64 Plymouth Max Wedge

[DustyMojave]

Hi guys. I want to build a model of my older brother Keith's 64 Max Wedge Super Stock that he raced in the 60s. He bought the car from the famous Blair's Speed Shop of Pasadena, CA. It was destroyed 1 night (IIRC 1968) at Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, CA. Same place Don Garlits had his nasty clutch explosion that caused him to convert to rear engine dragsters. My brother's incident was a night he was bracket racing. Last run of the night for the trophy. He was in the right lane. The competition was a Camaro with a 427. Keith had the Camaro covered big time. Then at the beginning of the lights, a tie rod end popped off (all brand new MOPAR front suspension pieces, ball joints, rod ends, bushings, bearings, etc. that week). The car did a sudden hard left turn. Backed into the left guard rail, bounced off, and got 'T'-boned in the right door by the Camaro. They both tumbled down the track and were both totalled. Both drivers walked away. Time slip for the loss (disqualified because he crossed the line) said "11.27 at 127mph" (rounded off to as far as I remember as I don't recall the smaller digits).

The car was an early 64 with the wedge engine, not the hemi. Cross Ram dual AFB carbs. Long tube headers under the firewall, not fender-well headers. 4-Speed. Sedan body, not a hard top. I think that body was called "Savoy". Tan paint (I  think "Light Beige"), red interior, including the crappy lightweight carpet. Van bucket seats, no back seat. Roll bar. Diagonal from top left to bottom right behind the seats. 2 rear braces to either the wheel wells or to the frame rails just inboard of the wheel wells. 1 forward brace to the right front floor. The hood had the scoop with the low strip down the center, which is correct for Wedge engine cars, while the hemi cars got a hood scoop with a straight across top. Factory steel wheels all around. Neither my brother nor I have photos, except the images in my brain. My brother doesn't seem to remember too clearly, as sometimes in discussion, he calls it a '63, and sometimes a '64. Sometimes he talks about a hemi engine, sometimes a wedge. I'm pretty damned sure what I remember and I intend to build it the way I remember. Unless somebody comes up with some pictures.

Much like this car:

Quite a few years ago, I got a resin body shell at a model show in So Cal. Not sure who made it. Now my question...

Which of the many Mopar kits of the era should I get to complete the model? I've looked around and just get confused which one to get , or if I should get a little of this and a little of that. Johan (what the body shell was probably mastered from), Lindberg, AMT, Revell, Moebius, ...??? Obviously the chassis will be FAR better from any other than the old Johan metal axle screw in chassis. These days on eBay it's easy to get an engine from 1 kit, a chassis from another, body shell from another, etc. But which ones should I pick from? I need windows and chrome as well as chassis, engine and interior. I think an AMT/Lindberg Color Me Gone 64 Dodge would provide MOST of what I need, but the Plymouth interior, grille, bumpers, would need to come from some Plymouth. It seems the '64 Plymouth is only modeled in the  Belvedere/Satellite hardtop body. And the only sedan is the Dodge. The interior tub itself may need to be a Dodge, as the back seat and package shelf may be different shape.

So now I'm thinking 2 model kits will be required to make the build. One Dodge 330 or Max Wedge sedan, and one Belvedere hardtop.

Any comments/suggestions?

 

[DustyMojave]

WOW!! it FINALLY  worked!!! I've been trying to post this for nearly 2 weeks. I long ago lost track of how many times I tried to post it up. WHEW!!!!

Edited June 14, 2018 by DustyMojave

[gtx6970]

Gonna depend on if the body based on a Lindbergh kit or an old johan kit 

[DustyMojave]

As I said, I expect the body I have was based on a Johan. Will that actually make a difference? Is there much difference in grille and bumper and windows and tail lights between Johan and AMT/Lindberg?

I suspect the recent AMT offerings of '64 Mopars are based on Lindberg tools. Much as the '34 Ford Pickup by Lindberg was made with the AMT tool. Or old IMC tools were used to make Lindberg Little Red Wagon Dodge pickup, or AMT 's recent issues of 1/20 scale 1990s Toyota 4x4 pickup and Chevy S10. Can anybody confirm or deny that?

[gtx6970]

For hang on parts to fit. You need to know whats is based on. Lindberg interior will not fit a johan body without a huge amount of work. same goes for grill / bumpers / tail lights etc

 

The old R+R Vacuum craft body is Johan based. ( IMO the better of the 2 )

the recent Jimmy Flinstone body is Lindberg based

 

Ive been told MCW also does/did make a 1964 Plymouth sedan body. Ive never seen one but only assume its Lindberg based

 

But , yes the recent issued so called 'AMT' kits are old Lindberg tools

 

 

[DustyMojave]

Thank you very much for that VERY rapid response. Good info.

So which interior would you suggest for it? AA Vintage Johan RAmchargers Interior? And I suppose that external pieces such as grille, tail lights, bumpers should come from  a Johan '64 Plymouth then.

I DO have a late 70s/early 80s issue Johan (molded in light bright/nowhere near Petty blue) Joan '64 Petty Plymouth kit in my inventory. Maybe I could raid that for the parts I need and get a Lindberg/AMT Petty Plymouth to build.

I still presume any of the Lindberg/AMT or Revell B Body Mopar chassis will serve vastly better than an old Johan chassis.

[gtx6970]

Yes, you can use the Lindberg chassis under the Johan body with a little bit of trimming.

[DustyMojave]

Great. Thanks.

 

[DustyMojave]

I think my resin body is probably an R&R Vacuum Craft.

So tell me more about the interior fit. You say " Lindberg interior will not fit a johan body without a huge amount of work. "

Do you mean...As in  Lindberg Plymouth Belvedere interior won't fit the Johan based Savoy body shell? Or that a Lindberg interior for a Dodge sedan won't fit in a Johan-based Plymouth body? Or?