Chrysler 300: Paint

While the 240 Z is not stalled, I found a decent copy of Jo-Han's 1968 Chrysler 300 on eBay, which is proving to be a distraction.

I've always liked the looks of the various full-sized late-60's coupes, such as the Ford Starliner, Pontiac Parisienne and Chrysler 300. They are probably the most wasteful use of a couple of tonnes of steel one could imagine in terms of use of space, but the shapes are hard to ignore, and while there is a lot of chrome at either end, there is not a lot on the flanks. So I have been watching for some time, and the opportunity to grab one of these big brutes in decent shape turned up recently.



The '65-'66 models were also good looking, especially compared to the phenomenally ugly '63-'65 editions, but the unusual C-pillar in the '67-'68 makes it stand out.



Typically for kits of the period, detail is low, with rear suspension and exhaust molded into one piece with the chassis, but the body is straight and there is very little damage from bits rattling around in the box over the years. All it needed was cleaning up of the mold part lines and filling of two small sinkholes in the trunk lid; so far there are no obvious scratches or gouges (although the glass looks to be a bit scratched up).



The kit comes with quite nice custom front and rear roll pans as shown on the box cover art, but I suspect I'll build it stock. The only change will be to find a decent set of Cragar or similar period mags, and sit it all as low as possible. The solid axles that push through the engine block are well suited to lowering, fortunately.

As for colour, there are a lot of photos of stock versions out there, but few, apart from the wagons, have taken advantage of the opportunities available with the scalloped side panel. (Now the wagons are good-looking barges -- I wonder is there a resin body out there?) The best looking ones have vinyl roofs in a contrasting colour, for instance a white roof over dark blue or green metal. A lighter colour on the roof tends to reduce the emphasis on the C-pillar, but that is a defining feature of the car.

In the end I decided to go for a solid colour, and settled on Tamiya TS-4, German Grey, which surprisingly looks a little slate-coloured in the picture.



Next will be to highlight all the emblems and script, which are very well detailed. Perhaps I'll give Bare Metal Foil another try.