Force

Most of the auxiliary roof mounted AC units had inbuilt fans and had the air vents coming out at the bottom of the unit so it sat over a hole in the roof, either where a roof hatch had been on trucks who had that or you had to cut a hole for it, so the cool air was blowing up around your head. The only thing needed extra except for the unit itself was an AC compressor on the engine and the hoses from it to the AC unit. I had a neighbour who had this kind of unit on one of his trucks back in the late 70's.

That's probably true,I have not seen that one myself. But I bought the roof section from him a while ago and he had both AMT and Revell roof sections at that time...I know that as he sent me the wrong one first but I got the correct one later.

Nice cars Walter. I just eyeballed and winged the colors when I built my Sox & Martin 71 'Cuda years ago, I didn't have much to go by when I built it tho' other than a zeroxed black and white Hot Rod article of their 70 'Cuda and the Jo-Han boxart...so it's not correct but looks decent enough.

I would also do it as Walter describes. Many drag cars has the fuel cell or tank in front nowadays to get help from gravity to feed the engine.

Replicas & Miniatures Co Of Maryland also has a resin repop of the AMT Chopped 3 Window roof as a separate piece, and one for the Revell/Monogram kit.

Michael: These parts came in several kits from several manufacturers so photos of the parts you're wondering about might be the only way to be able to tell where the parts came from without speculating wildly. Because they could be from a Jo-Han kit, AMT kit, Revell kit or allmost any other manufacturer who has done a scale 426 Hemi. Be sure to ask your question under this category "Model Building Questions and Answers" so this thread doesn't go off topic more than it has allready.

Well AMT didn't do the tractors, plows and farm wagon trailers for them, they were originally Ertl kits, but AMT did a re-issue of the John Deere 4430 and the 310 Backhoe some time ago. But The Ertl Company bought AMT and MPC back in the 80's, RC2 bought the Ertl Company in the late 90's and Round 2 bought the model kit business from RC2 and now have the tooling...so it's for sure possible if the tooling is allright.

And Revell re-issued the old Monogram 1:24 36 Ford 3 Window Coupe a couple of years ago.

Yes the Tyrone Malone Kenworth K100 trucks with transport body was to haul his Kenworth W900 race trucks Super Boss and Bandag Bandit.

Both rods from the aux gearbox goes to one of the two sticks in the cab, the other stick is for the main gearbox.

The main reason for the lack of current NASCAR model kits is that the NASCAR kits they had before didn't sell well enough to motivate the cost for development of new kits and why is that!?!? Well all NASCAR fans are not model builders...but back when there were no diecast models around they had to buy a model kit and build it themselves (or have someone else doing it) if they wanted a NASCAR model on their shelf as nothing else were available to them...so AMT/MPC and Revell/Monogram most certainly sold lots of kits to people who were not in the hobby normaly. But now with all the diecast models the non modeler NASCAR fans can just buy diecast models of their favourite drivers cars and put them on the shelf with no work at all and they are done with it. That's what I mean with the NASCAR diecast models killed the NASCAR model kit market as the sales of the model kits dropped severely when the diecast models arrived on the market. And with the expencive licensing and high tooling costs nowadays you have to sell quite a lot to make any money...so if the sales are low it definantely doesn't motivate the model kit manufacturers to develop new current kits as the risk of loosing money is too large. The last NASCAR issues released were most likely made that cheap and toylike to save money on tooling and that backfired big time as the model builders didn't buy them due to the lack of detailing and accuracy, and they finally stopped making them. The NASCAR and even Drag Racing model kits were an itroduction and a way into the hobby for lots of kids as they could get a model of their favourite drivers cars, and many of us model builders have most likely started in the hobby that way, but now with all the diecast models available they don't have to build the models themselves anymore and are not drawn into the hobby the same way as many of us were...it's kind of like a vicious circle where all hangs together.

I have two different Jo-Han versions and two different Testors versions of the original Sox & Martin 'Cuda kits and all has only one set of cylinder heads, dual plug Hemi heads with chromed stamped sheet metal valve covers...so the other cylinder head option you have must be from another kit.

If you go the 65 RO hood scoop route Super Stock is out of the question as you could only use equipment that was available at the time for the specific car model in the Super Stock class, on the other hand if you do the Modified Production car the scoop is okey as you could modify some in that class. The Sox & Martin cars aren't easy subjects, they even raced two different Plymouth Superbirds pretty much at the same time, one in Super Stock E and one in C Modified Production. The SS/E car wich was raced for a very short time had no vinyl roof, no hood scoop and a Hemi with Rat Roaster dual 4bbl intake manifold and was one of two built, one SS/E 4-speed for Ronnie Sox and the other was a SS/EA automatic car for Jack Werst...both built for one reason and one reason only...to beat Ray Allen's SS/E 70 Chevelle Convertible...they interpreted the rule book a bit loosely on these two Superbirds with lots of for Super Stock illegal modifications done to them, and they were later called "Cheeterbirds". The C/MP car was used for a longer period than the SS/E car and had a black vinyl roof, a 440 sixpack hood scoop and I think it also had a Hemi but with a Tunnel Ram intake manifold and dual carbs, and it could for sure have had other engine combinatons under it's active life in the team. So it can be confusing at times.

I think the ready made NASCAR diecast models killed off the market for the more modern NASCAR model kits, back in the day when nothing else were available you had to get a model kit of your favourite drivers car and build it if you wanted to have one on your shelf, now you can just buy a diecast model and you're done.

Amen to that. They ran so many cars over the years in different classes and sanctioning bodys, with both Ronnie Sox, Herb McCandless and some other drivers doing the driving, so it's hard to keep up with what they were doing.

I don't say you are wrong by any means Water, I know you know your Mopars. But I found this text at the Mopar Hall Of Fame: Jake King was the power-maker behind the Sox & Martin race team. King really began his career in drag racing not as an engine builder, but as a driver. Jake drove Super Stock Fords for Atwood Ford before he was recruited away from the steering wheel by Buddy Martin. King’s real passion and his supreme talent was in building engines that were light years ahead of what just about everyone else in the sport was capable of engineering - he was a true mechanical artist and the 426 Hemi became Jake King’s canvas. All of Jake’s motors were painted Ford Blue as an homage to his early days as a Ford pilot and to easily identify his work. For the better part of ten years, Jake built the engines that won the championships, and countless Sox & Martin customer engines as well. Without Jake King, the golden age of Super Stock and Pro Stock would’ve been entirely different. So Jake King himself was a Ford racer before joining the Sox & Martin team, one car he drove was a 1964 Ford Thunderbolt in Super Stock for Atwater Ford. Jake King joined Sox & Martin late 1964 and the team would run Mercurys in 1965, and he stayed with the team until 1976 regarding to this article. http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/featuredvehicles/mopp_0906_1971_plymouth_440_powered_super_bird/. But it's not that important so it might be better if we got back on topic.

Not only TF and FC but NHRA Pro Stock engines also have a 500 cid restriction. Since 2007-2008 John Force calls his engines Ford Boss 500 but it's pretty much the same Mopar 426 Hemi based aftermarket billet aluminum engine all others have, the difference is some strengthening here and there, moved intake lifters, the main bearings has Ford part numbers, and the engine block is anodized blue, otherwise they have the same bore spacing and other specs as the other Mopar based Nitro Hemi's as nothing else is allowed in NHRA Nitro competition today.

I have seen larger pics of this diecast model of the Sox & Martin 69 Road Runner and if it's correct the motor is a 440 6BBL (six pack), I haven't seen any good underhood pics of any of the real Sox & Martin 69 Road Runners or GTX's so I can't confirm if it is. But as I said, they ran several cars each season and in different classes and this Road Runner is one of them.

Sox & Martin raced Road Runner and GTX's in both Super Stock and Modified Production and the engine could be different depending on wich class it ran. I just checked all pics I have saved of the Sox & Martin 68-69 Road Runner and GTX's but I didn't have anything showing engines for them...so I'm not much help there. I do know that they had one 68 GTX with a 440 and a 68 Road Runner with a Hemi and as they raced several cars in both NHRA, AHRA and did match racing each season they could have had one of each for 69 aswell.

Of course you can paint the engine whatever color you like Alan, it's your model and you do as you want with it. This kit is one of my favourites too and I built one several years ago (before I got a computer and internet) and painted the engine Hemi Orange, I didn't know better at the time and didn't have any good references but as all Hemis was either Race Hemi Orange or Street Hemi Orange from the factory I painted it that color. But I'm going to do a more correct model sometime, I have more of these kits and since I got a computer and started with internet I have done some research on the Sox & Martin subject and found out much more about the car and the team than I knew then, You have to be sure on what car you're looking at, they had lots of cars from the years they were active and the team raced several cars each year, and the Sox & Martin Supercar Clinic as the team shop was called also built car for others. I'm not saying all Sox & Martin cars had blue engines but the tale about their main mechanic Jake King tells that he painted most of the engines he built for the Sox & Martin team Ford Engine Blue and I have found pictures that backs that up. Here is a link to pictures of the very same car you're building when it was sold at the Mecum auction some time ago and you can see for yourself. http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=FL0111-103897

Well 13 ft 6 inches is 4 meters and 11.48 centimeters to be exact and converted to 1:25th scale it's 16.45 centimeters, any higher than that you will hit bridges, overpasses and tunnel roofs...but with your model being 15.8 centimeters you're good to go.

Oldscool is right, Most of the Sox & Martin Mopar engines was blue as their mechanic Jake King who was a former Ford racer himself painted the engines he built Ford engine blue as a tribute to his blue oval roots and to easily identify his work. And if you google Sox & Martin and Jake King you'll find lots of pics of blue Hemi's. As for re-issue this kit, Testors had the tooling for the Jo-Han Sox & Martin 71 'Cuda last when they did the HSO "metal wheel series" version of it together with the 69 (66) Pro Street Rambler S/C, the 70 Olds Cutlass, and the 71 Mercury Comet maybe 10 or so years ago...all old Jo-Han kits...and they have issued these kits at least once before that. Testors were planning to do a re-issue some years ago but couldn't for some reason and the then announced re-issue was canceled, so the tooling for these kits might be lost or damaged beyond repair and IMHO Testors are to blame for that as they were the last to use it. I don't know who does the injection molding for Testors as I don't think they have the facilities and machinery for that themselves, so the tooling for these kits might be where they did the kits last. Revell are planning to do a Sox & Martin 'Cuda based on their new 70 Hemi 'Cuda this year...that's all I know.

And the Massey Ferguson 1155 and the International Harvester 1466 with Semi Mounted Plow and Farm Wagon for each one. The John Deere 4430 was last out in the late 90's or early 2000's together with the John Deere 310 Backhoe.

I don't know who does a Cummins 6.7 engine, all engines I have listed are for large class 8 trucks, so I don't know what engine he refers to either. I didn't list European manufacturers as they are'nt that common in USA, Volvos are available in the US but they are US made and are not the same as in Europe. The old Ertl Volvo is in fact a N10 and has a 10 litre Volvo TD100 Volvo engine, it's very similar to the larger 12 litre Volvo TD120 wich would have been in a N12. Revell AG did F12's and AMT/Matchbox did a kit labeled F10/F12 and I believe they both have a Volvo TD120. Heller has a Scania LB 141 with a Scania DS14 V8. Listing Italeri kits is a bit challenging as they are not completely correct all the time and lately they don't even include an engine anymore in some kits, the last Italeri kit I bought was the Volvo VN780 and it has no engine. Italeri did Volvo F12's and F16's and all had the same chassis and TD120 wich is wrong for the F16 that should have had a newer Volvo D16 engine, I have never had the newer FH12 and FH16 and models after that so I don't know what engine they have...if any, but they should have a D12 for the FH 12 and D16 for the FH16. Italeri did Scania 142, and 143 models with the same Scania DS14 V8 engine., the later 143 should have had a DSC14 with Intercooler but didn't, they have also made the later 144 and R series but I have never had any of them so I don't know what engine they have...if they have any, but Scania has a new 16 litre angine called DC16 wich looks completely different to the old DSC14. I don't have many Italeri kits and has never had except for some kits of the two Swedish makes Volvo and Scania, one Mercedes...and a couple American trucks, so I don't know what kit has what engine...and if it's correct or not as I can't check the kits myself.

You're welcome.