Boss JD Hogg Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) I recently started working on an MPC General Lee build. I know the Revell '69 Charger kit is a much better kit, in fact I have a couple of those. However I wanted to see if I can make the MPC kit just a little bit nicer and more accurate. The kit I'm building is the most resent issue by Round 2. I have an original issue from back when the Dukes Of Hazzard was first on the air with the incorrect rear window. I was happy that the newest issue comes with the correct tunnel back rear window. Well when I opened the box the tunnel back rear window didn't quite look right. The molding is too wide and the shape looked off. I took out one of my Revell '69 Charger kits and compared the two side by side. The Revell kit appears to be correct so it's a pretty good reference. The MPC Charger's rear window is too small and incorrectly shaped. It's basically a rectangle instead of having an arc on the top. I started by removing the molding and adding sheet styrene to the inside so I would have enough plastic to re-shape it. I used a sanding stick and a file to enlarge the window and re-shape it to more closely match the Revell Charger's rear window. Since I wanted to use the clear plastic (glass) that comes with the MPC kit the window is slightly narrower than the Revell kit's window but has the basic shape. In addition I sanded down the rear deck and trunk lid area to level out some of the slope. It was angled too much and is now closer to what it should be. Here are some pictures showing the progress. The 1st picture shows the comparison between the Revell '69 Charger and the MPC Charger's rear window. The Revell Charger is on the left side and the MPC Charger is on the right side. The rest of the pictures show the modified rear window of the MPC Charger. IMG_5848 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_5887 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_5890 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6089 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6046 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr \ Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roth Potter Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Nice job! I bought two MPC kits myself this summer although I´m not much of a model builder so I probably won´t do this to mine. I got the Revell one as well. I should compare the two to see what version MPC Charger I have. terryturnwe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B / Scooter Davenport Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Wow- really nice work! I'll be following this! M terryturnwe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Thanks guys! I'm having a lot of fun on this one. Here's some more progress pictures. I picked up a bunch of parts from a Revell '69 Charger kit on E-bay and started incorporating them into this build. I started modifying the MPC kit's chassis by cutting the front frame rails off and installing the Revell kit's parts. I also installed the rear wheel wells and the rear piece of the frame on the back of the chassis. I sanded down the rough texture in the engine compartment and installed the Revell kit's firewall and scratch built the two shock towers. IMG_5881 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_5885 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_5916 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_5944 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6037 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6038 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6039 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6057 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted October 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) Here's some more progress on the General Lee. I filled in the space behind the license plate below the rear bumper. It's strange how this part of the body is split. I put some sheet styrene behind as well to close it all off and strengthen this area of the body. I also sanded the putty in the engine compartment. The hood that comes with this MPC kit is actually a 1970 Charger hood. MPC did put out a Charger 500 kit that was based on the Dukes kit that had a correct 1969 hood. I was able to get my hands on one for this build. The picture with the two hoods shows the correct (yellow)1969 hood on the left and the (white) 1970 hood that came with this kit on the right. I'm using the exhaust system from the Revell Charger which is more accurate than what came with the MPC Charger. I had to make the area that goes over the rear axle shorter to fit the MPC chassis by cutting out a small section. The last picture has the chassis with the exhaust system and rear end axle and springs in place. These are parts from the Revell Charger kit. IMG_6056 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6080 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6094 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6066 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6100 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6105 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Roth Potter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Here's a small update. The MPC kit comes with a full roll cage. In the pilot episode and at other times the General Lee was seen with a full roll cage but for the most part in the series a single loop roll bar was mainly used so I scratch built the roll bar. The interior is very crude and only indicates the location of most of the details such as the arm rests so I scratch built them. I think the interior looks a bit better with the arm rests. The seats in the kit have molded in seat belts which don't have very sharp detail. I removed the seat belts and scribed in the appropriate seams in the seats. I forgot to take a picture with the molded in seat belts but the picture below shows how they look now. The mounting hole in the dash board for the steering wheel was too far to the right so I filled it in and re-drilled it a bit to the left. I did get some more work and details done but have to take some more pictures. I'll post some more soon. IMG_6111 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6112 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6134 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6131 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6124 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roth Potter Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 Is it just me or is that roll bar a bit too thick? Could be all the white though as its usually black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) This build is loosely based on the Georgia cars. LEE 3 had padding on the roll bar which made it look thicker. Mine will be painted tan to match the interior as if it has padding. Since it's white plastic it is looking slightly thicker than it does in person. This picture below shows the roll bar with the padding. doh by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) It's been a while but here is an update. I started painting the wheels. I made pedals and an automatic shifter for the interior. I'll be using a heater under the dash board from a Revell 69 Charger. The engine is a 440 with an automatic like used on the show cars. This model comes with a Hemi engine that was never used on the show. The head rest on the front seat is a set from a Revell 69 Charger. I started painting the chassis. I painted it mostly like it would be painted at the factory with gray primer in the middle and the body color overspray. I painted the engine compartment and inner front wheel wells as if the car was painted with the front end off. I painted the body with Testors Custom Lacquer System Hugger Orange and applied the decals. The decals represent how the car looked in the early Georgia episodes. I also painted the headliner inside the body. IMG_6206 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6195 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6238 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6225 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6244 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_6174 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7191 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7218 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7212 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7214 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7216 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7215 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Spike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossC Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 I can't wait to see this finished. Your attention to detail is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 very nice work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roth Potter Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 I missed this in the activity tab I think. Very nice work man! those decals are so crisp as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks guys! The decals were given to me by a friend. They are more accurate than the set that comes with the kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowmufn Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Very nice. It's coming together well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted February 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 On February 9, 2016 at 11:15 PM, Meadowmufn said: Very nice. It's coming together well. Hey Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerDuke Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Great work! I definitely like the two flags in front of the trunk....just like they had on episode #1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted February 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 (edited) Thanks Roger! The early Georgia episodes are my favorite and this is my favorite look for the General Lee. I like the earlier darker tan interior more than the later light colored interior. Here is some more work I did on the interior. I painted the interior seats and door panels in Tamiya acrylic XF-59 Desert Yellow which is actually a dark tan color that's a good match to the saddle tan interiors in the 69 Chargers. The dash board, rear speaker deck and the kick panels in front of the doors panels are painted a darker color. It's a mix of Testors acrylic leather and dark tan. These areas were a darker color than the seats and door panels in 69 Chargers. The carpeting is made with Champagne colored embossing powder I got from Michael craft store. I painted on some Testors acrylic clear and poured the powder on top. It gives the look of carpeting. The center console is painted to look like wood grain although it isn't showing up to well in the pictures. I painted the inset in the dash Testors acrylic silver and then painted Tamiya acrylic flat black on top. The Tamiya acrylic paint is easily removed with Windex where as the Testors acrylic paint will not be removed with Windex. I used a toothpick slightly moistened with Windex to remove the black paint around the gauges and to pick out the details of the radio and some buttons. The red button on the left was painted after this was done. It was sealed with Testors acrylic clear. The trim around the center console, door handles and the straight molding towards the top of the door panels is done with Bare Metal Foil. The window roller handles, round Charger emblem(in the top of the door panels), and trim around the shifter area are done with Testors acrylic silver paint. I also added some Bare Metal Foil trim on the head rests but haven't taken any pictures yet. IMG_7239 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7253 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7259 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Roth Potter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerDuke Posted February 19, 2016 Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 Amazingly realistic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobie Hartkins Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 On 10/22/2015 at 9:42 AM, Boss JD Hogg said: This build is loosely based on the Georgia cars. LEE 3 had padding on the roll bar which made it look thicker. Mine will be painted tan to match the interior as if it has padding. Since it's white plastic it is looking slightly thicker than it does in person. This picture below shows the roll bar with the padding. Maybe somebody already mentioned this, but this is a Blooper picture! The passenger door is standing open! ( The General's doors were " Supposed" to be welded shut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roth Potter Posted February 22, 2016 Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 Well, there's also no 01 on the door. This picture is from before the show even started so not everything is right yet. Hobie Hartkins 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobie Hartkins Posted February 23, 2016 Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 16 hours ago, Roth Potter said: Well, there's also no 01 on the door. This picture is from before the show even started so not everything is right yet. WOW!! I can't believe I didn't notice that!!! Color me pink with embarrassment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted February 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) That's a cool early picture. You have to take a second look to notice the open door the missing 01. Here's an update. I painted the black on the tail light panel and sprayed the clear lacquer on the body. In a week or so I'll polish the clear. Today I made a couple of adjustments to the stance(ride height) and took some pictures with the wheels and tires on one side. It's propped up on the other side. IMG_7265 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7269 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7297 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7295 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7288 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr IMG_7291 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Spike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerDuke Posted February 23, 2016 Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 I'm enjoying this so much I sometimes forget this isn't a full sized car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss JD Hogg Posted February 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) Thanks Roger for the nice compliment! Here's another picture. IMG_7299 Small by Michael Scarola, on Flickr Edited July 27, 2017 by Boss JD Hogg Spike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerDuke Posted February 24, 2016 Report Share Posted February 24, 2016 Looks like those four pretty car strippers are driving around in their Jeeps and are at it again. Are they still running that new auto parts store in town? Roth Potter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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