This is the 1997 Quality Care/Ford Credit Ford T-Bird driven by Dale
Jarrett and owned by Robert Yates!
The Model is a 1996-97 Monogram T-Bird and the decals are from slixx!
The body being a T-Bird has the usual modifications for a 1996-97 car that
include slab sides, skirts, jack posts (which are easily seen in the
pictures of the model) and a front airdam extension! I also did my own
exhausts again as I have with all but the first couple that I modified the
bodies on! There is also an Earnhardt bar since it's a 97'. I know the
airdam extension looks like it's scraping the ground in the pics and it is
close but there is clearance there! The skirts actually hit at the front
and I had to carefully trim them off parallel to the ground! Never had
one sit that low before! Oh well as I have probably said before ...and if
I didn't I'll say it now... no two models are alike!
Painting and Decals:
The chassis and body interior are bright red (equal parts red and
orange) the body exterior actually has two different layers of blue on it!
The first is True Blue Pearl Boyd color from testors it wasn't dark enough
so I applied Bright Metallic Blue over it! The coat underneath actually
made the Bright Metallic Blue much deeper and it came out well! Once the
blue was dry (2-3 days) I made a template using the red side body decals as
a pattern and masked off the lower white area and airbrushed it on! Once
the white was dry I applied the decals to the body. First I applied thelarge florescent red #88 decal (I used setting/softening solution in the
roof flap areas) and the Ford Quality Care decal on the trunk. I then
applied the red triple stripe to the sides of the body after these had set
and dried for a while I applied the red stripe/Quality Care decals to the
rear of the body. They didn't line up perfectly with the side decals but
they are very, very close! I then applied the airdam extension decal to
the front. Once these are set up and dry I then applied the door #88's
contingency and quarter panel Ford Credit decals (don't forget the DJ
signatures above the doors!). Lastly I applied the hood decals and the
hood pin decals (from a slixx NASCAR goodies sheet). As usual when the
decals were dry and the decal residue removed I applied testors high-gloss
enamel clear coat to the body! Next came masking and painting the clear
parts and when dry mounting the body to the chassis. Once the clear parts
are dry glue them on with clear craft glue, apply wheel and tire decals and
any misc. decals (inspection sticker for the windshield, suspension
adjustment hole markings, etc.) And paint the center caps and it's done!
Complete instructions for painting and assembly of chassis, clear
parts, and construction of slab sides can be found at the bottom of the main page!