Ford Mustang 390 GT - Bullitt - Upgrading the AutoArt 1/18 model

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Eric B.
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:53 pm
Location: France

Ford Mustang 390 GT - Bullitt - Upgrading the AutoArt 1/18 model

Post by Eric B. » Mon Nov 15, 2021 5:49 pm

Hello all,

I would like to introduce my AutoArt Ford Mustang Bullitt customizing project.

Story and model

Over the years, Steve Mc Queen and the Bullitt motion grew on me and when I found an affordable AutoArt Bullitt Ford Mustang, I just decided to buy one although this type of car and model was not in the core of my collection.
It's commonly known that the 1967-1968 AutoArt Ford Mustang is a sharp model, probably one of the finest Mustang models in 1/18th scale. Still the Bullitt version misses a lot of details of the actual movie car.

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First and obvious is the emerald/British racing green (movie car was a dark metallic green). After more dedicated research some other erroneous details came to light.
All these flaws lowered my interest in this model to the point that I put it aside with the intention to sell it later... until I met someone who could paint my model. I decided to start a serious upgrading project with the intention to make model as accurate as I could.

Documenting

The bullitt movie is famous for the stunts and chase of Inspector Franck Bullitt in his Green Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback after bad guys in a Black 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440.

Car colour is Highland green, a dark metallic green that the AutoArt model misses.

More details differ with the street 1968 Mustang 390GT. Some are not relevent for this model as they are under the body or chassis and were dictated by the stunts and the need for strengh (chassis and suspensions reinforcement)

It seems that for some reason at some point, Steve Mc Queen was unsatisfied with Ford and basically debadged the car and changed some details.

It is those details that interest me for this project. They basically are :


• 1968 fog light removal – 1967 grill insert painted black (model OK)
• square chrome external driver mirror replaced with a round mirror painted in body colour (model provides chrome round mirror)
• Rear taillight bezels and tailight board painted black
• Removal of all Ford, Mustang or GT badges around the car (side, front, rear, wheels…)
• M U S T A N G letters removed from the rear trunk hood
• Modification of exhausts pipes - 2 single pipes replace 2 dual pipes normally associated with 1968 car version (model OK)
• Wheels changed to American Racing models (model OK)
• Rear fender grilles body colour (model provides them chrome)
• … and the white gear shift knob !
I checked some photographs of the car from the motion picture…

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… and also photos of restored cars. I selected photos of cars restored to the highest standards. Below probably is one of the most accurate I could find although it is probably cleaner than the movie car. This "newer" photos were used for sharper details observation.

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Eric B.

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Re: Ford Mustang 390 GT - Bullitt - Upgrading the AutoArt 1/18 model

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:47 pm

Hey Eric, awesome job with the updates, the results speak for themselves. Thanks for sharing!

Eric B.
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:53 pm
Location: France

Re: Ford Mustang 390 GT - Bullitt - Upgrading the AutoArt 1/18 model

Post by Eric B. » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:39 pm

Paint workshop

Car was painted at the StephReplicars studio. They specialize in customizing car scale models, from painting to developping decals or even 3D printing.

Mustang was completely disassembled for a full body repaint, photos are from the artist’s workshop.

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I was very satisfied with the general colour and photos really show how the dark metallic green improves model.

Still my concern was for accuracy and after a first round of painting I insisted that the whole taillight board was painted black (a proeminent caracteristic of actual car - it was forgotten and left Highland green body colour by the artist).

I decided to keep the smaller detail work for myself and gave the finishing touch to the project :
• Outside driver mirror : body colour Highland green
• gearshift knob : white
• vertical bars on the front bumper (originally black on model : chrome silver
• Chrome strips around around trunk : painted over and must be repainted chrome
• Rear fender grills : body colour on Bullitt car (not chrome)

Result – End of the project

This last stage marks end of the project. Now for photographs.

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The Ford Mustang 390 GT is not in the core or my collection and it is actually the motion picture myth that fueled my interest.
In the end upgrading accuracy of a the AutoArt 1/18 Bullitt Ford Mustang 390GT is enough to give myself a good reason to keep it as I think it is quite unique now.


Eric B.

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