Force

I don't know of any source for Doug Kalitta decals. One problem with this is that Revell started doing the "modern era" Top Fuel kits at a time when the evolution of the Nitro cars was very steep, and they stopped issuing Top Fuel dragsters in the early 2000's, so nothing new after that has been done, they also got competition from the Die Cast market who started to do die cast models and sell many of the popular drivers cars and many of the larger teams licensed the rights exclusively to them. The Revell kits are updated some over the 12-15 years they were offered but never enough to be up to date for the versions they issued except for the first kits wich were pretty accurate when they came, if they had done all necessary updates when they did the last issues wich were the Kenny Bernstein Budweiser King and Tony Schumacher ARMY dragsters issued in 2002 the kits would have been pretty much up to date even today as not much has been altered on these cars since then...maybe the DSR canopy for some and a few other small things but most things still looks pretty much the same as back in 2002. Same goes for the Funny Car kits, they were updated some over the years they were out but never enough, but if they had at least the chassis would be up to date even now, not the bodies as they have change a lot. So building an accurate 2023 TF Champion Doug Kalitta dragster would need a lot of work updating it to todays standard...except for the decals wich I don't think are available. Some of the parts needed to update the TF kits are available as 3D prints but you have to do a search for things like engine parts, wheels, front and rear wings and other stuff from several different sources as some are out there, and they are not cheap. I think that if Revell would do an up to date TF kit now based on the kits from 2002 it would sell, they have to change some parts to do a correct one but do it as a generic kit and decals for these kits might come from the aftermarket.

The Model Car Garage one is the only one I know of and it shouldn't be that hard to put on. https://www.modelcargarage.com/eshop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=121&idcategory=18

Nope, too much difference in size. A 1:25 scale kit is 25 times smaller than the real counterpart and 1:32 scale kit is 32 times smaller so 1:32 are 7 times smaller than 1:25. If you take a measure on a real car or truck and divide it by 32 you get the scaled measurement for 1:32 scale, do the same and divide the same real measurement with 25 and you get the 1:25 scale measurement wich are a lot larger, and of course the other way around, if you take the measurement on the model times 32 or 25 and you will get the real measurement. 1:24 and 1:25 are so close so it's not that big a difference.

That's the later 426, he asks for a 392. The Chrysler 331 Hemi came for the 1951 model year, it grew larger and the 354 came 1956 and the largest 392 came 1957 and was available through 1958. The 426 Hemi wich was based on the B/RB engines came 1964 as a race engine only and was put on the street 1966 and was available until 1971, so it's all different.

It looks to be a F16 truck so it could have the TD162 engine wich is the predesessor to the current D16 and the first 16 litre engine Volvo made.

They look nice, but they are 11.00-20, the Sundance trucks had 10.00-22.

Interesting build, I'm following this. Here is a picture I found of Billy's car, I don't know the year tho', but it had coilovers And here is the Sox & Martin Don Hardy built 72 Duster wich replaced the 72 Duster they built in shop after it was crashed.

Yes they did, at least on the truck used in the "Life Line" episode 4 1974 wich the picture below is from. For information, Moluminum has a nice pintle hook.

Well I have picked up things here and there...just kidding. 😉 I have gathered all information and all the photos I have found on the subject and watched all the episodes of the TV series several times closely as I have both seasons on DVD, lots of times frame by frame to see details like the license plates and some other stuff. I have the VIN numbers of the two 1974 trucks from the first season and also the build sheet for one of them, it's the one now owned by Mark Stracener now under restoration, formerly Paul Sagehorn's truck. I'm planning to build one of these trucks myself but I gladly share the information I have to help other builders.

First you have to decide from wich season you are going to build your model as the trucks from season 1 and season 2 are slightly different. At least the Crooked KW bug hood emblem was changed 1973, the doorhandles and vent window was changed 1972 and the AMT W925 kit is from 1971. When it comes to how many trucks were used I can answer that, the studio ordered 2 new 1974 W925 VIT trucks for the first season and 2 new 1975 W925 VIT trucks for the second season, they might have used one or two more, one was for sure used in the "Big Switch" episode where they used both green 1975 trucks and one black truck with the same arrows except that it had the rear part of the arrow on the doors. Some say they also supposed to have used a 1973 truck in the first season but I haven't found any evidence of that in my research, both 1974 trucks have gold emblems like the 1973 50th anniversary trucks had but they were listed as 1974 and the VIT package was new for that year and wasn't available before that.

If you thought Orange Crate was bad you should try this one...it's even worse. This is a modified version of the Orange Crate and I bought one as a teenager back in the late 70's as I thought it looked cool, I didn't know it was based on the Orange Crate then tho'...started to build it, the chassis and drive train is the same as the "Crate" but the body was supposed to sit on the chassis permanent and had a floor so it was not flip up body and the front fenders was added, nothing fitted like it should so I finally gave up on it...the only kit that has beat me so far. This is a couple other versions of the kit. I do have a couple of the Orange Crate reissues from 1999, my modeling skills has improved some over the years and I will give it a go some time in the future.

Very nice.

Nice

Looking good so far.

You mean added back to the kit, they were in this kit when it was issued back in 1978, I built one back then. The wheels was changed for other versions in the 80's and that's why they had to add them back to be able to do this kit again. I don't think the kit is that bad, it's more detailed than the AMT C2 kits. Well it's going to be interesting to see the progress so keep up the good work.

Perfect, I keep my eyes open. Yes I see that. 🙂 I was thinking of using the Lindberg tank trailer but when Keystone did the 3D printed correct tank trailer I bought one of those to save some work. The Page and Page suspension was available from Strato Models for a short time and I managed to get one of them before they were sold out...Pavel does very limited quantity when he does his things so you have to be fast to get them when they are available. Some of the wheels I bought from Scenes Unlimited before they were sold to ST Supply and they might still be available, AITM had the 5 hole Alcoa aluminum wheels in resin and so did Keystone in real machined aluminum and I have some of those. The cab, hood and some other small stuff was available as a kit at AITM and I was able to get one some time before Dave Natale passed. For the starting point...well I don't know wich Peterbilt I'm going to use, both the AMT 359 kits available are wrong as they are way too new and it's not much I will use from them other than the frame itself. The movie truck after what I have found out was supposed to have had a Cat 1673 engine but there are no such engine done in scale as far as I know, so we'll see what I'm going to do about that, try to scratch build one or modify an existing engine maybe.

I don't know if "best" is the appropriate word as there is only one model kit available on the market for some of the years. AMT did the 1949 Coupe (the Coupe has a shorter roof than the 2 and 4 door Sedan) and 50 Convertible, both seems to have hit the market in 1962, Lindberg did the 53 Ford Victoria in 1998, no Sedans for these years or 1951 or 1952 or 1954 kits are made by the model companies so resin is most likely the only option. There are also Pickups done for these years, Revell has a 1950 F1 originally issued 1995 and AMT did a 1953 F100 originally issued 1964.

Exactly, no front brakes wich was an opted out thing from the option list on many trucks back then and up to the late 70's and maybe early 80's...some thought it wasn't safe having front brakes and some didn't think they needed them pulling trailers and thought they would have enough brakes anyway as they were on the drivers and trailer....I belive straight trucks with no trailer had to have brakes on the front tho'. Those wheels looks good and I would like to be able to get a set or two for my upcoming Duel build wich is in the planning stage, the only ones of this style I have found so far were for 20 inch tires and they are too small...and the ones Moluminum makes for the Tyrone Malone transporter trucks but they have a molded in Baby Moon style hubcap and doesn't look right. The main Duel truck in the movie had miss matched wheels on all axles except for the front where this style wheel was used...different color from side to side but the same style, all wheels were split ring/lock ring style and the drive axle outside wheel were 5 hole Alcoa and the tag axle had regular 5 hole Budd on the drivers side, the passenger side outside wheels were a 5 hole Budd on the drive axle and a 5 hole Alcoa on the tag axle, the tank trailer had 6 hole D-shaped Budds on the forward axle and 5 hole Budds on the rear, the tires were also different all over and the tread depth varys from almost bald to decent. The truck seems to have been painted light gold from the beginning and lots and lots of grease and grime was put on over the paint for the movie, the truck was in makeup as much as the other caracters in the movie. So I'm gathering parts for the project and I have most of the stuff needed, a 50's cab from Dave Natale at AITM with needlenose grille and butterfly hood, the Page and Page rear suspension from Pavel Behensky at Strato Models, the tank trailer from Doug at Keystone before he closed up shop, some wheels from different sources, decals from Modeltruckin', and a correct looking air cleaner. The things I'm on the hunt for now are the front wheels like these, a Cat 1673 engine and a Kenworth style torsion bar suspension wich was on the tank trailer in the movie and I can get started.

Impressive...great job.

Very impressive build and quite accurate. Good job.

They are probably at the same place the Corvette Grand Sport molds are...I don't know where tho'. Accurate Miniatures also did military aircraft kits and I don't know where the molds for them are either.

Yes it looks like everything works as it should now, Thanks for the work you do Dave.

Yes, the 429 and 460 has the same outside appearence, the difference are the stroke of the crank.

Looks good. One thing tho' the rear wheels isn't correctly mounted, the outer lip should be inside the tires and the wheels should look like this.

That goes for the deckplate forward of the fifth wheel too. Here is a picture of one of the 1975 trucks and I believe the 1974 trucks were the same...note the 1975 trucks did not have any grab handles on the back of the sleeper.