AMT Piranha Hemi Dragster Out Soon

[Howard Cohen]

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  

[Greg Myers]

Here's another oldie for ya Bob, Red Greith and Lyle Fishers Ol' Noisey Speed Sport Roadster out of Tucson Arizona. HEMI powered and all.

Edited August 21, 2018 by Greg Myers

[Greg Myers]

and check out those straight pipes, eight out the back, Ol' Noisey

[regular guy]

Lots of good posts here since last  night.

Let me wake up and I will add my $2 worth (inflation).

 

[regular guy]

' 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 August 21, 2018 by regular guy

[Casey]

On 8/21/2018 at 10:13 AM, regular guy said:

Edited August 22, 2018 by Casey

[Brett Barrow]

One.  Only one.  

[Daddyfink]

Just to pour more gas on this wreck of a thread....

[Greg Myers]

Here ya go Bob, lots of parts 

[regular guy]

Gregg

Sorry. My friend. Can't move on it right now.

Thank you for the lead though.

Go for it.Looks like it could be made to run without a big hassle.

Then just fix it up little by little.

Let me get back to a question up there.

[regular guy]

' how many of you guys have built a model of a Piranha '

Not me.

I am currently getting ready to glue together Lindberg 1910 Ford Model 1/16.

Good job on all those models!

They look great!

 

[regular guy]

' 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.

[Casey]

22 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

Just to pour more gas on this wreck of a thread....

Not nitromethane? 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Casey

[Jon Cole]

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. 

[bobthehobbyguy]

I believe it is more consistent to call the hemi Piranha a dragster. The logic to calling it a funny car was dragsters have done the quarter mile at 200mph whereas no funny cars had done it yet. I was simply a way to get more mention in press. 

[Daddyfink]

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. 

[Daddyfink]

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...

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? 

Edited August 21, 2018 by Daddyfink

[regular guy]

' 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.

[Casey]

35 minutes ago, Daddyfink said:

So now, when will this come back? 

Very soon, actually. Septebmer or October-ish. 

 

[Chris in Berwyn]

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!!

[bobthehobbyguy]

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. 

[Greg Myers]

AMT boxed the car as a funny, and yet, there seems to be no rules as to what is, or what isn't. 

[Greg Myers]

Bob, pretty close, and it's got a HEMI in it 

[Goose1957]

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

[Richard Bartrop]

They did make more than one Pirahna, so I guess it technically counts as a production car.