Double Dragster Twin Engine Rail Overhaul

[Dennis Lacy]

Back in 2010 (?) when AMT reissued their Double Dragster kit both in regular box and deluxe tin box I built the twin engine rail as part of a build off on another forum. Everyone was going for the dual Supercharger setup so to be different I chose the basic Hilborn fuel injections. I also stripped all of the kit chrome and painted everything for a lower budget look. The model turned out nice but was pretty plain.

Some years back glue joints let go (because I glued directly on paint) causing the front axle/suspension and engines to become disconnected. It was put in a box to be fixed “later” and was forgotten until the other day when I opened the box it was in under my workbench. The paint is still nice enough that I thought it should be given a second chance at life. Luckily, the rest of it snapped apart effortlessly. 

Being that the first version was so plain I decided to dress it up substantially this time around as if the team had a successful 1st racing season and wanted to improve the car with lots of show and a lot more GO for season 2. I cracked open another Double Dragster kit and started pillaging chrome and dual Supercharger parts! 

So far the twin Chevy’s have been reconfigured with chrome valve covers, magnetos, headers and the dual Supercharger setup. The injector bridge still needs to be painted as do the couplers on the charge pipes as these items are currently set in place. The blowers, headers and valve covers received basic black detail painting. The fuel tank was also replaced with a chrome one.

Inside the cockpit the hand brake was changed out for a chrome unit and the previously omitted chrome axle shield and chrome tach were installed along with a gauge face decal. The seat is still out being reupholstered. 

New wheels, the American 12 spoke fronts and American 5-spoke rears from AMT’s 1932 Ford Vicky retro reissue will be used along with a pair of AMT small Pirelli front runners and AMT Parts Pack slicks.

A quick note about the front wheels and tires. In all of the box art and instructions illustrations small (and proportionately better looking) front tires are shown compared to the way-too-big front tires that actually come in the kit. The Pirelli’s found in several AMT drag kits and one of the competition wheel & tire Parts Packs are spot-on size-wise. The 12-spokes from the 32 Vicky also much more closely match the thin, spindly spokes shown in the art and illustrations as seen in the example below.

I also pulled all of the chrome front axle parts to be installed next along with the spindles stolen from the original painted front end.

This is as far as I got last Saturday morning before the weather got gross and I couldn’t stand to be in the garage anymore. Hoping to wrap it up this coming weekend.

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Edited September 10, 2024 by Dennis Lacy

[Bullybeef]

I saw a bit of a sneak preview on IG the other day, pretty cool stuff. 

[Altered Ego]

WOW, I thought the original was pretty darn cool, but the rebuild is substantially better.  Nice work.

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Nice upgrades, ready to take over the track next season!... -RRR

[Kit Karson]

One of my all-time favorite FE Rail Dragsters, Brother! -KK