I've been on the prowl for a 1/64 Chevy II Nova since my wife (a USPS rural carrier) and I got into discussing what would be the ultimate US Mail car. I figured since it wasn't likely anyone would be forth coming with a '67 Chevy Nova 4 dr. I'd work with what I could get. Even though the likelyhood of me actually getting a 1:1 Chevy II SW are slim to none we are going for the "ultimate" by definition. A panel wagon would be even less likely but I like the idea of privacy that the panel gives to the carrier. Here are some of the prep pics of this project. I do expect to see JL come out with Chevy II Nova SW or panelwagon shortly after I finish this project. "Murphy's Law."

I can never figure how these pics are going to align when they show up on the screen so in no particular order: One is of the initial break down, the support for the J&B Weld to connect the newly lengthened roof line, the rough J&B, the primered body and the mold for a hood, since this was a "Street Freak" and it doesn't come with one of those. It'll be several days before I can remove the hood from the high temp silicone and pour a new "bonnet."

Looks good so far!

However, you're sort of right about Johnny Lightning making a '67 Nova after you finish... they do plan on releasing a '66-'67 Nova this year (coupe, not station wagon).

Keep doing the series of steps and I will put it up on www.hotworldcustoms.com as a how-to when you are done.

looks great

Sweet! Keep up the good work!

Swifty: I got a '69 Nova 2dr by JL a while back. But I couldn't imagine any way of making a 4dr out of it. Boggles my little mind :freak: And from a previous discussion we pretty much determined they quit the SW with the Chevy II. My interest in the '67 Nova 4dr style is, it would be one that is still available in my price range for a real mail hauler. The delivery wagon would still be the "ultimate." 6 banger with a Turbo-Hydro and a bench seat.

Dipstick: I planned on documenting this project so if it turns out...Be my guest.

It'll be a couple of days before I dare pull the hood out of the mold and pour a new one. Until then I'll be working on a doable paint scheme.

looks great

:wave:
We just talked today on doing a Nova wagon.

Looks great so far ClearHooter

Nice work! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: looks like it going great to.

I gave myself a setback yesterday by prematurely pulling the hood form from the silicone mould. After a few choice words and a good swift kick for my impatience I carefully replaced the hood into the form and pressed the bottom of the mould to try and reseal it. NOTE TO SELF & FYI: Let the high temp silicone cure for a week before removing the form from the mould. This had cured for at least 60 hours and had still not set up in the center.

I did a few VERY ROUGH drafts to develop a paint scheme. I wanted to use a variation of the Postal Eagle logo. This is more or less the development. My personal pick is #6. I'm sure my wife wouldn't be caught dead in a car that looked like this; but it'd look cool at the USPS Mail Rodeo or coming off the lights at "Shady Side Dragway." I can see it now going through the traps at a scorching 55mph, 6 banger screaming, letters and parcels flying out the back :p :thumbsup:

For reference, I replied to this existing thread so you could see it from the start.

This project wouldn't have taken nearly the time, and would have turned out better, if I had started with a regular JL Chevy II. But I wasn't willing to chop up the only good one I had. What I started with was a Chevy II "Street Freak." This required much modification since the car didn't have a hood. And the fire wall's different from the regular one. I made a mold from my good Chevy II's hood by pressing it into high temp silicone. This was left one week to cure completely. I first tried to pour a hood using pewter. This was less than successful since I had nothing to compress the molten pewter. I decided to make a press from good ole J&B. The first two didn't get mixed well enough and I had uncured spots in them. This is pictured in the attachments. But by the time I'd cured the third, a lightbulb flashed over my head. Why even mess with the pewter? The J&B made a great hood. Of course it had to be filed to fit. But J&B files a heck of a lot easier than pewter.

I painted the car with fingernail polish and applied the decals I designed to fit the sides. This was then clear-coated. I went ahead and used the rear glass from the coupe. I'll probably change that as the Chevy II had flat glass in the back that rolled into the tail gate. The wheels came off of a JL '96 Dodge Ram Pick'em-up I found in a 3 for a $ pile at the flea market. Now that I can see it to scale I'll probably add a "US Postal Service" decal to the blue and on the rear roof line add the slogan "We Deliver." I didn't know how it wouuld fit.
On the tail gate "USPS RURAL CARRIER....FREQUENT STOPS!!!!"

I've got another set of decals, and I'd like to do another from the regular Chevy II. I don't like the way the "Street Freak" chassis hangs below the body. This was good practice for when I do find the right casting.

Oh! And anyone out there that is a rural carrier, or is familiar with the system...The amber light is removable and the car is off duty :p :thumbsup:

for the rear glass look at the jl 65 chevy truck i think it will fit perfect with a lil triming
looking great i like it

needs a decal on the rear saying

we deliver in 9 seconds or less.....lol

that looks sweeeeet kutgw ttfn johnny

Those decals turned out great! Looks awesome! Well done! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I was surprised that the paint matched the decals as well as it did. I went about it "bass ackwards." I printed the decals and matched the paint. I should have painted the car, scanned it, sampled the paint and brought that over to the decal. It worked out well anyway. But it was just luck. This car is really just a "learner." I'll find a "beater" cheap one day. Hopefully by then I won't have forgotten the experience. That's why it was good to document most of this modification here. I've used it several times during the project as reference.

I'm going to try and make one using tinted rear glass from some blister; before I go on a hunt and send another lamb to slaughter. :p But its good to know incase this don't work. I wished the glass was clear. Another reason for the stock casting. I made a bench seat that can't even be seen due to the tintnted glass of the SF model.

I replaced the back glass. I had some scrap window tint from the auto-etchings so I used it on the back of some flat blister. Cut to size. Glued it in with Elmer's White glue.

CH,

For your first prototype, looks like a great job. Especially liked the way the decals turned out. Thanks for the story! :thumbsup: rr

Actually this was my second major body modification. The first was a HW C-4R Cunningham Roadster into a C-4RK Cunningham Coupe. I've still not got the windshield just the way I want it on that one. That's why I'm looking forward to being able to use the old Vac.U.Form. Also at the Auto Fair last week-end, I got a great book titled, "Cunningham Sports Cars, American Racing Legends 1951-1955." I found several changes that needed to be made to mine; but was also surprised at how close I'd come to getting it right. Given the limited reference material I had at hand when I converted the car several years ago. Believe me when I saw that car put out by HW I was floored. The coupe took several weeks after seeing them to complete. Looks like its due for a rebuild since my hardware has improved with the advent of decals and the hope of a "Vac."

Postal Humor:
Q. You know why UPS has a NASCAR and USPS doesn't?
A. The USPS cars pull too hard to the right. :p

Think about it.....