garagepunk66

My thoughts on the day 2 concept......The cross-ram did need to be paired with the Max Wedge heads because of the port mismatch and the lack of a heat riser passage in the cross ram intake. However, just after the introduction of the 1964 Race Hemi cars, there were, all of the sudden, hundreds of obsolete Max Wedge powered Super Stockers all over the US. I know this phenomenon well because I was involved a build up/resto of a 1 to 1 Henry J A/Gas car that came by it's Stage III 426 Max Wedge powerplant in-period as a result of this sudden obsolescence. At the time, Chrysler's Inboard Marine facility was doing the assembly and warehousing for the Race Hemi and Max Wedge engines due to the hands on nature of QC involved in engines destined for competition. As you can imagine, there were a number of assembled Max Wedge drag and NASCAR spec engines and components that were already in inventory for racer contingency and for outright sale that were also obsolete for their intended purposes; so, they were liquidated at fire sale prices. I have seen the ads in the late 1964 Hot Rod magazines and indeed, you could order a brand new Max Wedge from Chrysler Marine division probably for what the over the counter price for a 318 poly would cost you. I imagine there were some takers who might have opted to plunk one into his near-new Fury and detune it with an extra set of steel shim head gaskets to drop the compression and slip in a milder Chrysler 300J solid lifter can to tame the beast enough to drive it down the highway

Don't sweat the Lindberg block Steve. It's not too bad at all once it's wearing some nicer heads and intake. I think it actually looks a little better than the Moebius 65 block

Oh yes, I forgot all about the mini-Hydroplane! And I don't think I ever remember the vans with the Honda Odyssey

PM me your adress Steve and I will get them off to you

Steve, if you really want to make that Lindberg Max Wedge pop, you should consider using the Missing Link resin cross ram intake along with the old Revell Tony Nancy wedge heads. This stuff is miles ahead of the Lindberg parts. I have extras I can send you.

While not standalone kits, these add-ins from the late seventies through the mid eighties are pretty interesting. I understand that they have pretty low parts counts, but they all seem to look the part nonetheless. I believe there was also a Formula Vee racer as well (or maybe a smaller cycle-powered single seat open wheeler). Any observations, photos, and references to kits they were released with would be welcomed.

The old Eldon "Invader" twin Pontiac powered show rod had some pretty convincing Mickey Thompson cross rams. The kit was reissued in the eighties by Doyusha. Still pretty rare but maybe someone could be convinced into casting it. Here is one that is built up (not mine) http://www.showrods.com/gallery_pages/invader2.html#

The AMT grille opening is DEFINITELY narrower than the Jo-Han. Vaughn Hart's grille is mastered from the Jo-Han part.

The SCCA created the Can Am series beginning in 1966 in order to have a prestigious race series for group 7 cars that would also attract sponsorships for big prize money and world class driving talent. The Can Am and the Trans Am series also represented the SCCA' s first attempts at a unified, professional race series under a standard set of rules, and a championship structure geared toward the car manufacturers. Prior to 1966, the group 7 cars competed in USRRC sanctioned events. Cars like the Cooper Monaco essentially created the template for all of the Can Am/Group 7 cars to follow

Does anyone cast a flat hood for the Jo-Han 1970 Roadrunner? I just purchased the SMH Resins repop and would like to build a fictitious 1970 A12 car with the lift-off 6 pack hood and need a flat one as a starting point. In a pinch, I would be willing to make something fit that was made for the Monogram 1/24 kit.

Limiting my replies to the suggested subject matter at hand of 1960's era of open wheelers and sports/endurance cars, this is not a comprehensive list by any means.... AMT kitted the Lotus 29 and the Lotus 92. I believe that IMC kitted the Lotus 38 Indy car as well. IMC also did the Ford GT40 MkII and MkIV, the Ford J car, and the Lola/Ford T70 Can Am Spyder. IMC kitted some Chaparrals also, maybe someone can fill in the gaps. MPC also kitted the Ford MkIV and the Ford J car, as well as the Howmet TX turbine gt prototype and its sister car the Howmet Can Am Spyder. Accurate Miniatures did a very nice McLaren M8B kit in 1/24. Monogram did a Porsche 904 curbside in the same series you show the box art for of the Ford GT roadster. Also in the same series of curbsides are the Chaparral 2D Coupe and the Reventlow Scarab USRRC Mid-Engined Modified Sports Racer. AMT did some 1/24 curbsides based on their slot car bodies too, including a Lola T70 Can Am spyder

In the 1:1 world, the earlier 59AB 24 stud heads with the center water outlets can be bolted onto the later 49-53 8BA, 8CM, and 48-53 8RT blocks. With the earlier timing cover, cam and the 8RT water pumps, the later blocks can be installed in many pre-48 chassis and use the 59AB distributor

As for the wooden masters being sourced from the big three, it's hard to say...masters for the individual kit parts would also have to be crafted by the kit manufacturers to trace on for the pantograph mills to cut the cavities of the molds, so clearly the kit manufacturers employed very skilled pattern makers anyway. I do get the impression though, that if a kit manufacturer had a promo contract, access was likely unprecedented for photographic references and production prototypes of new cars to measure and take notes from

Just wanted to pass along that Kevin had a set of 3 413 cross rams listed on E-bay which I purchased. I could not be happier with the price, quality and service that I received. A quick visual looks like the cross ram will look really nice on the Revell/Monogram 440 engine found in the 69 Charger kit once I fill the open area of the cylinder heads with flat Evergreen stock. The valley pan included in the Revell Charger needs to be omitted.