I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE TIRE WERE TO BIG ON THE AMT MODIFIED STOCKERS! So I did my own rendition of the 1966 Buick Stocker!

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

I always thought the AMT modified Stocker series kit had tires that were too big! Loll The 1966 Buick Skylark stocker had really nice body lines and would look awesome as an asphalt car. I used an AMT Nascar chassis and lengthened it to fit the Skylark body's wheelbase. I have a Bobby Hillin #8 Miller American decal sheet to finish this build ! Thanks for viewing!

[bobss396]

I did something similar on a '64 Ford modified stocker... but I added to the chassis in front of the firewall, big mistake. Now the engine and transmission are too far forward. Back in the box... I will have to do the chassis over. Yours looks great. 

[MarkJ]

Your right. The tires in those kits are way too big and look clownish on the car if used.

[dwc43]

Looks good. And yes, those over sized tires are a joke. No one ever ran anything that looked like that. 

[Rattlecan Dan]

I like your proportions much better than the kits rendition. Nice job.

[Volzfan59]

This is not to take away from this model, it's really looking good and I can't wait to see the completed build.

There are pictures all over the Internet from the era showing cars with big tires much like the AMT Modified Stocker's utilized. I remember them, the nickname for those tires was "humpers", not sure where that came from. These cars were modelled from cars of an earlier time. I have to remind myself of that every time I start one (I've got them all). In later years, in dirt track racing, some of the early NDRA racer's used those oversized tires to help with stagger. I remember that well too.

 

Edited May 7, 2024 by Volzfan59

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

1 hour ago, Volzfan59 said:

This is not to take away from this model, it's really looking good and I can't wait to see the completed build.

There are pictures all over the Internet from the era showing cars with big tires like the AMT Modified Stocker's utilized. I remember them, the nickname for those tires was "humpers", not sure where that came from. These cars were modelled from cars of an earlier time. I have to remind myself of that every time I start one (I've got them all). In later years, in dirt track racing, some of the early NDRA racer's used those oversized tires to help with stagger. I remember that well too.

 

I didn’t know that! Thank you for the information. What I wanted to model the car after was from the movie “LAST AMERICAN HERO “ the story of Junior Johnson when he drove the white and red HOLLY FARMS chevelle but in buick form and an asphalt car. 

 

[Sledsel]

Agree 100%, the kit tires are to big but are good for a tubbed out car. 

Did you de-radius the wheel wells? I did on my Olds' and since it is a big car I used 1/24 Nascar wheels and tires.

[bobss396]

35 minutes ago, Sledsel said:

Agree 100%, the kit tires are to big but are good for a tubbed out car. 

Did you de-radius the wheel wells? I did on my Olds' and since it is a big car I used 1/24 Nascar wheels and tires.

I have made the wheel wells smaller. I use .030" plastic stock and layer it. The thicker material is too hard to bend.

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

10 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I did something similar on a '64 Ford modified stocker... but I added to the chassis in front of the firewall, big mistake. Now the engine and transmission are too far forward. Back in the box... I will have to do the chassis over. Yours looks great. 

Thanks! I had to extend the nascar frame right in front of the firewall almost a 1/4 inch on both sides with square plastic rod which I had to sand a lot to make it look like it was unchanged. I also removed some of the cage bars to make it era appear era correct. Also you will notice from the pictures that the rear wheel wells were cut down on the top some that the body would be at the correct stance that I wanted. About your engine and transmission position problem, when cutting to fit a frame to a body , always try cut the engine mounts off and move them back if it has them or use some small plastic rod too fabricate the motor mounts and trans mount. The engines in the old stockers always sat back in the engine bay to save them from front end impacts! Hope this helps you out a bit , thanks for your input! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Sledsel said:

Agree 100%, the kit tires are to big but are good for a tubbed out car. 

Did you de-radius the wheel wells? I did on my Olds' and since it is a big car I used 1/24 Nascar wheels and tires.

Wow that looks awesome! Love the color and decals!  At the tops of the wheel wells, I cut them down till it slammed the nascar tires down into the body wheel openings. I wanted it sitting as low as possible. Your stocker looks like a true late model asphalt stocker of the late 60s ! My cars sponsor will be Miller high life American # 8 driven by Bobby Hillin which is a newer style buick. 

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9 hours ago, MarkJ said:

Your right. The tires in those kits are way too big and look clownish on the car if used.

 Yes, I am going to use those tires for a tubbed drag car ! I love the old 60s late model asphalt stocker look ! Thanks for your input! 

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8 hours ago, dwc43 said:

Looks good. And yes, those over sized tires are a joke. No one ever ran anything that looked like that. 

I was just informed that they did at one point run tires that big on some of the dirt cars back then . I like the old late model asphalt stocks of the late 60s look! Thanks for your input ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Rattlecan Dan said:

I like your proportions much better than the kits rendition. Nice job.

Thanks! It is a good look for this particular race car! I’m glad you like it! 

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4 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I have made the wheel wells smaller. I use .030" plastic stock and layer it. The thicker material is too hard to bend.

To make wheel wells, sometimes I use old prescription pill bottles! Cut off the ends and cut into however wide you want them ! 

 

 

[Volzfan59]

8 hours ago, DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS said:

I didn’t know that! Thank you for the information. What I wanted to model the car after was from the movie “LAST AMERICAN HERO “ the story of Junior Johnson when he drove the white and red HOLLY FARMS chevelle but in buick form and an asphalt car. 

 

You're welcome for the information, we don't know what we don't know. I really need to watch that movie, always wanted to.

It's kind of funny, what once was old, is new again. Way back in the early 60's when the local racer's were running those big tires, the ride height on the cars was high. Then along came the 70's and 80's when I was racing and we couldn't get our car's low enough, both dirt and asphalt. By the late 80's, dirt teams had stopped using the big tires.  The the mid 90's until even now, mainly on dirt, the cars are up in the air again utilizing softer springs.

When I was racing on dirt, we pitted next to a guy from Ohio at Tazewell Speedway in East TN during an NDRA race I believe. He had one of those "humpers" on his car and a few more on the trailer. I said something about them being the biggest tires I had ever seen. He schooled me on them. If some pictures pop up, I'll post them.

I really like what you're doing with your car. Like everyone else, I think they do look better on smaller tires and reducing the radius.

Edited May 7, 2024 by Volzfan59

[stavanzer]

HPI Guy on one of his Mod Stocker builds mentions that he has photos of the real thing running those large tires, posted to his Facebook Page.

It might be worth checking out. Even, better, maybe someone could post a couple pics here of those tires on the Real Thing.

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

19 minutes ago, Volzfan59 said:

You're welcome for the information, we don't know what we don't know. I really need to watch that movie, always wanted to.

It's kind of funny, what once was old, is new again. Way back in the early 60's when the local racer's were running those big tires, the ride height on the cars was high. Then along came the 70's and 80's when I was racing and we couldn't get our car's low enough, both dirt and asphalt. By the late 80's, dirt teams had stopped using the big tires.  The the mid 90's until even now, mainly on dirt, the cars are up in the air again utilizing softer springs.

When I was racing on dirt, we pitted next to a guy from Ohio at Tazewell Speedway in East TN during an NDRA race I believe. He had one of those "humpers" on his car and a few more on the trailer. I said something about them being the biggest tires I had ever seen. He schooled me on them. If some pictures pop up, I'll post them.

I really like what you're doing with your car. Like everyone else, I think they do look better on smaller tires and reducing the radius.

Thanks again! THE LAST AMERICAN HERO is in my top 3 NASCAR movies! It is number 2 behind the DALE EARNHARDT movie and #3 GREASED LIGHTNING! Of course DAYS OF THUNDER is fourth. I am from the Philadelphia area and as a kid, my dad took me to LANGHORNE SPEEDWAY, TRENTON SPEEDWAY ( which had a crazy right turn on the back straight! ) My favorite driver back then was RITCHIE EVANS and a young GEOFF BODINE! My inspiration for this build was that red and white HOLLY FARMS 65 CHEVELLE that Junior Johnson drove back then !  My asphalt stocker is about 65% done and when it is, I hope it’s a show stopper! Loll

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

11 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

HPI Guy on one of his Mod Stocker builds mentions that he has photos of the real thing running those large tires, posted to his Facebook Page.

It might be worth checking out. Even, better, maybe someone could post a couple pics here of those tires on the Real Thing.

Wow! Those tires must be like steam rollers! Lollll

[bobss396]

I have to dig the car out again. I forget why I wasn't able to set the engine back more. Maybe I missed it. I had started the '64 Ford probably in 2008, ran across it by accident about 2 years ago. I did a bunch of work on it last year and then parked it. I do have a pile of work into it. At the worst I have to do another chassis for it.

[dwc43]

15 hours ago, DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS said:

Thanks! I had to extend the nascar frame right in front of the firewall almost a 1/4 inch on both sides with square plastic rod which I had to sand a lot to make it look like it was unchanged. I also removed some of the cage bars to make it era appear era correct. Also you will notice from the pictures that the rear wheel wells were cut down on the top some that the body would be at the correct stance that I wanted. About your engine and transmission position problem, when cutting to fit a frame to a body , always try cut the engine mounts off and move them back if it has them or use some small plastic rod too fabricate the motor mounts and trans mount. The engines in the old stockers always sat back in the engine bay to save them from front end impacts! Hope this helps you out a bit , thanks for your input.

 

Actually, the reason for setting the engine back is to put more weight on the rear tires and to save that right front. Makes it handle better. All the classes I ran under had a rule that the number 1 spark plug had to be in line with the LF ball joint of the car. That's as far back as they would let us set the engine back. 

As for tires, Street stocks ran 255/60r15's Super Streets ran 275/60r15's and all the other cars except the ponies of course ran the dirt track tires, like Hoosier, American Racer, and such, usually no softer than a 55 I think it was on the RR if I recall correctly.  Stocks and Streets ran a min. 4-inch ground clearance. This was through the late 70's, 80,s and 90,s here in Tn. 

Edited May 7, 2024 by dwc43

[bobss396]

I started a build thread on my '64 Ford.

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

8 hours ago, dwc43 said:

Actually, the reason for setting the engine back is to put more weight on the rear tires and to save that right front. Makes it handle better. All the classes I ran under had a rule that the number 1 spark plug had to be in line with the LF ball joint of the car. That's as far back as they would let us set the engine back. 

As for tires, Street stocks ran 255/60r15's Super Streets ran 275/60r15's and all the other cars except the ponies of course ran the dirt track tires, like Hoosier, American Racer, and such, usually no softer than a 55 I think it was on the RR if I recall correctly.  Stocks and Streets ran a min. 4-inch ground clearance. This was through the late 70's, 80,s and 90,s here in Tn. 

Pretty high tech ! But I see the logic in it! 

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

7 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I started a build thread on my '64 Ford.

Maybe you could fabricate a cool motor plate, that would make it totally adjustable! 

[DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS]

1 minute ago, DREAMSCALE CONCEPTS said:

Maybe you could fabricate a cool motor plate, that would make it totally adjustable! 

I’ve used this technique several times and it always comes out cool looking! I usually attach the coil for the motor to it or a dry sump tank.