I have 2 of them) one I did like 27 plus years ago, and one I'm doing now to show my growth as a model builder... ANYWAY, both will have 426 Hemi's in them..... SO, the above detail is reflecting that..... 426 Hemi Heads headed to Cooters by Daisy.... Check out the valve detail I'm adding!? I got a ways to go on this, BUT they WILL look real when I'm done like new replacement heads for the General Lee!!!! I haven't decided if I'm gonna do 2 of them like that, and have the valves to add, or not, I may, OR I may turn the other one right side up, to show inside the head..... (Be a lot of work tho!) We'll see!
Just to show what I am able to do.... I plan to drill a hole in each combustion chamber to reflect the spark plug location, with nothing in it! I have some clean up to do to these heads, BUT they are my resin castings!!!!!
More to come as things progress, and pics are taken! -Enjoy!

[426-Hemi]

Well since I got a kick in the ass to get "moving" on this model, I actually sat my ass down to do just that! -Over the weekend some GREAT strides were made after the new kick-start to go on it was done! As this model, really isn't (or wasn't all that far from the finish line!)
So then, I'm not sure I mentioned this in the whole build as of yet, BUT here goes, (I'M DISGUSTED with the details of this model). there is A LOT and I do mean A LOT, to be desired of.......... under the hood for starters (NO I didn't go the 4 cylinder they came with in the kit), when I bought it was already started by someone else, and the engine to the kit was missing parts and have some broken parts. This what made me lean onto my parts bins to see what I could cough up for a motor.... Hence it got a AMC "401". ANYWAY, onto the build.... -So really thats why I said in the title "Resurrecting" as this really is a "save" kit....
The firewall, NEVER had ANY "master cylinder" NOR a "booster" for it, not even something "molded in-to the plastic"! ... I went into the parts bins to see what I had to spare.... Have a couple, BUT they just were not, what this Jeep needed. SO, I cut the first one apart, carefully to save the "booster" as this was a single master cylinder (I had no interest in a little single) so.... I tossed the front half! Then drilled a hole to accept a AMT-Ertl, master cylinder out of what I believe was a '70 Dodge Cornet Super Bee kit, one I just happened to have laying out. WHY I don't know, (I had that part for a VERY long time) so.... Being put to good use after being a "dust collector" for I bet its longer then 20 years now.... The engine compartment I don't even recall seeing a BATTERY in it either! Not in the instructions, I go and have a look later I'll make a note of that here that there is or wasn't even a battery in this kit, nor a place to put one! -I actually made the battery compartment, holder/box........ I had originally planned to put 2 Alternators on that 401, as well as 2 batteries, for when Daisy had to "jump" the General in-case of keeping her troublesome Cousins out of trouble or well saving there asses in time of need!

Here's the master cylinder, and booster together, and then some brake lines coiled up and ready to go. also notice those 2 little green things.... That is wire insulation, NOT to the copper wire seen here (the copper was bare, the whole spool is bare) so.... I took the green insulation off another wire for another use, and I save ALL of this insulation, as once painted "brass" or gold, they look like little fittings!!!!

Not the best of picture, BUT the best one out of the 3 I took, due to my hands and the camera and holding the thing still long enough to get a half-ways decent "clear" picture is not always easy for me.... And no, I normally DON'T shake, by the physical shape my hands are in at times the oddest things are very difficult! So here in the above picture, you see the positioning of the whole works, "together"....

Again, not the best pic, BUT the best one I got! Now as you see, the whole works is painted!!!! -Green wire insulation painted "Brass" and the pipe work painted steel, as well as the master cylinder being painted a custom color I mix up as I call it "Bare Cast Iron" and looks the part! The brake booster wasn't touched (was a "used part" to start with), BUT it will get a coat of semi-gloss black, as at this point, it was my "gasping" area, to paint the fittings as well as the wire "pipe".
So as I built the master cylinder and brake booster as I thought it best for the Jeep, I got to thinkin' (yeah I do that once in awhile "think" that is!  ) Well if I add the piping to the master cylinder, it has to go to a triple valve down on the frame, right? WELL then I sat out to make that the best I could.... Nothing special, but sort of looks the part, I think!

I took a section of plastic scrap laying on my work bench, and made the front sort of pointy, and then flattened where it had cut marks in it, and then drilled the 2 top holds for the master cylinder piping, and then one hole in each end of it. 

Painted & in-place!!! Here is where "Modeler's License" come in, the frame is solid..... SO there really isn't a good way to "run" brake or even fuel lines, so I dead-headed them into the frame with no fittings, kinda simulating that the pipe just bends and follows up the lower part of the "[" channel of the frame, even tho it really doesn't exist on this model.... -I have some other brake lines to bring up to snuff too. The whole front axle has nothing currently! Thats to come! As I have to "dead-head" a bunch of that too.........
Stay tuned, MORE to follow after these short messages!!!!

[426-Hemi]

So then, a little more, as the brake details were drying, and the glue was setting up, I picked up the body to see what and where I could then go with it, from where it last was, I got a little better picture of the inside with the gear shift in place as well as the 4x4 gear shift all in place as well as the Emergency Brake lever too! I have to say, its amazing what you can achieve with different "sheens" of the same color! And the outward look it gives off....

You have flat black, semi-gloss black as well as gloss black seen in the above picture! ALL from Testors 1/4 ounce square bottles!

Then, you have the front passenger seat & mount in place..... Not lookin' to shabby I have to say!

Little different angle.... Shows that its turning out well! This has to be thee hardest "dash" I ever worked on even tho, it doesn't have much on or in it....
Then while I was looking over the "Chrome" parts tree.... for interior parts, I seen the head light bezels.. WELL BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH, they need to go in place! So off the tree they came, cleaned them up and in place they went..... 

NOW its starting to look like a Jeep!
Enjoy! More to come, as I have more to type out but I'm running out of gas..... LOL
Stay tuned later today, more will follow!

[426-Hemi]

So as I mentioned early this morning, there was more to come, and here it is!
I finally got the body on the frame to STAY!!!! Its mounted up, with in-need of some touch up underneath, BUT looks and sets nicely... I also got a Radiator Shoe-Horned in the front too. what fun that was! Then I actually got the steering column in-place, that way, I could also get the drivers side seat in the model too.... As the steering column in this is quite long, it goes from the steering gearbox, all the way to the interior where the steering wheel will be place, BUT with the Driver's seat in place, would have made that really difficult to do so, I went the other way and added the steering column AFTER the body was mounted to the frame! So the rest of the parts would pretty much fall into place!

One thing I have to mention, AFTER ALL the parts this kit is missing, one thing it did have that I didn't have to make, was the damned turn signal lever! This to-date, is thee only model I have yet to build to have the turn signal lever on the column! Was a nice change!!!!

For now under the hood, looks REALLY "bare" thats going to change pretty quick!

Head on shot of the front.... I have to add a bunch of exterior detail in here, which to come!

Then as you can see the detail coming on, the black wire going up the firewall, is from the starter!!!!! -Still tho, a LOT of loose wires just hanging out, what seems to be EVERYWHERE.... Like a real one, these will be placed accordingly! -I also added dual batteries too! Notice, they do NOT match! Cooter's way of adding them to keep the ole Jeep going, one, BUT have the AMPs to keep the General in-need going too as for a Jump, PLUS its a "Jeep" if they ever needed a winch in front or in back, or both, the battery power would be there.... The engine ALSO reflects this, has a Alternator, as well as a Generator too! To feed the need..... BUT because all was on a "Limited budget" I did the non-matching batteries, to show this they did what they needed to do to keep going.... Necessity is the Mother of Invention....
ENJOY more to follow!

[426-Hemi]

Well now, I had mentioned a few posts ago, that looking at the model as well as Daisy's REAL Jeep (from the show, with her or someone of the cast in the TV Series in the shot), I noticed that the roll bar was NOT right in the kit.... The supports to the upright were not made to be rounded corner, and horizontal..... (This had to be a Jeep from a Military Kit they retro fitted) As the Jeep Daisy had had those braces/supports angled.... I took the factory kit part "up right" and made and added my own "angled" supports!!!

Not painted yet, and won't be added till I'm at that stage of the build, BUT will be ready when I am!
I still have to figure out the placement of Daisy's CB BEFORE I add ity to the model, as I do not think where they show to "put" it in the instructions is the correct location, we'll see. I'm trying to build this as close as I can get it, and let me tell ya, its not even close!
Short posting, on this interior detail, BUT more to come! Stay tuned, more to follow after these short messages!

[426-Hemi]

Then I'm off to begin the engine compartment details.....

Here you see both batteries in place.... The details are about to surround this all!

Notice in the pic above, the little black box? Thats the electrical box for having 2 batteries, as well as 2 "charging" sources.... In the top of it, is 2 holes, one hole for each red wire, one off the Alternator, and one off the generator. THEN in each end of it, is a hole, one for the black "main" battery, and one for the whit e battery, BOTH "positive" sides of the batteries.... They will have red wires going into it, and red going out to the each battery.... As you'll see!


As I said, one red wire each to the top of that little black electrical box. One from the Alternator, and one from the generator! -Notice there is one "lonely" red wire going to the black battery? Thats the starter positive wire! Its NOT in-place to stay as there needs to be 2 more red wires added to that!

Now theres 3 red wires going to the black battery, as well as a link black wire going between the 2 batteries and into the firewall!

One red wire off the Alternator going to the firewall..... As well as a red battery wire off the black battery going also into the firewall!

Slightly better view of all these wires and where they're going....

ALL the posts of the batteries tied in, red going to its respective locations as well as the black. ONLY the black crossing between the 2 batteries! The positive sides will be meeting elsewhere unseen.... BUT go in the right direction!
Stay tuned MORE to follow!!! ENJOY -Thanks for looking!

[426-Hemi]

OK on the engine bay.. details, details...... ohh did I mention DETAILS?????
Its almost done! Have a look! I'll point things out as I see them, for those who are following along!

So you got the whole battery set-up wired in, and then I took and added in my OWN "horn" kit came with none at all! Wired it in, as a "green" wire. THEN this is a complete first for me, I wired in the headlights! WHY? WELL the headlight bezels have the wire coming out and follow the grille supports back to the firewall! SO, being thats a "seen" detail on the real thing, WELL yeah, it HAD to be put on my model! -Also notice the brake booster & master cylinder are in place WITH coiled brake lines!!!! -I had to let the glue dry "hard" so I can go back and fit the piping to the proper holes in the triple valve on the frame.... Thats to come! (Gonna be a fun one to do as its tight quarters in there!!!! BUT, I'll get it!

The grille supports through the engine compartment are brass!!!! I did NOT like the kit supplied parts and how BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH brittle they seemed so I made my own from 1/16th brass rod, that was painted the same color as the body.... Super Glued in place, with heat-shrink tubing used as a "loom" type thing to hold them to the grille supports. Left un-shrunk till I got the headlight wires through them on the passenger side, then I headed a brass rod up so to not "burn" anything as all that heat shrink tubing needs to shrink is heat, not flame! This will hold the headlight BLUE wire in place as its only glued into the headlight bezel WITH a plug boot (if you look!)
I also have to go back and paint the master cylinder "lid" to look like brass...... I see its unpainted! Like I said, there are some small details I have to go back and fix, paint, or merely just touch up, BUT the ole Engine Compartment here isn't lookin' to bad!

Last but not least, and "overall" look at the engine bay..... YES, it took some work, some thought, and some extra parts to make it look this way BUT I think it fits Daisy Dukes Jeep CJ-7 VERY WELL!!!!!
Thats it for progress for now! More to come as I get more done!!!!
ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well as everyone knows, I been going hard and heavy on getting this model completed!!!! SO having said that, lets get right to a FINISHED "Engine Compartment".... 

An over the top "looking down onto the engine" shot... for all that wire and all the work I put in, I'm pleased with the result here.... This had to have been (to date) my most difficult engine compartment yet.... A LOT of wiring going in places, I never done before!

NICE! This happens to be thee first time I have EVER "wired" in the headlights............ BUT with that, on a real Jeep, the headlight wiring follows the grille braces to the firewall. Thats WHY you see it here!

The air cleaner looks GREAT, sadly, the kit itself came with a VERY ODD Air Cleaner.... AND because I choose to replace the original 4 cylinder engine with a V-8, I had to use something for an Air Cleaner, and being I used "Chrome" valve covers, I thought it was fitting to use a Chrome air cleaner!!!! -Just because....

As I said, I'm VERY happy with the result of my efforts under the hood! (I'm working on the hood now to get it ready) as there really isn't much left to finish this restored Jeep model of Daisy Dukes..... 
Stay tuned right after these short messages, theres more to follow! 
ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

To follow up, I did a little research on this Jeep to follow along to as close as I could get it to Daisy's REAL Jeep in the show.... One thing I noticed during "fitting" was the side steps. they right from the kit are HUGE. they almost "over power" the look of the Jeep, and for that, I took and went about it in a whole other way! Have a look:


The one on the left, is the box stock part.... It measured BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH close 20 scale inches long! Looking at the real Jeep (WITH Daisy in the picture), to make sure it wasn't a "clone"Jeep, they are about twice the size of her foot.... SO, I took and "sectioned" them, using all kit stock parts BUT the Diamond Plate! -The one on the right is the one I shrunk.....

Nice shot showing the Diamond plate "tread" well..... The Diamond Plate came to me just in time for this from our very own "mopar".... Thanks Dan! AND I still have enough to make the bumpers to my '67 Power Wagon too!

Now I began by cutting with a razor saw, long ways against the vertical uprights, down till just about the thickness of the kit box stock Diamond Plate, then cut it right up to the center brace.... One I cut through to that center brace I merely just clipped off the "ear" on either side of the step. -You can see one of the factory "ears" of the Diamond Plate in the upper left-hand corner....
I then took a file, with a NO cutting "edge" to file the top of that little center brace that goes underneath the Diamond Plate to keep everything the same height.

I then made 2 pieces of Diamond Plate to fit the new step's frame.... Seen waiting to be glued onto the frame! Notice how "wide" the stock frame is, and how I made the one already done narrower to make it smaller so to not "over-power" the side of the Jeep as in one picture I have the steps are in fact rather small!

One side, of the frames bracing cut off.... I took the center brace, matched it up to my 1/25th scale ruler, and cut the brace at a point that would make the over-all step 12 inches wide. 6 inches deep. -I then took the corner of that brace, measured in from its end to remove the material out of that horizontal brace, to make the over-all one side, 6 inches from center.

I did the exact same thing to the other side, BUT in this picture notice the center brace, still connected to the horizontal ones are even more short then the last picture? I removed that amount from that horizontal brace, to get my 12 inch wide step....

All the parts glued in place and drying.... When they're dry, I plan to paint them Testors Semi-Gloss Black, just to have a slight "shine" to them.... And to have them stand out against the flat black "undercoated" frame....
As this is being typed, I took the bumpers and soaked them in over cleaner to remove the chrome from them. Daisy Dukes Jeep, did NOT have Chrome bumpers! They were gloss black! SO one is done and on the Jeep (the rear bumper) and one has a coat of gloss black on the back-side of it drying till I can do the front "face" of the bumper.
I also changed the tail light details too, they were also NOT correct to the Jeep Daisy had in the show, and mine will reflect those that were on her Jeep!
This is it for now! More to come when things get done (Or while they're being done!)
ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well a little "progress" has been made on this build! Looking at pictures of the REAL "Dixie" WITH Daisy herself, in the picture to make sure it was the actual Jeep she drove and not a clone. I noticed the tail lights to the kit! These are no where near what the actual Jeep Dixie had! (I know the kit is way off) BUT if I can add to it to make it that much closer, why not!? SO, I took the old ones, stashed 'em away for a future possible build, and dig out of my parts bins these:

I have yet to paint everything to go with the Jeep, BUT that white plastic "mount" is actually just that a mount. For the license plate! That mount will be painted black!Then as you all have seen and read, I was working on the side steps, they were WAY to big for the side of the Jeep! I cut them down as you all have seen thats following along. And got them painted Gloss Black. And now, they're mounted in place!



I think they look a bit better then what they were! I'm STILL thinkin' of taking about 3/16ths off the front edge still they look to stick out from the side a bit to far! And to think, I already did this once when I was re-working them in the beginning, can you guys imagine how far they would protrude if I hadn't!? WOW!
While I was doing this, I took the front and rear bumpers off the chrome sprue, and got to lookin' Daisy's Jeep ALSO DID NOT HAVE "Chrome" bumpers! They were gloss black too!
SO I stripped the Chrome with oven cleaner, let to air dry, and got right to painting them gloss black!
NOW, they too, are on the Jeep!


While I was adding the front bumper, I also got right to adding the front turn signals! They were chrome and it said to leave them chrome, BUT I had to paint the lens Turn Signal Amber....

I think they look pretty good!!!!
This is all I've gotten done on this build to date, I am waiting to paint another "good" coat of white onto the hood of the Jeep as that should be all it needs to then allow to dry and add the "Eagle" and "Dixie" to it and then set to cure for clear coating! 
Its ALMOST done!!!!!! Enjoy for now, more to come as I'm able! (I've been doing A LOT of mold making, pouring of parts, and cleaning the parts for those I owe so very little "model building" work has been done in the past few weeks!) 

 

[426-Hemi]

A few days worth of fighting with the windshield, I think I got it as best I could...... The real "Dixie" wasn't nothing like the model, BUT I was to far into it to stop and change it all, and then repaint!!!! GO FIGURE! (A LOT is wrong with this model to the real one!)

Got the frame painted to match the Jeep body, and then got the windshield wipers painted "Aluminum", and the "motors" Semi-Gloss Black. Once dry to handle, I installed the windshield! AFTER that, was dry, I worked on fitting the so-called shield-flip hinges, What a PITA those were!!!! The instructions don't show them clearly, AND the "inner" hinge is NOT what it shows to be in the instructions! NOT AT ALL!

The hinges are chromed, and on the real thing, there aren't any, BUT because of the model, being what it is, I had to do something more to make them, fit the model and look the part, SO I sanded off the chrome where they got glued, and began by adding the passenger-side outside hinge half, FIRST, then got to figuring out HOE the passenger-side "inner" hinge fit, as the pin "hole" has either upwards facing, or downward facing, WILL fit either way, make NO mistake, here, they must face DOWNWARD!

Over-all shot, of it sitting and drying! I added glue to the bottom edge of the frame as well as the inner edge of the dash "top" where the windshield would sit to glue it in place (it can be let to "hinge" without gluing) BUT I want it to be "solid"....
So, I left the whole works sit and dry, for a couple hours to be STRONG to the painting of the hinges. They are to become Semi-Gloss Black!
More to follow after these short messages!!!

[426-Hemi]

SO to go at it some more, I took out the CB and got to lookin' and come to find, I'm GLAD I didn't glue the CB to where the instructions showed it to be! Its NOT under the dash on the passenger-side of her Jeep! Its between the seats!
SO looking at the CB, I was like, yeah, thats NOT gonna work to my detailing ways! SO, looking at the area between the seats, How in the hell was I to put this, there? WELL thats easy! The Emergency Brake lever is there, I had to remove it, and file down the "boot" a bit, and add a bit more rear-ward, downward angle to it, which I did, and then re-glued it in place.....
BUT the left the CB, how was I to mount it, and right in front of me was a short section of "H" beam structural stock, I was using it for my "Dream Truck" build parts, and this little section happened to be a left-over that stayed on the bench!
SO I took it and began "fitting".... The CB? I can not stand the look of that mic, as well as the Mic wire they molded into it. SO, I cut the molded on "wire" drilled a hole where its to plug into the CB, and then completely cut the CB Mic OFF the CB where it is/was to hang..... You'll see why, when I get that far!
Heres what it started out as:

Mic cut off holes drilled.

"H" beam mount made (its now a "C" channel mount, and a notch cut into the bottom of it to clear the Emergency Brake Lever. Mic, made from a section/scrap of Styrene block, square rod also laying on the work bench! Hole drilled into it as well. awaiting paint!

Little bit better pic.....

The CB itself, has been painted, and is drying. I have to detail the knobs, and add the little Channel screen to it as well as the Mic wire and boot..... I then got this aside, drying (The Mic, however will be painted once its on its wire to the mic, to have something to hold it with! Its awful small.....
Stay tuned, more to follow! Thanks For looking! Enjoy!

 

[426-Hemi]

So by the time I got the whole CB thing in paint, and decided how I was gonna do it, the windshield frame, and hinged should have been dry, and able to be handled L-I-G-H-T-L-Y..... Its not got a lot to hold it in place! SO, I began painting the hinges Semi-Gloss Black......




I think it looks pretty good! I sat the "roll bar" in place for looks........... its NOT glued in-place in these pic, just for "looks" only, as I have yet to paint it the same white as the Jeep.... I also installed the Headlight lens as well...........
As of this posting, the whole thing sat over-night, to dry, cure and harden up for more handling, as I have a lot yet to do, as the parts dwindle down.... I have yet to finish up the CB, get it in place, and then add the Steering wheel, and then that "secret" of mine will follow!!!! 
So, there will be more to come in the next day or so, UNLESS things go faster then I anticipate!
Thats all for now, Thanks for looking! ENJOY!!!!!

[426-Hemi]

Well I got MORE done!!!! LOL I have a secret to reveal..... You know how this Jeep is to have a REAR seat? Yes? WELL I'm NOT adding it! I have plans to "load" Daisy's Jeep for a trip to Cooters Garage, for a delivery..... Have a look:

Whats THIS?
Have another look!

How about a 426 Hemi Head.............. Combustion Chamber DETAILING? You betcha!!!! I took and used one of my resin molded parts, (master copy was from a Jo-Hans '71 Cuda! And then machined it (YES MACHINED IT, to have somewhat close oil drain passages, spark plug holes, AND all the VALVES, the intake valves are larger then the exhaust valves, as you'll see! I EVEN added valve "seats" to the head!
REMEMBER, I am a serious detail oriented type guy.... I love this kinda stuff!!!! SO, with that, heres a few more!

How about added "Intake Ports"????? YOU BET!

Other side...... Exhaust Ports!!!! YES they are all the way through BUT do not "meet" I didn't just drill/mill straight through (Altho, that would have been easier to make this happen!

ALL but one valve in-place!
Now I bet your sitting there going OK thius guy is CRAZY (Yes I am thank You) BUT whats this gonna look like "painted"??? Well see for yourself!



Valves in-place!!!!


Valves in-place, and painted, bare surfaces sort of look "polished" where the intake will have its gasket, as well as the bare area for where the head gasket will go, as for the exhaust, that too! ALL from one of my own Resin castings!!!!



Under a little bit different lighting:

This is just "part" of the load that will be in the back of Daisy's Jeep, as I mentioned all to keep her cousins '69 Dodge Charger R/T's 426 Hemi, RUNNING as they pound on it to keep themself out of trouble with ole Boss Hogg, and Rosco!
This is only part of ONE secret! Theres one more to follow!!!!! -Stay tuned! 

[426-Hemi]

OK back at it...... LOL
Remember I said there were "secrets" to this build? ALL of my builds normally have some sort of secret involved in them, just to incorperate something a bit different as I have a twisted sense of humor!
WELL then, having said that, whats ole Daisy Duke known for? (BESIDES being pretty, and pleasant to look at)
HER SHORTS!!!! LOL
Can't build a Daisy Duke "Dixie" Jeep without something shes known for in it, Without her in it of course!!!!

Made from "Denium" tape...... LOL
THEN in the Jeep the guy that had it before I got it, remember, I bought this as a glue bomb from a local hobby shop, that bought a MASSIVE collection to sell. So on the jeep floor there was a hole drilled into it, and I left it alone, wasn't sure what it was for if for anything, (I thought maybe a fire extinquisher at first) turns out, NOTHING goes there, WELL by that time it was to late to go back and make a repair, "filling".... SO, I had to come up with something to "cover" it....
I think I got just the plan......

LMAO, I love it!!!!! I think thats KILLER! (my goofy sense of humor kickin' in here!)

Worked out perfectly!!!!! Covered that hole that was put there by someone else, and puts something of "Daisy's" in HER Jeep!
All while I added the roll bar, its in-place, and painted! (MAY need one more light brush coat to even it all out tho)
Thanks for lookin' guys, Stay tuned, its coming, the end is near!!!!!
ENJOY!

[426-Hemi]

Well, as I mentioned I had "secrets" to this build, right? WELL, so far you asll have seen 2 of those "secrets" BUT I've added a NEW one!!!!!!!
Ohh yeah, let it up to me to add in a LOT of detail, WELL, your about to see some of that extreme detailing I speak of!
To get to a little story to the build, as you all read by now, I wasn't adding that rear seat in regards to "loading" Daisy's Jeep for a trip to Cooters Garage, for parts to keep the 2 cousins Bo & Luke, out of trouble and the General Lee running!!!! WELL I decided a while back I was gonna add in a head, DETAILED to the max, for how its gonna be loaded into the back of daisy's Jeep. WELL I got to thinkin' they wreck and get themself into trouble a bit, what happens if its not just the heads that they want to use, brutalize, and have trouble? WELL I'm adding a spare 426 Hemi BLOCK too! Now to get right to it, heres what it began as:

One of my Resin casted 426 Hemi Blocks, the master copy is of a AMT-Ertl engine, that came in the '70 Dodge Coronet Super Bee kit, I molded it and added a little to it.
I'm also adding in the timing chain recess too! Also seen in the pic above, and ALSO one of my resin castings!

This pic shows WHY I choose this block! PERFECT cylinder start for detailing! Remember, I want to keep the detail level on both the heads as well as this block equal! SO that means boring the block to show actual cylinder walls..... I then also choose this block as it of all that I have, has thee BEST "valley" detail for the valve gear push rods and such.
This now is saying something, if your all following me!

This pic is showing the valley, not the greatest, but it will come. I took and milled the block to remove the molded in, "push rods" for the valve gear..... I think your getting warmer as to where I'm going with this!



I had set up my Unimat milling machine, to mill off all that cast-in detail, so I can add my own "real looking" detail! Here you see me milling off all that push rod detail that was originally molded into the block.....

This is the crazy one...... Instead of typing it out what I was in the process of doing, I'll show you!!!!!




I bored out the resin casting to have a set of 4 in-line cylinder walls and able to be SUPER DETAILED! I only did one side! WHY? WELL, thats the trick here, when the block is "loaded" into the back of Daisy's Jeep, its going to look as tho it was partly assembled, one head and valve cover in-place, the other head is the detailed one, with the valves that I added, setting loose, with it up-side-down to show the valve work in the head. The other head, will be on the block, detailed for what you'll be able to see, AND possibly have a valve cover on it. (I'm not sure I am going to detail the TOP of the 426 Hemi head, we'll see! Which if I do, would mean I'd have to leave the valve cover off of it, and have it on the floor of the back of Daisy's Jeep! AND it would, if I go that route!
The other part I noticed with this block is it had no "ear" or tail where the transmission would bolt to the blocks "flange" for the transmission. I built it up with CA and baking Soda, to then mill to what it should resemble, closely (its not 100% exact, the resin base makes some milling nearly impossible, so it has to be done VERY lightly, when you do it, as you will see!
Have a look:

Thats it for now.............. MORE will follow when more progress has been made!!!!! (I really am enjoying this part of the build), to see just how close to a real one I can get a model, that I made in my own molds!!!!!!
ENJOY! 

[426-Hemi]

Well guys, I'm lacking........... BAD! I had some home-work around the house to do and that set me back just a little (2 days) so..... To start again, I actually got the hood to the Jeep in NICE shape! Ready for decals! I have yet to check it, (I'm almost afraid to look at it!) LOL BUT last time I "glanced" at it, it looked GREAT, we'll see! I'm ALMOST there with this build..... No pics of the hood tho.... I loaned the camera to my Daughter for the day and won't see her till later today, at some point to get it back!
BUT I did get pics of what I did prior to the 2 days set-back! I thought, I'd get them posted for the up date with a little bit of a verbal update (on the hood situation!) So.... to the pics huh?

I'm "milling" out where the block stiffeners, & the cam bearings would be going in the "valley".

A little more "milling" of this area, was required, as I plan to glue in a detail part and then AGAIN mill it to spec!

The part I plan to glue in here, is of round stock "rod" made of styrene, to then be milled vertical (not angled as you see now! The Milling now, is being done with a "Ball End-Mill", to give me a "round" base, to hold the round styrene rod, thats going to be placed in there, to then be milled to have the cam bearing seats in the block, where needed and then the "openings" in it, to show the cam in place!
As of this posting, (I have to get pics BEFORE I proceed), but the round bar stock styrene has been glued in, and milled for what I've mentioned here. I plan to make something, to represent a cam. The front of the engine block has been drilled length-wise, for the cam!
MORE will come once I have the camera back in-hand!!!! Enjoy for now! Thanks for looking, comments MORE THEN WELCOME!

[426-Hemi]

Well guys, here comes some REAL CRAZY detail...... nothing less from me! (don't you all know it!) Anyway, I mentioned the valve train and engine block valley detail, as well as the cam openings in the center of the blocks valley. WELL You seen pics of me "milling" out the center to add the plastic rod to then be milled for the bearing locations on the cam as well as the lobe openings that I spoke of, so heres what that end result looks like:

Notice the "valley" center? Its WHITE, bare evergreen styrene "rod", that I milled the block to except, and look as it does, to then go and vertical mill out the "cut outs" where the cam lobes would be seen rotating! (I have yet to make the parts for this for the cam to go into these areas! (IT WILL be there when I'm ready for it to be, I have some other work yet to be done!

This picture -----^
Notice the FRONT of the block? The hole drilled down the center of the block thats made from my resin cast for the cam! YES it goes all the way to the back of the block too!
NOW, I'll end this post there for a short time, theres another post to follow! -STAY TUNED!

[426-Hemi]

NOW I bet your setting there reading this, (I'm a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH fool for detail) as you all know, SO, I sat out to make something NOT not normally seen in a model engine or a model for the most part, UNLESS its "cast-in" the part of the engine!
THE PISTONS!!!!!

And you seen them, they are turned in my Unimat Metal Lathe, from solid Aluminum! This as-seen would be considered "Billet Aluminum"!!!! -They were NOT made to be the same length or size, BECAUSE, the piston "skirt" will NOT be seen, BUT I made them the length they are for placement in the block!

Domed as a real 426 Hemi would be, I think (not exactly sure) but at a guess, I'd say they would be something to the tune of 12.1:1 compression for the distance they would go up into the head with how I turned the dome into them! I MAY YET go and file the valve reliefs to these, I just have not decided 100% on that yet but its a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH good possibility that I will! 


Placed by the block.... I have a little "fine tuning" to do to them BEFORE they're ready, to go in, BUT #8 piston would be "top dead center", the 2 "center pistons" #4 & #6 would be the same location up & down in the cylinder and then #2 piston would be "bottom dead center", lowest one in the even numbered bank of cylinders.... -As per the REAL engines firing order, "1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2"
 
I think I've got a little more "drilling" to do to open oil passages, and coolant passages, and I'll be off and running for painting this up to match that heavily detailed Hemi Head I did up from one of my resin Jo-Hans castings!!!!
A quick update on the hood, ITS NICE! I have a little yet to do to it paint-wise, and it will be ready for that Eagle detail! Pics of this will follow in awhile!!!!
Enjoy, Thanks for looking! Comments welcome!

[426-Hemi]

Well I got the hood lookin' really good.... Its ready for decals! Heres what it looks like AFTER I fought with the hood finish to be ready for paint (Was A LOT of work getting it to be this smooth AFTER I had to remove the old paint), and old decals and then to remove 2 cast-in details that really messed up the first attempt of the decals.


Looks GREAT! I was gonna add in some more Glosscote from Testors to seal this in, BUT I thought maybe more wouldn't be a good idea as it was nice and smooth as seen above! SO, I left that set for 48 hours BEFORE I went into doing the crazy decals.... The Eagle was VERY difficult to work with, (it did actually rip, BUT, in a place, I could to some extent repair... Its the best I can do on it, with what I had to work with and to that, I'm pretty pleased, that it turned out as well as it did.... Thanks to Santachas for helping me out getting the needed decals for it, Thanks man!

You can see where the decal would NOT lay flat, and then while it sat and the decal set was drying, tore.... Wasn't to-too surprised the decals are after-all somewhere about 15 years old!


I then took the words "DAISY" that were made to look like those "DIXIE" ones for the hood sides, and cut all the straight sections of the wording out one small slice at a time and placed it over that gap in the Eagle! It still shows, yes, but not nearly as bad! I wasn't to pleased they ripped originally on this application, BUT, I'm almost fed-up with trying to get this Jeep to look "perfect" it now is as good as it gets! That Eagle decal was in fact VERY difficult to work with, and to get it to lay out as I have it, took an entire night working on it to get it as you see it, was intense to say the least, but considering how old and how difficult those decals were, I'm good with it........
While the decals were sitting and drying between working times, I began to work on what was left of the little details for inside the interior.... Meaning the CB, and its painting detail, as well as making a better looking CB mic, and wire.... This is what I came up with for a CB mic wire....

I took some of the thinnest gauge wire I had and whirled it around a thin drill bit. I then took a section of really thin wire, removed the insulation from it to make plug boots where the mic would plug into the CB and the wire stress-relief on the mic, and got them in-place!

I now have the wire glued to the newly made mic, and is drying. I will hold the mic, in a alligator clip to paint the wire flat black, and then once thats dry, I'll "stretch" the coiled mic wire to sit the mic on the seat, and once the wire is stretched out a bit, I'll hold the wire and paint the mic! 
Thats all for this for now! I will be gluing in the CB some time tonight, and then I'll be able to glue the mic and wire to it once the glue on the CB itself is dry. 
FINALLY, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with this build! The end is coming, as all I'll have to add after this is the steering wheel, and then finish up the detailed load going in the back of the Jeep as well as the tail gate, and the spare tire!
ENJOY thats all for now, Thanks for looking, comments welcome!

[426-Hemi]

So while the tail gate liner was drying to be ready for painting, I thought, what about the spare tire? The tires, on this remember are resin! The ones that the kit had with them were NOT the right for the kit! The rims you see here would simply fall through the openings in the tires!!!! SO I had to seek out other means for tires for on the Jeep PLUS fit the rims you see here! WELL then, originally the spare tire just glued to the back of the tail gate. Not exactly detailed at all, and sadly enough as you all know, you know that lacking bit with me well, I try to up the detail level to be more fitting to the build.
SO, I went on lookin' at "still" shots from the show showing the back of the Jeep to see the tire details....

This ---^ 
Is what I plan to try and replicate!

SO, I start out by going to my metal stock bin, to see what I had for brass wire, to use. I choose brass so I could "solder" it together for strength.... This ALSO allows me to make all the fine adjustments to fit the tail gate, as well as the custom made hinges! 
I then got to looking to see HOW I was going to "hang" the spare tire on it, as well as it "close" against the truck, AND clear the rear bumper at the same time! Remember the tires are a bit bigger in size, AND slightly wider.... SO, on making the place for the spare, I made it all go to the location it be on the tail gate (was a glue pin on the spare tire hanger, and a dimple in the tail gate for this so I just carried it over to the newly made parts for the same purpose.


Brass sheet is soldered to the frame, this adds strength, AND holds shape to the wire really well! -Hinges, are made to the right, adjusted to the receptacles on the Jeep (that I also made) and this is how this detail is coming together!

Brass plate drilled for the spare tire and its mount. As well as a vertical brass bar by the hinges to hold the shape and support the tire and its weight, as well as look good detail-wise....
So since this brass work had to cool, AND be cleaned by a bath in Acetone I then painted the tail gate liner and got in place..... That way I could get the tail gate on the Jeep body too! SO on the liner went, and then on the tail gate went..... and this is how that all looks now:

A LOT better lookin' then leaving it as the kit box-stock would have been! The tail gate had a BUNCH of imperfections in the plastic so I sanded and filed it off and then with the looks of it by that time something "more" needed done! So thats when I sat out to make the tail gate liner. NOW however its all in place!


I think that looks GREAT! A LOT BETTER then if I had left it box-stock! NOW, I can focus on the spare tire rack and all that detail on the other side of the Jeep! Stay tuned everyone, more to follow! -I got A LOT done on this build in the past couple days/nights!
Thanks for lookin'!!! Comments welcome! ~Enjoy!