Looking at the 3 similar Corvettes in this release, I decided that I liked the hardtops a lot, and the convertible was pretty much a mess, as AFX Too said in another thread. (Bobble-head! That's a perfect assessment! :thumbsup: ) But I don't like the blower on the red Vette. So with my son's permission (he likes the blower cars :rolleyes: ) I decided to test the theory that the hoods are removable and interchangeable if you hack off the little melt tabs. Worked like a charm, and this is the result:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vetsw.jpg

I know the paint isn't a perfect match, but maybe I'll try to match the hood later... I have a couple different metallic reds around here.

I decided the Vette would have to be lowered too, but unlike the big Chevys, this one looks good with wide tires. How could I keep them? After looking at the stock body a little, and comparing to pics of 1:1 cars, I decided the wheel wells didn't look right...

http://www.corvettemike.com/showroom/?cf=0196710003

The 1:1 car's wheelwells go almost all the way up to that body crease that runs the length of the car. The JL wheelwells would actually have to be cut to be prototypically correct. Dremel time...

So I rounded the wheelwells and shortened the screw posts, and I discovered a couple problems. First of all, this car, like the others I've done in this release, has a tremendous amount of extra plastic at the bottom of the windows. I hacked it all off.

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vetwdo.jpg

Next problem is the area of the hood. Since this car has the interchangeable hood, it has an extra layer of plastic under the hood, which hits the front of the gear plate when you try to lower it. More Dremeling.

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet05.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet06.jpg

Finally, the front edges of the pickup shoes hit the inside of the body behind the front bumper, so that area needs to be trimmed on each side above the shoes. (Look close, you can see it in the above pic.)

You may have noticed, this gets to be a pretty labor-intensive job... it's a lot more than shortening screw posts and trimming unneeded "glass". If you have the patience, however, it's well worth it, as you'll see in the next post...

(to be continued)

--rick

(Continued from previous post...)
So I trimmed the screwposts, the wheelwells, the windows, and the front of the body above the gearplate and in front of the pickups. This is the result (again, I didn't get a "before" shot, so we'll go with the comparison to the blue Vette):

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet01.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet02.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet03.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet04.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet07.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/%7Erwurtz/images/jl67vet08.jpg

AFX Too, you said you could look at the blue one for hours... Lower it, it looks even better! We need to thank JL's designers for giving use great stuff to work with...

By the way, something I noticed that I really like is that these are SHORT WHEELBASE! I seem to have it in my head that Aurora kinda distinguished between smaller and larger cars... Mustang and Camaro and Cougar and Firebird and Corvette and Falcon were short wheelbase, Galaxie and Torino and El Camino and Toronado and GTO were long... obviously there were exceptions like the Cobra and the Beetle, but it was a good rule of thumb when they could follow it. Now, JL's original bodies (I'm not counting their repops of Aurora stuff) have been just about ALL long wheelbase, even cars that are supposed to be smaller like Mustangs and Camaros... it's good to see a smaller car get the smaller wheelbase.

--rick

I cant wait to see the end results of this one Rick. So far everything you did looks great. I've been staring at my convertable 'Vette with my exacto knife, razor saw, dremel, and filler...debating the top down look. Maybe scalp the boot off a JL Mustang, and chop out the interior. Descisions, decisions. LOL

Fantastic job on that Vette......looks almost perfect after you got thru Rick..... :thumbsup:

Incredible work Rick. I guess those interchangable hoods really come at a price. The AFX Javelin had the same sort of thing going on but it didn't interfere nearly as much as the JL Vette does. I think that you'll be seeing two schools of thought on this. One will be to use that space to incorporate a detailed motor compartment and the other will be to cut out all that excess plastic so the body can sit properly on the chassis. Your after pic really captures the essence of what a real Vette should look like, which is a short tail, long hood, low slung roadster. You pics also give us a clue about one thing that can be done to the bobble head version - need add some side pipes to hide more of the visible chassis. Maybe a donor windshield can be devised so the pup tent can be popped off the bobble head and the thing modeled as a top-down version. It can be fixed.

Excellent read Rick. Thank you.

Rick, PUT DOWN THE DREMEL... Step AWAY from the work bench...

I thought cutting wheel wells was bad??? You can't prove it by me. Man does that vette look great. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

So is there any of the new Bowtie release that isn't going to see the the business end of your dremel tool?? :D

Keep postin pics, So far everything that you have done is fantastic...

Jeff

Nice Nice job! I am soooo jealous right now, as mine have not come in yet....

An easy way out on the paint, shoot the hood black!

Hey Park,

Man, that was quite a lot of effort you put into this one! It was well worth it, though. This is the way they should've looked in the first place. At least (as I mentioned in your other thread) with some modeling skills, we have this option, and your creativity proves this. With you attempting this project really helps me out a lot. All of your trials and (no) error will save many people who I know are going to do the same thing. They must, if they want a much more original looking piece. I sure hope RC-2 is reading these threads--which might give them some better ideas for the future series.
Thanks so much for sharing this labor intensive endeavor. You really did a bang-up job on this one. Brilliant! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Cheers!

rick,
great job, that's the way that one should look. Have my dremel ready, just need my inner to show up. Someday. :freak:

Looks like I'll be cutting the whole case down to get that "good" fit! :thumbsup: rr

The face to face comparison looks like you lowered that Vette about 1/8". If we use 1:72 as the scale that's 9 scale inches!!!

I could stare at your work for days... even above the constant whine of an overworked Dremel. Super super nice job.

Gee guys, thanks for all the kind words on these and the '59 & '62! Hey, keep in mind that essentially, all I'm doing is hacking these things up. Any of you guys with a Dremel can do what I did with these three. (Okay, reshaping the wheelwells on the Vette took a little judgement and ability... :rolleyes: ) But I'm waiting for someone really talented to lay down a candy grape flame job... or to detail an engine compartment... or to decal the '59 like Junior Johnson's 1960 Daytona winner...

Let's see some pics of your stuff!

--rick

Fantastic Job on all the cars you lowered Rick! Didn't Model Motoring do a 67 Vette as well? How is the roofline on those and would they make good candidates for donor parts? (Expensive ones!) I would post a pic for comparison, but my slots are in storage until the basement is finished, Grrrrrrrr..........

Chet

Chet, (and anyone else interested)
You are right, Model Motoring also did a 67 Vette. My loaner camera is not here, so I cant give you a side-by-side comparison, but by eyeballing them, here is the major differences.
Size....the MM version is slightly smaller. Its probably closer to true HO scale.
Details....both cars are nicely done, but I have to give JL the win for better body lines. The door frames, hood, fender "gills", headlight pods, body and roof lines are deeper and much more defined on the JL.
Wheel wells are better on the MM. No need for all that Dremel work.
Paint is about even, but MM gets the nod for the Corvette script on the trunk, and a liscence plate.
Both are good examples of the classic second generation 'Vette. I just wouldnt put one of each on the same track at the same time.

Well, I came by a little late in the game but I have to chip in: that 'vette came out great! Very clean and low looking.

--rick, you have been a busy guy!
What you have done looks great!
I just bought two of these Vettes from Fleabay. I'll keep my Dremel on standby...
Scott

I just bought two of these Vettes from Fleabay. I'll keep my Dremel on standby...
Scott
Ah HA! I was hoping you'd get in on this!

Wait till you guys see what Scott the Sultan of Slammed can do with these things... he's gonna make mine look like a monster truck, I tellya... :D

hey Scott, you gonna try one of the '59s too? once you lower it, it handles pretty well considering it's a freakin' SLED...

--rick

Park - Awesome! The only thing it needs now is more realistic wheels. Go with RRR Bullets(like 5 spoke Cragars or Americans) or Steelies(factory chrome reverse). They are stock height which would work fine. Or vintage deep dish Champion aluminums w/silicones, front & rear(I have them - shameless plug!).

Gene

Rick, That Vette looks like it needs a good wheel man or woman. Thanks for going through the work and sharing what you did. It's going to save me some time and grief when I rework some of these cars. Randy.

Frickin' Sweeet :)

:thumbsup: Dear Rick;
I have spoken to Dr. Albert Dremel & his quote is as follows;
"My boy ! the problem is not that you are dremeling too much but the opposite-you are dremeling too little :lol: .Remember the shortest route to true mental health is to do as much dremeling as you can !

Great work, Neal Abramson :wave: