Greetings,
Conversation earlier had me ponder the efficacy of doing a Titus '69 Firebird backdated with select '68 parts. The major thing would be to fit a wider 'beak' to the front clip, and somehow fit a '68 hood to a likely '69 shell. Plugging the side air extractors (just trim anyhow), replacing the rocker trim and fitting a Camaro ducktail spoiler plus 302 Chevrolet power wouldn't be terribly hard - just what to do about the assumed fundamental mismatch of cobbled-together panelwork (in-period no less) across two diecast manufacturers?
I feared that the 1:18 Yat Ming 1969 Firebird Trans Am and the 1:18 Lane 1968 Firebird tools would be about the least compatible diecast kitbash project on the planet, believing the former not very good at all, the latter, almost too good to render scrap. Anyhow, somehow I purchased a Yat Ming '69, scrounged a Lane '68, scrounged another Lane '68 via eBay for not too much to give matters a go. What is seen is just early work to prove it possible.
Quite surprised to notice the Yat Ming and Lane dimensions are very close - the wider (by combining two bumpers - a weird appearance this subtle mod. affords the front of the topic) Lane '68 bumper 'stamping' blends well to the Yat Ming '69 shell, whereas shocked to discover that the hood will drop on essentially unmodified but for dreaded metalwork to cut away structure from the Yat Ming shell. Hwy. '61 Camaro hinges would be best, a modified Hwy. '61 '69 Camaro chassis narrowed at the hip does seem quite possible, whereas an Al Bartz Chevrolet 302 would find a home within the engine bay. Anyhow, a fun exercise as photographs suggest...
Mike K.
...the topic, seen at the Riverside Mission Bell 250 '69. Photo image from Car Craft magazine - thanks Jon!
...still-wide extended grille (Hey! - now you know what a 'Pontiacntiac' is!), plus brief photo reference suggesting odd shape of modified front bumper. Bumper is almost certainly fiberglass or aluminum on actual car, painted either silver or a very agreeable 'natural gas' shade of blue, while wheels are gray-painted Minilites. Photo reference depicts topic as seen at first event of the '69 season held at MIS.
...a shock for fit of all items relative to each other doesn't suck.
...rear bubble flares could be reused Autodynamics Challenger rear flare castings - I stopped at the half-way point prior to final shaping and saved the major work for possible use elsewhere - like here.
...last shot, major metalwork to cut out. Grille shell needs space to exist behind bumper, whereas all one sees is stout Zamac structure to support the '69 nose. Grille shell and grille painted black, most mods. will be rendered invisible, whereas scrap resin Minilites quickly painted here just to afford a sensation of what the finished model might look like. Front valence is '68 Lane, whereas the lowermost extension of the '69 Yat Ming front fender has been cut off to allow the use of the former. Thanks for reading this...
Mike K.
