tim boyd Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 March 2023: The following was prepared as a how-to for one of the model car magazines (not the one from our hosts here) in 2011. Said magazine editor did not understand the degree that drag boats were a huge part of the hot rod scene back in the day and decided not to use the article. (After all, as my modeling buddy Steve Perry likes to say, drag boats are nothing but hot rods with a prop instead of four wheels and tires). I subsequently posted the text, images, and photo captions it to my Fotki album. Now that Round 2 has reissued the "Hull Raiser" Kindsvater Drag Racing boat as part of their "Aqua Rod" Chevy Van combo quote, seems like a good time to recirculate the how-to article. Here's the article intro below and a few sample images. Click on this link for the rest of the story with 44 images and how-to photo captions. ******************************************************** On-Line Extra: Building a 1-25th Scale Dual Engine Drag Boat By Tim Boyd To someone who wasn’t there in the 1960’s, the idea of a how-to article on a Drag Boat may seem a strange diversion for a hobby called "Model Cars". But to others, this could be a welcome reminder of just how much drag and ski boats were a part of the car-guy/hot-rod scene back then. In a retrospective article, Hot Rod DeLuxe noted in its November, 2011 issue that its namesake, Hot Rod magazine extensively covered the drag boat scene back in the 1960’s. Back then, no one had a better finger on the pulse of the automotive market than Hot Rod magazine, and if you made the cover, you were it! And sure enough, a drag boat was the lead cover image on the cover of the September, 1966 issue. Yet another hint of how hot drag boats were back then is that in AMT Corporation’s 4 page (!) ad at the front of the June, 1963 issue of Car Craft magazine, their new Rayson-Craft Trophy Series Drag and Ski Boat kit was featured in three separate “advertorial articles”. Yes, Drag Boats were big – real big! For both those who remember, and those of you who are new to all this, we’re featuring a drag boat kitbash here as an On-Line How-To. It’s based on the Model King/AMT-Ertl reissue of a combo kit featuring the old AMT “Hull Raiser” Drag Boat along with the MPC 1970 Pontiac Bonneville convertible (kit #21547P, issued in 2005). It’s combined with the engines, several other parts, and decals from the Round 2 reissue of the AMT “Drag Team” Double Dragster Special Edition (kit #AMT627, issued in 2010). For further information and ideas about this time when drag boats were nearly as popular as “T” Rods, Deuce Coupes, and Gassers, I recommend you buy the book Drag Boats of the 1960’s by Don Edwards (Iconographix, 2008). Additionally, you may want to check out the 1/25th scale Ski and Drag Boat Models folder at the writer’s personal Fotki site ( http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/boyd-model-boats/boyd-boats-/ ), which features 13 other 1/25th scale drag and ski boat projects. So are you ready to splash a bunch of 1/25th scale water? I am! Let’s go! 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ea0863 Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Tim, thank you so much for reposting this article! I too was unaware of the connection between drag boats and hot rods until I reviewed the 70+ years of Hot Rod Magazine recently and saw the clear connection. The incredible array of engines and exotic configurations alone made the boats a part of the "hot rod" family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 No need to convince me, Tim, I've been convinced for years. I was inspired by your spray can fadeaways in the past and have done a few myself but, wow, how did you get such clean separation between the colours on this boat? That is amazing! Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share Posted March 27, 2023 3 hours ago, alan barton said: I was inspired by your spray can fadeaways in the past and have done a few myself but, wow, how did you get such clean separation between the colours on this boat? That is amazing! Cheers Alan Alan....luck....just pure luck! Hah! Best....TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share Posted March 27, 2023 7 hours ago, ea0863 said: Tim, thank you so much for reposting this article! I too was unaware of the connection between drag boats and hot rods until I reviewed the 70+ years of Hot Rod Magazine recently and saw the clear connection. The incredible array of engines and exotic configurations alone made the boats a part of the "hot rod" family. Emre...thanks for your comments and voicing your agreement on my hot rod car and boat thoughts! Best....TIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impalow Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 19 minutes ago, tim boyd said: Alan....luck....just pure luck! Hah! Best....TB Awesome stuff! I cant imagine even trying to do that fade with spray cans! Kudos for some awesome work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Cool Article, thanks for sharing it with us. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Amazingly I was made aware of this phenomenon around 1973. I was stationed in Missouri in the USAF. Some friends and I went to the Lake of the Ozarks on a camping/fishing trip. We were awakened one morning by the sweet sound of a big V-8 with open exhausts, screaming across the lake. We later discovered it was a 2X4 Hemi-powered boat, the owner also had a dual quad 360 Dodge pickup to tow it with. There was also an SBC powered boat in the same marina. So yeah, hot rods and boats are two feathers on the same bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Karson Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Big fan of Hot Boats! My Holy Grail! Taking the Hot Rod Hydro up a notch with a 21' Day Cruiser: Lastly, a Vette Pickle Fork: Just add water! -KK 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share Posted March 27, 2023 3 hours ago, Kit Karson said: Big fan of Hot Boats! My Holy Grail! Taking the Hot Rod Hydro up a notch with a 21' Day Cruiser: Lastly, a Vette Pickle Fork: Just add water! -KK KK....very, very cool stuff. I you haven't already done so, recommend you check out my album of completed 1/25th scale drag and ski boat kitbashes here......OH WAIT! Don't want to do anything to distract you from your GSL build...so bookmark this and check it out after first weekend of May! Cheers...TB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn62 Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Tim, I’m pretty sure that I have already made my fondness for marine pleasure craft clear. Super sleek drag boats, jet ski boats, off shore, or mahogany runabouts, all have a place in my display case along side anything on wheels. I’ve already spent countless hours drooling over your Fotki files, in total awe. A common theme that grabs me frequently is a fondness for very colorful fun in the sun types. Boats, buggies, bikes, roadsters, and rods, all appeal to my desires, and you have numerous examples of them all! The subject of this thread is another wonderful addition to your extensive collection of masterpieces. After reading through this thread several times, along with the comments that others have made, I have a couple of additional comments. First of all, I love the 59 ElCamino RPU! Next, nine cans of paint, really? I haven’t priced Testors lacquer recently, but I’m pretty sure you could buy a nice Paasche air brush for less than nine cans. Finally, I thought I was the only one still using an antique Dremel with external speed control. TS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris chabre Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 IM IN!!! I just sold my 71 Bayon that I was planning to turn into a drag boat. I wanted to keep it stupid light so I was plannng a turbo 3 rotor rotary coupled to a magnesium V drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted March 29, 2023 Author Share Posted March 29, 2023 On 3/27/2023 at 4:41 PM, foghorn62 said: Tim, I’m pretty sure that I have already made my fondness for marine pleasure craft clear. Super sleek drag boats, jet ski boats, off shore, or mahogany runabouts, all have a place in my display case along side anything on wheels. I’ve already spent countless hours drooling over your Fotki files, in total awe. A common theme that grabs me frequently is a fondness for very colorful fun in the sun types. Boats, buggies, bikes, roadsters, and rods, all appeal to my desires, and you have numerous examples of them all! The subject of this thread is another wonderful addition to your extensive collection of masterpieces. After reading through this thread several times, along with the comments that others have made, I have a couple of additional comments. First of all, I love the 59 ElCamino RPU! Next, nine cans of paint, really? I haven’t priced Testors lacquer recently, but I’m pretty sure you could buy a nice Paasche air brush for less than nine cans. Finally, I thought I was the only one still using an antique Dremel with external speed control. TS Hi Tim....really great to hear that you've enjoyed looking through my fotki albums. I must have, in total, thousands of hours invested in putting them online, and it is very rewarding to hear that someone has enjoyed them, particularly someone with your talent and stature in the hobby! (Note to those who do not know TIm's track record as a modeler....1970 Car Model Magazine issue with Detroit Cobo MPC Coverage....the first magazine coverage (I think) of Tim's long career as a creative and winning model car builder).... As for those Testors Lacquer cans....bought those all about 15 years ago, and sadly, most all of them have now leaked out the bottom and are mostly useless. Plus I think most of the colors have been discontinued; if not they seem to be very difficult to find at the stores anymore. But as far as the airbrushes go, I already have two ancient (as in 1970's) Paasche dual action brushes (I just used one a couple of weeks ago, still works great) and a Badger single action from the 1980's....Here's one of cars I 'brushed back in 1977-78 that won Best of Show at the 1978 MPC Detroit show and finished third nationwide later that spring..... But I prefer spray cans when they work for the particular paint application, if for no other reasons than that I tend to get more consistent results and don't have to worry about cleaning the brush afterwards..... Thx gain for the comments. Hope that somehow someday we can get back together in person....would love to do a tabletop matchup of your awesome dual engine boat/tow vehicle with the ones in my post above. TIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted March 29, 2023 Author Share Posted March 29, 2023 On 3/27/2023 at 10:17 AM, Kit Karson said: Big fan of Hot Boats! My Holy Grail! Taking the Hot Rod Hydro up a notch with a 21' Day Cruiser: Lastly, a Vette Pickle Fork: Just add water! -KK Kit...bravo my man! Please keep me posted on your progress on these....TB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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