Nitrozilla Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) The last build I finished, the 1966 Batmobile, was a grail kit for me. The adventure we're about to embark on is THE GRAIL kit for me. And don't you want to know why? I didn't think so, but I'm gonna' tell ya' anyway. In 1968 I was 15 years old and my sister's boyfriend took me and my brother to Irwindale Raceway. As I approached the concession stand, I heard a car fire up and approach the staging area. I ran to the fence to see what was making this incredible sound. I stood there with my jaw agape as Charlie Allen's Dart sat in a puddle of water. I thought the engine was going to explode because of the fire belching out of the headers. Then, without warning, my life changed with the simple mashing of a throttle pedal. It was one of those perfect moments that has been with me during my entire life. Now it's time to pay my respects to that memory. Let's start with a Competition Resin body and a Polar Lights Candies & Hughes F/C donating the frame and windshield. Finally, Slixx providing the artwork. I have been cleaning up parts for about 4 days now and I'll be starting frame assembly and chrome touch up next. Hopefully I can find some Spaz Stix Ultra Mirror Chrome for the tin work. I've also made a magneto and prepped the valve covers for plug boots. Also you will see a pic of the chrome tree from a Revell 68 Dart. If all works right, I'm removing the molded in bumpers and replacing them with the kit ones. Enjoy the ride folks. Um, you might wanna' buckle up there sport. Edited July 14, 2015 by Nitrozilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Then more...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuces wild Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Don't stop now... Show us more please :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High octane Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Lookin' like a great project Joe, and I just love dem Mopars! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck parts Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Looking good so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedfreak Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar Mike Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Keep it up. Can't wait to see this finished.MikeMopar To Ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbdolfans Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Looks like a great start.Please keep posting progress pics. LOVE the old Mopar Funny Cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Sounds like there's a fair amount of enthusiasm for this build. Thanks for Everyone's comments. Today was spent building a new roll cage. It was a little too flimsy looking for my tastes, plus there's a couple of features that require correction. The front of the cage needed to be swept back as opposed to straight up and the back bar required the addition of a pair of braces. The first pic is what remains of the old cage after I transferred the steering / brake cross member to the new. Next will come a tank support for the fuel, oil and water tanks. The old Funny's ran water lines to the front of the heads. See y'all next time. Thanks for watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10thumbs Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I like what's going on here, I'm following this one. Joe, things are going along nicely. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJJeff Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Great story Joe. I share a similar experience. In April of '68, my older brother took me to our local racetrack in Atco, NJ (I was 10 yrs old) where I was first exposed to drag racing. The featured attraction was a best of 3 funny car matchrace: Don Nicholson's Eliminator II vs. Doug Thorley's Corvair. The races were during the afternoon, so i couldnt see the header flames, but the noise, the tire smoke and the races really left an impression on me! I was, and still am, hooked on fc's.... Can't wait to see your Dart finished! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) Jeff, thanks for sharing that. We can start a sub-section about "1st Drag Experience." I guess it also hooked me on night racing. The decision to go was made late so we got there just as it was starting to get dark. What a great night! Did I also (Little Red Wagon) mention that (Hemi Under Glass) it may have (Back Up Pick Up) influenced my love (Hell On Wheels) of wheelstanders? Got the tank mounting plate done. Little more work to do before pictures though. Hopefully tonite. Edited October 1, 2014 by Nitrozilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJJeff Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Great story Joe. I share a similar experience. In April of '68, my older brother took me to our local racetrack in Atco, NJ (I was 10 yrs old) where I was first exposed to drag racing. The featured attraction was a best of 3 funny car matchrace: Don Nicholson's Eliminator II vs. Doug Thorley's Corvair. The races were during the afternoon, so i couldnt see the header flames, but the noise, the tire smoke and the races really left an impression on me! I was, and still am, hooked on fc's.... Can't wait to see your Dart finished! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJJeff Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Joe, your project sent me down memory lane, lol Here's the Cyclone I mentioned and a picture of it that my brother took while we were there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) That's one sweet looking build Jeff. Never saw Nicholson, but did see Thorley at OCIR against the Blue Hell Corvair. Blue Hell broke a brake line on the left rear and was sitting in a puddle of brake fluid when the light went green. He took an immediate left turn into the guard rail. Thanks as well Michael. Glad yer likin' it. Got to the tank mounting plate. Also had to modify 3 tanks from horizontal to vertical mount. So far it's all going according to plan. Mwwwaaaahaaaaahaaaahaaa !!!!!! Just noticed I'll have to smooth out the hole for the center tank. Thank you High Resolution Photography. Thanks for Looking. Edited October 1, 2014 by Nitrozilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10thumbs Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Joe, I like the way this is progressing as I have similar builds for the future. Guys, I like too the stories behind the scene. I remember well the Match Race Circuit '65, especially Sox and Martin vs. Don Nicholson. I watched them twice in my area, and it went way into the night. Both times 2:2. Sox won both events. I like too, that lots of dudes my age are right here. Thanks. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar Mike Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Joe,Every time you post new pictures I have to clean the drool off my laptop. Keep it upMikeMopar To Ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitro norman Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Looks like you are getting off to a great start and taking the time to do it right. I have a similar story. I am 57 yrs old and live in South Carolina. In 1969 my father took me to the now long gone Blaney Drag Strip. The main reason that I wanted to go was that Jungle Jim was going to be there match racing. After arriving and finding a seat, I remember looking over toward the pits and seeing Jungle Jim's Nova sitting out there with the body up. I asked my Dad if we could go over there and look at it. We did,and I remember standing there fascinated as the crew prepared the car for the race. After a little while Jungle walked up. As he walked over to the car he walked right by me, rubbed my head and said something about my red hair. This is one of my fondest childhood memories. I was at Z Max earlier this year at the 4 Wide Nationals. Iwas standing at the fence by the staging lanes taking pics of Tony Schumacher preparing for his next run. A couple of kids came up to him and he took the time to talk to them, even though he was about to get in that car and go 320 mph. I'm sure that they will remember that for the rest of their lives as I remember Jungle Jim taking the time to talk to me. Never underestimate the power of influence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Norm, that's great stuff. I don't want to start a competition between sanctioning body's, But hands down, NHRA, their driver's and crew are the friendliest, most diverse group of people on the planet. If I knew then what I know now, I would have done anything to be a participant, not a spectator. Life took me in another direction before I understood I was in position to do something different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 Who, in their right mind, would hack up an expensive resin body? Yeah, that would be me. Mwaaaha.......never mind. I set to my task wielding my trusty Dremel and it's whirling "Cut Off Wheel Of Death." Mwaaaha.......never mind. Afterwards, more flying resin spun off from the "Sanding Drum Of Mayhem." Mwaaaha.......never mind. Next I shaped the gaping maw utilizing my faithful "X-Acto Knife of Surgical Bladedness." Mwaaaha.......never mind. Lastly, a fine tuned finishing tactic using multiple "Sanding Sticks of Smoothering." Mwaaahaaahaaahaaa!!!!!!!!!! I'm thrilled that this is all going so well that I don't feel I'm cursing myself by saying that.The front grill fits perfectly. Still need to grind a little so the bumpers will fit. Tonite I'll finish up the back. The front and rear "grills" will get dechromed for some aluminum paint while the bumpers stay chrome. Also snuck in some time to paint the wheels. Enjoy the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6bblbird Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Great subject! Hey, don't waste any time trying to make an opening in the windshield line up with the tin work. Charlie's Darts had one piece glass with no cut out. WF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) Great subject! Hey, don't waste any time trying to make an opening in the windshield line up with the tin work. Charlie's Darts had one piece glass with no cut out. WF That's mostly true. I'm not certain if the one from my trip to Irwindale had a cut out or not, but this one does. Or at least seems to. Couldn't find a better pic. Edited October 3, 2014 by Nitrozilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6bblbird Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) From my research (minimal at best) It seems that the blue car ('68) had a one piece windshield, while the red '69 had a one piece and switched over to an open windshield after a while. I always look for the easy way out! lol WF Here's a pic that I found from Irwindale. Maybe you were there that day! It's the '69 with a one piece windshield. Edited October 3, 2014 by 6bblbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrozilla Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 Hey Thanks, that's a pic I haven't seen. Yupp, that would be me at the top of the tower stairs. lol I can see how running a full windshield would not be problematic. There has to be a ton of air under that body, especially at speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10thumbs Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 That pic looks like it shows a cut out to me. Interesting topic. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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