Terry Sumner

That is pretty incredible! How did you get the data for the block? Did you do a CAD drawing or does it come from pictures or what?

Addendum...I found a reference to the weight breaks in the mid 70's that said all the MP class weight breaks were increased by a half pound. So A/MP was 7.5 to 8.49, B/MP was 8.5 to 9.49, C/MP was 9.5 to 10.49, etc....

To answer your question...a 1976 Gremlin with the 304 would be in C/MP and with the 360 it would run in B/MP. This is how it works out. A stock 1976 Gremlin with the V8 has a listed curb weight of 3,023 pounds. The weight breaks for MP as of the 1970 rulebook were: (in pounds per cubic inch) A/MP.....7.00 to 7.99 B/MP.....8.00 to 8.99 C/MP.....9.00 to 9.99 D/MP.....10.00 to 10.99 etc down to G/MP which was 13.00 or more pounds per cubic inch. I'm fairly certain these weight breaks remaind constant for a number of years after 1970 but I don't have a rulebook from 1971 on until 1990. So you divide 3023 by 304 cubic inches and you get 9.94 pounds per cubic inch and that puts the car right at the top end of the C class. Not a good competitive place to be. You want to have your cubic inch to pound ratio as close to the bottom end as you can get. And also remember that the car's classification wouldn't go by the published curb weight...it would go by what the car actually weighed at the track. So with a variation of only 77 additional pounds to bring the car to an even 3100 pounds, it would now have a ratio of 10.19 pounds per cubic inch and would be right at the bottom of D/MP...a very good spot to be in! Take the same weight...3023 pounds...with the 360 in it and the ratio would be 8.39 pounds per cubic inch...fairly close to the bottom of B/MP. And that's a pretty good spot to be in. So it all depends on how much the car weighs divided by the cubic inches of the engine to fall in the different classes. Now I realize that these weight breaks I quoted were from a 1970 NHRA rulebook and the car in question is a 1976. And like I said I don't have a rulebook for 1976. But I'm fairly certain that these weight breaks remained constant through the ensuing years... If someone else has a rulebook from the mid to late 70's that would be great to be able to look up the weight breaks! Hope this helps...

I was just going to suggest the SLM page. Some of the guys on the SLM are among the best, most knowledgeable people you will find on the subject of drag racing. It was those fellas who put together this limited list of what they consider the best kit parts of those certain drag related items.... http://www.straightlinemodeler.org/parts/parts.html

Cool! Looking forward to this one completed. I used to have an 87 which I sold 5 years ago when I was building my garage shop. I really miss that car. It handled like a go-kart. Wasn't the most powerful Vette they ever made, but it could move right along... Here's a pic of it.... Hosted on Fotki

What engine you going to use? You can use anything from a 350 cu inch engine up to 560 cu inches or so. The stock weight of a model 77 1933 Willys is approx. 2,050 pounds. One modified with a modern V-8, tranny and rear end with roll bars etc should weigh in the neighborhood of 2800 pounds. The weight breaks for the AA/GS class was 5 pounds per cubic inch to 7.99 pounds per cubic inch. At 5 pounds thats 560 cubes and at 7.99 pounds thats 350 cubes. So you see you can legally run anything anywhere in between the 350 and 560. Although I doubt you'd see very many small blocks running in the AA class up against the bigger cubic inch engined cars... (1970 rules) Body looks great. Looking forward to the chassis and running gear!

Johan be long gone!

I once owned a Combat Models 1/32 B-17! Got rid of it as soon as I could!!!

You are so right. Back when this kit came out we ahd a big discussion about it also. I too went and measured a real Dodge Red Ram engine. And if I recall correctly I believe the kit engine is pretty close to .100" too short. Don't remember what the figure was on the width but it was proportionately small. (Gettin' old ya know! LOL)

Is that one of the Combat Models vacformed kits?

Love it!

No...it's just one of the 600 or so in my stash. But it's high on my list on the ones that I really do want to build! LOL

I know what you mean...I have the kit and I agree! Again...nice work!

Oh man that is a cool model! But can you imgine having to work on the engine if it was like that in 1:1? Oh I'd be cursing the designer for sure! LOL

Get a second free account at Fotki?

Drew...ya ought'a build more airplanes! If for no other reason than the myriad of skills and techniques you will pick up that will make your car models that much better!

The Monogram Ford Tri-motor was one of the very first models I ever built way back in 1961 or 1962....

Some really nice work there Colin! That Falcon.....is that the Tamiya 1/32 scale kit?

Nice job Drew! Build any other airplane models???? Oh and Mike is right...ask about some decals on The Aircraft Resource Center forum...someone there will either have some for you or can point you in the right direction.

Mike...nice stuff! If you're interested in accuracy I offer this info for you regarding your P-51 Mustang model. If you don't care about accuracy then please just disregard the following..... Major Bud Anderson was the pilot of two P-51's with the name Old Crow on the nose. You have the correct P-51B for Anderson's first P-51. However, that first P-51B Old Crow was not a natural metal finish plane...it was painted Olive Drab topside and the standard light gray underside. When Anderson transitioned into a P-51D model, it was left Natural Metal with a flat green anti glare panel over the nose only and the rudder was red. The spinner on both was in three rings of color...the tip was red, the middle ring was yellow and the third ring was red again. And both aircraft had a 4th ring that was on the nose of the fuselage that was rendered in a checkerboard pattern with alternating checkers of red and yellow. And like I said, take this if you want accuracy. If you're just havin' fun building the model and don't really care, then by all means have fun!

For you guys who avoid Facebook...don't disparage it. Yes there is a lot of junk on FB but there is a lot of really good stuff too. It has enabled me to get back in touch and/or stay in touch with friends I fell out of touch with over the years. Een though I can't physically get to see these people, we can catch up on what's going on in each other's lives via FB. As far as the junk goes, it's like anything else...all you gotta do is bypass it.

Great build Tyrone. Question for ya...exactly how did you make the lower moldings for the vinyl top? What materials did you use?

Beautifully rendered model of a true gasser....kudos brother!

Hey Russell...it doesn't matter...the model is cool!

Roger that Alan...when I get my hands on one I'll sure as heck give it a shot!