57 replies to this topic

[Bernard Kron]

Great project. I always thought the injected Challenger, along with the Summers Bros. Goldenrod, were the very peak of the big car, wheel-driven LSR form, truly stunning automobiles with their slingshot driver's position. I''m looking forward to not seeing those scoops any longer and enjoying the full expanse of that endless blue hood.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Started filling the underside of the hood before removing the scoops.......

[Gluhead]

You have a knack for picking projects that interest the heck out of me. Love that you're backdating to the non-supercharged version...so sleek. I'll be watching this one closely, too.

My attempt (cough) on this kit was rather abysmal, but that was a long time ago now. I'm looking forward to taking another stab at it with it being reissued again. I have this nagging urge to model it in bare aluminum.

[Plasticfanatic]

Now, this is something I will look forward to see the progress and finished model, truly a beautiful car and even more in the slick top configuration that you have choosen to replicate. I to have this kit, build one years ago, fit was terrible and some of the body panels where warped...so you can imagine how it turn out in the end. Got another kit to build again, as is indeed a beautiful and historical speed record car.

Please keep us posted of your progress, you have here another project fan!!!


Fred

[Ace-Garageguy]

I appreciate the interest in this build. This is without doubt one of the more challenging kits out there, and the deeper I get into it, the more respect I have for Revell being able to produce this without CAD back in the '60s. It is quite an accomplishment, and the kit underscores Mickey Thompson's mechanical genius like nothing else can.

I've glassed the underside of the center body panel with two plies of very fine model aircraft cloth and epoxy resin. This will keep everything together and aligned while I remove the scoops. The limited bonding area around the periphery of the styrene inserts isn't sufficient to trust during the cutting operation.



This is a trial of the technique I'm working on to represent raw aluminum bodywork. I don't want to use Alcald as it's too regular, and straight buffing-metalizer doesn't give exactly the effect I'm after.



I realize now that part of the reason I made such a dog's breakfast of this kit when I was young was my lack of understanding of the functions of the parts represented. Though this is a GREAT kit, it takes some massaging and light modification to get it to all work like it's supposed to. For example.....the steering shaft location in the center of the car isn't really illustrated very well on the instructions, and there are no locating tabs for most of it. Test fitting showed that it has to be installed slightly offset at the front, in order to hook up correctly to the steering linkage on the front axle. Although the steering box and shaft are correctly molded to allow for this, the instructions don't mention it, and nothing will fit right in front without the offset, as shown.

There is also a hooya in the lower frame rails at the bottom of the photo. This is introduced by the locating tabs on the bellypan being just slightly too close together in this area. They will be modified.



Part of the refit of the car to its earlier configuration involves substituting different front-covers on the engines. The Cragar chain-drive covers for the blowers performed this function on the later version. The chrome front-cover shown is from the Revell Pontiac engine parts-pack, but it doesn't fit the fabricated oil pans on the Challenger engines. I'm looking for photos of the injected engines to get this detail right.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 18 November 2012 - 04:53 PM.

[Ace-Garageguy]

With the center hood nice and rigid from the 'glass, I was able to carefully saw the scoops off and preserve them for something else, which was the plan.....



The profile of the car just isn't as voluptuous as the 1:1 shots appear, so that will have to be addressed.....



Still, I really love the look of purpose and speed this car always presents. There will be considerable test-fitting and minor mods to make everything fit, skinwise, as well, but this is a truly outstanding kit and everyone who is interested in the history of motorsports needs one of these. It will make a better, more patient builder out of you, too.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 25 November 2012 - 09:43 AM.

[Gluhead]

Looks great, Bill. I see what you mean about the voluptuousness factor not quite being there yet. Looks as though the upper mid-ship needs a little dipperty action along the corners, and the back end of the panel when it comes up to the cockpit given a little rise in the center.

Still, looks ready to rip.

[BKcustoms]

That looks great without the scoops, The lines flow so much better now.

[Bernard Kron]

...The profile of the car just isn't as voluptuous as the 1:1 shots appear, so that will have to be addressed.....



Still, I really love the look of purpose and speed this car always presents. There will be considerable test-fitting and minor mods to make everything fit, skinwise, as well, but this is a truly outstanding kit and everyone who is interested in the history of motorsports needs one of these. It will make a better, more patient builder out of you, too.

The unblown version has a considerably different nose section which accounts for the less dramatic contours of the later version Your comment got me wandering the web for pictures to confirm this. Here a some that illustrate the point. You'll notice that, assuming the height of the fender tops remained constant, the sheet metal between the fenders was rased and the contour of the fender tops merged into the surface in a less vertical contour. Also the nose openings are very different. Here are some pictures I found interesting.

These are from Machine-History.com ( http://www.machine-h...r I Streamliner ):




I'm not certain but it appears possible that the crests of the front fenders were extended rearward some what more on the initial version, too, at least compared to Revell's version. They appear to resolve into the engine deck at about the center of the front most exhaust port. :



And here's an interesting photo from the Hemmings site ( http://blog.hemmings...-i-streamliner/ ) that shows the car in an early form on its way to Edwards Air Force Base for some test runs where it went 250 MPH. Notice the additional vent openings.



In any case, this is an exciting and beautiful project you're tackling. I love the colors you've used for the chassis. Can't wait to see more!

[Dr. Cranky]

Looking real good. Looking forward to the next round.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks hugely for the pix, Bernard. They are very telling. I'm thinking Thompson got some professional aerodynamic input before the second skin was built. It looks to me like the front fender tops on the early car are somewhat higher, as the ones on the kit version just skim the tires. This would be consistent with an attempt to reduce frontal-area as much as possible. As you probably know, aero drag increases with the square of speed, so the drag at 400 MPH is 16 times what it is at 100MPH. A very small reduction in frontal area can mean the difference between making a record and not-quite.

There also appears to be more reverse-curvature behind the front wheel openings on the early car. This also would be in keeping with an attempt at reducing drag...in this case induced drag possibly caused by the slight lift or negative-pressure created by the down-curve behind the tops of the wheel openings.

Air is happiest flowing in straight lines, and though the earlier car is surely prettier, the later one is undeniably slicker. The straightening of the body contours may also have been done to try to compensate somewhat for the massive increase in drag produced by the blowers and scoops up in the air stream on the record version.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 25 November 2012 - 01:06 PM.

[Bernard Kron]

I agree, Bill. One of the more counter-intuitive trends in things automotive is the rise of the blunt nose as the dominant form in reducing drag. We see it everywhere these days, particularly in passenger cars,often aided and abetted by other factors such as the EU law mandating that at speeds below 10 kph a car coliding with a pedestrian must throw the hapless victim upwards and not under the car, and the move to increasing interior space by having passengers sit more upright. All this has eliminated the old long and low, "swoopy" streamline look from the automotive design vocabulary. It's fascinating to see it so obviously manifest in Thompson's Challenger. The injected car was fast, though not quite fast enough to be a record setter. But it was fast enough to attract plenty of additional sponsorship. I have no doubt your surmise is correct, that MT got some professional help and this accounts for the car's more blunt shape at the front. I'll have to scratch around the web some more to see if I can find some history on this matter but it's quite clear in comparing the two versions. How very, very cool...

By the way, when it comes to voluptuous streamliners the old Hammon-Whipp-McGrath Redhead will never be equaled!

[Ace-Garageguy]

By the way, when it comes to voluptuous streamliners the old Hammon-Whipp-McGrath Redhead will never be equaled!

....aptly named, too. Without a doubt, the most unabashedly feminine-built-for-speed set of lines ever wrapped around a machine. Just pure sexy.

[MachinistMark]

Both of those cars are bloody gorgeous.

[Alyn]

I don't know how you keep track of all these cool projects you've got going.

As an LSR fan, I'll be looking over your shoulder on this one for sure.

Nice start, and extra credit for building a variant.!

[1930fordpickup]

Still looking good Bill.
I wonder if any credit was given to Mickey for the look of the Corvette. LOL

[southpier]

.....one of the more challenging kits out there...

[fredo84]

Man That pretty Neat !!!!

[John Teresi]

Bill........you sure did pick a good one........I got to see the 1:1 at the NHRA museum at Pomona a couple of years ago.........it is insane...........I can`t wait for the next up-date

[Lunajammer]

I remember this kit from back in the early '70s and it never much interested me. Mostly because it's so mysterious, subject specific and I've never seen one done well. However in your capable hands and good descriptive writing, I'm sort of seeing this in a new way. Thanks.