Straightliner59

Here are some shots of the new cowl, more in place. As soon as I've drilled and pinned the other side (as you can see, it's askew, here), it snugs down against the firewall. Danged if it doesn't look almost like a real dragster body! Also included is the beginning of one of the front wheels (I've never cared for the flat faces of photoetched spokes), and a comparison shot of the old and new cowls (old on top). The difference is subtle, but, the new one looks better, to me. Thank you, Stu, Phil and Steve, I appreciate the kind words. I'm on it, Snake!

Well, that explains that! :-D

I agree with that. Nothing else looks like metal. I remember that digger!

Thanks, Bernard! It's much appreciated! Thank you, as well, for your kind words regarding the Monza. I'll be building front wheels for this, too, which I failed to mention above. My favorite thing about working with aluminum flashing for dragster bodies is, unless you end up creasing it, it's not ruined. You can just keep tweaking it here and there, until it fits! I'm leaning toward just smoothing and cleaning up the body, and putting any markings over the bare aluminum, What do you think?

I've always had great luck shooting Testors metalizer over the bare plastic, then shooting the primer directly on top of it (no sealer over the metalizer). This Monogram Kurtis Kraft was molded in red, and treated as I described, and twenty-plus years later, the car is still as yellow as the day I shot it!

This model, like many of my models, has a long story. Begun in 2000 or 2001, it has been near completion perhaps a couple of times. The first time it stalled due to my dissatisfaction with the first body I built. That body was built from tooling aluminum, which, although very malleable, doesn't have much tolerance for compound curves--at least as far as dragster cowls are concerned. Then, while I pondered building a new body from aluminum flashing, I decided I didn't like the Hilborn injection setup, as compared to Enderle's. So, I tore the engine down, and began to explore possibilities for Enderle stacks. Turns out,there aren't any good ones from a kit (this was still several years before the Slingster was released. Those are the best kitted versions, but those leave something to be desired, too). I began to make sets of stacks, hoping to come up with a pair of tubes that were good enough to mate into a single unit and have them cast. That turned out to be relatively fruitless, until, within the past year, or so, I made a mold of one of the units I made, in which one of the stacks was a bit "off". I used two of those castings, and cut them apart, and mated two of the "good" stacks into a single unit (small, cropped photo below) that makes me happy enough to believe I can complete four units, and finally finish the injector setup. I may use the pictured resin manifold (it's from one of the better known casters, but, I can't recall where I got it from, at the moment), or, I may use one of the manifolds I began building. At any rate, I think I see the light at the end of that tunnel! Now, I am working on a new cowl. I like the older one--it fits decently, and is well-formed, but, I've always wanted it to be a bit "taller", at the rear of the cowl, so... I found an article in an old Hot Rod Magazine Yearbook that features several junior fuel dragsters, and I collected the ideas I liked from them, and began to conglomerate them into my own version of one of these bad little rides. Here's where it all began, and, where it is, today. As always, queries and comments are welcome!

Thank you, Richard. It was love at first sight, for me. Thanks, Bob!

I want to sincerely thank everyone for your kind words. I am stunned, and honored. I accomplished the vision I had for the car, and the model, and it's gratifying that others appreciate that vision. Anyhoo, before I get too sappy, I enjoyed the process and learning a couple of new techniques (Thanks again, Steve Milberry, for the tip for the headlights!). I'm trying to decide what's next. If I can make a set of Enderle injectors and manifold for a small block Chevy, I might see if I can't finish up my junior fueler...or, I have an Ideal Toy Company BMW R69 motorcycle that I've been looking at. Or, there's the Badman, or...

Thank you, Dave and Oscar. I'm pretty happy with it. And, it always feels good to put something new in the display case! I appreciate that, Dann, very much! Thanks! It does look like it would be a fun ride, no?

Thank you, Carl. Much appreciated!

Thank you, Peter! Check it out, in all its finished "glory", here:

This car was inspired by the late-'60s Trans Am series Camaros, and Mustangs. By the time the Monza was introduced, most of the road racing cars were wearing those big, pontooned IMSA-type fender flares. I always hated those, so, I went a little retro,with my design. This represents something that would have been built around 1977 (I wanted something I could use those beautiful Bicentennial Montana plates on!). It's built for speed and safety. It features a basic roll bar, four point harnesses, and a big fuel tank, for those wide-open spaces on the highways under the Big Sky. I've always loved the "H"-bodied GM cars, especially the Vega and the Monza. This is, actually, the third Monza I've built! Funnily enough, they've all been green! If you're interested in the process of this creation, you can follow the entire project here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/…/130953-1975-monza-all-parts-…/ Questions/comments always welcome!

Thank you, Tom. They are a lot of fun! It's going to be nice to put it in the display case!

Well, all that's left is some touch up! All the parts are on the model, with the additions of side mirrors and the fuel tank. I am going to flow some very diluted black acrylic into the door, hood and hatch lines, and touch up the paint chips. Once those are complete, I'll take some better photos and post a thread over in Under Glass. It's got some warts, but, I am happy with it!

Thanks, Tom! That's the article I was looking for!

Found a link to a re-creation at HRM. The car ran 9.0s at 150 MPH. Pretty quick! https://www.hotrod.com/articles/9-0s-at-150-mph-in-60s-recreating-the-ultimate-show-and-go-t-bucket/

That kit is pretty much a replica of the Geraghty and Crawford "show 'n' go" T, called The Grasshopper. Trying to find photos of it.

Thank you, Bill. Now, I'm going to have to find one, and see how well it mates with their '70 snapper body, and the firewall and cowl I installed in it. Looks promising!

As Picard would say, "Make it so." :-) I'm kidding, but, I am anxious to see how it looks. I didn't get a chance to go look for one, while I was out at work. I'm hoping it will make me want to swap the chassis into my '70 Modified Production class racer.

That Micro Superfilm is excellent stuff! It definitely should be able to save some decals, for you.

Ahhh, John! Music to my ears! Thank you, kind sir.

Thanks, Steve! For me, it's getting better, because it is almost finished! ;-)

Hahaha! Wrong Xanadu! But, I'm happy if she's happy!

Here are some better photos of the wiper assemblies. I dug around in my various drawers/boxes of materials, and found a small piece of rubber membrane,which is essentially inner tube rubber, but flat. I cut some strips as thinly as possible, and added them to the wipers, to create the squeegees. They might be a tad too large, but, I think I can live with them...

Thank you, Dann! I appreciate that. I'm pretty dang happy with it. It took a while to find side mirrors that I liked, but, I've decided on those from the AMT '67 GT 350. I wanted to use small, rectangular ones, and, it seemed like everything in my parts boxes, and most of the models I was going through, only had round, or the teardrop aero looking ones. It should be done within a week. Then I can try my hand at taking "sexy" car model photos!