JRB53

Wow, and I thought Pocher did great detailed kits. They ain't got nothin' on your RG2 Kit. BTW, just give in and teach her how to drive the T/A down the track. Who knows, with her lighter weight, she may get it to high 11s! Jack

Thanks for the confirmation on the axle weights. And while we're on this interesting group of "MPC vehicles", why does the Milner dragster have two fuel tanks? Both in the movie and on the kit instructions above, it shows a tank directly in front of the motor and one further forward. Thank again for the help. Jack

Sorry, Bill, I re-read all your posts and saw where you have already answered the question about the mysterious bumps. Thanks again for all your help.

Thank you for the great tutorial, Bill. Now I understand how that front end is supposed to work. Still have one question about the kit model. On Pg 9 of the above shown instructions, Part #120 has two large "bumps" (right beside the dark circle #1) near the center of the axle. All of the Real-life pictures I've seen show smooth, clean tubing in the center section. What is MPC trying to show? a three piece axle? They don't line up properly to be the attachment points for the radius rods. Thanks again, Jack

Picked up an MPC Jawbreaker (super cheap) and am very curious about the unusual design of the front axle. Tried "George Klass Remembers" for some reference photos but can't find a thing. What are those small couplers? why two steering links? Is it accurate? who started this type? was it modeled after a real racer? and what time period are we looking at? With those wild exhausts, I'd love to model a wingless version for early 60's, but will I have to redo the front end? I found FloridaBoy's post of April, 2015, but there's only a passing mention of the dropped front axle and the installation problems. Also, does his observation concerning the Late-model Hemi limit this build to post-1965 time period? If so, I could modify the valve covers and dig up an old-style Potvin blower to help backdate the motor. Or am I just going to run into more time-period problems with the tires, wheels and frame? Thanks for any help you may be able to provide. Usually I'm pretty good researching the Internet, but this dropped axle has me stumped. Jack

OK, yall have got me started. Tom's newspaper photo reminds me that Google is not the sole source of information in the world. I'll have to make a trip to the local library or newspaper to see if I can dig through some archives. Be great to compare local ads of 1955, '60 and '65 to see how the local dealerships evolved in my area. Anyone know of an online source of old phone books?

Wow, great stuff on Ralph Reedman. Started out with a Chevy franchise in '54 and by mid-60s he's got a ten different makes. Does this mean that Detroit had less control back then, so that anyone who had the money could buy a franchise? or did the owner have to set up a "paper-chase" of different buildings/businesses, i.e. Reedman Chevy, Reedman Dodge, Reedman MG, etc.? Not to get obsessed with detail, but I'm a history buff and the automobile changes from 1955 to 1965 were fantastic. The performance, efficiency, appearance, manufacturing/repair, sales/distribution, and not to mention the overall number of vehicles (no longer one car per family) totally changed America. I guess that's why I love models from that time period.

Google is failing me! I'm looking for info on new car dealerships in the 50s and 60s that sold more than one brand. I've seen old dealer ads showing Ford-Mercury, Chevrolet-Cadillac, Pontiac-Buick, even Chevy-Olds combinations which all show an understandable low-end-high-end financial choice. Does anyone have memory (or photos) of dealers selling 3 or 4 brands at that time? Any dealers that offered ALL of the GM makes? Which new car dealer offered the largest variety of different brands in 1960? Did any dealers mix several foreign and domestic makes? We take this kinda stuff for granted now, but back then "multi-national corporation" meant Coca-Cola. Thanks in advance, Jack