best kit to do general lee

[CHEVY2MUCH]

what kit to use to do a better version than amt kit and what parts came be used from amt kit.was it a hemi or a 44 car.

[PowerPlant]

In my opinion, a perfect General Lee would have to be bashed from the AMT/MPC car (for decals, wheels, push-bar and other accessories), and Revell's 68 and 69 Chargers - 68 for the body (69 has vinyl roof), and 69 for everything else...

As far as the engine goes, I really don't know what the actual car(s) were powered by, but somehow I doubt it would have been a Hemi...

Just an opinion, I might very well be wrong.

MATIJA

[The Creative Explorer]

In the last DOH movie, it got a Hemi, but I would guess it had all kinds of engines in the series cars, not just one specific.

[gtx6970]

I think all of the cars in the original series were big blocks 383 or 440

Any of the cars worth saving were sold off years ago and are scattered all over the country. And I don't remember reading that any where Hemi powered or small block powered

ask here to make sure if you want more info

dodgecharger.com

Edited May 17, 2013 by gtx6970

[blazefox]

Go with revell for the car body if you want it to be acurate, with out to much head scratching

[High octane]

Don't forget to get the wheelz from AMT's Riviera kit also.

[MAGNUM4342]

In my humble opinion, use the Revell 1969 kit and sand off the vinyl detail if you're doing a pilot episode car. In the pilot episode the General had the chrome trim that a vinyl topped car had. If you are doing any other GL, the 1968 kit with the 1969 kit tail light panel will suffice. I would go with resin wheels and a scratchbuilt brush guard and roll bar. The brush guard in the AMT kit is too wimpy and needs to be beefed up and the roll bars are okay, but rather than buy a third kit they should be scratched...and aftermarket decals.

The AMT kit is okay, but doesn't have the modern detailing and molding so a lot of the details are clunky. The cars on the show were not limited engine wise. They ran everything from a 318 in the jump cars (because of weight) on up to the 440. None of the GL's had a HEMI until the movie. I hope this is a help.

[CHEVY2MUCH]

is there a difference in the front/rear seats in the 68/69 charger kits?

[gtx6970]

is there a difference in the front/rear seats in the 68/69 charger kits?

Yes, considerable difference

[Danno]

Any Palmer kit?

[Casey]

Buy the Revell '68 and '69 Charger R/T kits. The '68 has the body without the vinyl top (smooth roof), and the '69 has the bulk of the '69 specific parts you'll need. Pics of the '69 R/T kit here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61511&hl=charger

The American Racing Vector wheels and General Lee decals are easy to find on eBay or here in the Trade section, and as Kevin suggested, scratchbulding a better grille guard and roll bar would be better than buying the MPC kit just for those parts. The rest of the MPC kit is pretty bad, so I would suggest you avoid it entirely. I've even seen resin Bo and Luke Duke figures on eBay if you want a driver and co-pilot. You're outta luck if you're a fan of Coy and Vance, though.

[goodguyinar416]

General Lees were labeled LEE 1, LEE 2, and LEE 3 in no particular order for film editing purposes.

LEE 1 was a 2nd unit car with a full roll cage. It is a 383 V8-powered 1969 Charger equipped with air conditioning (A/C). It was originally code T3 Light Bronze Metallic with tan interior, 3 speaker dash, and chrome rocker trim.

After the now-famous jump over "Rosco P. Coltrane's" police cruiser by stuntman Craig Baxley, it was stripped of its front seats and 1969-specific grill and taillight panel.

LEE 1 was used once more as the "Richard Petty" tire test car in the fourth episode Repo Men

LEE 2 was also a 2nd unit car with a full roll cage and tan interior. It was used for the opening scene in One Armed Bandits. In this scene, Bo and Luke were chasing Rosco's police cruiser with the General after Cooter stole it;

During this chase, LEE 2 is shown making a jump (the first that Baxley performed).

LEE 3 was the first unit 1 close-up car and the first General Lee built by Warner Brothers; it's seen in the first publicity photos. It was originally a F5 Medium Green Metallic R/T SE (Special Edition) model. It was powered by a 440 Magnum V8, 375 hp (horsepower) 3671 lb., and also had A/C with power windows and a wood grain dash.

Edited May 25, 2013 by goodguyinar416