Jump to content

Recommended Posts

For those who didn't know, the Charger wreck used in Dukes Season 1 Episode 4 "Repo Men" was the same car that made the jump at the very end of the show's opening credits.  LOVED this car the first time I saw it as a kid, did not know how important it was until decades later.  

 

Replicating this wreck in 1/25 will be a VERY ambitious project.  Not as simple as wrecking a plastic body.

 

qzE4wFs.jpg

xmsbN19.jpg

6v3JL7F.jpg

gMZ0cjf.jpg

zurHySJ.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

If I can't replicate the body damage, the entire project is pointless.  If I only heat up and bend the plastic body it will look toylike, as the body thickness when scaled up would be akin to a couple inches thick.  Not convincing at all.

 

THE SOLUTION: Make aluminum foil copies of the body sections to be damaged.  

 

Let's try it on the hood first:

 

NJF4dvc.jpg

meeSOoG.jpg

TgLFGwX.jpg

9lbiFx8.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Once damaged to taste, the foil is filled from behind with tons of gap-filling superglue and plastic strip reinforcements.

 

Then to the body itself, the same treatment but MUCH bigger. LOTS of superglue to fill it all from behind.  Then priming and sanding in appropriate areas.

 

RyBa8gv.jpg

l8rAJzk.jpg

Myuc7Wd.jpg

yCTLui8.jpg

O1mYfV6.jpg

wyJXE3N.jpg

SZPzAwH.jpg

z2u9bnc.jpg

T3N0hQu.jpg

BSd4EZ3.jpg

Sh7SNq9.jpg

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you!  And the technique is my own, this is a grand experiment....wasn't sure how it would work....

 

The interior needs special work.  From what I can see in the episode, the interior panels under the rear windows were removed along with the back seat, although I've read that only the seat was removed to install the full roll cage.  

 

So, I had to remove the rear panel and totally rebuild it as the interior structure that the panel would normally cover.  Was a 2 full day scratchbuilding job, daunting at first but well worth it in the end.  

 

The carpet will be well worn and stained soon.

 

I2zF9w1.jpg

xVnBsSL.jpg

38Jp7JK.jpg

NElVuxf.jpg

SgQT2kt.jpg

IEN12wp.jpg

VCj4Lw6.jpg

PdEjgYf.jpg

Vp0KD04.jpg

gZfLQeE.jpg

AUFofWp.jpg

Ek0gamK.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

This is coming along nicely!

 

Looks like the foil is working for you. If you want to try something else, take a look at the vacuum seal from Costco's coffee cans. They are 5 mil Al sheet discs that might be ideal for this. Malleable enough to form yet strong enough to hold up to some handling. I've formed all manner of parts with this material, including slats.

 

I'm happy to share some if you don't have a ready source. LMK in a PM and I'll see if I'm allowed to mail something out.

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, dnl42 said:

This is coming along nicely!

 

Looks like the foil is working for you. If you want to try something else, take a look at the vacuum seal from Costco's coffee cans. They are 5 mil Al sheet discs that might be ideal for this. Malleable enough to form yet strong enough to hold up to some handling. I've formed all manner of parts with this material, including slats.

 

I'm happy to share some if you don't have a ready source. LMK in a PM and I'll see if I'm allowed to mail something out.

 

Thank you for all the kind words folks!

 

dnl42, I appreciate the offer! Although I'm past the point of needing them now....if I ever do anything this weird again I know what to do :cheers:

Link to post
Share on other sites

ROLL CAGE

Tip: Do NOT use the roll cage from the MPC "General Lee" for this project.  Wrong style, wrong design, wrong size.  

 

I also found some drawings online which purport to be the actual design sketches for the original.  They do match what I see in all the photos.

 

qzE4wFs.jpg

xM7x6oK.jpg

z7EE4Dg.jpg

7zcPWqn.jpg

H497fWG.jpg

HeaaBmy.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was wondering what the collars were about when your post above appeared.  You have more photos of the wreck that shows the padding?  I don't see padding in any of the photos.

 

<Emily Latilla>

Never mind.

</Emily Latilla>

I see it now.

Edited by Slartibartfast
Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Slartibartfast said:

I was wondering what the collars were about when your post above appeared.  You have more photos of the wreck that shows the padding?  I don't see padding in any of the photos.

 

Yep, in what I just posted you can see it in the closeup of Cooter sitting in it, and in the pic of it on display at the car show.  The car show one has the bar behind the seat missing, though, but you can see the crossbar (seat-bottom level) and the front bent section by the dashboard.

Edited by Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you!

 

FRONT BUMPER

 

Need the front bumper to look like bent metal, and not a bent plastic model part.  Made an aluminum foil cast of the central section; removed that plastic, attached the ends to the foil cast. 

 

Very carefully bent and dented it to match the photos.

 

Filled with CA glue with wire reinforements for the structure.  Primed, will be coated with Alclad chrome tomorrow or Thursday.

 

vPDtRDG.jpg

J7VFZvP.jpg

PS0v8ej.jpg

173sq95.jpg

rp7V97T.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Final bodywork touchups and priming, and ready for paint.

 

Tough to match the exact color, since in the episode (the way I'm making it) it was disguised/obscured with gray scratchwork all over it, and the recovered wreck was apparently quite weathered and faded.  Did the best I could.  Finally settled on a mix of 5 different blues and greens.  It's actually darker than the photos show....

 

I settled on: 2 parts Testors Gloss Dark Blue (#1111); 2 parts Testors Dark Beret Green; 1 part Model Master Dark Sea Blue; 1 part Testors Gloss Green; 1 part Gloss Light Blue.

 

Nee9fAQ.jpg

lzvZBo8.jpg

YgNwhJs.jpg

dfv30sR.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Grateful to have finished this beast in record time...

 

Re-chromed the bent bumpers and other parts with Alclad, and was lucky to have located the proper wheel hubs.  Also broke the right door handle to match the real thing.

 

Wide tires from the MPC Sheriff's Dodge Monaco.

 

Windows tinted with Future floor polish and food coloring.

 

Sheet metal for the front and back from a disposable roasting pan from the Dollar Tree.

 

Airbrushing dust and dirt all over the chassis and bottom of the body.

 

Only regret is the wide tires stick out too far....and yet wide tires were used....but I just draw the line at redesigning the suspension that drastically.  Enough is enough.

 

dEeJ5RH.jpg

erkS6nv.jpg

66EnYTe.jpg

0vNJNfV.jpg

8ZXA6vp.jpg

OsmwCtQ.jpg

ZuuNT1Z.jpg

YGCIceq.jpg

5S2ODFD.jpg

8z9y2KP.jpg

6bi2TSX.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 10 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...