sbm1204 - Scale Auto

1962 Chrysler
MAINSTREAM NEWPORT?
Is Revell’s rare 1962 Chrysler Newport convertible annual kit
a Mainstreamer? Let’s go through our checklist from the
June 2004 issue and see if it qualifies:
• Post-World-War-II to early 1970s model year automobiles.
Check: right in the middle of the age range.
• The best-selling trim series within a given product range. Yep.
On the more-premium makes, the Mainstreamer offering
was often the bottom series (think Pontiac’s Catalina and
Oldsmobile’s Dynamic 88), rather than the top-of-the-line
Chevy Impala or Ford Galaxie 500. In 1962, and for most of
the 1960s, Chrysler’s Newport outsold the other two moreexpensive
series (300 and New Yorker) combined.
• The best-selling six-cylinder or smallest V-8 under the hood.
Revell’s kit includes the standard 361 V-8, although the kit’s
pairing of the standard three-speed manual transmission
(instead of the Torqueflite automatic) would certainly make
for “one of few hundred” status for this car if it had been
made in 1:1 scale.
• Bench seats front and rear. Check again. The kit even
includes the rear seat ashtray plunked
right in the center of the front seatback.
• Hubcaps or wheel covers, and whitewall tires. You bet.
• Paint and trim that reflects the preferences of the period.
Revell’s 1962 annuals were molded in the same color as the
catalog illustration of the car. In this case, the Newport convertible
wore code Z Caramel – a solid tan color. The catalog
shows many other similar colors (available as airbrush lacquers
from MCW Automotive Miniatures). I chose MCW’s
Code J Bermuda Turquoise solid for this buildup.
• A wide variety of body styles. Although Mainstreamers are
based on the most-popular trim series, that doesn’t mean
they have to be the most-popular body styles within the
series. In this case, the Newport convertible was the rarest
of the series offerings.
So based on our checklist review, Revell’s 1962 Newport
convertible qualifies as a Mainstreamer in every way.
– Tim Boyd
44 Scale Auto • DECEMBER 2004

Newport Convertible
by TIM BOYD
Building a “Mainstreamers” kit
IN THE JUNE 2004 Scale Auto we put forth the idea of
“Mainstreamers” (see sidebar) as a new model-car building category
– added to a list that already includes muscle cars, light
commercial, racing, street rods, and so forth. We also mentioned that
even though most Mainstreamer cars would be kitbashing projects,
a few kits – primarily from the late 1950s and early 1960s –
would quality as Mainstreamers straight from the box.
Finding one of these kits can be a challenge, but thanks to online
auctions, regional old toy shows, and mail-order/online kit vendors,
the challenge is significantly less than it was five or ten years ago.
If you are willing to buy a less-than-perfect kit, you can acquire your
chosen kit for well less than the three-digit price tags that pristine
1960s annual kits can command.
And although the chassis and engine compartments are greatly
simplified when compared to today’s new-kit tools, they respond
surprisingly well to many of the same finishing techniques that
have become popular among builders of today’s ultradetailed muscle-car
replicas.
I recently completed a buildup of Revell’s rare 1962 Chrysler
Newport convertible kit. Follow along as I take an unbuilt-butdamaged
kit (part of the windshield frame and cowl were broken
away from the rest of the body, so it cost $70 instead of $110-120
for a perfect kit) and create a shelf replica that captures the excitement
of the Mainstreamers era.
Most Mainstreamer subjects
are kitbashing projects,
but some straight kit buildups
can be found, like this Revell 1962
Chrysler Newport convertible.
In 1962, Revell produced a one-year-only series of annual kits based
on the Chrysler Corporation lineup. The kits were reissued later the
same year as the Metalflake Series. Here are the 1962 Newport kits
(no. H-1254 on the left, and H-1264). You can read more about this
Revell kit series in the author’s book Collecting Model Car and Truck
Kits (see References).
DECEMBER 2004 • scaleautomag.com 45

The 1962 Chrysler products catalog contained these gorgeous illustrations. The Code Z Caramel Newport convertible occupies a two-page
spread; the 300 Special series convertible, finished in Code J Bermuda Turquoise with black interior, inspired the color scheme of this
Mainstreamers buildup.
3 4
The interior was finished in Krylon Ultra Flat Black no. 1602 spray,
followed by a light coat of Testor’s Semigloss Clear. Although it has
just three pieces, the interior captures the details of the benchseated
1:1 car.
Bare-Metal foil and flat silver paint are employed to recreate the
“juke box” instrument panel of the ’62 Chrysler. I added Ken’s Fuzzi-
Fur black flocking to the carpeted areas – an especially appropriate
step for convertible models, where the interior is open for all to see.
7 8
After priming the body and painting it with the factory-authentic
color from MCW Automotive Miniatures, I finished the paint work by
polishing it with a Micro-Mark no. 3600 polishing pad, followed by a
mild rubbing compound, Meguiar’s no. 7 Mirror Glaze, and Deep
Crystal wax.
Bodies from this era require a significant investment of time to complete
Bare-Metal foiling of all molded-in chrome trim. The windshield
was polished with wax, then glued in place with DevCon five-minute
epoxy for maximum strength. The installed windshield also helps to
hold the repaired windshield frame in proper shape.
46 Scale Auto • DECEMBER 2004

1 2
If you don’t want to pay the going price for a mint, out-of-production
1960s annual kit, online merchants and old-kit vendors often sell
damaged kits at a reduced price. I picked up this convertible for
around $70, but had to repair major damage to the windshield frame
and cowl areas, which were broken away from the body.
Strips of K&S sheet brass reinforced the cowl repair, and several
“pins” cut from K&S brass rod assured that the windshield repair
joint would stay aligned while the glue dried. K&S products can be
found at any well-stocked hobby store.
5 6
The Revell kit replicates the Newport’s standard 361 two-barrel
engine. The block was painted real Chrysler Engine Turquoise from
Eastwood Automotive, and the remaining engine components wear
factory-correct colors as shown.
The completed engine was very nicely detailed for a kit from this era.
The air cleaner is semigloss black. Dig that three speed manual transmission
– the standard (but rare) choice for 1:1 scale 1962 Newports.
9 10
The simplified chassis castings of kits from this era are a fun challenge
for those who enjoy paint detailing. The chassis is painted first
with gray primer, then the body color is fogged along the edges. Don’t
forget to finish the engine compartment components, including the
body-colored firewall, at this time.
Looking at the finished chassis installed in the body, the added painting
effort definitely pays off. The suspension parts are shades of flat
black and semigloss black, the exhaust system is shades of silver, and
the rear leaf springs wear a simulated cosmoline coating (a mix of
gold, silver, and gunmetal metallics).
DECEMBER 2004 • scaleautomag.com 47

11 12
Detail the front grille area with flat black paint, thinned to the consistency
of lowfat milk and flowed onto the grille area. The plated
headlights adopt a more-realistic appearance when painted with flat
silver paint. Note the brilliance of the original plated parts from the
Revell factory.
Cars from this era had wonderful (and occasionally over-the-top)
detailing. Note the semiflat black front fender insert above the
bumper, which wore gold anodized series nomenclature, and the
detailed badge on the upper driver’s side of the grille area.
15
NO JUNIORS HERE
“There’s not a junior edition in the whole family.”
That assertive statement from the 1962 Chrysler
brochure summed up the marketing philosophy of
Chrysler Corporation’s near-luxury brand in the 1960s.
As competitors Buick and Mercury proffered compacts,
and later, intermediate-sized cars to meet the
broadening tastes of car buyers in the 1960s, Chrysler saw
an opportunity to retain and convey exclusivity and caché
by offering only full-size cars.
But that wasn’t quite all of the story.
The bird’s-eye view shows off the interior engraving and your kit-finishing
skills. Even Chrysler’s most inexpensive models of the 1960s
had premium interiors. Check out the ashtray in the center for the
front seatback – another detail for your Bare-Metal foiling efforts.
Note the realistic appearance of the flocked carpet areas.
SOURCES
MCW Automotive Finishes, Box 0518, Burlington NC 27216-0518,
www.ourworld.cs.com/mcwautofinishes
Eastwood Automotive, 263 Shoemaker Rd., Pottstown PA 19464
(800) 345-1178, www.eastwoodcompany.com
Micro-Mark, 340 Snyder Ave., Berkeley Heights NJ 07922-1595
(800) 225-1066, www.micromark.com
REFERENCES
Collecting Model Car and Truck Kits, pp. 45 and 64, by Tim Boyd, 2001,
MBI Publishing, St. Paul MN
In 1961, the DeSoto brand, arrayed between Dodge
and Chrysler in Mopar’s lineup, was near death. Chrysler
Corporation hedged its bets by adding a lower-priced
entry-level Newport series to its Chrysler lineup to cover
the market DeSoto was to soon abandon. Price always
sells cars, and the Newport was an immediate success. For
1962, Chrysler dropped the slightly-more-expensive
Windsor series and positioned Newport as the highest-volume
Chrysler offering.
These captions from the brochure tell it best:
“Newport – Chrysler’s price surprise is no junior edition.
Newport’s surprisingly low price has caused thousands of
smart car buyers to move up to Chrysler. And because
Chrysler builds full-size cars only, your new-car investment
is fully protected. No small car steals thunder from
the Chrysler name, or the pride you take in owning one!”
And next to the Newport Convertible is this description:
“Newport convertible is obviously a full-size Chrysler
and nothing else but – the kind of car you’d like to see your
family in. And you can. This glamorous Newport, shown
in the exciting new Caramel shade, has a surprisingly
low price, too.”
– Tim Boyd
48 Scale Auto • DECEMBER 2004

13 14
The plated taillights were detailed with Testor’s Model Master
Stoplight Red metallic. Note the molding around the trunk lock; this
model may represent a preproduction prototype, because the 1:1 regular
production Newports did not include this ornamental molding.
The personalized license plate came from The Platemaker.
The engine compartment shows the potential of paint detailing as a
technique for achieving a realistic appearance. The next detailing
step would be to add sparkplug wires, heater hoses, and battery
cables – a necessity for context models but an option for display
models such as ours.
PAINT REFERENCE CHART FOR 1962 CHRYSLER NEWPORT
Order Code Paint Name Description MCW no.
BB-1 Formal Black Black Solid 2000
CC-1 Dawn Blue Pale Blue Solid 6253
DD-1 Sapphire Blue Medium Blue Metallic 6254
FF-1 Willow Green Pale Green Solid 6252
GG-1 Sage Green Medium Green Metallic 6255
JJ-1 Bermuda Turquoise Medium Turquoise Solid special order
MM-1 Dove Gray Light Gray Solid 6258
PP-1 Festival Red Bright Red Solid 6151
TT-1 Coral Gray Light Beige Solid 6256
WW-1 Oyster White White Solid special order
YY-1 Rosewood Medium Beige Metallic 6250
ZZ-1 Caramel Medium Tan Solid special order
Additional 1962 1 ⁄2 (Spring Colors):
LL-1 Limelight Lt. Pale Olive Green Solid special order
VV-1 Seascape Pale Olive Green Solid special order
(Sources: 1962 Chrysler brochure, DuPont 1962 Chrysler Corporation Paint Sample Chart, and American
Automobile Paint Code Interchange Manual 1945-1995, Peter C. Sessler, 1995, MBI Publishing, Osceola WI
54020)
Below: The completed
kit not only does a fine
job of replicating
Chrysler’s volume convertible
for 1962, it also
is an excellent example
of the Mainstreamers
theme. However, contrary
to the myth that
kit bodies from this era
were nearly perfect,
look closely at the body
side molding as it traverses
the front fender;
the molding droops
unrealistically because
of slightly incorrect
fender contours.