1:18 Death Proof Dodge Charger

Hi, long reader first writer here! I know my creations won't be as amazingly perfect as some pieces of arts I've see around here since I am mostly a collector; but being myself quite picky with details I always try to improve.

I'm showing here one of my 1:18th creations, the 1969 Dodge Charger from the movie Death Proof. The model is complete, so I will show the finished pics and I will be adding the process later if you wish.

I decided to reproduce the car just at the beginning of the chase, just when Kurt Russel starts ramming the Challenger. That means the Charger would have side ramming and no blood on the windshield yet. Apart from the screen accurate details I added more rust and age-worn, as how the movie car could be nowadays.

It started with the General Lee replica by ERTL (The cheap version, not RC2 authentics model, as you can see)

(Home-made garage diorama, still working on it )

I have to say, and those who know the model will agree, these basic ERTL models have very rough details, so one of the goals was to improve it.

This is the mods list:
Interior mods:
- Interior panels removal, scratch built interior body and overall flat black paint.
- Grant steering wheel (as seen in the stuntcars, not the hero-car)
- Conversion to automatic transmission with race B&M ratchet shifter.
- Scratch built Beard Seats sports seat replica
- Scratch built rollcage replica
- Handbrake addon for rear wheels.
- 440 Magnum big-block engine: Overall mopar orange paint, detailing (distributor wiring, brake master cilinder, general tubing and wiring, windscreen wipers motordrive, detailed engine bay, Magnum replica engine air cleaner plate, battery removal (movie cars had the battery relocated to the trunk) ...
- Accessories: Stuntman Mike jacket, mopar magazine, license plates, beer bottle, ...

Exterior mods:
- Dented bodywork and overall flat black paintjob.
- Scratch built Convoy Duck hood ornament.
- General Lee Pushbar and chromed detailing removal,
- Overall detailing.
- Repainted and detailed wheels to resemble the American Racing Vectors alloys better.
- Taillights reconstruction with clear red optics.
- Reverse indicators removal.
- New realistic sidemarkers and movie Tennessee license plate.
- Side windows addon.
- Rust, dirt and mud addons.

I will be showing the pics along with the real car for comparison:



Movie:

The Charger along with Buddy Joe Hooker, one of the best stuntmen in history:



Movie:




Movie:



Interior:

Movie:

As I said the steering wheel shown in the hero-car was the Grant Mahogany model; quite a unusual wheel and not easy to make in the short period of time I was planning. So I decided to look for a steering wheel similar to those in the stuntcats, another Grant model, that was.

Details of the Beard seat and Simpson harness. (BeardSeats label was missing), Stuntman Mike's jacket is also visible.

Engine:


I couldn't get any photos of the original engine used in the car but as I read in the internet they had Magnum 440s.

Undercarriage:


Hope you people like it and critics are welcome.