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Latest Build: Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 13 AA/FD in 1/25th Scale


Doctordarryl

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Just finished my latest model build, Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 13, the dragster that nearly killed him at Lions Dragway in early 1970 (March?). This model has been on my build list for quite some time. The re-release of the MPC Young American got me started. Little did I know that AMT/R2 would re-release the MPC WYNNSCHARGER which is a better starting point for SR13. The MPC kit is of SR12C which is very easily converted into SR13. SR13 was built in early 1969 because SR12C failed to qualify at the Winternationals. SR13 was the last front engined dragster that Mr. Garlits drove in competition. SR15 was also a front engined dragster but was built as a back stop to SR14, which was a rear engined dragster. SR15 was the fall back if SR 14 failed to be competitive. History says otherwise. SR14 was wildly successful and SR15 was sold to Good Year for display. I remember seeing a montage of large format pictures on the front wall in the lobby at Crower (in Chula Vista, CA) of Mr. Garlits' accident at Lions in SR13. The pictures were graphic and chilling. It was a miracle that he survived. That was Feb. of 1971 and I met Mr. Garlits and sold him the paint used for the front body panels on SR14 that were installed just before he won the '71 Winternationals. That is a story in itself.

Here is a brief write up of the build (I do this so I don't forget the little tricks I developed during the build - a lesson learned from building plastic models for 60 years).

Don Garlits’ Swamp Rat 13 (1969)

Kit: MPC Young American AA/Fuel Dragster, kit #MPC760, 1/25th scale

Builder: Darryl W. Peters

Decal Set: Scale Auto Details #SAD 0113

Body: I modified the body rear side panels by cutting off the bottom center sections. I made a new bottom panel from 0.015 inch thick styrene sheet. I extended the rear sections of the cowl panel with 0.015 inch thick styrene sheet to match up with the rear side panels. I cut a slot into the right front of the cowl panel for the throttle linkage. I made the forward side panels aside of the engine from 0.015 inch thick styrene sheet. I wet sanded all body panels with a 2000-grit polishing cloth before spraying them with two wet coats of Tamiya White Fine Surface Primer then dried in a dehydrator overnight. I airbrushed them with two wet coats of Tamiya TS-14 Black, cut 1:1 with Dupli-Color lacquer thinner, using an Aztek A470 airbrush. I placed the panels into a dehydrator to dry overnight. I carefully cut out the decals from Scale Auto Details and placed them into warm water before applying them. I positioned the decals and blotted them with a piece of clean chamois. After the decals dried overnight, I airbrushed the body panels with two wet coats of Tamiya TS-13 Clear followed by a wet coat of straight lacquer thinner before placing them back into a dehydrator. I wet sanded the painted body panels with an 8000-grit polishing cloth before rubbing them out with Meguiar’s Scratch X and waxing them with Turtle Wax Clear Coat. I made a wind deflector from a piece of 0.005 inch thick metal which I cut to size and bent to shape. I attached it to the cowl panel using Elmer’s White Glue. I applied photoetched screw heads from Model Car Garage to the body panels using Future as an adhesive. I glued all the body panels to the completed chassis using super glue.

Chassis: I removed the mold lines on the frame rails by scraping them with a #11 Exacto blade. I added mounts for the fuel tank from strips of 0.01 inch thick styrene. I sprayed the frame with two wet coats of Tamiya White Fine Surface Primer before airbrushing it with two wet coats of Tamiya TS-14 Black. I applied the decals to the panels behind the seat. I drilled holes for an intake line on the bottom and a return line on the top in an Arrowhead Aluminum Accessories machined aluminum Moon tank. I assembled the tank and resin mounts with super glue. I sprayed the assembled tank with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black. I used 0.025 inch fuel line and fittings from Pro-Tech for the return line. I used Detail Master #3 hard line for the fuel pump intake line, I glued the vinyl seat to the chassis using Elmer’s White Glue. I painted the snaps on the top of the seat with Tamiya Chrome acrylic. I added seat belt decals from Colorado Decals along with Simpson logos from Scale Auto Details. I made roll bar padding from black Electrician’s tape. I stripped the chrome from the front axel, radius rods, and tie rod using Purple Power cleaner. I assembled the front axel and then airbrushed it and the radius rods with Alclad II Chrome over Testor’s Classic Black. I made a ballast weight for the front axel from Evergreen styrene tube and disks of 0.02 inch thick styrene sheet and painted it with Model Master Steel Metalizer. I carved a master out of 0.04 inch thick styrene sheet for the hanger which suspends the ballast weight below the axel. I made resin copies of the hanger, painted them with Model Master Steel Metalizer, cut the end that mounts to the axel, attached the weight, and attached the hangers to the axel. I used photoetched and turned aluminum front wheels from Machined Aluminum Specialties with motorcycle tires from the parts box. I made the disk on the front wheel by punching it out of 0.005 inch thick metal foil and then punching out the center using different size cork borers. I attached it to the outside of the right wheel with Floquil Flat clear. I narrowed the front wing from an AMT Wynn’s Jammer kit and airbrushed it with Alclad II Aluminum. I applied the Wynn’s decal and airbrushed a wet coat of Tamiya TS-13 over the wing and connecting rod mounts. I replaced the plastic steering arm parts with polished sections of 1mm OD stainless steel tubing. I carved steering arm guides/mounts from 0.02 inch thick styrene sheet, painted them with Model Master Steel Metalizer, and mounted them to the top frame rail. The kit’s rear wheels were stripped of chrome and drilled for a valve stem and wheel lugs. I sprayed the rear wheels with Model Master Magnesium Metalizer followed by Testor’s Dull Coat. I made wheel lugs using 6mm lengths of Evergreen 0.02 inch styrene rod. I made lug nuts from 0.5mm thick slices of drilled 0.04 inch Plastruct hexagonal styrene rod. I assembled the lugs and nuts with IPS Weld-On #4 and painted them with Model Master Steel Metalizer. I punched disks from printer’s aluminum sheet to represent the rear axel ends. I used the kit slicks and sanded the contact area with a coarse sanding stick. I sprayed the assembled rear end with Tamiya TS-14 Black. I sprayed the fire wall, brake handle, clutch pedal, and gas pedal with Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf. I made a parachute release cable using fine un-insulated wire with a loop on the end by the seat to represent a hand pull.

Engine: I assembled the kit’s engine block and heads with IPS Weld-On #4 and airbrushed them with Tamiya TS-14 Black. I drilled the rear of the heads for water necks and made them from solder with caps made from 1mm thick slices of 0.06 inch Evergreen styrene rod painted Testor’s Chrome Silver. I added plugs on the front of the heads which I made from small disks of printer’s aluminum sheet. I used valve covers from an AMT TV Tommy Ivo dragster kit with the Young American breather caps. I stripped the chrome, drilled them for spark plug wires, and airbrushed them with Alclad II Chrome over Testor’s Classic Black. I applied the Dodge decals to the valve covers. I scratch built a Vertex magneto from telescoping sections of K&S aluminum tubing. I used a black prewired cap from Morgan Automotive Detail with a applied the firing order decal. I added an oil filter mount to the timing cover to mount dual filters and sprayed the timing cover, bell housing, and oil pan with Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf. Two resin oil filters with Fram decals from Scale Auto Details were added to the timing cover. I used a blower from a Revell ’41 Willys kit with a Crower bug catcher injector from an AMT ’69 Cougar funny car kit. I stripped the chrome from the blower and injector. I sprayed the blower with Model Master Aluminum followed by Testor’s Dull Cote. I drilled the injector base for fuel lines. I airbrushed the injector scoop with Alclad Aluminum. I applied the Cragar decals to the sides of the bug catcher scoop. I made a fuel distribution block from square Evergreen styrene rod. I made a fuel bypass from square styrene rod. I plumbed the injector with black insulated wire and Pro-Tech 0.025 fuel line with fittings. I added a gauge and panel from Detail Master to the rear left side of the blower. I used Arrowhead Aluminum Accessories blower pulleys and blower belt with part number decals from Scale Auto Details. I modified the kit’s zoomie headers by drilling the ends, adding a support strap made from styrene strip, and a support rod made from styrene rod. I then sprayed them with Tamiya TS-9 Matt Black.

Figure: I modified a Tamiya rally mechanic figure by using different arms and positioned the left arm so he was grabbing the roll bar. I assembled it using IPS Weld On #4. I removed mold lines by scraping them with a new #11 Exacto blade. I sprayed the figure with two wet coats of Tamiya White Fine Surface Primer. I made sponsor logo decals for the driver’s suit based on pictures from Mr. Garlits’ book “Big Daddy, A Career Pictorial”, Volume 1. I painted the figure with various Model Master and Testor’s paints. I applied the sponsor decals and after drying, I sprayed the figure with two wet coats of Tamiya TS-80 Clear Flat.

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Super build. I love the toned-down realism of the finishes - very much in keeping with the actual Garlits cars.

This was unlucky 13 for Don, the car that nearly cost him his foot. But it started a revolution as Garlits and crew worked across the following year to solve the mystery of getting a rear engine car to handle, thus changing the face of drag racing forever.

I always have trouble with the look of (I think I'm right on this) the ex-Tommy Ivo Don Long frame in these kits, it's (no pun intended) so lonnnnng. But in point of fact that's what SR13 looked like and your meticulous work captures it very well indeed. Congrats!

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Super build. I love the toned-down realism of the finishes - very much in keeping with the actual Garlits cars.

This was unlucky 13 for Don, the car that nearly cost him his foot. But it started a revolution as Garlits and crew worked across the following year to solve the mystery of getting a rear engine car to handle, thus changing the face of drag racing forever.

I always have trouble with the look of (I think I'm right on this) the ex-Tommy Ivo Don Long frame in these kits, it's (no pun intended) so lonnnnng. But in point of fact that's what SR13 looked like and your meticulous work captures it very well indeed. Congrats!

The book by Mr. Garlits (Big Daddy, A Career Pictorial, volume 1) has specs on all his front engined SR dragsters and SR12C as well as SR13 had 250 inch wheel bases which scales to 10 inches in 1/25th scale so the kit is actually a little short but we aren't tank or airplane guys who could nitpick the most trivial things with a kit or model. We don't whip out a ruler when looking at someone's model. The kit wheel base scales out to 215 inches but what's 35 inches among friends? Does it look right - Yea, that's what I strive for.

I don't have wheel base data on the TV Tommy FE dragster but I am thinking of building that next (or SR12C). I can maybe get data from Mr. Ivo by contacting him through his website.

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