NCIS 1971 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T

I'm not familiar with the car in the NCIS series, but, I'm a big fan of a Elephant Challenger being built. And I love the dual scroop hood much better than the shaker scroop. I'm looking forward to seeing this one come together.

Nice!  Looking forward to this build.  Is there a kit of a boat in the basement?

hogfanfs

I'm not familiar with the car in the NCIS series, but, I'm a big fan of a Elephant Challenger being built.

Me too! This is one of my favorite old AMT kits.

(However...since my 'first love' was a '71 426 Hemi 'Cuda, we'll agree to disagree about the 'Shaker' scoop....)

Thanks guys!  I had this kit and I wondered what to do with it, especially with a shaker hood scoop.  I had watched an episode of NCIS on USA network called "Jack-Knife" and I knew what and how to build the Challenger as.  I knew I had the extra parts in the parts box that I needed and I can make this one.  I have my suspicions about the 1:1 car used.  The first one used in "Heartland" has the 426 Hemi scripts on the hood and the one used in "Jack-Knife" does not and the paint is a different shade of yellow.

I got out my Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty and I puttied the roof joints.  Then I got out the rear deck wing spoiler and assembled the stanchions to the spoiler and set it aside to dry.

More NCIS to come...

keavdog

Nice!  Looking forward to this build.  Is there a kit of a boat in the basement?

 

Sorry, but no boat in the basement kit!  Still trying to figure out how Gibbs got the boat out of the basement... 

Took me a minute to figure out which car you are talking about.  Is that the car from the episode when Gibbs reconciled with his dad and found his dad had restored Jeth's old car?

Don Stauffer

Took me a minute to figure out which car you are talking about.  Is that the car from the episode when Gibbs reconciled with his dad and found his dad had restored Jeth's old car?

Yes it is!  That is the car that Jackson Gibbs restored for his son, Jethro.  It was part of the reconciliation of father and son. 

I suspect that there were two different cars used in the filming of the several episodes that featured that Challenger.  The only give away that I could find is the lack of engine scripts on the hood in the later episodes.  

My sister is addicted to that show - she makes me watch it when she comes over for dinner at the house!  And after a while, I got sucked in.

The other show she watches at dinner is Triple D with Guy Fierri.  Someone should make his car and do diorama bases of some of the more memorable places he visited.

Real G

My sister is addicted to that show - she makes me watch it when she comes over for dinner at the house!  And after a while, I got sucked in.

The other show she watches at dinner is Triple D with Guy Fierri.  Someone should make his car and do diorama bases of some of the more memorable places he visited.

 

You can take the AMT '68 Camaro and whack off the roof and make a convertible.  Then you can get the Model Car Garage Photoetch set for the '67/'68 Camaro.

https://www.modelcargarage.com/eshop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=162&idcategory=0

After letting the Bondo dry for several days, I started sanding this morning.  More sanding is needed to remove the sanding marks from a 120 grit sanding stick and then a coat of primer.

More NCIS to come...

Thanks Mike!  

It was suggested that I remove the rain gutter moldings while I sanded the texture off the roof and replace the moldings with thin strips of styrene.  I started knowing that I didn't have enough .010 X .030 strips for all the windows in the Challenger.  A trip to the Hobby Emporium in on the adjenda for today to get some supplies.

More NCIS to come...

Armed with my new package of 0.10 X .030 Evergreen styrene, I added new moldings to the windows of the AMT '70 Challenger.  A little more sanding and the body will be ready for primer.

More NCIS to come...

As you said, Mr. Mike, not too much information about it. I've found a few pics on the web.

https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_217100-Dodge-Challenger-R-T-1970.html

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=54629.0

https://www.starcarstn.com/NCIS.html

https://journal.classiccars.com/2014/09/05/pick-week-1970-challenger-bucket-list/

It looks like it was used also in a movie...

Thanks FJSigma!  I have previously looked through those sites and many of them didn't offer me anything new for my research.  At this point, I'll just go ahead and build the model with what information I have.  

Hi Keav;

 I suspect you will have to build your own dio of the boat in the Basement. Has anyone you know figured out How he gets them out of there?

Tanker-Builder

Hi Keav;

 I suspect you will have to build your own dio of the boat in the Basement. Has anyone you know figured out How he gets them out of there? 

That has become one of the great mysteries of NCIS.  How does Gibbs get the boat out of the basement, we will never know!

Mr Mike

 

 

Tanker-Builder

Hi Keav;

 I suspect you will have to build your own dio of the boat in the Basement. Has anyone you know figured out How he gets them out of there? 

 

 

 

That has become one of the great mysteries of NCIS.  How does Gibbs get the boat out of the basement, we will never know!

 

If I remember correctly, the phrase used was as a joke of sorts since the person who stated such, really didn't know himself.  In several past episodes, Gibbs has thrown off the subject by changing it to something else.

I added the front suspension to determine what clearances would be needed.  Since I am using a Revell 426 Hemi, the AMT chassis would need to be clearanced for something.  Something being the front of the oil pan and the oil filter.  I went a little too far clearancing the K member and I removed part of the front sway bar.  I'll replace it when I can find a piece or round stock the same size as the sway bar.

More NCIS to come...

A little time spent on Gibbs '71 Challenger Hemi R/T.  The front and rear suspension has been painted with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Glosss Black.  I painted the exhaust system with Model Master Aluminium Spray and after a few days of drying, a coat of Model Master Acryl Semi Gloss Clear.  The exhaust tips were painted with Alclad II Gloss Black Base in prep for some Alclad II Chrome.  On the chassis, I added a piece of 1 1/2" wide painters tape and I'll spray directly from above some Tamiya TS-16 Yellow for overspray.

More NCIS to come...

I got the chassis and engine mostly assembled.  I have to wire the engine, distributor and the ignition coil.  I placed the engine in the chassis and I expected the engine mounts to interfere with the exhaust headers.  Behind the right side header is a tab on the engine that is supposed to fit into the slot on the engine mount.  I'll clearance the engine mount until the tab fits into the slot.

More NCIS to come...

I clearanced the engine mount for the right exhaust header and I clearanced the left engine mount a little just for the Hell of it.  I then paint detailed the mounts and the upper A arms.

More NCIS to come...

A friend in a local auto club has a 1970 with a 426. Those were the days. She's looking good Mike.

Thanks Chad!  Almost time to paint the body!

I decided to strip the hood since I didn't like how the primer coat went down on it.  I also decided to strip the from valance panel, too.  I painted the interior bucket and the interior pieces with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black.  Now for some detailing!

NCIS will continue...

I have detailed and assembled the interior.

NCIS will continue...

I read somewhere that the one used in the show is actually a 383 car w/ 426 HEMI callouts on the hood. They refer to it as a 1971 in one episode, but it’s a 1970