1980-1990 Chevrolet Caprice model

[matador88]

i`d like to build chevrolet caprice cca 1980-1990 as a ny city taxi. do you know about some options? i havent found any kit or resin or usable diecast.

thanks for ideas.

[Darin Bastedo]

The Modelhaus makes a resin 1985 Impala 4 door for $62.00 that Includes four door body with hood molded in, interior tub with separate door panels and bench seat, dash, steering wheel, front bumper, grille, rear bumper, taillights with back up lens, hubcaps, glass. Use any Revell Caprice kit to finish.

[Junkman]

i`d like to build chevrolet caprice cca 1980-1990 as a ny city taxi. do you know about some options? i havent found any kit or resin or usable diecast.

thanks for ideas.

Don't we all? And make this a 1977-1990 Caprice.

As Darin wrote, your only option is the Modelhaus, which evolved from a heavily modified Ertl diecast stockcar and is an Impala, not a Caprice.

I have never seen one built, but after seeing a photo of the kit, I wasn't convinced enough to shell out 62 $ for it. It just doesn't look right to me.

Edited February 17, 2012 by Junkman

[Jon Cole]

Images I found:

Maryland State Police built by Tom Sheehy-

CHEVY 1985 Impala 'MASS STATE POLICE' by John Sharisky

[2n3/4 SFPD]

Hello,

just beginning a project "U129 N.Y.C. P.D." circa 1980-82

 

[Agent G]

I liked building it.

G

[2n3/4 SFPD]

Agent G.,

That's CLEAN!

I'm choosing a very similar body color; Dupli-color Avignon Bleu.

What color is that on yours?

And I can't live with the provided grill/headlights on mine, way too flat, like a Persian cat's face.

Trying to figure out something to do about it, and I think I have it...

Edited March 15, 2016 by 2n3/4 SFPD
Changed my mind

[Agent G]

Oh goodness, I painted that body way back in '06 when I still lived in St Louis.

I believe I used Duplicolor "Light Blue Metallic" for GM vehicles. It looks very close to what I remember on the real car. 

I just went with the supplied grill and headlights. Again, they look like what I remember.

G

[2n3/4 SFPD]

I am having a tough time getting the Revell '92-'94 Caprice chassis to fit!...TOUGH!

considering cutting it into three sections.

[charlie8575]

Agent G.,

That's CLEAN!

I'm choosing a very similar body color; Dupli-color Avignon Bleu.

What color is that on yours?

And I can't live with the provided grill/headlights on mine, way too flat, like a Persian cat's face.

Trying to figure out something to do about it, and I think I have it...

You can get Code 26 Lt. Blue Met. mixed at any paint jobber that offers touch-up bottles or custom-mixed spray cans. There are several on the Internet as well. Single-stage paints and lacquers are around $12-14 for a two-ounce bottle.

The headlight set-up is very, very accurate. The 1980-'85 Impalas had a very flat header panel and grille with the lights almost dead-ahead. Trust me, I've owned a lot of B-Bodies and am very familiar with the cars.

I will agree the chrome lenses need to be addressed. That can be done with a coat of aluminum paint, followed by Testors clear parts cement or white glue; it adds dimension to the lights.

Charlie Larkin

[av405]

I've been seeing this kit by AJ Resins on ebay on and off for some time now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-90-Chevy-Box-Caprice-4dr-Euro-front-resin-kit-lowrider-/112066034090?hash=item1a17a7f9aa:g:jw0AAOSw1DtXJzS6

It looks to be a modification of the Modelhaus Impala. The taillights look good but I am not satisfied with the way the headlights look. And the kit comes without glass, which is a big negative. Any thoughts guys?

 

[Agent G]

Definitely a Modelhaus clone. The headlights look a bit off, but then again she's the only game in town right now.

I am having a tough time getting the Revell '92-'94 Caprice chassis to fit!...TOUGH!

considering cutting it into three sections.

What's not fitting?

There are only four cuts requited to adapt the chassis to the body.

My biggest issue was the interior tub. Early test fitting indicated the chassis did not sit far enough up under the body. I filed a lot of resin off the bottom of the tub.

G

[2n3/4 SFPD]

Hello AG,

I can't file off enough off the tub to make it seat where I'd like.

The tub already has a couple of paper thin shallow spots.

The rear of the chassis is seating where I'd like it, after filing off the edges of the wheel wells and edges behind and around the fuel tank, but the chassis is teetering at a fulcrum at the rear of the tub.

I believe  I'll have to cut the chassis into a front section, just behind that cross brace and a rear section just in front of the wheel wells.

[2n3/4 SFPD]

Hello Charlie,

thanks for the tips.

I've decided on Tamiya Light Blue Pearl, after looking at quite a few pics of it online.

It looks like what I want, and hoping it won't come out too glitzy.

On the grill/lights; I trust your memory, but I think what I'm after is the more the Caprice look than the Impala, so I adapted the grill from an AMT '76 Caprice by splitting it and filing off a row or two of the grid in the middle and rejoining it.

Im happy with it.

   

[2n3/4 SFPD]

That's nice av!

 

[Rob Hall]

I've been seeing this kit by AJ Resins on ebay on and off for some time now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-90-Chevy-Box-Caprice-4dr-Euro-front-resin-kit-lowrider-/112066034090?hash=item1a17a7f9aa:g:jw0AAOSw1DtXJzS6

It looks to be a modification of the Modelhaus Impala. The taillights look good but I am not satisfied with the way the headlights look. And the kit comes without glass, which is a big negative. Any thoughts guys?

 

Headlights seem a bit too short vertically.  But it would be a good starting place to swap in headlights from something else to do an 86.  

[Ron Hamilton]

Images I found:

Maryland State Police built by Tom Sheehy-

 

 

 

CHEVY 1985 Impala 'MASS STATE POLICE' by John Sharisky

 

To me, the cleanest resin would be from the Modelhaus '83 Impala if you can get one. The Caprice Sedan resin looks very close, and it would not take much to make modifications to improve its accuracy. I sold the State of Maryland, its counties and other departments over 770 '83 Impalas, as well as a couple of hundred '84 Impalas to other Maryland, and Northern VA municipalities, as Ford won the '84 MD state bid, due to certain specs particular to the Ford Crown Victoria, and I am very familiar with the specs of the various cars.

I was lucky, that I was able to get a Modelhaus '83 Impala to build as a MSP Marked Cruiser, similar to Tom Sheehy's excellent build.

In order to do the MD State car, I have to recreate the HD Interior with HD Bucket Seats, and Black Steelies with Dog Dish Caps, as the entire fleet was equipped with them from the factory. The full wheel covers are not necessarily incorrect, as they could have been added to the car after delivery. The non-special service Impala in those years had full wheel covers as standard equipment, and dog dish caps were not available except as a C.O.P.O.

By the way John and Wayne;s Impala Cruisers are excellent examples too,

[av405]

Headlights seem a bit too short vertically.  But it would be a good starting place to swap in headlights from something else to do an 86.  

The headlights actually seem like a fairly easy fix. It's the lack of windows that is turning me off from getting one.

[Rob Hall]

 

The headlights actually seem like a fairly easy fix. It's the lack of windows that is turning me off from getting one.

The windows shouldn't be too hard to make from sheet plastic, though...the rear and side windows are pretty flat.

[av405]

But the front window though 

[Rob Hall]

But the front window though 

Shouldn't be that difficult..not much curvature.  I've made windshields out of sheets of clear plastic, from random stuff like electronics packaging, etc. 

[av405]

I get ya, I get ya. What I'm trying to get at is that I have ZERO experience with this and would rather not buy right now given that and the price. One day I'll learn