swede70

Thanks... Looking largely consistent, the '72 RWR Javelin is also up on wheels w/cage after filing and fitting the red plastic late dashboard seen further up this thread. Forward one-third then... ...the wheel arch contour is different, while this example wears a '71-'72 grille/front bumper assembly less bumper guards if nothing more. At least it looks pretty honest. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings... For bending a lot of material and tossing out copious amounts of the same, a pair of roll cages take form for my '71 Penske as well as my '72 Roy Woods Racing Trans-Am Javelins. In particular, I wished to integrate my scratch built cages with the cut outs patterned into the '70 Jo-Han Trans-Am Javelin dash design for the bars stretching from the main hoop, down behind each A-pillar, and finally to the floor on either side. Using a Jo-Han '70 Donohue Trans-Am Javelin as an alignment buck, the new cages were fabricated, while two redesigned '71-'74 Jo-Han/AMT-boxed annual kit dashboards were isolated with the intent of filing them to accept whatever was worked up for use of the earlier design when in position inside the interior casting. ...this would actually be the '72 interior and chassis awaiting work consistent with filing out the late dash design to mate/mesh with the forward most roll cage members. Note how the roll cage bars neatly parallel the edges of the kit glass... ...back to my '71 Penske Javelin, no real effort was made to work up a proper seat mount here, hence it's at the wrong level and leans back far too much. Matters to be sorted then, while the '73 front bumper/grille is just something temporarily employed for mock up purposes and will vanish soon enough... ...happily the A-pillar roll cage members are largely invisible... ...trying to keep beneath the lip of the instrument panel surround on the late dash design, most everything fits and/or aligns. Certainly it's better than living with an incorrect '70 dash afforded across the entire range of Jo-Han/AMT-boxed Trans-Am Javelin releases of old. Thanks for your review of this post. Mike K./Swede70

...while in short, this would be my '72 Roy Woods Racing Javelin Trans-Am taking shape to the extent that I've removed select trim and have recontoured the wheel arch openings to match period photos. Subtle stuff, not particularly exciting in sum, while sobering it is to notice where kit part prices have gone in recent times. Finding another '71- '74 dashboard (or much of anything Jo-Han Javelin related) isn't work for the timid. Thanks... ...a fuzzy press kit image communicating the basics. ...and looking a bit pallid given the bumpers (across projects really) are being prepped for chrome plating. The bottom surfaces are a bit rough, while the ends of each 'stamping' front and rear needed light work lest they stand out for all the wrong reasons. Another front spoiler has been fabricated to situate here, although it's literally out of sight when this image was captured. Mike K./Swede70

Thanks for the interest expressed... After much mulling, I finally removed the Racemark seat I'd work up for my late-season '70 Penske Javelin and created a two-piece mold to reproduce it. The thought of working up at least two additional examples from what would have been at least four additional AMT Penske Matador seats plus all the extra effort to flesh out all the required elements in terms of the extended base, the lip elements along most edges and the better integrated headrest struck me as troublesome, hence the old work was refined before making a mold. Other things done include the careful removal of the cast-in seat belt harness, and putty work to integrate all the delicate lip detail. Further, the new headrest was hollowed out from behind to suggest hand laid fiberglass with slightly thicker edge detail to match the lip elements added to the back rest and extending to the integrated armrest profile as seen. I don't know why I hesitated to create a mold for all the work done up to this point across the seat, but delay I most certainly did... Noticed further below is one of the first usable examples from the mold which has proven tricky to fill and vent, although clean examples now issue forth. Spied to the right supporting the Racemark design is my default early '70-season Jo-Han Penske Javelin choice of the moment, something found within the AMT '37 Chevrolet release. For reviewing things, it doesn't seem that Peter Revson's car was ever strictly updated with the Racemark design right across the '70 season which seems odd. At least I can proceed with the '71 and '72 roll cage fabrication given what rests within is now less of a mystery. Thanks... ...the 1:1 seat installed in Mark Donohue's '70 Penske Javelin from mid-season. K. Ludvigsen image. ...sans seat mount, hence delicately poised for a photo as witnessed. Mike K./Swede70

Neat Quartzo Porsches certainly. From here the decal work looks pretty good, while I'm hoping most of it's intact and settled on each surface. I still suffer nightmares of decal wrangling and decal repair on these when found, memories rooted in some of their E20 BMW 3-Series race releases. Cool discoveries and a fun collection theme there... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings, Not wholly impressed with my first go at refinishing the amber tail light panel/insert on my Tonka/Polistil 959, here I've redone it after breaking the first attempt when I tried to remove the part from my build - ouch! Thought was given as to whether a Molotow paint pen could be used to bright up the back of the amber sections along the ends, while for mulling things it seemed worth a try to grind off the mounting pins (sort of an 'L' section when viewed head on) and generally clean up things from behind. ...as delivered then. ...first attempt with the sloppy reversing lamp effort on woeful view. The wheels look odd sans aerodynamic overlays later worked up and added, while the amber-color plastic retained for the turn indicators along the back seem pretty lifeless. Very much Kay-Bee Hobby toy aisle... Moving along, I painted the ends of the turn indicator segments/elements with Tamiya translucent orange aerosol, while a better white was chosen for the reversing lamp sections to aid matters. Enhanced control is witnessed in relation to the division of colors and tones used, and this helps on the quality front. Not so obviously toy-like now, and pretty much the work of a day. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

Interesting and certainly I've never seen an example. Wish I could help in it's identification, neat score all the same. Thanks for sharing... Mike K./Swede70

Indeed I did. They've become somewhat more savvy in relation to monitoring eBay auction results and pricing accordingly, but stuff is priced instantly and turned quickly as you too have discovered. Thanks everyone for looking in and for your comments... Mike K./Swede70

Indeed - picked up at Great Lakes Hobby here in SE Michigan. Likewise, I was hesitant before to pick up the oddball 1:20 Tamiya F1 scale Revell Creative Masters 1965 GT350, not being certain quite what to make of it. I missed purchasing a boxless example at Great Lakes for $50 some time back, although I was afforded the chance to inspect what seemed a good tool. On another subject, eventually I pulled the trigger and found a 1:24th WIX Filter promotional 1965 Cobra 427 SC and was thrilled with that, hence maybe it didn't take much to lower my resistance to sourcing and purchasing the Revell model at some point. Odd that I'm not that huge a Shelby fan, although it's hard to walk past what seems obvious quality vs. price when seeing the WIX model up close in particular. Prices for all the above are all over the map. Yes - for some digging I now have a better appreciation of what other items were included with the signed FM GT350 - thanks! Mike K./Swede70

Greetings... Having picked up a reasonably cheap 1:20th Revell Creative Masters Shelby 1965 Shelby GT350 last year for under $40, today a 1:24th Franklin Mint iteration of the same topic was found for $39.95 at a local hobby shop. There are so many indifferently tooled Shelby GT350's that it's hard to sort out what's what, although these two seem about the best as mass market diecast go. Happily the photo etched wipers as well as the radio antenna are each intact, while no diecast rash was found even as the model needed a clean. No signature, but in essence good riddance given I'm no fan of autographed diecast models. Maybe it's rare given it's not signed? Ugh - C. Shelby would sign and/or affix his mug to anything. Thanks... ...top is the 'new' family member, riding high in the rear as I think this model generally does. EBay photos are usually taken to disguise this reality/fact. Notice my WIX Filter Cobra just in sight to the left... ...and just the 1:20th Revell Creative Masters iteration on the bottom again. Goodyear 'Blue Dots' were added to the tire sidewalls, and will likely be added to the Franklin Mint model just atop it given it calls out for such. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

Thanks everyone for the kind interest displayed and comments left... The wheels and decals ordered arrived, while a new rear axle was cut consistent with widening the track a bit to even things up. Noticed will be the new Fred Cady period tape graphic on the hood, essentially matched up to the edge formed along the rear of the stripe work where it terminates along the back of the fresh air hood duct. Perhaps I set the image too far back, while mild regrets that the 'Javelin' script on the leading edge of the hood prevents the decal from settling as flat as I'd otherwise desire. Still - mostly good and about as far as I'll carry things. If a late AMT Gremlin plastic kit is turned up soon, I'll swap in the later style steering wheel found within. Thanks again... Mike K./Swede70

Another wave then... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings David, Only if you'd want, I might be able to help on the scale Minilites front. Searching my name/handle for threads will turn up my period SCCA Trans-Am efforts, hence much could be shared - again, at your discretion. Neat effort this... Mike K./Swede70

Indeed - that looks really nice. Good to see the side trim come off in particular... Mike K./Swede70

Very neat and trim build. Thanks for sharing... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings... I always wondered what a factory promo of the '73-'74 American Motors Javelin AMX would have looked liked had it been afforded to us, pondering what could have been made of parts tooled for the AMT release as well as the knocked down snap together Jo-Han release of old. Witnessed below would be a starting point... The 'Volcano' styled stamped steel wheels would appear within AMT's Gremlin (and likely stock Matador) unassembled kits, while maybe the MPC hard vinyl Goodyear Polyglas GT tires could have been used even as they were likely sized to suit the Vega GT promos first and foremost. Modern eBay kit breakers were turned to, while the availability of things sold separately helped knock down costs... For gathering a nicely built up snap together release and collecting suitable scale footwear, I finally decided to do something about a certain urge. Another set of wheels is in the mail, hence I'll hopefully have four well-plated and reasonably crisp examples to choose from. This would Fairway Green Metallic on a '73 Javelin versus the expected Javelin AMX model, with the neat 'Volcano' stamped steel wheels also on view... ...while this would be a very typical (albeit in terrific restored condition) American Motors interior hue of the period. My interior paint choice isn't the closest, although it's typical of period Jo-Han practice. I feared that if I simply painted the interior basic black, it would appear more 'messed with' versus something that might be mistaken for an actual promo. A later Gremlin kit might be tapped to come up with a steering wheel akin to what is pictured here, given the rim blow option was no more after the '72 model year... Seen would be a respray for use of Tamiya TS-20 Green Metallic which approximates '73 American Motors Fairway Green Metallic, a weird interior refinish in Rust-oleum Stalin Leafy Green with a quick semigloss clear coat applied over it. Some clean up work was performed to the body shell casting, although only enough to ensure it would look about equal to a pair of '71 and '72 true promos that I have in terms of finish quality. Jo-Han plastic kit axle locators were modified for adding a bit of plastic tubing to widen the track both front and rear prior to painting each ACE hardware Garden Green to match the color of the plastic used for the aforementioned snap together release, the results being generally clean and discreet for so fitting. Music wire was used for new, wider axles matched to the track of the old Hurst mags typical of these models. I had a spare plastic 'glass' panel/insert on hand, hence such was polished with NOVUS 2 and switched in. The tires are a bit small, but I'll live with such... The tail panel plus bumper top cove black out denoting that the 'GO' package was added after masking out the bumper guards. Locating tabs otherwise intended to square things up for assembly of the top tail panel insert relative to the red-tinted tail light panel were ground away to level things out, while the aforementioned lense insert was stripped with Easy Off and reshot with Tamiya TS-74 Clear Red to ensure it was colored evenly versus the usual Jo-Han blotchiness. Watch out for clumsily built up examples which often evidence glue burns to the tail panel insert top corners extended along the back of the insert. Damage such as I describe is something commonly discovered only after one returns from a show with a messed up example in hand. Both tail light lenses I had to choose from were damaged in this fashion, although one was within the realm of saving for use here. Fred Cady decals are coming - hence a gold 'T'-stripe hood graphic will be added soon enough, being as weird and as typical of anything AMC ever did in period. Mostly I'm happy. Thanks for your review of this more or less finished mini-project... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings... Small stuff this, but aluminum hub guides were added to the '71 Penske Donohue Javelin, with the horizontal raised trim scrubbed out along the rocker panels for a cleaner appearance. The rear rims were narrowed a bit to better fit the tires and live within the wheel well space afforded, while replacement plastic 'glass' via Okey Spaudling purchased years ago replaces the wasted kit glass on this restoration item. Along the front of the model some initial pattern work was performed consistent with fabricating a reasoned front spoiler, while a pair of headlamp screens overlay the headlamp installation consistent with suggesting brake cooling ducts which were allowed for a rules adjustment going into the '71 SCCA Trans-Am season. The tail light lense was stripped with Easy Off oven cleaner, the resultant clear plastic panel refinished with Tamiya's TS-74 Clear Red aerosol consistent with cleaning up the appearance of what was mottled and of middling quality. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings, There are dedicated Facebook group pages dedicated to 1:18th diecast project parts wants/requests that might generate greater interest. Those who modify such models tend to generate piles of spares, while some releases have reputations whereby many are parted and certain items are in high demand. It might happen too that a damaged model with the part or parts you require will be had for less given it's a dust bunny, bears obvious damage, hasn't a box, etc. I hope you are able to source that which you need... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings... Going through materials intended to allow the construction of a '71 Penske Javelin and later a '72 American Racing Associates/Roy Wood Racing Javelin, I hurriedly decided to put my '71 Penske project up on wheels. Other work performed was the reprofiling of each wheel arch opening as guided by period reference, the removal of all standard identifying crests, and the installation of a '71-'74 dashboard given all Jo-Han and AMT-badged Trans-Am Javelins come through with bare floors, albeit with a '70 dash. The body shell is a stripped restoration piece from a built '71 AMT Mark Donohue release, the chassis and interior being recent eBay acquisitions posted and sold by a period kit breaker - a new thing then. Even for brief work this '71 looks fairly convincing... ...this a Dave Friedman image captured at the '71 Lime Rock Trans-Am contest. Rules presumably required that the wheel arch profiles not be altered, although here one can clearly see that the rear opening has been elongated, slightly squared off and raised to terminate along the body side character line. The front wheel arch shape is also different versus stock, with the opening found rising atop the character line, and noticeably stretching along the base towards the nose of the car. ...the raised rocker panel trim will have to be scrubbed off, but the wheel arch recontour work is convincing enough. The twinned exhaust dumps required that the cut outs for the same be enlarged, while the rear tires are AMT AMC Penske Matador issue. Thanks for your review of this ever-evolving project thread. Mike K./Swede70

Small stuff this... I hadn't much success bending brass tube to replicate exhaust dumps, but here it wasn't much of a problem for the material used didn't quite crimp up as expected. Also seen are the pair of jack or lifting hard points seen along the rocker, while the retention straps holding the rear glass in place are set wider - whoopee! Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

Thanks for the interest expressed and sustained... The '70-season Penske Javelins evolved across that year as racers do, while a comparison between the early season spec. and the later season would largely be restricted to minor details as contrasted to much larger changes concerning the shape of the body or flares in particular. Jimmy Flintstone (perhaps Mini Exotics originally) opted to do a late season car which unlike the as-delivered original Jo-Han '70 Mark Donohue Trans-Am Javelin release (C-105), represented a very early season car if not something speculative before such was actually raced. As usual, the Jo-Han race rendition combines parts that are first rate with those which are impressionistic but largely benign! Concerning what was mastered, a late season spec. Penske Javelin wouldn't have cut outs to refuel the car along either quarter panel, but instead a single spot to do so perforating through the structure near the base of the deck lid and cutting through the bottom of the rear spoiler. Some engine updates would be discernible including a better functioning wet sump design for much trial and error, the front spoiler would be redesigned to include both aluminum structure and lexan lips along the bottom, while the polished lip Minilites seen briefly early on would be superseded by uniformly rough cast appearing Minilites in whatever magnesium alloy they used. Tall profile NASCAR tires - ungainly as they were to look upon, were found to be best to employ out back, while shorter profile and comparatively squat Super Modified tires - also from the Goodyear catalog, were eventually fitted up front. The almost elegant fine blue lines found on the sidewall of period Goodyear Blue Streak Sports Car Special were something that vanished from the scene as the year progressed - another tiny alteration then. ...Peter Revson, sans the Racemark seat described below (i.e. no headrest or extension for such is seen), although with the revised front spoiler, different tires, and fueling via the rear only. For whatever reason, the side numeral has gravitated upward, while the font suggests primitive digital readouts and the then topical Apollo program courtesy of NASA. Photo credit unknown, while perhaps the image was captured at Kent, WA '70. - Eventually Mark Donohue established other means to draw an income apart from Penske Racing and Goodyear, and one of these sidelines was his affiliation with a company called Racemark. One of their products was a then novel seat that was both tightly form fitting and extended well down the body to afford a measure of knee and leg support. Apparently Paul Van Valkenburgh designed such, later coauthor of Mark's excellent auto racing biography The Unfair Advantage from 1975. From mid season the distinctive Racemark seat with all the trimmings was installed in Mark's car, although it didn't seem to migrate to Peter Revson's #9 Penske Javelin. Other discreet changes would be picked up from race to race for close examination and comparison of period photos. Lastly, the presence on the vintage scene of a backdated engineering hack reflecting '71 season developments at Penske Racing confuses things if one is tempted to be guided by vintage racing photography, hence beware of this reality if accuracy is felt paramount. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

Greetings... Having sourced another interior bucket and bare Jo-Han Trans-Am Javelin chassis via eBay, here was some limited effort to put an early '70-season Penske Javelin back into play. Noticed will be the rudiments of a six-point roll cage, wheels and tires, carved out flush exterior door handles with resin replacements (done to facilitate off-body paintwork of the handles), and a rubber washer-rimmed Grant steering wheel installation. Mostly stuff I've done before in total, but looking comfortable given I know what to reach for. Thanks... ...in early-season form at Laguna Seca, descending down the Corkscrew... ...using the standard Jo-Han kit front spoiler, although the Jimmy Flintstone shell again features. No work has been performed underhood yet, while my last remaining SC/Rambler inner fender/wings will likely be stitched in. Many more bars need to be added to the roll cage taking form, although the major members are present, sized and aligned as required... ...front tires are stock kit Jo-Han/AMT period NASCAR issue, while the rears are Southern Motorsport vinyl '60's Goodyear NASCAR issue which come with very nice Goodyear Blue Streak blue lines and small white lettered Goodyear sidewall markings to match. The Minilite wheels are older cast resin items home brewed and made up of Jo-Han inner rim with MPC Chrysler Kit Car Clement five slot pressed steel wheel outer lips once again. The shell is among my oldest and evidences repair work for overzealous carving and shaping... ...looking a bit strange for not having a key hole through the rear spoiler, nevertheless it's how things were on the racers early season. The Jimmy Flintstone resin shell needed a patch atop the fuel inlet situated on the bottom center of the spoiler to backdate it slightly, while it looks fairly clean for a light putty application besides. Lastly, the Grant steering wheel noticed was sourced from a Hurst S/S '69 AMX release, with the ends of each spoke ground down to accommodate the quite small steering wheel rim reproduced with a bathroom plumbing washer. Just basic stuff at this point. Thanks for your review of this post. Mike K./Swede70

Just another material source this. Sometime ago I visited a larger party supply store and chanced across what might be termed table centerpieces featuring a fairly resilient foil. I paid maybe $5 to $7 for each centerpiece as shown, while I found the foil employed could be cut to shape somewhat easier for being stiffer than your usual packaging foil. I've used the material for 1:18 Wink multiple-element interior rear view mirrors, as well as for lending a bit of life to the back of a like-scale Porsche 959 tail light panel with success. Thanks... ...not quite a lifetime supply - but close! ...and just a length behind the now-tinted and formerly all-amber plastic tail light lense/unit on my Polistil Porsche 959. Mike K./Swede70

Hello... The cage is barely discerned for being painted and coaxed into the '67 Camaro. The exhaust dumps w/straps flesh out the exterior, although the engine is still out. Happily the steering column rests comfortably across the roll cage cross bar forward of it, while no interference is noted between the main hoop and the side quarter windows. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70

...while this would be the well-known '69 Mission Bell 250 Trans-Am poster and program image. The photo was captured at the first race of the season held at Michigan International Speedway for the inaugural Wolverine Trans-Am, while note Mark's #6 is fitted out with red interior trim panels complete with the dash pad so-colored. Mike K./Swede70