1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

This is a 1972 AMC Matador sedan black & white 'Adam 12'.
Originally built by Cox as a gas powered free run car with interchangable steering cams that made it drive patterns.

https://i.imgur.com/OBtKwFjh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/K9Cs93Bh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kqTSiZVh.jpg

Stripped chassis
https://i.imgur.com/HNERmzPh.jpg

She may not be the new Bluesmobile, but i think it's going to work out ok. Missing 2 headlight lenses, and a lightbar lens. I think i can work aound that...

I wasn't around when these were, so i'm going to need some help on lighting patterns. I grew up mostly with CrownVics with a red/blue lightbar up to the current lumen-wars nightblindness causing dangerous walls of light.
Headlights, tail lights, marker lights are easy. May even do turnsignals.

Roof lights do i want wig-wag or both on independant flashers?
Do i want headlight high beams to wigwag opposite roof, or were they not doing that yet?
Do i want tail lights to wigwag, or was that not happening yet either?

Powering the back is my one issue i haven't figured out. Original axle is plastic 1/4" hex between the wheels, and had a huge tooth spiralcut gear

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Subscribed! I know you'll come up with something that was left out of the box a long time ago type of thinking to overcome the hurtles that are present with this build.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Now you've hit my soft spot Frizzen! Loved that show when I was young. I just checked out some Adam 12 episodes on youtube. The front roof lights were on solid when running "code 3" and the rear roof lights alternated side to side. Head and tail lights did not flash. I can't wait to see this one finished!

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Yeah really... Adam 12 ~ Blues Brother, whatever it takes but this IS a cool project. :bounce:

http://www.kentmccord.com/archives/a...a12gallery.htm

http://www.kentmccord.com/images/arc...-9872-0006.jpg

http://theresaparty.com/peace/wp-con...uesmobileg.jpg

I think that is a '74 Dodge Monaco.



Can't wait to see more!

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

I remember back when I was on the Fire Department/ EMS. The local CO's had Matador's while the Sherif's Dept was using the Mercury Grand Marquis, the State had Monaco's. They used to make fun of the Conservation Officer's cars all the time.
Adam 12 was a cool show, they used several cars, the Matador and several different year Plymouth's. You picked the most unusual one for a model for sure.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

[IMG]http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums/...psns3jhcvr.jpg[/IMG]

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

I'm interested to see how it comes out too! The white paints pretty well shot, so i'm gonna have to rework the roof and back doors, i don't want to touch the front doors much since there are no fresh decals.

Hmm, i was hoping i'd missed it and the front and back of the roof lights did the same thing. Thought i could just solder 2 red 3mm leds together back to back and drop 2 magnet wires into the car each side. That's gonna take some more thought.

Front has Red lens. Rear looks amber, or do i have sun faded red?

I did learn that the old gas schmoo the cox engine spit over everything can be cleaned with electrical contact cleaner.

I just thought the blues mobile would be funny to throw out there since i've got an old cop car. I know blues brothers was a Dodge Monaco, but this thing's got cop tires, cop shocks, cop motor that was made before cats so it'll run good on regular gas...

Mustang, man what are those Type2 VWs doing? That's the second one to get pulled over in my thread.

Any and all reference material and knowlege is appriceated!

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

I checked a couple more old episodes and yes the front lens is red and the rear was amber.

Well, it is the 70's for that car and you know the hippie types that drive VW's LOL!!!!!!!

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

What size lenses do you need? I have some red and amber lenses that fit 5mm LEDs that might work for you. Also have some clear lenses that might work for headlight lenses. Let me know what you need.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Original roof light lens OD is 0.275", the OD on the chrome light housing is 0.430". I'm not sure if i'll just go 3mm or try to punch them up to 5mm leds.

Headlight lenses are also at 0.430", i'm going to go 5mm leds, or maybe go 10mm if i can find them.

--
Learned some more.

Tail lights are wrong. 1972 should have 9 segments, 4 red, 1 white, 4 red. I have 7 segment all red, so i guess probably 3-1-3. Or leave it all red and pretend it's not all wrong.

No front turnsignals under bumper, might have to just drop a mostly recessed led under bumper. Not sure if i need signals, but i saw a neat magnet / reed switch setup i kinda want to try. Plus how can i bust ya for failure to signal if i can't do it...

Roof lights are chrome version of either: Trio sales T-2, S&M lamp 757, Highway Safety 1757.

Siren is a Federal Signal PA20A, through a Federal Signal CP-25 speaker

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Doing some really important work on this... No, not ordering servos, a speed control, an rx, a battery, a rear end, or a sound thing, not even buying paint.

https://i.imgur.com/H6RfYXlh.jpg

Bore lens mount into passthrough holes for led, make intersecting tiny hole from base into light base. Grab magnet wire, (mine came from a stock jeep speaker) scrape ends and tin. Poke through tiny hole and out a big hole.

Grab a red and yellow 3mm LED, file off the rim at base, trim short - leads for approx 1/2" oal. Solder short leads together. Take long leads + trim shorter, then put around 45 deg angle. Tack onto magnet wire, mark car side of wire with sharpie or something. I did Black to ground, red to red light, no mark for yellow.

Test. Put new LED pokey-bit assembly into the modified pokey-bit receptical. Test again. Don't be like me and not test the red side until it's assembled, then realize its bad.

By now it works, and you fully remember why you don't like magnet wire, and try to hype yourself up for round 2.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Magnetic wire, I would have NEVER thought of that! There's that thinking outside the box again, that we come to like about you. an excellent idea you have here. While not borrowing it........YET, I am keeping this idea planted in the memory bank(s) for possible future usage.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Magnet wire is pretty hateful to work with if you aren't careful, i think i'm up to round 3 or 4 of redoing the first light. But i want the hidden wire, it's about the only way to make it fit without showing.

I'm about to over size the hole a little more, hopefully it stops catching and breaking wires on install. If it's not pretty, i should be able to hide with a lens.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Great idea!
Hang in there, magnet wire is good stuff, but as you noted, not very friendly to work with. The results will be worth the effort though.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Gentlemen, i have exhausted the swear words i know. I need to learn more languages...

Let's back up to how i could have gotten what actually worked 'the easy way'. I pulled the lens out, turned the lens pin mount into a through-hole, then up sized it to fit a 3mm Led with the flange filed off. Then one side got up-sized again to about 2/3 or 3/4 depth so it's past the next hole we drill. I drilled a 0.028" hole up through the base intersecting the through hole for leds, then passed 3 strands of 0.005 magnet wire in tiny hole base, and used a stick to push wire out the big side of through hole. Then scrape some enamel and tim end of wire, attach, test, install, test.

https://i.imgur.com/F1GpnhHh.jpg

Red has the oversize holes, not too awful, but looks like i'll probably need to do a lens

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Copy that, 1 adam 12 rolling code 3
https://i.imgur.com/EZHmg3Sh.jpg

And lo there was light.
https://i.imgur.com/YceRs43h.jpg

I'm not sure if i need to put in High beam headlights instead of the stock lenses so it all matches
https://i.imgur.com/yOaQBKOh.jpg
Or should i try to make a filler lens that sorta looks like the inboard ones

Yeah, i'm gonna need more leds before much more progress.
Tail lights are getting 3 per side, then side markers, probably front turns.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

All that hard work has paid off!

Looking very hawt! :cop:

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Loving it frizz!

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Looking good! Take code 7 and relax a bit.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Just had a thought, you are planning a sound system right?

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Thanks guys! I appriceate the feedback

Eventually i want to run some type of sound system, but that's probably way on down the road. Also depends on finding something that sounds right or pretty close. Also I know next to nothing about sound modules. This needs a siren, but V8 gas engine and horn would be pretty nice to have too. Suggestions would help.

My aim is just 'better that the original toy'. Right now the plan is going for:
Drive
Steer
Roof lights
Head/Tail/Marker lights
- Horn
- SIREN

--
High beam headlights are OUT of the question now. I drilled the grill for it, snapped it back together, and that's too close to the body mount for me to feel comfortable modding the body. I don't want to risk the body cracking just for a gimmic. Inboard lens glued back in.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

The ESS ONE PLUS (Make SURE it's the 1+, NOT the ESS1) has capability for engine, brake, horn/siren, as well as turbo options. I've got it in my 1:10 Slash 2WD that I custom built as Tow Mater. He has engine sound, brake sounds, & instead of a horn he talks. He ONLY says 1 phrase though. I think I have a small vid of this project in my Construction Company's build thread. There should also be some if the General Lee as well. General uses the SAME sound system, but uses the horn as the horn, rather then talking. The Ess 1+, from China run's around $70-$80 bucks.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

https://i.imgur.com/PSNERguh.jpg

More lights

https://i.imgur.com/Ij8gujBh.jpg

Shake that.

The round lens of the LEDs were filed down to fit in blind holes behind the body lenses. I smoked several leds trying to get it all working, ran out. Hope i don't get pulled over...

I think i might have enough lights now. Next up is going to be building light controls.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Looking good!

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

PLEASE take detailed pics, when you build light controls. I know I'll have my hands full when I start emergency vehicle conversion, & would love to see how you've done it. Can NEVER have enough information, IMO

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

1-Adam-12, in it's natural habitat... A truck and construction meet!

https://i.imgur.com/fCI0fWUh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5a9nH1Xh.jpg
My bus was 'suspicious'...

https://i.imgur.com/fkQxpDlh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/G1dVy75h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/19Nh1yIh.jpg

Mustang was kind enough to take a couple parts home to mill some adapters to mate a toygrade gearbox up to my Baby moon Steelies, so i should hopefully be able to mark the unit In Service soon.

Now i need to order a servo, esc. Then figure out a light control and siren.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Saturday "No rush, just when ever you get around to it. I'd like get it back by at Sept meet if ya can."

So i get home from work Wednesday and see that my axle and wheel came back with the newly modified wheel adapters.
https://i.imgur.com/MSZRoJwh.jpg

Let's see how it fits.
Next thing i know, my car is back-halfed and i'm starting to plan out mount plates.

I better slow it down, there are police around here.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Glad you got them ok.
Looking forward to seeing Adam 12 chasing down "offenders."

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Yeah, i know what you mean about "all the suspects".
I saw some real shady looking guy in an old green truck that didn't seem to have ony of the right placards for what he was hauling.
Somebody else was speeding and doing all kinds of stupid stuff in a subaru.
It's really a good thing license plates aren't required yet.

Maybe i need to build a Donut shop before a Firehouse...

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

A doughnut shop would be very cool! Beside, Malloy and Reed have to have a place to go "code 7."

Placards, we don't need no stinking placards! LOL!!!!!!

Check this link out, online license plate maker. It only goes up to 1999 so you could have a lot of stops for outdated plates.

http://www.acme.com/licensemaker/lic...9&r=1775265769

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Hehe, well if you want to get *that *crazy, Adam-12 is way out of it's jurisdiction by having a screen-accurate Cali plate.

I have enough cars i know i need to make a little parking lot.
And get some grass so i can setup some random photo-ops. Log cabin, bikini carwash, cemetery...

I didn't know what other building would be great. I was kicking around a 1 or 2-bay firehouse, or a used car dealer, a donut shop.
A Drive-In would be fun, if I had a Tablet. (a use for the mfu truck-shaker?)
I thought about making a stop&rob, but 3d printed gas pumps aren't cheap.

Got any good donut pun names?

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Frizzy, fir you a 3D printed gas &/or Diesel pump would be pretty cheap. Just design it in CAD, & send me the STL file(s), & I'd 3D print 1 fir you, & 1 fir me. I'll even mail it to ya, fir all the help, advise, tips, & tricks you've helped me with during the short while I've been here.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

A very cool model, I like it a lot, I've always seen it in many movies

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

If you guys wanna get serious about building some buildings, I could turn my CNC router loose on cutting wallpanels with door and window openings. Probably have enough scraps around to get started.

I'm just low on sketches, dimensions, creativity for buildings and proportions, etc. Was thinking a weigh station and fuel station would be neat for hte next Lebanon show?

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

That's awesome skeeter, i just try to help out with stuff i've picked up along the way, and steal knowlege from everybody to pass off as my own later. (Heck, i came here because i was trying to copy some builds.) Sounds like i'm going.to have to learn to speak CAD...

Thanks toniolillo! I hope i can do this car justice and make it look just as good.

Furyfan, That'd be pretty great. What kind of dimensions do the boards or the router table have? https://www.michigan.gov/documents/m...2_542487_7.pdf it's MI instead of IN, but pg 28, 22 looks helpful so WeighStation shouldn't be hard

Are you thinking like a local gas&garage station, local Stop&Rob gas station, or a Mr.FuelLovesPilot truck stop?

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Very Cool . Doh Nuts

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

I just noticed this - by 'I've got an old cop car' are you referring to this Matador, or a real-life copcar?

For my CNC router, it has x-y travel of about 24" x 26", but I figured out a technique to carve longer pieces in y-dimensions. I have a variety of 1/4-3/4" plywood scraps and 3/4" x __ boards.

That MI weigh station looks a little elaborate, I was thinking more of a mid-size hut with a simple slanted roof. For a fueling station, probably a small hut with 2-4 pumps under an awning of perhaps 24"x24"? The awning could have islands for the pumps, CNC excels at making clean, repetitive shapes that would be a PITA on a jigsaw or other power tool. 3D-printed pumps and other detail items would be nice if we could get Skeeter some STLs?

As with most things, the devil's in the details, and I could rough-build a structure with my router, but the details are something that would stall me.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Yes please send STL file(s). I'll print 1 fir you, & one fir me.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

I just ment the Matador. I considered getting a real Panther chassis, i didn't think bikes would travel all that well in a CrownVic, and the dogs would have WAY too many smells to investigate.

So the limits are about 28 feet in 1/14 scale. Should be plenty for most stuff.

I agree that it's highly elaborate, but seeing the amount of workmanship routinely on display around here, i didn't want to suggest 'just build a little warming shack with some weigh-station signs'. Then right after i say that, you'd post up an in-progress pic of the MI weigh building, actually stick framed, in scale 2x4s...

I build old toys, some build art.

Re: 1972 AMC Matador - Police
 

Oh, I can assure you that any building I make would not be scaled/stick built!

I did leave the Lebanon show kinda thinking it needed some buildings or other stuff. The loading dock there especially needed a warehouse, even if it was just a 3-sided façade.

A parking lot of painted 4x8 plywood with parking lines, curbs, some large G-scale trees, etc, would work well, but I don't have any means to get it to the show.