Joel Naprstek

Classic stuff ... love it.

Really like the #4 LM!

Kind of a mix Rooster, hard to say. Mostly the bumpers and roll cages were scratch built. The reat are kit-bashing mixes.

Looks good. I like the cut down door ... classic stuff.

Thanks for the compliment. Yes, that was a great magazine, the best at the time.

Love the #33! Wish I'd have built that one. The body has a real thin sheetmetal feel to it!

Here's something from the old Rod & Custom Models magazine from the early 1960's. I built two sprint cars following this. Unfortunately the models are long gone.

Thanks Tony! Much appreciated. You can see how simple it is. Just a folded piece of heavy stock watercolor paper.

Not sure if I posted this before ... my apologies if I have. This is a semi-scratch built model of my dad's 1938 Nutley Velodrome, NJ board track HD powered midget. I built this back in the 1963-5 era. The body is vac-formed via an old frind's dad's dental business or something. AMT wheels and Revell HD motor. The photo of my dad in '38 with temporay number on the car.

It's been quite some time since I've been here and I'm sorry to say that I haven't checked in sooner. Great models by everyone ... love the stuff! Here's a neat thing done by my good friend Todd Lewis ... it's a little diecast midget that he lettered with my name (and dirtied up, which I love to see on models!) as a gift a year or two ago. I loved it and decided to make a small cardboard and marker-colored display diorama. Thanks Todd!

Here's another 1/32 scale model that I built back in the late 1980's. At the time I didn't have enough reference to build a replica so I did a fictional car based on what information and pictures I did have. The model started out as a Revell 1/32 scale snapkit. There's no engine in it ... I actually just wanted to build it for a diorama that I built and to photgraph it. A few years later I also used the model photos after I'd come across some better reference material to paint a picture of Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly in their 1957 Ford NASCAR Convertible Division cars. The model was hand lettered (the logo decals are Fred Cady); model railroad boltheads, screen, Evergreen tubing and sheet plastic used, wheels and tires are from a Palmer 1940 Ford kid. Paint is airpbrush. It was photographed using a homemade pinhole lens on a 35mm camera. Joel

Some interesting and great models here, variety too. Thanks to all for sharing. Here's another shot of some of my 1/32 scale efforts. The #24 is a never completed replica of the Stan Ploski-Ken Brenn coupe, made from a '36 Ford coupe kit. The other is another angle on the Stan Wetmore #73. Both were done back around '74-5. Joel

I know this isn't the art thread but here's two art assignments that I did for an upcoming event that should be of interest to all here. The oval image will be a give away poster to all attending the autograph session on the 4th. There will also be a large 3ft banner of the poster given away to one lucky number found in the night's program. The second piece is the event promo/advertising card that I did for the event. Many vintage oval track cars on display and the track, many former drivers and crew in attendance also. I hope to see some of you there! Joel www.JFNStudios.net

Nice work as always James! I really dig the Maynard Troyer '60 Ford LM. Are the supers scratchbuilt? I do have a few of the 1/32 scale kits stashed away ... lol! Joel

Sounds like a lot of us Ed. Why not research and build one of your favorites from those early days at the track? Here's one of my favorites from 1963 ... the #1 Harold Cope owned/built that Bob Malzahn drove here in the NY-NJ-PA region. The super mod is a fictional car. My apologies for the poor quality photo ... I was a young teenager with a cheap camera back then. I made a passable version of a '37 Ford coupe using a '40 Ford roof, a '36 body and fenders with molded in '40 Ford headlights. Joel

Thanks James. Varying degrees on the scratchbuilding, the #73 has a complete Evergreen plastic tube chassis but a Palmer '40 Ford sedan body narrowed, sectioned etc. Hood came from a model airplane fuselage. Most all have scratchbuilt bumpers and roll cages, but kit bodies with trimmed and cut down kit chassis. Wheels & tires are widened kit tires from various sources. Some body parts are sheet plastic. All are hand lettered. Attached is an unfinished model of Eddie Mann's late 1960's modified. Kit body, cut down kit chassis, scratch bars, cage and bumpers. Pyro 1/32 scale '40 Ford coupe and chassis. The sedan, ... an unfinished replica of Frankie Schnieder's late 1960's sedan started out as a Palmer '40 Ford sedan. Body modified to look like a GM sedan, narrowed etc. Roll cage is plastic tubing. Joel

Here's a group of 1/32 mods that were mostly my builds, one or two my cousins. Some are so-so replicas of real cars, a few are fictional. My apologies for the poor photo ... was taken back in the mid-late 1970's. Joel

Really nice models James ... I especially like the #00 coupe and the Camaro LM. That was the last great era of the LM cars in my opinion. Nicely done. Thanks for sharing. Joel

Best ones from the old days were the M&H 7" tires that came with the Johann '64 Plymouth and Dodge S/S kits. I have no idea if they are still available in some form. Joel

No sweat Bruce ... for some reason I was able to see all of the links today ... nice work! Joel

Thanks for sharing Bruce ... I always liked that orange-yellow color for dirt track mods and LM cars ... like you have on the #18 coupe. Joel

Nice super mod model Kerry ... Thanks for sharing. I couldn't get the other links to work for me though. Joel

Thanks Pete, Yes it was a lot of work ... but also enjoyable. Usually once I had the whole project planned out, mocked up and ready to finish ... I'd lose interest in pulling it together to completion. I'm sure I'm not alone in that respect! I posted an unfinished one from 1975 in another thread in the Under Glass category. One of these days I'll find the time to build a couple of CA track roadsters I have planned ... we'll see! hahaha! Joel

Really nice Jim! I saw that car run on opening day at Island Dragway in NJ, sometime in March '65 ... also many times around the east after that. Joel

Nice work Mike, Michael, and Ray ... thanks for sharing your models. Here's a build that I've had "in progress" since 1975 ... hahaha ... 1/32 scale Evergreen tube fabricated Profile chassis, Pinto body started as a Revell 1/32 Javelin and the tires came from a 1/32 Porsche kit (AMT or something). It is to be a replica of Chuck Ely's Tremont #115 Lebanon Valley Regular. Motor, now lost was from a Lindberg 1/32 hot rod kit. Joel