AMT Raiders Coach detail?

[farmboy]

I have two show rods to build, the Mummy Machine and the Raiders Coach. As for the Mummy rod, I feel pretty much at liberty to plumb and wire it as I see fit. However, the Raiders Coach is a whole different area. Of the possibly 12 vague and fuzzy vintage photos available on line, are there any that show plumbing/brake line/hydraulics/steering etc to any level of use to modelers? I can pretty well create a believable connection layout after some thought (with no substantial pics out there, who's going to argue?)but if someone has useful photos or a schematic of the real deal I'd love to see 'em!  At any rate, I'll post an in progress build here if anyone is interested.

[41chevy]

I only had this photo when I did mine.  Paul

click pic twice

[kabdriver]

That's a great shot Paul! I never saw that one before!

[kabdriver]

May 22, 2019 15:54:41 GMT -6 farmboy said:

At any rate, I'll post an in progress build here if anyone is interested.

Yes please!  Absolutely!  And welcome!

[41chevy]

May 23, 2019 7:09:41 GMT -6 kabdriver said:

That's a great shot Paul! I never saw that one before!

I'll dig through some memory sticks, I may have one or two more from the same batch.   Paul

[rocketeer]

I built a really accurate Coach once. The first thing you'll have to do if you want a really correct Coach is dump the big-block Chevy engines and replace them with a couple of Pontiacs, then dig up or scratchbuild some stock Pontiac exhaust manifolds. And build new brackets for the long speakers that hang off the side of the power unit.

I have a couple good pics of the chassis and power unit, plus some of my completed model and a page of notes, that I'll post to Flickr when they get running again. I'll post a link here then.

Edit: Here's the link: Flickr album of Raiders Coach

[farmboy]

Thanks for the input and the help everybody. I made a good discovery the other day. The Vox organ on the carriage is always shown on the box art renderings as standard white keys/black sharps. Vox units as a rule were the inverse, black keys/white sharps. I found a photo of the back of the coash and it backs that up. But the stagecoach sides. On a few sharp vintage pics, they show the finish as not so much black as a texture. I'm thinking it's made to echo the vox speaker grills on the rest of the unit? The color is....not black. hmm.

[farmboy]

Here we go.  I'm ok to use the engine mounting system the Raiders kit has.  The engines however gotta go.  They're such a focal point that I'm glad I had a couple of engines to use in their place, and they happen to be Pontiac's from a couple of AMT '62 Tempest kits. First, I removed the molded on chrome oil filters.  Hard to see in a chromatic photo like this, but look at the front corner of the pan on the right. 

The engine pans fit the blocks ok.  I tested the valve covers from the Raiders kit and things are good there too.  I'll use the complete engine/transmission.  The tranny end is very slightly overlength, but it's doable without too much trouble.  These are a nice engine, glad I could use them.  The manifold is for a dual carb setup, but there's enough stuff happening topside that one would have to look real hard to see that.

The front engine connector has to be modified as well.  Here is the single piece separated into three.  I'll only be using the center arced piece, however,  it looks like I'll use the bottom struts to help support the speaker units along with new mounts for the top of them..

More to come.  Comments and observations always welcome.

[41chevy]

Jun 3, 2019 18:07:04 GMT -6 farmboy said:

Here we go.  I'm ok to use the engine mounting system the Raiders kit has.  The engines however gotta go.  They're such a focal point that I'm glad I had a couple of engines to use in their place, and they happen to be Pontiac's from a couple of AMT '62 Tempest kits. First, I removed the molded on chrome oil filters.  Hard to see in a chromatic photo like this, but look at the front corner of the pan on the right. 

The engine pans fit the blocks ok.  I tested the valve covers from the Raiders kit and things are good there too.  I'll use the complete engine/transmission.  The tranny end is very slightly overlength, but it's doable without too much trouble.  These are a nice engine, glad I could use them.  The manifold is for a dual carb setup, but there's enough stuff happening topside that one would have to look real hard to see that.

The front engine connector has to be modified as well.  Here is the single piece separated into three.  I'll only be using the center arced piece, however,  it looks like I'll use the bottom struts to help support the speaker units along with new mounts for the top of them..

More to come.  Comments and observations always welcome.

Your photos do not show up. 

[farmboy]

Anybody else not seeing them? I see them....twice. I'm copying the url and pasting it, seems to work on this end but is there something else needs doing?

[kabdriver]

I can’t see them either - I’m not very familiar with Google photo hosting (which is what it looks like you’re using), but does the page with the photo on have a link that ends .jpg? That’s the one you’ll need to use, probably.

Or post a link up to the whole album if you like so we can try and help figure it out 👍🏻

[farmboy]

does this one work?

Ah yes, that's what's missing, the jpg extension. I should have caught that. Explains why I can see it and you can't. I'll find another host in the next few days and repost.

[kabdriver]

Jun 4, 2019 18:29:07 GMT -6 farmboy said:

does this one work?

View AttachmentAh yes, that's what's missing, the jpg extension. I should have caught that. Explains why I can see it and you can't. I'll find another host in the next few days and repost.

Yep, that works great! 👍🏻

[farmboy]

let's see   Hopefully this came thru ok.

This, as was my original post, hopefully the photo is here?

It's the double oil pan engine mount with the chrome molded in oil filter removed.

Let me know if this works and hopefully I can continue the post.

[farmboy]

...and this one?

these are the engine blocks from the Pontiac Tempest kits

with sprues for the complete engine buildup.

I have to go to my hobbyjob in a few minutes but please

let me know fi the last two pics came thru.  i'll be back in a

few hours.

[41chevy]

Photos!! C@@l!!!

[kabdriver]

I see ‘em!

[farmboy]

Xcellent!  I'll be back in soon....and thanks!

[Paul B. Canney]

THIS IS THE PRROBLEM

img src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yylBVAnRaHms424n23-R-nKbYP7TxvrOsMQjqvAJwpfkWUaPs7LoEqy0YONDhZYFVbPy07_cVm9LC05Gqqs1p6qA5jaJZUgjtxYf5Hh5_ky9jSczNngXLg0opGaHNSKHJDGUu8biVZTIj4PWtjJ2PREaTC7EZUuxfhfBliOWy7PcBsjBNmzMq6F8we6kcaN2tUgd03LTGFRzYt3NDp9DO3IFQBAhpS30g1EC33IIyHPoLu_nC0WjCP6Oly-SNuE50KuP9FWtHtRT_Ly4u6MueVuaSOiAVBi46HRG7AIHRSn5MLjLBfvj2y__0RXocOe4WqvzIQdEUGoGrDyLXNIUOO1radtDC86Ca8a5dyF9xpqtorwPaW5EiR3HnpHK3MuYwx9x0Xo0g_Cy60crTT0kVZMD748tF52xZdUAk2TedaeLS7wfA-OKO3Xkp8DIfncncIS99mjSysQDcW6BPM81U4EYvsrMCQwlY8ZWRuGnUyTxPNh6q_SnnnNosq4sHNAPDxqLoJQWS9J1AL9nKkxqFkNwRxQh3ERnqm_s2UCGRI5kapKqyYo1iOmAEt8k5Eus8qL9q5DS5Uu3wyxGLp_9yMtuK7C1BQK5CWkzVwTjlMs65MFt8PL1tgdzkRywGQO0asIIzz8sfFncsT1Seur39bPgOEP_FQ=w698-h523-no" style="max-width:100%;"

[farmboy]

I've decided to concentrate on the coach first. Color wise, it's black. Period.  I'm going to use a different gloss black for the seat sides to add some color interest.  Subtle but it would be there. As for the yellow accents, I've decided on One Shot painters paint in a Chrome yellow for the seat cushions and curtains

The can is sitting on a piece of self adhesive vinyl that is about the right color for the yellow inserts around the coach side openings.  Close to the chrome yellow but enough to be different.

On some photos of the real machine, there's the steel screening on the front and rear quarters and center bottom.  My closest approximation to this is a section of splatter screen to be sprayed black over a gold vinyl insert

We'll see what happens

Attachments:

[41chevy]

Excellent color choice. I've used quite a few One Shot paints on models.

[kabdriver]

Great start! I’ll be watching!

[farmboy]

Managed to get a little bit done over the past while, sorry for the wait. I've painted the main parts of the coach black. I don't fool around with gloss black as I find it a real pita to mess with. I use flat black followed by gloss. Flat is very forgiving and covers so much better with so much less paint. Poor man's base coat/clear coat I guess. Anyway, in the pic below, the coach piece on the left is just the paint. On the right is my first ever attempt at using vinyl instead of masking.  I work part time at a sign shop so there are always left overs and scraps.  It looks ok to me but being the builder I'm no doubt biased. Input?

and here are both sides done

...and a fast mockup of the main pieces.  this is holding itself together.

Chrome yellow for the seats and curtains next.  It may be a few days.

Comments and observations always welcome.

[kabdriver]

This is looking GREAT! Really nice work - super clean! Keep updating us, I'm enjoying seeing this come together!

[farmboy]

A couple of updates. His is the gold panelling I chose for the bottom sides of the coach. Again, my first attempt with using vinyl instead of paint for this aspect of the model

Now the tricky part.  I cut a template on painters tape, copied it to splatter screen and cut it out with scissors.  Two things.  It doesn't behave well cut this small in that the individual strands -- especially sides parallel to the cut -- tend to move during the handling process.  You can see evidence of this in the test shot below.  So, instead of simply applying paint after it's been cut out, I've gone ahead and given a section of the screening a coat of flat clear to act as a binder of sorts.  One could also use Future and get good results I expect.  Anyway, a shot of black and another light coat 'o clear and we'll see if it holds up better.  There is a slight curvature to the panel but the screen seems to conform.  I also put some ca glue (the thin stuff) and spread it over a small section of vinyl and laid the screen on it.  It seems to stick ok and doesn't fill in the squares so I'll anchor the corners like that.  At least, it worked on scrap....

Comments and observations always welcome

[kabdriver]

That’s a really inventive and imaginative way to tackle this - I love it! Looks great...seems like it will take some effort to get perfect but looks great so far! Keep at it! 👍🏻

[farmboy]

Here's the chain link-ing so far. I dipped a section of splatter screen in Future. When dry, I put a template on it, cut it out, and sprayed it black. When dry, I again dipped it in Future, brushed on a light coating of future on the coach panel to hold it in place, and walked away. When dry, I will give the coach sides another coat of clear to cement things.

Here's hopin'.

Comments and observations welcome

[kabdriver]

What a great effect! Brilliant!!

[farmboy]

Finally got some modeling time in. I have the seating nearly done.  Just some mild touchup to do. I had done the sides using Testors black, but after some Future and gloss, it's really hard to tell from the carriage black. Oh well. I have the windows masked off with curtains ready for painting hopefully tomorrow night. Note the amp is not painted in the rear seat. it will be a black/grey with aluminum insert, black knobs and the odd red indicator. I plan on doing the other two amps in a black/grey like most road equipment was back in the day. The Vox Continental in the rear will take a while to do. I'm playing with the idea of a white micro paint pen for the sharps and black keys, just have to nail down a technique. Anyway, back soon.

Comments and observations welcome.

[kabdriver]

Can't fault it man, looks super clean!

Yeah, that keyboard is gonna be a BEAR to paint - but you're up to the task I'm sure!