1971 Dodge Charger

[David G.]

I need a break from my 1934 Duesenberg Steampunk Roadster. I've hit a point where I just don't know what to do with it right now.

So while I await inspiration, I've decided to work on AMT's 1971 Dodge Charger. My plan is to build it as a companion to the replica I built of my 2013 Dodge Charger I built back in 2016.

 

This is the kit, I won it in a raffle at one of the Desert Scale Classic model car shows, 2012 if I remember correctly.

 

 

 

The engine and sub-frame are nicely detailed and went together with no difficulty.

 

 

This is my first attempt at creating chassis over-spray. Detail painting is one of my favorite tasks.

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and feel free to comment.

David G.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2019 by David G.
Typo

[geetee66]

You're off to a great start! That engine looks fabulous.

detail painting is one of my favourite parts of a build, too. And weathering.

[tbill]

Agreed, you’re off to a great start, engine looks fabulous.

[espo]

I like how the engine looks natural and slightly used. 

[David G.]

 

9 hours ago, geetee66 said:

You're off to a great start! That engine looks fabulous.

detail painting is one of my favourite parts of a build, too. And weathering.

Thank you Guy, I too enjoy weathering. I believe that almost everything should get at least some light weathering as nothing maintains its "showroom fresh" qualities for more than a few days or even hours after leaving the dealer's lot.

7 hours ago, tbill said:

Agreed, you’re off to a great start, engine looks fabulous.

Thanks Tom.

3 hours ago, espo said:

I like how the engine looks natural and slightly used. 

Thanks David, I do like things clean and shiny, but not too much.

David G.

[David G.]

I decided that I wanted to go a little wild with the color on this one. I'm trying to approximate Dodge's "Green Go" color from 1971.

 

 

I used Tamiya's TS-22 Light Green which over white primer, turned out a little too pale and toy-like for my tastes. I shot some test spoons using gray and black primer under the green. I decided to use black primer, it gave the green a bit more depth.

 

 

Well, the car does look good in black but I'm still going with green.

 

 

Though it's hard to tell in the photo, spraying the green over black primer added some depth and richness to the color.

 

 

The vent in the center of the hood has been masked and will remain black.

 

Thanks for taking the time to look, comments are welcome.

David G.

 

[1972coronet]

That colour looks convincing , if not just a hair brighter than the actual colour . Did Testors drop their Sassy Grass (Plymouth name) / Green Go (Dodge name) from their line ? 

Keep up the great work !

[David G.]

On 2/6/2019 at 6:09 AM, 1972coronet said:

That colour looks convincing , if not just a hair brighter than the actual colour . Did Testors drop their Sassy Grass (Plymouth name) / Green Go (Dodge name) from their line ? 

Keep up the great work !

Thanks John. I'm not sure about the Testors colors, they tend to be enamel based and I prefer lacquers which is why I tend to use Tamiya. During my research I noticed that there was a bit of variation of shade in the "official" Dodge Green Go color. Tamiya's TS-22 matched closely enough for my tastes.

Again, thanks for your comment.

Regards,

David G.

[shoopdog]

Coming along really nice. This a great kit for sure!

[espo]

That sure is a bright Green. The finish looks very smooth with good coverage. Like you I'm a big Tamiya paint user.  I have also used the Model Masters OEM colors that are Lacquer paint and have always had good luck with those. Just a consideration for any other future projects. 

[Scott8950]

nice work and great choice with the green. 

[David G.]

On 2/7/2019 at 7:35 AM, shoopdog said:

Coming along really nice. This a great kit for sure!

Thanks Keith. I agree, this is a good kit, it's nicely detailed and I've had no assembly issues. This kit is very well designed and should make a great looking model.

 

On 2/7/2019 at 7:51 AM, espo said:

That sure is a bright Green. The finish looks very smooth with good coverage. Like you I'm a big Tamiya paint user.  I have also used the Model Masters OEM colors that are Lacquer paint and have always had good luck with those. Just a consideration for any other future projects. 

Yes, the color is so over-the-top it's verging on vulgar. But that was kind of the point back then, wasn't it? Wonderful times, they were. I'll keep an eye out for the Model Master lacquers, thanks for the tip.

 

On 2/7/2019 at 8:12 AM, Scott8950 said:

nice work and great choice with the green. 

Thank you Scott, I'm glad you like it.

David G.

 

 

[David G.]

Here's a quick update.

 

Chassis and wheels are done. On to the interior!

 

Yes, I actually made little labels for the shock absorbers. ...yeah, I know.

 

Thanks for taking the time to look and as always, your feedback is valued and appreciated.

David G.

[Deuces]

That chassis looks too real!!!!..... ☺️

[John Jacobs]

The weathered look adds so much realism.  Would love to see some tutorials on that.  Nice job.

[David G.]

18 hours ago, Deuces said:

That chassis looks too real!!!!..... ☺️

Thanks Guido.

 

15 hours ago, John Jacobs said:

The weathered look adds so much realism.  Would love to see some tutorials on that.  Nice job.

Thanks John, Two things I enjoy about building models are detail painting and weathering- three if you count completing them.   

Many of the basic weathering techniques I know I learned years ago from a book: How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery  The rest comes from a couple decades of practice.

Mostly I use detail painting, washes and powdered pastels. For tutorials, I would recommend doing a Google search on weathering model cars and or military models. The two styles are a bit different but there are significant overlaps. 

Thanks again for your comment.

David G.

[Tommy124]

Your progress looks excellent and I really like your weathering! This is one of the WIP's where I am absolutely certain we will see a great result in the end. 

[David G.]

20 hours ago, Tommy124 said:

Your progress looks excellent and I really like your weathering! This is one of the WIP's where I am absolutely certain we will see a great result in the end. 

Thank you Thomas, I appreciate your vote of confidence.

David G.

[Modlbldr]

David,

Your build is looking amazing and I love the color. One thing that you may want to check, if you weren't aware of it, is the hood decal. I remember from years ago reading a point that the black decal isn't big enough to cover what it needs to when it comes to the hood vent? It required doing some painting along with applying the decal. Just a heads up. I have not built this kit yet so I am not quite sure what the issue was with it.

Later-

[mrmike]

This build is looking great!  Keep going!

[David G.]

On 2/12/2019 at 5:13 AM, Modlbldr said:

David,

Your build is looking amazing and I love the color. One thing that you may want to check, if you weren't aware of it, is the hood decal. I remember from years ago reading a point that the black decal isn't big enough to cover what it needs to when it comes to the hood vent? It required doing some painting along with applying the decal. Just a heads up. I have not built this kit yet so I am not quite sure what the issue was with it.

Later-

Thank you Tom. It's a color that's rather out of character for me, which is exactly why I picked it!  I like to step outside of my comfort zone occasionally, I find that it helps me grow as a model builder.

Regarding the hood decal, I think you may be referring to area surrounding the hood vent. I'll be sure to double check the measurements in the decal opening.

I'm hoping that the decal is actually cut out for the hood vent. The one for the air cleaner wasn't cut properly or not printed correctly. The center was solid white and it should have been transparent or cut out.  I had to try to cut the center out after I soaked the decal off the backing to apply it. Needless to say it didn't go as well as I would have liked.

Yeah, that hood graphic and vent are kind of a key feature of that model, so I'll definitely look into that. Thanks for the head's up.

D

11 hours ago, mrmike said:

This build is looking great!  Keep going!

Thanks Michael. I have the interior mostly done now. I should be able to post some more pics soon.

David G.

[bisc63]

Nice job! I really like the restraint you show in your chassis over-spray; too often this is WAY overdone and unrealistic. If you've ever painted a real car, you have a better idea of just how much actually lands there, of course depending too on the kind of paint sprayed, the painter's technique, air pressure/fluid adjustment of the gun, etc. I think you captured a realistic "middle ground"!

[David G.]

On 2/13/2019 at 7:24 PM, bisc63 said:

Nice job! I really like the restraint you show in your chassis over-spray; too often this is WAY overdone and unrealistic. If you've ever painted a real car, you have a better idea of just how much actually lands there, of course depending too on the kind of paint sprayed, the painter's technique, air pressure/fluid adjustment of the gun, etc. I think you captured a realistic "middle ground"!

Thanks Rusty. I can't say that I've painted any cars but I have spent more than my share of time under them.

David G.

[David G.]

As promised, here are some snaps of the completed interior.

 

...and a close-up of some of the dash detail.

 

Thanks everybody!

David G.

[David G.]

Paintwork is finally finished. Now on to a final polish, foil work, decals and assembly.

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to share any thoughts.

David G.