Revell Hemi-Hydro Show 'n' Go Drag Boat

[Bernard Kron]

I’ve been experimenting with large scale decals to do elaborate graphics and paint effects, and nothing says paint effects more loudly and clearly than “Boat Flake”, the wild MetalFlake color schemes seen on high performance ski boats and hydros. These paint jobs are often done by embedding the colors and matalflake in the gel coat of the fiberglass giving them a special 3D depth  all their own. I’ve discovered that by layering clear decals stock over a metalflake base I can get somewhat the same effect. I’ve done a dew cars with this technique, but never very large paint surfaces like you’d see on a boat.

So…. I decided to build a Show N’ Go Drag Boat of the kind seen in the 1960’s at custom car shows. I’m starting with a late 1990’s issue of the recently re-released Revell Hemi Hydro. The 392 Chrysler Hemi that’s included in the kit (with Chrysler branded valve covers, even) is so sweet that I’ve decided to keep it for an automobile build and I’m substituting a Revell Parts Pack blown Ford 427. Sand for once I won’t be stripping all the chrome off. Instead I’ll be keeping most of it and even doing some Kolor Krome on some of the parts. Here’s the engine block and the Kolor Chromed valve covers, blower casing, accessory drive and ,injector scoop, along with orange ‘flaked engine block:

The Hemi Hydro is pretty basic and the instrument panel is totally blank except for some weakly engraved instrument dials. So I cut the instrument nacelles out of a ’53 Studebaker dashboard and grafted them in place along with a raised trim piece which extends the length of the panel. The trim will be foiled and the nacelles finished with Molotow Chrome paint. I’ll use an auto-style steering wheel as well. The rest of the interior is still up in the air while I research show-style ski boats and come up with a plan. I’ll probably use some of the kit tuck ‘n’ roll panels, though. Here’s the dash as I have it so far:

And lastly, I’ve got the graphics going. The hull and deck were painted with Duplicolor MetalCast Silver Ground paint which gives a pretty true to scale metalflake in 1/25th. I designed and printed a deck decal and applied it. It took a couple of tries but I think I have the basis for the design now. I’ve also laid out the masking panels for the rear and side panels. In the composite below I’ve included the original art for the deck decal, and a picture of the hull and deck the way they are now, with the silver flake base coat and the deck decal applied, giving the red to gold fade and scalloped pattern I’m going after. The areas on the rear and sides that will get the scallop and fade treatment have been masked and the rest of the hull and interior will be painted Candy Red using Tamiya Clear Red. The two pictures of the red boat were done with Photoshop – I haven’t actually shot any color yet, although the masking is in place. The panels you see on the sides and rear in these pictures are mockups and not the final design. Here’s where I’m at graphically at this point:

That’s it so far. This project, while basically simple will move fairly slowly I suspect, since there’s lots of Imagineering and design decisions to make and I enter the strange new world of drag boats. I also have to do the matching trailer while I’m at it…

Thanx for lookin’,
B.

 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Bernard Kron

[Slotto]

That is SEXY! I have the same boat boxed up somewhere.

[tim boyd]

Bernard...how cool to have your modeling skills applied to the drag/ski boat genre!  

You have probably already confirmed this from your research, but for others reading this thread, the choice of a 427 FE Wedge is spot-on for drag/ski boats for the first half of the 1960's.  The FE "Interceptor" V8 was totally dominant in the various boat classes for both drag and endurance racing....and only later on did the Hemi become as successful.   The Revell Parts Pack engine is a good one, too.  Cool work on the hull decals, too.  

The one drawback to the Hemi Hydro (vs. the original "Show and Go Drag/Ski" version of this kit) is that the tuck'n'roll of the revised seat setup no longer matched the tuck'n'roll of the side panels which remained from the original kit.  It's not a huge difference, but it is noticeable.  Norm Veber used to cast the original issue interior parts which were a perfect match to the side panels.  Maybe he still has a few laying around.    

Whatever you come up with, I'm sure it will sing!  TIM 

[Bernard Kron]

Thanks Steve. We'll see how sexy she is by the time I get to the other side... Hopefully she won't lose interest in me, LOL!

 

Thanks Tim. I can always count on you for the back story and cool detail! Actually the 427 wedge was the default choice strictly because I've never found a use for them in my car builds and I have some lying around. But its true, in my meanderings on the Internet researching the speedboat/drag-boat/ski-boat/hydro/flat bottom subculture I did see a whole lot of them which gave me confidence to use one, especially since I wanted a big 'ol blower up top - that Parts Pak 427 just screams mid-60's style to me, especially with some show chrome on it. The interior is a real issue for me. I'm wondering if I'm willing to put the work into doing a proper show upholstery job on it. I'll have to see if I can find some pictures of the original interior. The side pieces are OK on the re-issue I have, but the seats look way overscale and boxy - yechhh! But one step at a time. Right now I have to stay focused on the decals, paint and motor. Big fun working in an area I was only tangentially aware of. But then again I just finished my first Ferrari, so 2017 seems to be a year of change...

[Bernard Kron]

The one drawback to the Hemi Hydro (vs. the original "Show and Go Drag/Ski" version of this kit) is that the tuck'n'roll of the revised seat setup no longer matched the tuck'n'roll of the side panels which remained from the original kit.  It's not a huge difference, but it is noticeable.  Norm Veber used to cast the original issue interior parts which were a perfect match to the side panels.  Maybe he still has a few laying around.

Well, after a little searching I found your review of the whole series. The original race seats are just what I have in mind! I haven;t ordered from Norm in years. I'm almost embarassed to contact him! But if he has them they would do the trick!

[espo]

If you go with a scratch built interior I have an idea that I have been playing with. Plastruct has a very thin sheet of plastic that looks like Tuck & Roll upholstery. The part # 91519 is O gauge corrugated siding but it looks perfect for interiors. It is corrugated on both sides which make it very easy to bend if need be. The interior in this kit isn't very accurate as I'm sure you have found out from your research. I really like your decal idea, is this something you have thought about selling?    

[THarrison351]

I’ve been experimenting with large scale decals to do elaborate graphics and paint effects, and nothing says paint effects more loudly and clearly than “Boat Flake”, the wild MetalFlake color schemes seen on high performance ski boats and hydros. These paint jobs are often done by embedding the colors and matalflake in the gel coat of the fiberglass giving them a special 3D depth  all their own. I’ve discovered that by layering clear decals stock over a metalflake base I can get somewhat the same effect. I’ve done a dew cars with this technique, but never very large paint surfaces like you’d see on a boat.

So…. I decided to build a Show N’ Go Drag Boat of the kind seen in the 1960’s at custom car shows. I’m starting with a late 1990’s issue of the recently re-released Revell Hemi Hydro. The 392 Chrysler Hemi that’s included in the kit (with Chrysler branded valve covers, even) is so sweet that I’ve decided to keep it for an automobile build and I’m substituting a Revell Parts Pack blown Ford 427. Sand for once I won’t be stripping all the chrome off. Instead I’ll be keeping most of it and even doing some Kolor Krome on some of the parts. Here’s the engine block and the Kolor Chromed valve covers, blower casing, accessory drive and ,injector scoop, along with orange ‘flaked engine block:

The Hemi Hydro is pretty basic and the instrument panel is totally blank except for some weakly engraved instrument dials. So I cut the instrument nacelles out of a ’53 Studebaker dashboard and grafted them in place along with a raised trim piece which extends the length of the panel. The trim will be foiled and the nacelles finished with Molotow Chrome paint. I’ll use an auto-style steering wheel as well. The rest of the interior is still up in the air while I research show-style ski boats and come up with a plan. I’ll probably use some of the kit tuck ‘n’ roll panels, though. Here’s the dash as I have it so far:

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure if you have noticed, but your left cylinder head is upside down. The FE cylinder head's intake port was mostly in the intake manifold. 2/3 of valve cover is on the cylinder head and 1/3 is on the intake manifold. And now that I look at it some more, I think you have the upper two half's of the block on backwards, because those ports are for the water pump and that is the lower back half of the block.

Edited October 10, 2017 by THarrison351
picture added

[Bernard Kron]

I'm not sure if you have noticed, but your left cylinder head is upside down. The FE cylinder head's intake port was mostly in the intake manifold. 2/3 of valve cover is on the cylinder head and 1/3 is on the intake manifold. And now that I look at it some more,  I think you have the upper two half's of the block on backwards, because those ports are for the water pump and that is the lower back half of the block.

Thanx for pointing that out! Once you strip the chrome off these Parts Pak motors they are often a semi-transparent milky white (the other option being jet black...) and very hard to "read" as far as details are concerned so I'm always on my guard to be careful during assembly. Indeed, I did know that it would be an issue and I thought I had carefully deciphered the clues in the instruction schematics - but once I put fingers to plastic I still managed to screw things up! I have to be impressed that you spotted it from just that one little picture! As regards the water ports, I did get that much half right - the instruction schematics show two slight protuberances on the front end of the upper block halves. There's one under your arrow but the other side is correct with just the smooth plug. So I managed to get the opposite side of that half backwards even with the head on right. Maybe I should get a prize for obtaining maximum complexity out of my errors! Fortunately it's a pretty simple matter at this point to pry things apart and hopefully maintain enough presence of mind to assemble it properly the second time around! Stay tuned...

Edited October 10, 2017 by Bernard Kron

[disabled modeler]

Very cool...!  I love the paint work.  Some auto parts stores carry a spray paint called Super Flake....looks close to the HP boats factory paint.

[alan barton]

This is looking terrific Bernard.  The decal artwork is very creative and a much more controllable way of managing fadeaway art work.  I cant wait to see it all buried in clear.

I am currently doing a Hemi Hydro as well, in a surprisingly similar tone of gold but not coarse flake - it is one of the Testor's one step lacquer colours. I planned to run the Hemi but you have me thinking about the FE now.  Mind you, I already have an FE and a SOHC in the fleet so the Hemi might stay put after all.

Cheers

Alan

[THarrison351]

Thanx for pointing that out! Once you strip the chrome off these Parts Pak motors they are often a semi-transparent milky white (the other option being jet black...) and very hard to "read" as far as details are concerned so I'm always on my guard to be careful during assembly. Indeed, I did know that it would be an issue and I thought I had carefully deciphered the clues in the instruction schematics - but once I put fingers to plastic I still managed to screw things up! I have to be impressed that you spotted it from just that one little picture! As regards the water ports, I did get that much half right - the instruction schematics show two slight protuberances on the front end of the upper block halves. There's one under your arrow but the other side is correct with just the smooth plug. So I managed to get the opposite side of that half backwards even with the head on right. Maybe I should get a prize for obtaining maximum complexity out of my errors! Fortunately it's a pretty simple matter at this point to pry things apart and hopefully maintain enough presence of mind to assemble it properly the second time around! Stay tuned...

Glad I could help. I get frustrated sometimes too when I've put something together carefully only to find out later it's backwards, upside down, etc..