Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Phil Castronovo's Custom Body Mini Charger - complete!


Recommended Posts

I grew up in Rome, NY, the next town over from Utica, where Phil was from, and he was my boyhood idol.  When he passed away at 69 a few years back, I decided it was time to honor him with a model of the car he won the 1971 NHRA AAFC championship in. The model uses a Revell body over a slightly stretched Johan chassis.  It's the Revell engine with Bantam Blast rear wheels (stripped and sprayed with Alclad Brushed Aluminum), MPC hard plastic slicks from the 70s, and a fuel tank made from a gas can in the AMT Boss Nova.  Paint is Duplicolor White with Testors Hot Pink, all of which was airbrushed.  I designed the decals ,and Chuck Boerner printed them (he also did the "Custom Body" words on the decal.)   It took almost 5 years start and stop to get this done, and I am proud to honor my boyhood idol with this build!

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris, great job. I grew up about 40 minutes south of Utica and went to the Utica-Rome Speedway a few times to see the drags. The first time I experienced a fuel car was seeing Phil in the earlier Charger go down that 1/8 mile track. I was hooked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://s1311.photobucket.com/user/56ChevKRy/media/photos_BU/scale auto art/CustomBodyMinicharger1a_zpswsuihjmt.jpg.html

Here is a shot I took of his earlier Charger at Utica-Rome Speedway. Sorry it's so dark. I couldn't find my original prints, scanned the negs but time has damaged the negs. I hope the person that borrowed my prints will eventually return them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...