Joe Amato Top Fuel

[ash74]

Hello All

Could anyone shed some light on the color of the '91 Joe Amato Valvoline top fuel, is blue or black? I suspect dark blue, but I cant find any evidence of the correct color. Also the piece under the blower (I think that's it's name?) Thanks

Ashleigh

[Vic Florie]

If it's the Revell model I believe that it's dark blue.

[Vic Florie]

That should have been if it's the one the revell model represents it's dark blue.

[sflam123]

5 hours ago, ash74 said:

Hello All

Could anyone shed some light on the color of the '91 Joe Amato Valvoline top fuel, is blue or black? I suspect dark blue, but I cant find any evidence of the correct color. Also the piece under the blower (I think that's it's name?) Thanks

Ashleigh

Re: Also the piece under the blower (I think that's it's name?) 
I think you are referring to the manifold that the blower sits on.  This is typically an aluminum or steel part on a real car, depending upon vintage.  I think the Revell Amato kit is representative of a mid/late 80's car, so it might be either, most likely aluminum.

[Force]

Yes, Joe was sponsored by Valvoline so it's dark blue, the picture below is taken by myself at the NHRA Museum at Pomona CA some years ago.

Joe Amato was sponsored by Valvoline several years and I think the car above can be a year or two later than the year the kit is supposed to be wich was 1989-90, the blue was slightly darker then...but it's definately blue and here below is his 1990 car when he had the #2 as Gary Ormsby took the title from Joe 1989, Joe was champion again  1990, 1991 and 1992 and before that he was champion 1984 and 1988.

Most of the engine in fuelers are aluminum since they started to use aftermarket blocks and heads, the clutch can was steel and later titanium, fuel lines are often stainless braded hoses with red and blue AN fittings, red magnetos and a red or black blower blanket wich is a bag that's supposed to contain the blower casing and rotors if it explodes from a backfire, black or silver hold down straps wich are there to prevent the blower flying off when the engine backfires, ignition wires are red, black, blue or yellow.

Here is a picture of the engine in the car in the first picture taken at the NHRA Museum a couple of years later.

The more modern fuelers from the late 90's and up to today has a carbon fibre injector hat, titanium valve covers with shields to prevent the spark plugs flying out and many black parts like the MSD magnetos, hoses and AN fittings in the fuel system and other stuff.
So there are not many colors on a nitro burning engine.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Force

[ash74]

Hello All

Thanks for the help, Blue seems to the correct color. Those photo's are amazing & very helpful, Thank you all

Ashleigh

[Force]

You're welcome...glad I could help.