Return to the BUILD
“In this stage you will assemble the bonnet with the impressive supercharger in the middle, one of the most distinctive and characteristic elements of the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, we recommend reading through our Getting Started page first.
NOTE: DeAgostini does not include any printed magazine/instructions with the US version of this build. However, there are digital copies of these guides on my Instructions page.
Contents
Parts
Materials: Here I will describe the materials the supplied parts in each stage are made out of. All of the screws are metal, so I will not mention them. For instance, in this stage, the Bonnet is metal, but everything else is plastic.
Tools
- Phillips-head Screwdriver
Assembly Guide (Digital Version)
Build
Bonnet and Supercharger
Bonnet (Hood)
Stage 1.1
Place the Inner Reinforcement Panel onto the inside of the Bonnet and secure with nine (9) AM screws.
TIP: Since these are the first screws of the build that drive into metal, I want to take a moment to recommend you read my 3-in-One Oil page. I did not start using this oil until much later in my build, but it has made such a difference I came back here to mention it now.
This is all we will be doing with the Bonnet, so store it safely until needed in a later stage:
Air Intake
Stage 1.2
Slide the Butterfly Valve Plate Shaft Baseplate into the Air Intake (Upper Half) and secure with two (2) BP screws:
Stage 1.3
Press the three Butterfly Valve Throttle Plates onto the pins of the Butterfly Valve Plate Shaft with the arrows on the plates facing the same direction:
Stage 1.4
Slide this shaft assembly into the grooves of the Air Intake (Upper Half) with the arrows on the inside pointing towards down:
Stage 1.5
The Air Intake (Lower Half) will sit on top of the Injector Plate:
Place the parts, aligning the holes, and secure with four (4) AP screws:
Stage 1.6
Turn this assembly over and mount it to the Air Intake (Upper Half) with four (4) AP screws:
Stage 1.7
Slide the Butterfly Valve Shaft Right Mount onto the right side end of the Butterfly Valve Plate Shaft, as shown:
Stage 1.8
Hold the right mount to keep the valves from turning. Then, slide the Butterfly Valve Shaft Right Mount onto the left side end of the Butterfly Valve Plate Shaft, followed by the Butterfly Valve Body Lever:
MOM: An extra hand was helpful here to ensure the top of the left and right shaft mount align.
Stage 1.9
Attach the Fuel Distributor to the back of the Injector Plate and secure with one (1) AP screw:
Supercharger
Stage 1.10
Join the Pulley Spacer to the Front Cover Supercharger Unit with two (2) AP screws:
Stage 1.11
Attach the Bracket for Front Cover of Supercharger Unit to the Front Cover Supercharger Unit with two (2) AP screws, as shown:
Stage 1.12
Insert this assembly into the Supercharger Unit, aligning the bracket into the opening as shown, and secure with two (2) AP screws:
MOM: Pay close attention to the instructions here to be sure the Bracket for Front Cover of Supercharger Unit is on correctly. We found out in the last step that I had put it on backwards causing us to have to backtrack! Oops! I attribute it to first-timer learning curve.
Stage 1.13
Slide the Supercharger Pulley onto the pin of the Supercharger Unit as shown. Fix in place with one (1) AP screw:
Stage 1.14
Press the pins under the Injector Plate down into the top of the Supercharger Unit:
Thoughts
MOM: This is the first build I have gotten my hands dirty, usually I am spectating or editing articles for MarvelPhx’s other builds. To say I am thrilled is an understatement, I love that the first stage is the hood and supercharger! I’m also excited to know I am cool enough, in my son’s eyes, to build his dream car with him! Our photographer/publisher/build master MarvelPhx is a pretty amazing too as he was the one who initiated this build. Only the Bonnet is metal in this stage, the rest is all plastic.
SON: It looks amazing after all of the complicated work!
Next Up
Stage 2 – Steering Wheel, Front Left Wheel
For the stage 1.14, it was pretty tricky to get it attached. I ended up breaking one of the pins so I used some glue to a fix it and make it permanent.
I just realized after the supercharger is assembled I placed inside the hood opening. There is no way the hood will open due to the shaft length and linkage. It’s too long.
The supercharger itself should fit in the opening, but you cannot open the hood with the air intake and fuel assembly attached. Once the model is complete, it must be removed to open the hood. That is why it is not permanently affixed to the supercharger – just held in place by the four pins.
Ok
I just completed this stage and I see what you mean about the hood and air intake. What a disappointment! I can’t imagine this is true on the actual car. So, you have to disassemble parts of the car to open the hood. Really? I guess “DETAILED 1:8 scale reproduction,” is a relative term. (Emphasis added). Fanhome photos are misleading.
As it is, the air intake on my model is very difficult to attach. The lugs don’t precisely line up correctly. I’ll have to adjust the holes a tad.
All that said… am I wrong on the real car?
Yeah, it takes some fiddling to get the Air Intake to line up with the supercharger. However, it is worth noting that the blower/intake were fake on the real car, so perhaps this actually is accurate.