General Lee.....ish '69 Dodge Charger

[mustang1989]

When I started this build I had no intention of building the General Lee as everyone knows it. I am a Charger fan long before I am a "Dukes" fan but still like the look of the General Lee so I hope I don't hurt any GL purists out there looking on. I built one as a kid and have always wanted to have a second shot at it. Only this time I got to add my own touches to it. I started with the stance. I didn't like the high stance of the Lee at all so I set out lowering a bit all the way around. I also went with wider wheels from the AMT Eckler Corvette kit and used a set of tires(which I turned into Bf G's by way of decals ) from the Revell Challenger T/A kit so I could have a more aggressive look. Secondly, if I had one of these it only makes sense to have opening doors....hence the door handles. Third, I love the looks of the 69 Charger R/T grille.....a true testament to the aggressive looking front ends of the time so I opted to show the R/T grille unobstructed by not installing the grille guard up front. Just couldn't do it guys. Lastly, the GL is NOT an R/T which I simply could not have. If I'm going to build a Charger then it's gonna be an R/T and it's gonna have a 440 and not a 383. You're also not going to find a roll bar or CB radio inside. I love the looks of a factory interior in any car and have always liked the Charger interiors in particular so I couldn't "spoil" any of that.

The kit is from Revell. Paint is Testors "Go-Mango" lacquer with Testors "Wet Look" clear. Decals are from the MPC GL kit which was really the only visible part that I took from that kit. The front and rear license plate decals came from Thomas Logan at Speedway Decals. The OOB exhaust tips sucked so I replaced them with aluminum rod cut to length as well as bevel cut and polished. All scrips and details are from the Model Car Garage PE set for the Revell kit.

 

[moon puppy]

Whoa! Really nice job.
I've always wondered if car builders wouldn't benefit from a slight wash in the engine bay to give it more depth. I don't know what the prevailing thought is in the car genre.

 

[mustang1989]

Whoa! Really nice job.
I've always wondered if car builders wouldn't benefit from a slight wash in the engine bay to give it more depth. I don't know what the prevailing thought is in the car genre.

Thanks Bob! I've tried using a wash on cars like this and I just don't like how it looks......unless it's a well used vehicle that's dirty and grimy. I will use an ever so slight wash on engines like I did on this one to help bring out some of the raised detail but that's about as far as I go.

 

[Rhino]

I am delighted to see you went with the entire time-honored livery on your beautiful, shiny, orange Charger! In a world where nudity is displayed to depict historical accuracy in some cases (The Thunderchief with the nekkid woman straddling the refueling socket) Anybody who feels offence at this treasured icon of TV fun and excitement just needs not to look.
HARRUMPH and Bravo!! tens:

 

[mustang1989]

I am delighted to see you went with the entire time-honored livery on your beautiful, shiny, orange Charger! In a world where nudity is displayed to depict historical accuracy in some cases (The Thunderchief with the nekkid woman straddling the refueling socket) Anybody who feels offence at this treasured icon of TV fun and excitement just needs not to look.
HARRUMPH and Bravo!! tens:

Thanks for the comments Rhino! Man I hear ya. I can't build a General Lee without putting a flag on it any more than I can't build a Luftwaffe birdy without the swastika being on the tail.

 

[Rhino]

My 1/700 Civil War ship kits will all have historically correct flags when I finally issue them. No one that feels offense will be obligated to buy any of them.

 

[Tojo72]

The detail is really amazing

 

[mustang1989]

My 1/700 Civil War ship kits will all have historically correct flags when I finally issue them. No one that feels offense will be obligated to buy any of them.

Right on!!

The detail is really amazing

Thanks Tony!! I wanted this one to pop some so I took my time with it.

 

[Brokeneagle]

Lovely model, I really love Chargers as well.
I really love the sit of your body on the wheels. I can never get the car models to look right when sitting on rubber - what do you do?

Ian.

 

[mustang1989]

Thanks Ian.

To me......a good looking car/ truck always begins with a good stance. A build can have the best paint job in the world and the better detailing than can be seen anywhere but if the stance is off...then the whole build is off. I start off all my auto builds with working around and setting up the proper stance. I play around with wheel/ tire combos , ride height and the overall look until I've got what I want....then I proceed with the actual build.
To achieve this I approach it in a couple of ways.
1.) I modify the suspension components to lower or raise stance.
2.) The openings of the wheel backing can be "ovaled" so to speak as to fine tune ride height and the mod can never be seen due to the axle flange or front axle flange covering the hole. If you need any clarification on this I can put together a small tutorial on how to do this.

 

[paddy]

Do you do anything with your windows ?, i always think plastic windows let model cars down but yours seem pretty clear ?

 

[mustang1989]

Do you do anything with your windows ?, i always think plastic windows let model cars down but yours seem pretty clear ?

'Preciate the good word Paddy. All glass gets a dip in Future. If I bring the glass out of the future and it has so much as a spec in it....it'll get dunked again right away and keep getting dunked until it's clear. Then, dab the lowest corner on a paper towel to get rid of the excess and put the glass/ part in a dust free enclosure till everything is dry. If a some debris does find its way onto the glass or there is a blur in the window from excess Future pooling up either at the corners or anywhere else, the part gets dunked overnight in Windex, rinsed off with water and I start the whole process over again. Two places on a model car I never skimp on are the windows and the stance. A blem on either one is like a black eye on a beautiful woman to me.

 

[chrispisme]

Beauty, as usual!
I've built a couple of model cars (4 actually) that I've owned in my life but seeing yours is kinda making me want to try again. I wont... but it sure does call to me!
PS I do weather and dirty up my engines, my 440 6 pack '74 Charger always had soot marks on the rear bumper (cold start slobbering) but that's just me (I'm often wrong)

 

[mustang1989]

Beauty, as usual!
I've built a couple of model cars (4 actually) that I've owned in my life but seeing yours is kinda making me want to try again. I wont... but it sure does call to me!
PS I do weather and dirty up my engines, my 440 6 pack '74 Charger always had soot marks on the rear bumper (cold start slobbering) but that's just me (I'm often wrong)

Thanks Chris! I didn't even know that Dodge offered a 440-6 pack on engines in '74!!!

This is about as crazy as I ever got with an engine here. I built a 440 for a group project and mailed it to the builder and I did, in fact , dirty this one up a bit because it was supposed to be for a car depicted as a daily driver. Had alot of fun with this one.

 

[Skinny_Mike]

Awesome build!

 

[chrispisme]

I should clear that up, you’re correct the ‘74 didn’t come with a 6 pack 440 it came with a smogger 400cid 4bbl Carter thermoquad, I re-powered it with a drive train from a 66 charger.
sorry for the confusion (that’s on me)
although.....Chrysler Direct connection made the 6 pack available for many years (into the ‘90’s I think) as a direct fit add on.

 

[mustang1989]

I should clear that up, you’re correct the ‘74 didn’t come with a 6 pack 440 it came with a smogger 400cid 4bbl Carter thermoquad, I re-powered it with a drive train from a 66 charger.
sorry for the confusion (that’s on me)
although.....Chrysler Direct connection made the 6 pack available for many years (into the ‘90’s I think) as a direct fit add on.

No worries potna. Aint no haitn' goin' on here with me. This aint MCM ya know. lol

Smart decision to re-power it.

 

[mustang1989]

Awesome build!

Thanks Mike!!

 

[Paulw]

Those looms look about perfect, Joe.

 

[Impisi]

thats some great build