Bonus - Here's an unpublished Sidebar from the new book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits"

[tim boyd]

The following sidebar had to be dropped from the final manuscript of my new book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits" as I was already way over my word and photo count allotment.  You are reading it here now for the first time....

START SIDEBAR

Boat Models in a Book About Drag Racing Car Models?

                You bet!  To anyone old enough to recall the 1960’s, or to anyone else today who takes the time to read the hot rod journals of the 1960’s, the point becomes obvious:  Drag Racing Boats were a subject of great interest, earning many pages of magazine coverage and considerable show floor space at hot rod and custom shows.  And that’s not to mention the thousands of fans that attended the water-based drag racing events and endurance boat racing that were so popular back then.   Even the drag racing water course length was identical to the land-based drags at 1320 feet! 

                Again, any one checking out those magazines would find that drag boats occasionally shared the covers of Hot Rod and Rod and Custom magazines.  Occasionally the very same blown V8 engines were sometimes swapped to and from drag racing boats and rails dragsters.  In fact, not only were those Ford FE and Chrysler Hemi engines were built by the same shops, but the boat interiors were often upholstered by the same craftsman, and the hull bodies were painted in the same studios as their car equivalents.  Even drivers occasionally switched back and forth – Eddie Hill being just one example.  

                It should not surprise that a few drag racing themed 1/25^th scale boat kits made their way t to the hobby store shelves.   The four most important kits are AMT’s Rayson-Craft and Hull Raiser boats, and Revell’s “Go and Show” and “Hemi Hydro” drag boats.   

 

                AMT’s Trophy Series Rayson-Craft Ski-Drag Boat with Trailer(#2163-149 & TB-163) was a 1963 release based on Rudy Ramos’ timeless V-drive boats.  It was powered by a Ford FE 390 Interceptor V8 and could be built as a drag boat (with a blower and side sponsons) or a ski boat (with six deuces atop the engine and a fully upholstered, four-seat interior).  A great kit, it was never reissued in this form. 

                AMTs “Hull Raiser” (#2463-170) debuted in 1968 and was an evolution of the engine and driveline of the earlier AMT kit, but with an all-new and much differently shaped Kindsvater hull.  The FE was now a SOHC 427 Ford in blown or tri-carbed form.   The Hull Raiser was later packaged with several different tow vehicles – A custom Firebird (1968), a Chevy Van (mid 1970’s), and a 1970 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible (around 2005).      

                Revell’s “Go and Show Drag Boat” (#H-1278:198) kit was also a 1963 kit introduction, featuring an early Hemi V8 with six deuces and a Tony Nancy rolled and pleated interior.  The box art noted the kit was buildable “…for Drags, Show-Boat, Ski, [or] ‘SK’ Class Racing.”  The interior was highly detailed, even including separately molded stringers with wood engraving, and Revell included a piece of real wood sheeting to be applied to the bow area of the hull.   The kit was never reissued in this form.  

                The Hemi Hydro (#H-1312) was a mild update of Revell’s earlier kit that broke cover in 1971.  The Tony Nancy interior lost the prior seating designs, while the wood hull applique went missing.  The engine included new exhaust headers and the decals reflected a more contemporary side striping layout.  The Hemi Hydro has seen several unchanged reissues starting in the 1990’s, but the one you want to find was renamed “Hot Rod Hydro” (#85-0392) and appeared in 2014 featuring all-new decals including two choices of wood-grained inserts for the front hull area.

(Photo Caption:) Drag Racing on asphalt and drag racing on water have been closely linked since as far back as 1958.    There have been a number of 1/25^th scale boat models over the years, but these four are the most influential and best detailed of them all.   The AMT “Rayson Craft Ski-Drag Boat” and Revell “Go and Show Drag Boat” kits date from 1963 and were never reissued in their original form. 

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For those of you who are interested, here's more info on the book.  It is available now from CarTechBooks.com, ModelRoundup.com, Autoworldstore.com, KalmbachHobbyStore.com, e Model Cave in Ypsi, Michigan, Pasteiner's in Birmingham, Michigan, and of course online book retailers like Amazon.com

Thanks for your interest....TIM 

Edited January 2, 2021 by tim boyd

[unclescott58]

Thanks Tim. It's a shame they could not have found space for the above. It was very informative. Though, I question the first photo you've posted above. I think you maybe made slight mistake in posting that photo. Or am I missing something? 

As you may remember, I am not a big drag racing fan. Yet your book above, is a must have for anybody interested in our hobby. As far as I know, I've got every book on model cars you've put out so far. I am hoping you have more coming in near future. Great stuff. 

[GLMFAA1]

Wouldn't the original AMT 3n1 boat kit be included as there was a 'sea going dragster' variation in the kit?

greg

[BlackSheep214]

Interesting...

[tim boyd]

3 hours ago, unclescott58 said:

Though, I question the first photo you've posted above. I think you maybe made slight mistake in posting that photo. Or am I missing something? 

 

Scott....thanks.  I grabbed the wrong photo from my Fotki album (it was just placed just ahead of the one I wanted to used.  Photo now corrected!  Cheers...TIM 

[tim boyd]

3 hours ago, GLMFAA1 said:

Wouldn't the original AMT 3n1 boat kit be included as there was a 'sea going dragster' variation in the kit?

greg

Hi Greg....I've built this boat and my impression is that it was more a long distance racing boat - like the 1940's and 1950's "crackerbox" racing boats, rather than a quarter mile racing boat like the others here could be used.  (Of course, variations of that AMT Rayson Craft were also used for distance racing so the distinction is not quite as clear as it might be).   

Anyway, being a sidebar I was very limited in space (photos and words) as to what I could cover, and the ones pictured were those I thought fit closest to the drag racing theme of the book.    

Years ago (c. 2005 or so) I did a "kit history" article in Model Cars Magazine on 1/25th scale drag, racing, and ski boat kits, and that AMT 3 in 1 kit was for sure included there.  Thx for the comment/question....TIM