spike morelli

Mad Max!

I think I read somewhere, that Sam Barris was the first to chop a Mercury, having ordered one brand new, early on before they were in the dealerships, and chopping/customizing it. You guys can correct me if I'm wrong on that ( as I'm sure someone will, the internet being what it is). Anyway, I read that was the claim to fame, but I also read that it was all Sam, HE was the metalman, brother George was the promoter type. It appears to me that it was after Sam's passing, and into the sixties, when George hooked up with Hollywood, that George's "K"ustoms became noticeable. I did like the Drag-U-La, not so much the Munster Koach. Jeffries Monkeemobile was cool too, and of course, Ed Roth's wild builds.

Recently, I purchased a Lindberg kit of a '71 Mustang street machine, which I saw at my local hobby shop. I bought it opened, It was previously in someone's collection and being sold as-is. I must say, I really didn't expect much from this Lindberg kit, but, holy sh_t, this kit has to be one of the all-time stinkers ever made. Proportion and detail was thrown right out the window. Literally nothing usefull in the kit, and I have nothing good to say about it. However, it is a freakish curiousity of circus sideshow value, should you possibly be interested in it for your all too cool collection of Mustangs. PM me for any info. I'll take some photos.

Oh my God! You guys are so right. How the heck did I post that! I stand corrected, and this is embarassing. I've grown up with WWII aircraft. My Dad specialized in P&W 2800 recip parts, and I hold an A&P license. I do know better......I'll take my 50 lashes now,....... My mind obviously farted for a moment, as it's obviously an SB2C. I just edited the post.

Alexis, That "beast", is a SB2C. My hats off to all the young men who fought in those battles. The pilot in my model is grabbing his throat mic, telling his rear seat, "....hang on Frankie, here we go....."

The California Charger's "bullet"...

Cobra Sacrilege is putting a small block Chevy in your Cobra. ( Not that you did ) Just sayin'....It'd be like putting a 289 Hi-Po in your '63 Split Window 'Vette.....

I believe I have a Revell Mooneyes dragster frame pack out on the shelf in my garage. It was given to me years ago from a friend, I've never done anything with it.

WOW! Some really nice Deuces being displayed here! I build pretty nice models, that I'm proud of, but there are some talented SOBs out there. Kudos you guys.

Referring back to the SOHC engine that Dyno Don ran, also note on the cars rear flanks, is the name Earl Wade. Earl was Dyno's engine builder. I have never met the man, and he has since passed, however, I had the opportunity to work on one of Earl Wade's "cammers" that is in a friend Larry Knapp's 65 Mustang, a Factory built AFX car named "Stampede". It's amazing that Ford designed and built this in something like 30 days. They breathe like nobody's business. Here's a few shots of one of Wade's cammers that i worked on. I'll try to find the photo I have of the car with Earl Wade looking on.

Judging from the oil filter location of the Dyno Don Maverick, I'd say it has a FE based SOHC engine, no?

Just the ticket if "Cousin IT" , was a drag racer! Hmmmmmm...

Here's my very own "Old car/Hot boat" combo in real life. Mach 1 Ram Air towing a blown Hemi powered '65 hydro!

Cowabunga dude! Nice rod.

I own one as well, a '71 Mach 1. yes, they are bigger than their previous bretheren but they were an improvement over previous models in that they have a Saginaw power steering box, not the push-pull power steering Ford used through '70. Nine inch rearends and engines with more power potential ( 351c, Boss, and 429 ) made them competitive on both the street and the strip. Like everyone else, I didn't care for the '71-'73 models when they first came out, now, after owning one, I'd buy a second one. I agree, the model kits currently available fall short of being correctly replicating the '71-'72 and that's too bad. I think they have a cool look to them. Here's mine...

So cool....I may just have to get one of these! Back in High School ( 1972), you could buy a used "bug" for maybe 2 or 3 hundred bucks. Lots of kids did, and many were slammed in front, Porsche rims and headlights, "stinger" exhaust, Cal-Custom woodgrain applique's on the dash and Cal-Custom matching door handles, jacked open engine bonnets......it just goes on and on. I never had one, but they had their own cool vibe back then. NOW, good luck finding one cheap. Still, I don't see them like I used to, where are they all?

You are correct......don't call this a "dragboat" because it's really not, regardless of what engine you put in it or put zoomie style exhausts. The kit is prototyped from a Chris-Craft styled pleasure boat , however, there is a circle racing class called "Jersey Speed Skiff," that this kit boat resembles, as well as a class called "Crakerbox".....again, a circle class, where the two ( 2 ) ! occupants sit way at the back of the hull with the engine in front of them. "Crackers" are a shorter hull and have a cavitation plate to adjust the ride and aid in turning . Both classes are APBA listed and you should be able to Google some images of them.

The ignition wires don't bother me really, however, using braided stainless hose with ordinary hose clamps on the carb's fuel lines should be re-thought brother.....

Here's a trick I learned, regarding realistic vinyl painting. First, spray paint the seating area ( in this case ) Flat Black, right out of the spray can. After that dries, give the flat black a topcoat of Gloss Clear, and let it dry. What you get, is a semi-gloss finish which is surprisingly realistic to what black vinyl looks like, now, go paint the carpet flat black again lightly with a brush to remove the sheen look from the carpet.

One more note, about the box stated engine size of 341. The original box art shows the "Varooom" boat with "SK" ( Ski-Kilometer )designation on it's flanks. SK boats are a class of circle boat, loosely based on a ski boat, NOT a drag boat. One races in circles and ovals, the other is a straight-line only racer. In the early SK class rulebooks, engine cubic inches was limited to 400 cu in or less. Up to 1965 the 354/392 Chrysler was super popular, so you could use a 341, but it would not be competitive. In 1965, 396 Chevys and de-stroked 427 Fords were gaining popularity, but still limited to 400 inches. This rule was relaxed sometime around 1967. Also, the APBA rulebooks stated that there must be seating for two in SK, usually not a bench seat but rather two bucket seats. In a dragboat, naturally, only the driver's seat is required. SK class engines were limited to carburetion, no blowers or injection, unlike dragboats . The Revell kit models what was likely seen in California in the earliest sixties, being an all wooden hull with a wood deck. Around this time, fiberglass hulls became in vogue as well, but many still liked the wood deck look, and 'glass hulls could be so ordered with a cool wood deck. The two-toned "Monkeypod" deck decal that Jarius designed is appropriate, as was the original Mahogany insert,...but the straight board straked wood decal is totally wrong for anything of this type. More appropriate on a Chriss-Craft, or a Gar-Wood type inboard. Here's what a hot inboard looked like in '63, this, being a Stevens hull.

Nice! The Blue Max is for sure, one of the big names in funny cars. I'm thinking of doing a "Max" using a '71-'73 kit, and using this photo for an example...

I was into music at a young age, I think The Rooftop Singers doing "Walk right in, set right down" around '62, early Elvis Pressley, and of course, then came the Beatles, the sixties opened up amazingly. So at first, I learned to play drums, maybe 13 or 14 years old, and I was the drummer in a Jr. High School band called the "Fillet of Soul". That came and went. In high school, for a Senior Talent Show, a bunch of kids from the Drama Dept put together a musical play set in the 50s-60s, like "Grease". I was approached to be a part of that, only because I had sideburns and a pomp hair-do, and knew a lot of old songs. The drama kids left, one-by-one, and were replaced with guys who really did play music, if not very well....at first. Eventually, and for 23 years, 13 of which that were full time musician-only years, I was one of the lead singers in an act that worked full-time, had Managers, Agents, Roadies, two trucks to haul our gear. I've traveled the world, lots of Corporate work, worked all the gambling towns...Vegas, Reno, Tahoe, Atlantic City, sung in a few commercials, did some movie soundtrack work, opened for many, many original rock acts, county fairs, you name it. Yes, we started in small bars, but we got better and better, and lived a life gone today, but not forgotten. I still consider myself a musician, and a singer, even though I don't make my living doing so any more. The music is still in me, I still listen over and over to good harmonies and interesting chord structures. Today, I'm 65, the young man who performed ,is still here in an older man's body. Here's a few photos of "those days"......First shot in leather jacket is High school, duet is with Bill Medley of Righteous Bros, guys in red are Lil Anthony and the Imperials, various shots of me performing...I have scads of photos....

Nice chopper! I may be wrong, but does the helicopter come with an engine in the nose, and isn't it a Pratt&Whitney radial? As I mentioned elsewhere, my Dad used to sell Pratt engine parts, and I think this aircraft used one of Pratt's radials. Really like this build . Looks Fun.

The robot is well taken care of, at my Parent's house. it stands guard next to the bed, in my old bedroom. Way back when I moved out, my parents re-furnished the bedroom as a guest room. I placed the robot on the nightstand, lo these 20 years ago.

I would have to say that quite a few of the WWII aircraft I have done in the past were Monogram. The Monogram kits were, in fact, the older sixties re-issues, but they are good bang-for-the-buck, and, they take nicely to just a bit of detailing. Of course, I have done some of the import offerings, like Tamiya ( did I spell that right? ), but the inexpensive domestic kits work up very impressive. I had a handle on using my airbrush for the camoflage. Today, doing the hot rods, I just shot right from the rattle can. I ended up with three glass display cases full of aircraft, maybe 60 different builds, from a little Stearman trainer to the Enola Gay B-29, all in 1/48 scale. Today, they are on display at North Valley Aviation Occupational School, where I also went to school to learn aircraft mechanics. Photo is 20 years ago....