Wild Willy's Winged Express

[HOLMES55]

I bought this kit at a flea market for 5 dollars and decided it was time to build it. I was impressed how well everything fit together. I know the details do not represent the actual car but from looking through the photos I found it seems the car was modified from race to race so maybe it could represent the car if it was restored. I used all the parts from the kit except for the fuel pump was way to small so I scratch built a fuel pump that was big enough to run a fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine. I stripped all the chrome and used testor's metalizer spray paint. Criticism welcomed.

 

[afx]

Very nice Brad.

[Brandon17]

Very nice clean build!! Impressive!

[cobraman]

Looks great, good job !

[Chris in Berwyn]

Nicest build I’ve ever seen of that!!

[Roadrunner]

Looks real good to me.

[Steamboat]

Looks great!  One of my favorite kits ever. 

[STYRENE-SURFER]

Nice clean build.

I Googled the car and looks like it was ever changing throughout its history.

Something weird about those kit front wheels though?

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Clean build of an iconic kit.....AA/FA all the way!!! -RRR

[majel]

Love the old fuel altered cars!  Great job on the build.

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[Old Coyote]

Very nice build sir. Beautiful work.

[larman]

Great job! Wish they would reissue this one and the Bantam blast. Nice models themselves and great parts cars for vintage drag builders.

[TonyK]

Nothing I could see to criticize. You did great! And what a deal for $5. Wish they would reissue this kit.

[HOLMES55]

Thanks for all your comments, its appreciated. Kurt, the front wheels had gold rims on a lot the photos that I found and I also found versions when they were magnesium color.

[Force]

The front wheels in the kit isn't the right style and kind of crude, they used reversed Halibrand spindle mount kidney bean magnesium wheels on the Winged Express.
I'm pretty sure the gold front wheels were coated with DOW 7 wich was popular chemical treatment on magnesium wheels at the time to keep them from oxidise wich magnesium does as you look at it, the DOW 7 gives the magnesium a brass-goldish sheen but wasn't that durable.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Force

[STYRENE-SURFER]

4 hours ago, HOLMES55 said:

Thanks for all your comments, its appreciated. Kurt, the front wheels had gold rims on a lot the photos that I found and I also found versions when they were magnesium color.

I should have said "interesting" rather than weird. The center cap/cover especially , anyone know what type of wheels those are?

[Gizzy]

No criticism here,,,, looks good , 2 thumbs up p??

[mustang1989]

Turned out great! Thumbs up all the way here!

[slusher]

Looks fantastic!

[Daddyfink]

On 2/2/2020 at 10:38 AM, HOLMES55 said:

Thanks for all your comments, its appreciated. Kurt, the front wheels had gold rims on a lot the photos that I found and I also found versions when they were magnesium color.

The Revell Attempt 1 front wheels are more correct for this car. 

This is not my build, it is from the web, and its really nice! 

[spike morelli]

The "Winged Express" is one of the most iconic drag cars in the history of drag cars. I was fortunate enough ( read that OLD enough ), to see it race in person at Lions and OCIR. Personally, I kinda dig the version running the Scott Injector vs the Enderle or Hilborn on this car. Larry Dixon Sr. drove the Howard Cams Special/Rattler using a Scott Injector too. I was at the Lions Dragstrip Museum opening, ( Google it ), in Long Beach, and the "wing" was there on display. One of the museum coordinators, turns out, is a friend of mine, and mentioned that the "wing" was missing the magneto. I told him that I had a spare 392 vertex mag, ( having Hemis in my drag boats ), and ended up donating it to the cause. Strange feeling, to know that I had a small part in restoring something I'd idolized as a kid. 

Here's the Scott Injector pumping fat and happy in a cool night shot.

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by spike morelli