Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

AMT Piranha Hemi Dragster Out Soon


regular guy

Recommended Posts

1 - if you want to know how many Piranha cars were built, ask Gene Winfield, he might know :) Also, the 'Man From U.N.C.L.E. car was similar to the Piranha.

2 - the first 'funny' cars started as A/FX cars that had massively altered wheelbases. I believe the term 'funny' came from an announcer, not from a rule book. 

3 - yes, the 60s funny car used a 'stock' steel or fiberglass body and was much different from today's funny car but it also included any 'odd or funny looking, non-conventional car' :) 

4 - with all this discussion,  how many of you guys have built a model of a Piranha, funny car or altered wheelbase car? Let's see them, after all, this is a model car forum :) 

Model Collection  2018 232.JPG

Model Collection  2018 370.JPG

Model Collection  2018 377.JPG

Model Collection  2018 412.JPG

Model Collection  2018 431.JPG

Model Collection  2018 545.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

' how many Piranha cars were built '

How many Hemi funny car Piranha's was my question.

Holding out hope that someday I could spot one or parts of one somewhere.

Makes the whole thing more fun that way.Is my way of thinking.

Edited by regular guy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

' Here's another oldie for ya Bob '

I admire the simplicity.

I will scan picture of the simplest bucket t frame I have ever seen.Interesting as all get out.

The Piranha is one of a couple funny cars AMT/MPC has put out recently.

I know they are waiting there for our suggestions of what to put out.

Probably hanging on our every utterance to give them some direction.

Okay. The Hemi Piranha.

Good job AMT.That would have been goofy if they did the Corvair one and not the Hemi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

True, but, one must remember what was considered a funny car at the time, and not the modern interpretation 

 

Google made no reference to time frame, and therefore see no reason to consider their description referring to only a certain time frame. My point was, fact or not, "funny car" generally refers to the way the car looks. i.e: altered wheelbase. The Piranha doesn't seem to fit into that constraint. 
AMT boxed the car as a funny, and yet, there seems to be no rules as to what is, or what isn't. And I sure wouldn't count on what some guy in marketing model kits way back then chose for the box art.
This all goes back to what the op insistence on the term. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jon Cole said:

Google made no reference to time frame, and therefore see no reason to consider their description referring to only a certain time frame. My point was, fact or not, "funny car" generally refers to the way the car looks. i.e: altered wheelbase. The Piranha doesn't seem to fit into that constraint. 
AMT boxed the car as a funny, and yet, there seems to be no rules as to what is, or what isn't. And I sure wouldn't count on what some guy in marketing model kits way back then chose for the box art.
This all goes back to what the op insistence on the term. 

And here is the first "Funny" looking car. Yes, I know how they came to be called Funny Cars and it was the wild west of interpretation in the mid 60's. But, like any form of sport, what worked became the norm and next thing you know, they all looked like half used bars of soap. 

Image result for Dick landy dodge 330

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Casey said:

Not nitromethane? ^_^

I mean, the topic title and kit in question is legit, but scatterbrained comments detouring the thread every third post are not helping anyone. -_- Back on track...

piranhadragrun.jpg

Gas burns alot easier than Nitro! 

But really, what else is there to say? We have established that there was only one Drag Version. Funny car, Dragster or exhibition, there was only one. And luckily it still exist. 

So now, when will this come back? 

Related image

Edited by Daddyfink
Link to comment
Share on other sites

' We have established that there was only one Drag Version. Funny car, Dragster or exhibition, there was only one.

Not in my book.

You're talking to somebody that used to own a BSA Beagle with 16 miles on the odometer.

It was given to his secretary by the head of US marketing for BSA.

Who knows what's out there?

AMT had a facility in Arizona or somewhere that built Piranha's.

A Hemi Piranha could be put together in a weekend.

Hello! What if the car crashed.Duh! It would be nice to have a spare ready to go to meet the appearance schedule.

This isn't Amateur Hour with me.

That statement 'only one' above is just words without any backing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regular guy don't understand why you asked a question you already know the answer to. For everybody else there was only one hemi piranha. It was a match race and exhibition car. If it crashed they would have to fix it. There were no trailers full of spare chassis and parts. Its sole purpose was to get free press for AMT. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Chris in Berwyn said:

I believe 82 or 83 hemi drag racing pirhanas were built.  All are currently stored at a secret location near Area 51 in Arizona. 

OK - enough with this thread.  I don’t know why I keep reading it!!

I think you may have forgotten about the one that crashed at York US 30 Dragway back in the day. I believe the parachutes failed to open at the end of the run and the car plummeted into the quarry at the end of the runway. Rumor has it that the remains of the car are still at the bottom of the hole alongside the remains of some old earth moving machinery.  I'm  gonna use Google satellite to look into the hole and see if I can find it. ?

Jeff

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...