1965 Monogram Corvette (B.O.Y.D. entry)

[Spottedlaurel]

Snake's "Bring Out Your Dead" topic got me thinking about this one, and I've signed-up to make me crack on and get it finished.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I bought it around 1989/90 as I remember reading a good review of it in Street Machine magazine's "Small Talk" section. My friend and housemate started it around 1991, instead of spending money going out in town we'd sometimes sit and work on models (she did a nice job on an old BMW 328). The engine, chassis and interior got mostly assembled and the body was brush-painted with red Humbrol enamel. It never got finished and then sat in my parts box for some years, I believe losing its engine to my Maserati V8 conversion project and its wheels and tyres to a Buick. A few years ago I had a tub of brake fluid handy so it took a bath, and this is what I ended up with:

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Since this shot I've spent some time with a knife and scribing tool, getting much of the Humbrol residue removed. Will try and finish that dull job this weekend, then hit it with some primer.

Finished look is already in my mind, with a straight, solid colour and wheels taken from an unlikely source:

Aoshima 1:24 Nissan Cedric V30 Turbo Brougham VIP (Y30) kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

The box art shows it with standard rims, but the kit includes a set each of BBS and Cragar SS wheels. The latter are rather nicely done and I've been wondering what to use them on for a while now, this project seemed ideal.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

This is without the chassis, if I can get the wheels to sit something like this I'll be happy. Front end seems to be OK, but rear is going to need work:

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Job one will be to shave the rim off the back of the wheel and reduce the depth of the lug in the middle. I'll also see if I have any slightly narrower tyres. Depending how that goes, I then might shave a little off the side of the suspension arm and chassis. Interior tub is OK though.

I want to keep the wide tyres as I'm looking at the possibility of fitting the engine from this one and I figure it would need a fair bit of rubber at both ends to keep it on the tarmac:

Monogram 1:24 1992 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

If not, then hopefully a bid on an Owens Corning Corvette 427 will work out, and that engine could be used instead. Or I'll see what's lurking in the parts box.

I want to keep the bodywork standard, paint colour will probably be Tamiya TS-11 Maroon. I toyed with TS-9 British Green, but I'm not feeling it. The Black Rat decals can stay where they are.....

Edited July 4, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[Spottedlaurel]

Didn't spend as much time on the models this weekend as I wanted to, but the Corvette moved-on nicely:

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Doesn't look like there's too much additional work required on the body, just the odd scratch to fill where I slipped when scribing the panel lines and scraping off the old paint.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Easily managed to find a set of alternative, narrower tyres. Back of the rim trimmed to suit, they now fit much better.

[bisc63]

Nice progress!

 

[Gramps46]

I am enjoying your build.  Please keep the  progress posts comiing.

[Snake45]

Looking good in primer! To be honest with you, if that were on my workbench, at this point I would seriously be considering finishing it in primer. Not saying that you should, just telling you that I would be thinking about it. 

Drive on! 

[Spottedlaurel]

8 hours ago, bisc63 said:

Nice progress!

Thank you Rusty, I like how it's gone so far.

2 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

I am enjoying your build.  Please keep the  progress posts comiing.

Thanks Gary, and I will do. Taking a few photos and writing a little bit helps me focus on each stage and make sure I keep moving on.

55 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Looking good in primer! To be honest with you, if that were on my workbench, at this point I would seriously be considering finishing it in primer. Not saying that you should, just telling you that I would be thinking about it. 

Thanks Snake! Oddly enough, I did have a similar thought about it in primer when I saw how it looked after getting the first couple of coats down. In 30+ years of spraying models I think it may be the first time I've used red primer and it does give a cool look straight out of the can - might be something to consider for another project?.......

Edited July 6, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[Gramps46]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Looking good in primer! To be honest with you, if that were on my workbench, at this point I would seriously be considering finishing it in primer. Not saying that you should, just telling you that I would be thinking about it. 

Drive on! 

Red oxide primer on a fiberglass Corvette Snake?  Caution!  The Corvette Restoration Police will come looking for you?

[Snake45]

11 minutes ago, Gramps46 said:

Red oxide primer on a fiberglass Corvette Snake?  Caution!  The Corvette Restoration Police will come looking for you?

Hey, I've got a '67 glue bomb here that I'm thinking of Snake-slapping back together in gray primer. 

[TransAmMike]

I'm also in agreement about the red oxide primer look but would probably have a hard time not putting a color coat......whats your color of choice for this one?

[Spottedlaurel]

25 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

I'm also in agreement about the red oxide primer look but would probably have a hard time not putting a color coat......whats your color of choice for this one?

Funny thing is it'll be a solid maroon, so not too different to the red primer just a bit shinier!

[Spottedlaurel]

Got back onto this one last night after my mildly frustrating weekend reassembling the 1937 Ford.......

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Engine as taken from the 1992 Corvette ZR-1. I removed that lattice member as there wouldn't have been room inside the tunnel, but a quick dry-fit showed that it should fit so after a bit of glue action......

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Seems to fit nicely. WIll think about the giving the plated parts a wash to tone them down.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

The sump is resting on that steering link rather than the mounts, so some small spacers are required.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

A bit of adjustment clearly needed here! Not as bad as it looks, the clash is right at the front and a tiny lift of the bodyshell sees it closing nicely. I suspect I'll get that when the inner wings/splash guards are fitted, but I might also try to get the engine sitting very slightly further back and a small amount lower by shaving the sump just a touch.

I had already filled a few scratches, and since then the bodywork has been wet sanded. Just about to give it some more primer.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[slusher]

Nice project! Primer is a color and looks great cleared..

[Spottedlaurel]

On 7/14/2020 at 8:12 AM, slusher said:

Nice project! Primer is a color and looks great cleared..

Thanks, and I must admit I have got used to it in the primer. So much so that when I added the colour it took a bit of readjustment!

Latest progress:

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

After more snipping, shaving and notching the front of the sump, I've got the engine down enough to get the bonnet shut.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Got to hope the owner lives in in area with smooth roads and no speed bumps! There is some clearance.....

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Getting the engine in was one thing, what about the exhaust manifolds? I thought I should add those supplied with the LT5, but they're a lot fatter than what came with the '65. A look underneath the '92 revealed how they managed it, with low mounts that run 'uphill' - I toyed with cutting this arrangement out of the '92, but I don't want to completely trash it so I'll look to concoct something out of the parts box (possibly with the help of pins, as suggested by Tom Geiger elsewhere). I've now cut the original mounts out and the engine rests on the upper suspension arms, so any new mounts will be decorative only.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I might have to notch that flange that drops down at the leading edge of the floorpan, but I'm nearly there.

After that fiddly work I couldn't resist squirting a bit of the eventual colour onto the bonnet:

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

It's Tamiya's TS-11 Maroon, not one I'd used before. It has come out a bit darker and more purple than I had imagined, but I think polished up it should look good. This morning I found a few minutes to get the first couple of coats onto the bodyshell:

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

As it has a rather fiddly shape I hope to get it down without the need for too much polishing.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[slusher]

Great looking color!

[Snake45]

5 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

It's Tamiy's TS-11 Maroon, not one I'd used before. It has come out a bit darker and more purple than I had imagined, but I think polished up it should look good.

Since you're not going for factory stock, don't worry about it--just enjoy the color for what it is. 

[doorsovdoon]

That looks like Damask Red, I did my Cyclone GT in that. It's actually a really nice colour!

[Spottedlaurel]

Thanks all! It'll look great I'm sure, just for some reason I had imagined something a little more orange.

I need to slow down a bit on this and move some of the others on instead.

[Slotto]

Great wheel and tire choice. Love the stance

[AJM]

Looks really good - -has that aggressive stance!! Keep it going

[Spottedlaurel]

On 7/18/2020 at 2:36 AM, Slotto said:

Great wheel and tire choice. Love the stance

 

On 7/18/2020 at 3:11 AM, AJM said:

Looks really good - -has that aggressive stance!! Keep it going

Thanks Steve and Albert! When I got the original Nissan kit with these wheels I knew they were going to end up on something American, but with their generous width and low profile tyres they suited this Corvette project best of everything I tried. I haven't had to lower the suspension at all, I suppose it's sitting nicely because of the shallower tyre wall.

More progress on it yesterday:

1:24 Monongram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

After a couple more coats of TS-11 first thing in the morning. I was thinking about stopping at this stage, but it would have left me with too much polishing to do and on such an intricate shape I was worried about going through the colour coat. So I gave it a final 'wet' coat last night:

1:24 Monongram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monongram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

If I went any further I'd start losing detail, but I think I have something to work with here.

Did a tiny bit of detail painting on the engine, I now need to get more of the ancilliaries fitted to make sure I don't get an unpleasant surprise with its finished size.

[Spottedlaurel]

Micromeshed and polished the paintwork the morning. Most of it went OK, but my fear about working on the Corvette's complicated shape was justified when I went through the ridge on one of the wing tops. As a solid colour with no clearcoat it should be feasible to repaint tat panel, and I'll keep moving on.....

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Ah well, at least the built-up engine with all its ancilliaries fits. I've trimmed the air cleaner (not seen here) and I'm hoping to use the '92 radiator and twin electric fan set-up.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Since this shot I've trimmed the floorpan back slightly, I think it's there now with the stock front suspension - might not be ideal at 1:1 with the LT5 installed but it works for me at 1:24.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Highback seats fitted from a Monogram Datsun 280Z. Did toy with fitting those from the '92, but wasn't sure if they'd be too big and I didn't want anything too modern.

1:24 Monogram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Compare and contrast. Threw the '92 together to see how it differed in size - not much in it lengthwise, it's mainly in the width.

Got to say I'm not feeling much love for the newer model at present, but maybe one day I'll think of the right wheels and colour for it and build it kerbside.

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[Spottedlaurel]

I woke up early, the front wing has already been repainted! Jury's out on how successful it will be, if need be I could do the whole front end again. I'll see how it polishes out this time.....

[randyc]

I built this kit years ago.   I wish I had a pic.  I think I used the exact same wheels.   Mine is a pearl red.  Good luck with it.

[TransAmMike]

I really like those Torque-Thrust (at least I think what they are) wheels. Great depth.

[Draggon]

The stance on this is perfect! Love your choice of wheels and tires ?