Force

This is a Swedish Show Rod , the builder said he was inspired by the Uncertain T. Torsten "Krom Fritte" Fritz is the builder. Everything that isn't brass, paint, rubber or leather is chrome plated.

Another decent 427 R-code engine is the Revell 64 Thunderbolt engine, it's supposed to be a 427 Hi-Riser, many think it's 1:24th scale and I don't know why, but it's labeled 1:25th scale.

Yeah, I'm sure Okey Spaulding would like to have his tooling back as he bought the old Jo-Han assets, Testors only leased the tooling from Jo-Han X-El but never returned them. But anyone tooling up new kits of the same subjects as the Jo-Han kits...naah, that will not likely happen in a foreseeable future.

Yes the AMT 66 Fairlane/67 Cyclone engines are not bad but it depends on what time period you are after. Because all R-code 427 didn't have pent roof valve covers, the 427 came under the 1963 model year about the same time as the fastback roof line on the Galaxies, the 427 versions were Q-code single four barrel 410 hp or R-code dual four barrel 425 hp and the early 427's had chrome plated rounded baldy valve covers with a Thunderbird 427 decal from the factory. The 2'n1 and Custom kits of the AMT Starliner has every thing you need to do a correct early R-code 427, and if you have the Starliner 2'n 1 kit you can do almost any version of an early FE, you get two complete engines and the 352 HP, 390 HP, 390/406 6V, 427 4V and 427 8V can be done with the parts included in the kit, and with a little kitbashing and parts changing you can do wich ever FE you want.

Yes if you look at the end of the front bumper, the bumper is smaller on the original kit. The considerably larger front bumper from the later 1100 cab kit. As far as I know the boxart in your post above was the original issue T-522 from 1972 based on the original T-500-500 359 California Hauler kit wich came 1969 (recently reissued as #866) and the T-500 from 1973 (the one with the sleeper included). The 1100 cab 359 (T-501) came 1976 and has been reissued several times after that with other kit numbers, and the Wrecker version of the 1100 cab kit came 1977 (T-533) also reissued several times after that, and I don't think the original boxart was used on any issues with the later 1100 cab. This is the T-533 boxart from 1977. Of course Round 2 can use the original boxart with the later parts but as the original California Hauler tool is available and recently used it would be more fun if they issued the wrecker as it originally was...because as I said, the wrecker stuff is the same for both kits.

The tooling for these kits dissappeared after the last HSO run, these kits were supposed to be reissued by Testors again some years ago but they couldn't find the tooling wich I think is very strange. Don't they know who did the molding for them the last time around? I think it's sad because the tooling for these kits were the only usable tools from Jo-Han and maybe a few more...and if they are gone there will be no more.

All Ford FE engines are basically the same on the outside except for valve covers and intake system. Detailwise I would go with the engines in the AMT 60 Starliner kits wich I think is the best so far and if you get the Custom or 2'n1 kit you get everything you need to do a R-code 427 from the oval air cleaner and dual carbs down to the correct long cast iron headers. But there are other decent ones out there too.

It will be interesting to see wich version they will do as AMT did two versions of the wrecker, the original issue 359 Small Window Unilite cab version from 1972 wich I think only have been out once, or the later 359 1100 cab version wich hase been reissued several times over the years. The wrecker bed is the same for both kits but the base trucks are different, the California Hauler with the Detroit Diesel 8V71 and Western Unit Stabilaire suspension for the original issue and the later 1100 cab with a Cummins NTC350 and Peterbilt Airleaf suspension for the later issues.

Way too many think all Ford engines are blue...this couldn't be further from the truth. Ford has had several colors on the engines over the years, green, dark blue, bronze, red, black, blue are some. They didn't start with Ford engine blue until the 1966 model year, before 1966 down to 1959 all engines were black with different colored valve covers and air cleaner depending on engine and engine version, most of the Y-block engines are red, and most of the flatheads are green, but some are dark blue or bronze. Regarding the engine in the 1960 Starliner kits it's IMHO the best FE made in kit form so far and in the Custom and 2 'n 1 kits you have several options and lots of fun parts. Firing order is essential (at least on real engines) but where the #1 is located on the distributor depends on how it was put in when it was mounted, you start with the #1 wire where the rotor arm points when the #1 cylinder is at TDC and continue to follow the firing order counter clockwise, 15426378 on a FE. One have to keep in mind that when the scale on the harmonic damper is at 0 degrees (TDC) the engine can be either at #1 or #6 cylinder as the crank has to rotate two revolutions to fire all cylinders, so you have to make sure that it really is at #1...otherwise you will get a big surprise when you try to start it.

Alan Garber did some years ago, I don't know of any other.

The first General Lee kit had much of the old NASCAR things such as the interor, roll cage and some other stuff, but not everything, later reissues the kit was changed more. It's funny that the K&K Insurance #71 Daytona and the #22 Richard Brooks Daytona kit isn't the same, the #22 kit had the later generic NASCAR chassis as many of the other NASCAR kits had, the #71 kit had a stock type chassis as the other Chargers with some NASCAR stuff added. The #22 Brooks Dytona kit https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/mpc-instructions/nascar/mpc-richard-brooks-/ The #71 K&K Insurance Daytona kit https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/mpc-instructions/1-sort/mpc-dodge-charger-d/

Yes, MPC did a couple of altered versions based on the Mako Shark kit, this one and the ones here below.

Me too...so please Moebius...go for it.

The K&K Insurance decals for the Daytona are available from several aftermarket decal makers so that's easy, the hard bit is to make all modifications to do the kit as the NASCAR car was, the to do list is long.

Nice build indeed. I would like to get hold of a set of the poverty hubcaps, I have been looking all over for them as I use those poverty caps on my 1:1 Galaxie. 64 and 66-67 caps is easy as they are available in recent kits but I haven't found any 63 caps anywhere. Here is a picture of my car, yes it's the top of the line 500XL and I have more exclusive hubcaps for it (14 inch tho'), but I like this look with the 15-7, 15-8 inch wheels and poverty caps.

At that time Peterbilt should have had white engines as most of them did, but the Duel trucks had either Cat or Cummins I 6 engines depending on wich one of the trucks it was. The real truck in your picture is of the surviving Duel truck as it is today and that truck has a Cummins NTC 350 now but originally had a Cummins 262, the one used for most of the outside scenes was destroyed in the final crash scene and it had been repowered with a Cat 1674 sometime before it's movie appearence and had a yellow Cat 966 wheel loader style horizontal air cleaner.

Both the Pro Tech and VCG carbs are copys of these carbs found in all Revell/Monogram Pro Stock kits, not the best representation of a Holley 4500 Series Dominator.

Yes the carburetors Fireball does are great. But it depends on what you are doing, most of the Fireball carbs are good for street and light race and he doesn't have any Dominator style carbs yet. Most of the kit makers carburetors aren't that good at all and have much to desire detailwise and the best looking Holley Dominators from a kit are the ones in the old Jo-Han Pro Stock kits, another even better looking Dominator carb is the Ultra Detail Dominator kits from Futurattraction, otherwise it's scarse. From the ones in the pictures above I would only consider the Barry Grant King Demon, the others looks to be copys of the Monogram/Revell blob carbs from their Pro Stock kits and they doesn't come even close to what a real Holley 4500 Series Dominator carb looks like: So a good detailed carburetor is quite important when they are exposed on the model. Older style 4500 Series Dominator More recent style

No they are not the same but the bottom end of the Chevy R7 and Ford FR-9 NASCAR engines looks quite similar, and when they were still using distributors both had them at the front, they use individual coils now tho'. So as long as you have the right cylinder head/valve cover assembly where the engines differs the most you are quite safe.

Yes please, bring the Pro Stockers and I'll buy them immediately.

Nice looking build! You got the right stance on it, I have one of these planned sometime in the future. But the extra lugnut on the wheels will take more time in the pits.

Very nice, perfect lines.

I think all Fujimi GT40 Mk II kits are the same except for boxart and decals, Revell did a rebox of the Fujimi kits too.

The best thing I have used for removing chrome plating is (Castrol) Super Clean, the plating dissappears in a few minutes and the undercoat in a couple of hours, quick and easy.

Nice build Geoffrey.