1958 Belvedere help?

[bbowser]

I've got the (in)famous AMT kit on the bench. I've read and seen all the rants about the side trim but I'm more interested in the roofline. I'm hoping to replicate this model, a downscale trim option from the Fury.

I figure I can grind/sand the side spear to this configuration without too much trouble and maybe the curve won't be as noticeable. What would anyone suggest for the roof? I can add a B pillar but I'm afraid the rear side window will be too obviously wrong. I thought about cutting the C pillar and raising the rear of the roof, tough to keep the trim intact. Any ideas?

[MrObsessive]

Bruce, The Modelhaus sells that particular body style, albeit in four door form and it's a '57 Savoy. Same car, just different headlights, grille, and tailights. Now it would be quite a feat to change the roofline on the hardtop '58. The sedan's roofs were taller as well as a bit longer. Windshields were also different between the two. You'd have to raise the roofline a good ½ to 1 scale inch for it to appear correct.

If I were going to do this car, I'd contact Don and Carol and ask if they have any reject bodies of the '57 Savoy they make. They would offer it to you at a greatly reduced price (or maybe even free sans postage) and use the roof off of that to make your '58. You could also just buy the body and glass only and adapt that to the '58 chassis and innards. Of course, you'll have to convert the resin bodied four door to a two door, but the bodies were so similar between the two-----it's not a hard job at all.

That's a GORGEOUS car BTW you have pictured! Reminds me of my Dad's '57 he once owned many years ago. In fact any of those '57-'58 Mopars remind me of his car.

Hope all this helps!

[bbowser]

Thanks Bill! I'll have to investigate the Modelhaus body. Those pics are cool aren't they? I fell for it at first sight.