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Don Garlits' Record Setting Swamp Rat VIb


Doctordarryl

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It was 50 years ago on August 1, 1964 that Mr. Garlits recorded the first official standing start quarter mile pass in excess of 200mph (he ran 201.34mph) at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ, about 20 minutes from where I currently live. I was hoping to get this model finished before 8/1/2014 but missed that goal by a few weeks.

Kit: AMT Wynn's Jammer/Hemi Sphere

Body: AMT Hemi Sphere

Paint: Airbrushed Tamiya TS-14 Black with airbrushed Testor's Wet Look Clear

Decals: Scale Auto Details for the body, Colorado Decals seat belts with Scale Auto Details Simpson Logos, Scale Auto Details blower belt part numbers

Front Wheels: Machined Aluminum Specalities

Front Tires: AMT Infini-T

Rear Tires: AMT Parts Pack

Chrome: Alclad II Chrome over Model Master Classic Black

Schiefer Magneto Cap: Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland

Windscreen: Cut down windscreen from a Revell Kurtis Kraft midget

Fasteners: Model Car Garage

Front "Wing": Printer's Aluminum Sheet

I wanted to build this model to go along with my model of Garlits' Swamp Rat 14, his first back motor car. I have a connection with Mr. Garlits and SR14.

Here are a few pictures.

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Very nicely turned out. Super sanitary! Are the MAS front wheels/tires a recent purchase. If so where can I hunt them down?

I think you can find them on eBay (search eBay for the seller customs_by_terry). Or search for MAS on eBay. Here is a link to an eBay listing for the wire wheels (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-24-1-25-Top-Fuel-Wire-Wheel-kit-System17-by-MAS-/111424290830?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item19f167c00e). He also tends to go to east coast shows but that won't help you. If you know someone who will be at the NNL Nationals in October (in Toledo) they could pick some up for you since Terry is usually there. I believe he still does mail order but the MAS website has not been active for awhile.

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I think you can find them on eBay (search eBay for the seller customs_by_terry). Or search for MAS on eBay. Here is a link to an eBay listing for the wire wheels (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-24-1-25-Top-Fuel-Wire-Wheel-kit-System17-by-MAS-/111424290830?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item19f167c00e). ...

Thanks! That does the trick. Looks like his eBay lineup is almost everything that was on the old MAS website.

Edited by Bernard Kron
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  • 2 months later...

Here is another build I wanted to do for some time. This is the historic AA/FD that Mr. Garlits drove to a world record of 203.1mph on 8/1/64 at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ.

Kit: AMT Hemisphere Dragster, kit# 38483, 1/25th scale

Builder: Darryl W. Peters

Decals: Scale Auto Details SAD0111

Incentive for Building: This is the car that Mr. Garlits drove to an official speed of 201.34mph at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ on August 1, 1964

Body: The body panels were cleaned up of very light mold lines. The molded on windshield was removed with an abrasive wheel in a Dremel tool. Panel lines were scribed with a dental pick. A slot was cut into the right side of the cowl panel for the throttle linkage. Holes were drilled for the front hairpins and the steering linkage. The body was wet sanded with a 4000-grit polishing cloth, washed, and dried in a dehydrator at 110° F overnight. The body panels were sprayed with two wet coats of Tamiya White Fine Surface Primer and dried in a dehydrator overnight. The body panels were airbrushed with two wet coats of Tamiya TS-14 Black, cut 1:1 with Dupli-Color lacquer thinner, using an Aztek A470 airbrush at 35psi with a 1mm (yellow) nozzle. They were dried in a dehydrator for 24 hours. The decals from Scale Auto Details were cut out and placed into warm water before applying them to the body panels. They were positioned and blotted with a piece of clean dry chamois and the body panels were placed back into the dehydrator for 24 hours. The body panels were gently washed with warm water and dish soap to remove any decal glue. They were rinsed with warm water and placed back into the dehydrator for several hours to dry. They were then airbrushed with two wet coats of Testor’s Wet Look Gloss Clear, cut 1:1 with Dupli-Color lacquer thinner. Before the second clear coat flashed off, the paint jar was filled with straight Dupli-Color lacquer thinner and a wet coat of thinner was airbrushed over the body panels. They were placed back into the dehydrator and allowed to dry for 48 hours. The body panels were lightly wet sanded with an 8000-grit polishing cloth followed by rubbing out with Novus Plastic Polish #2. The panels were polished with Turtle Wax Clear Coat and given a final clean with Novus Plastic Polish # 1. Dzus button fasteners on the body sides and cowl panel were simulated with photoetched large screw heads from Model Car Garage attached with Pledge. A cut down windscreen from a Revell Kurtis Kraft midget was dipped in Pledge and attached to the cowl using Elmer’s White Glue. Small photoetched screw heads from Model Car Garage were attached to the cowl with Pledge simulating screws that attached the windscreen to the body. The body panels were assembled to the chassis using super glue. The plastic rod portions of the steering arm were replaced with 1mm OD stainless steel tubing. The throttle linkage was made from strips of Printer’s aluminum sheet and fine wire with nuts made from drilled Plastruct 0.03 inch hexagonal styrene rod. A rip cord was added to the parachute along with a “Remove Before Flight” warning pendant from an old IPMS Nationals decal sheet.

Frame: The front axel, hairpins, tie rod, and steering linkage were stripped of kit chrome using Purple Power cleaner, rinsed, and dried. The front axel parts were assembled using IPS Weld-On #4 and airbrushed with Alclad II Chrome over Model Master Classic Black. The rear axel was assembled with Weld On #4 and sprayed with Tamiya TS-14 Black. The frame was assembled using IPS Weld On #4 while mounted on a Micro Mark steel plate with magnets holding the chassis sides to square up the chassis. After the frame was assembled and dried, it was sprayed with two wet coats of Tamiya White Fine Surface Primer and then dried in a dehydrator for 24 hours. It was then airbrushed with two wet coats of Tamiya TS-14 Black and placed back into the dehydrator overnight. The throttle pedal, fuel tank, and brake handle were sprayed with Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf. A photoetched butterfly steering wheel from a Model Car Garage set was added to the steering shaft. The seat cushion was sprayed with Tamiya TS-29 Semi-Gloss Black. Seat belt decals from Colorado Decals were added to the seat along with Simpson logo decals from Scale Auto Details. The kit rear wheels were stripped of chrome and all wheel lug holes were drilled out. Each rear wheel consists of 13 individual pieces. The wheels were sprayed with Model Master Magnesium Metalizer followed by Testor’s Dull Coat. Valve stems were made from fine black insulated wire. Wheel studs were made from 0.020 inch Evergreen styrene rod. Lug nuts were made from drilled 0.040 inch hexagonal Plastruct styrene rod. The studs and lug nuts were assembled with IPS Weld-On #4 and painted with Model Master Steel Metalizer. The axel stub was simulated with a disk punched from Printer’s aluminum sheet. The M&H pie crust slicks were from an AMT parts pack (AMT-PP001). The front wire wheels were photoetched items from Machined Aluminum Specialties. The front tires were from the parts box. The front “wing” was made from Printer’s aluminum sheet.

Engine: The kit’s engine was assembled using IPS Weld-On #4. The block and heads were airbrushed with Tamiya TS-14 Black. The oil pan was sprayed with Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf. Water necks were made for the heads from Detail Master #3 hard line with caps made from 0.06 inch Evergreen styrene rod. The engine chrome parts were stripped and redone with Alclad II Chrome over Model Master Classic Black or Model Master Metalizers where appropriate. The blower was assembled with IPS Weld-On #4 and sprayed with Tamiya TS-17 Gloss Aluminum followed by a coat of Testor’s Dull Cote. The kit’s blower pulleys and belt were used with part number decals from Scale Auto details. The cap on the kit’s Schiefer magneto was removed and replaced with a resin cap from Replicas and Miniatures Company of Maryland with cap clips made from printer’s aluminum sheet. A photoetched hold down clamp from a Detail Master distributor set was added to the base of the magneto with a nut made from 0.030 inch hexagonal Plastruct styrene rod. Spark plug wires and boots were added. A fuel block was added to the Enderle Bug Catcher injector. A fuel line was run from the Enderle fuel pump to the fuel block. Fuel lines were also run from the fuel pump to the fuel tank. A gauge face decal was added to the gauge on the back of the Bug Catcher injector. The zoomie headers were modified items from a Monogram Slingster kit that were sprayed with Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf.

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Really good looking Dragster and a great description, too. Especially I like the front wheels, as the wire wheels in these kits are really poor quality and I think they would ruin an otherwise nice build. Those look perfect. Nice paint and assembly work and sharp detailing all over. For example the valve stems seem to be one item that many builders forget (Me too!). Really nicely executed build of an interesting subject.

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