Butch Leal California Flash

[Brutalform]

I guess it’s time to break out the Butcher Leal California Flash Plymouth. From the pictures I’ve found of this car, it seems to have been mini tubbed? Or was it always like this from the first times it’s been raced? But, anyway, I plan on building the version with the big tires on the rear. Still not sure if I want to paint the car white, and mask off for the orange, or just use the decals. I started to hack the rear floor pan, and removing the fuel tank, to move the springs inward to fit a set of Futurattraction slicks. 

[Brutalform]

I’ll use one of the spare rears  from the Hemi Dart kit. Trying to find out if this car had an 8.75, or a Dana? I might have it mocked up tomorrow. 

[gtx6970]

Leal had two versions of this car.

 

The 1st one, non tubbed and no Revell lettering on the car ( shown here ) 

 

 

2nd one I think was late 70s and or early 80s . big hemi, tubbed and the shown Revell lettering 

 

 

I think the one out there today is the 2nd car , restored to replicate the earlier car 

 

And I also think the early car became the altered wheelbase car , Not 100% sure on that part though

 

Edited February 28 by gtx6970

[dwc43]

Brutalform in your 4th pic look under that car. It's a ladder bar car so you don't need the leaf springs, and you can put the frame rails back in yours too. And that would be a Dana 60 car.  The 8 3/4 would not hold up to that weight and torque when using ladder bars.

[bytownshaker]

The Revell sponsored car was from the mid 70's when the factory backed cars boycotted NHRA Pro Stock, due to weight breaks by only running cars in the Sportsman classes for example Leal Super Stock and Modified, Dick Landy in a 70 Super Stock Challenger.

 

 

[Shark]

I don't know if he had an altered wheel base sedan or not. His AWB hardtop was one of the factory built cars that started out as a new A990 car and then transformed. His was one of two that they built with a 4 speed.

[M W Elky]

You may want to use this as a parts donor there available at hobby and it has a ladder bar suspension Dana rear lock out hurst shifter . The hood scoop and tunnel ram will also work on a plethora of duster / demon pro stocks 

[Brutalform]

On 2/27/2025 at 10:07 PM, gtx6970 said:

Leal had two versions of this car.

 

The 1st one, non tubbed and no Revell lettering on the car ( shown here ) 

 

 

2nd one I think was late 70s and or early 80s . big hemi, tubbed and the shown Revell lettering 

 

 

I think the one out there today is the 2nd car , restored to replicate the earlier car 

 

And I also think the early car became the altered wheelbase car , Not 100% sure on that part though

 

Thanks Bill. Much appreciated info. Sometimes it’s hard to find info on these old racers. 

[Brutalform]

On 2/28/2025 at 8:59 AM, dwc43 said:

Brutalform in your 4th pic look under that car. It's a ladder bar car so you don't need the leaf springs, and you can put the frame rails back in yours too. And that would be a Dana 60 car.  The 8 3/4 would not hold up to that weight and torque when using ladder bars.

Thanks. Well that changes everything. I did graft a Dana differential I robbed from the AWB kit, onto the springs. I also started piecing in some styrene sheet pieces I cut out to fit the tires. I do have a Futurattraction ladder bar set in my bin. After everything was dry, I was going to do new frame pieces, and wheel wells. At least removing the springs and adding the ladder bars will not be difficult. 

[Brutalform]

7 hours ago, M W Elky said:

You may want to use this as a parts donor there available at hobby and it has a ladder bar suspension Dana rear lock out hurst shifter . The hood scoop and tunnel ram will also work on a plethora of duster / demon pro stocks 

Thanks, I think I  have all the parts I need for this set up in my bin. 

[ybsluos]

On 3/1/2025 at 7:50 AM, M W Elky said:

You may want to use this as a parts donor there available at hobby and it has a ladder bar suspension Dana rear lock out hurst shifter . The hood scoop and tunnel ram will also work on a plethora of duster / demon pro stocks 

Good suggestion Michael.  Yeah Tom the ladder bars and Dana 60 in the Malibu are very nice.  They are supposedly 1/24 scale and your project is 1/25 but biggish rear suspension pieces under a drag car never bother me!  Lol

Edited March 3 by ybsluos
Typo

[Hemifever]

I'm doing the same build, but as a no name car.  I used the tubs from the AMT 66 Nova pro street kit, with little filling and they fit great, you can also slide the inside of the tubs into the frame rails, looks neat and is secure. 

I used the Dana from the Revell 68 Charger kit, moved the springs in board as you did and also use the ladder bars. Looking at a video on You Tube, as the car was backing up you can clearly see the leaf springs on the big tire car.  I used the slicks from a Polar Lights funny car with Future Attraction crowned super tricks. All most done, just glass and bumpers. Good luck with the build.

[Hemifever]

Also, flip the front spindles upside down for the correct ride height.

[Brutalform]

1 hour ago, Hemifever said:

I'm doing the same build, but as a no name car.  I used the tubs from the AMT 66 Nova pro street kit, with little filling and they fit great, you can also slide the inside of the tubs into the frame rails, looks neat and is secure. 

I used the Dana from the Revell 68 Charger kit, moved the springs in board as you did and also use the ladder bars. Looking at a video on You Tube, as the car was backing up you can clearly see the leaf springs on the big tire car.  I used the slicks from a Polar Lights funny car with Future Attraction crowned super tricks. All most done, just glass and bumpers. Good luck with the build.

Good to hear Dennis. After thinking about it, and already having the Dana rear already cut and added to the springs, I was planning on skipping the ladder bar set up. Your build sounds like it’s almost done. I would like to see pics when it’s completed. 

[tim boyd]

On 2/27/2025 at 8:00 PM, Brutalform said:

I guess it’s time to break out the Butcher Leal California Flash Plymouth. From the pictures I’ve found of this car, it seems to have been mini tubbed? Or was it always like this from the first times it’s been raced? But, anyway, I plan on building the version with the big tires on the rear. Still not sure if I want to paint the car white, and mask off for the orange, or just use the decals. I started to hack the rear floor pan, and removing the fuel tank, to move the springs inward to fit a set of Futurattraction slicks. 

I too have long wanted to build the "revell" livery version of this car and have been building a reference file for several years. 

The Revell livery car was a different car than the original 1965 A990 based car that Butch ran in the mid 1960s.  This car was specifically built by Ron Butler to campaign in the Super Stock ranks during the 1974 season because the NHRA had essentialy decreed that the prior season's Hemi Darts and Dusters could no longer competitively run in Pro Stock.  So Mother Mopar boycotted the Pro Stock world in 1974 and several o their drivers campaigned Super Stock instead. 

This car supposedly had every trick in the book and was "the most feared car in Super Stock Eliminator" according to quotes attributed to the long loved and lost Super Stock and Drag illustrated mag.  Some of the references I have seen suggested that it had a four bar rear that year (unclear whether that had leaf springs too or not), one source even suggested the top was slightly chopped and leaned forward with the windshield leaned backward, along with the front end being slightly narrowed widthwise ( I take those latter suggestions with a very big degree of skepticism).  Some also suggest the axles were moved ever so slightly frontward and/or even rearward.  Whatever, it was a very successful car that year.

However, what also intrigues me is the Revell livery.  It was there for a reason.  You can find what I believe that reason was in my book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits" or alternatively, in one of Hank Borger's very last columns in Car Model magazine after it was taken over by Tonto Publishing.  I remain amazed that this info is not more widely known in the model kit drag racing community...TIM  

 

PS Tom - did you finish your model and if so, is it posted in the under-glass section.  Would sure like to check it out!  TB 

Edited April 15 by tim boyd

[mr68gts]

If my noodle still works correctly the 4 spd cars got the Dana and the Automatics got the 8 3/4 originally. Now that's not to say that the racers didn't update to the Dana later on.

Also, that 74 Duster of his actually ran Modified Production. Even has it on the windows btw. Car is still around and has been restored by HemiDenni on Facebook. (spelling?) Quite a lot of work was done to it. not to the level of the Missle wire car but there was some stuff done to fit bigger tires yet retain the chassis rails for example.

Paul

"I’ll use one of the spare rears  from the Hemi Dart kit. Trying to find out if this car had an 8.75, or a Dana? I might have it mocked up tomorrow. "

Edited April 15 by mr68gts

[R. Thorne]

“That thing got a hemi and a stick shift in it?”  “yup.”  Shades of Bob Reed.

[Brutalform]

14 hours ago, tim boyd said:

I too have long wanted to build the "revell" livery version of this car and have been building a reference file for several years. 

The Revell livery car was a different car than the original 1965 A990 based car that Butch ran in the mid 1960s.  This car was specifically built by Ron Butler to campaign in the Super Stock ranks during the 1974 season because the NHRA had essentialy decreed that the prior season's Hemi Darts and Dusters could no longer competitively run in Pro Stock.  So Mother Mopar boycotted the Pro Stock world in 1974 and several o their drivers campaigned Super Stock instead. 

This car supposedly had every trick in the book and was "the most feared car in Super Stock Eliminator" according to quotes attributed to the long loved and lost Super Stock and Drag illustrated mag.  Some of the references I have seen suggested that it had a four bar rear that year (unclear whether that had leaf springs too or not), one source even suggested the top was slightly chopped and leaned forward with the windshield leaned backward, alnog with the front end being slightlly narrowed widthwise ( I take those latter suggestions with a very big degree of skepticism).  Some also suggest the axles were moved ever so slightly frontward and/or even rearward.  Whatever, it was a very successful car that year.

However, what also intrigues me is the Revell livery.  It was there for a reason.  You can find what I believe that reason was in my book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits" or alternatively, in one of Hank Borgers very last columns in Car Model magazine after it was taken over by Tonto Publishing.  I remain amazed that this info is not more widely known in the model kit drag racing community...TIM  

 

PS Tom - did you finish your model and if so, is it posted in the under-glass section.  Would sure like to check it out!  TB 

Not yet Tim. I got involved with a Kenworth and a NASCAR build, and set that one aside for now. I plan on getting back to it real soon though. Now it’s time for the build, as the cutting, and patch work is completed on it. 

[dwc43]

3 hours ago, R. Thorne said:

“That thing got a hemi and a stick shift in it?”  “yup.”  Shades of Bob Reed.

 

[tim boyd]

1 hour ago, Brutalform said:

Not yet Tim. I got involved with a Kenworth and a NASCAR build, and set that one aside for now. I plan on getting back to it real soon though. Now it’s time for the build, as the cutting, and patch work is completed on it. 

Tom....cool!  Bring it on whenever you are ready...cheers...TB

[keviiin86]

If you're trying for accuracy on this kit I'll suggest a wheel change, I'm a stickler for wheel and tire choice and fitment and it looks like you've got centerline style wheels, however the California flash as well as many other pro stocks of that era ran cragar super tricks.  Similar, but different if you know what you're looking at.  I got these wheels and tires from futur attraction..really nice quality, I just added my own lug nuts and studs and the hub dust cap on the fronts.  Or that revell flip nose Malibu has a really nice set, but might look a little big considering it's 1:24th scale.  Very cool build though, I love these early 70s pro stocks.

Edited April 20 by keviiin86

[Brutalform]

On 4/20/2025 at 12:39 PM, keviiin86 said:

If you're trying for accuracy on this kit I'll suggest a wheel change, I'm a stickler for wheel and tire choice and fitment and it looks like you've got centerline style wheels, however the California flash as well as many other pro stocks of that era ran cragar super tricks.  Similar, but different if you know what you're looking at.  I got these wheels and tires from futur attraction..really nice quality, I just added my own lug nuts and studs and the hub dust cap on the fronts.  Or that revell flip nose Malibu has a really nice set, but might look a little big considering it's 1:24th scale.  Very cool build though, I love these early 70s pro stocks.

Thanks Kevin. You know, I was considering the Cragars as I have a nice fat rear set, but no fronts to accompany them. I did have a complete set of the Centerlines, so I was just gonna use them. I appreciate your input, as I have bought quite a few of Scott’s aluminum drag rims, but never even thought about checking out his resin sets. Reason being is, I have a whole storage case full of resins, but not this style. So I’m gonna buy a set or two of his resin rims for this build. Your wheels look great. Did you use RB Motion lugs and studs on yours? 

[keviiin86]

5 minutes ago, Brutalform said:

Thanks Kevin. You know, I was considering the Cragars as I have a nice fat rear set, but no fronts to accompany them. I did have a complete set of the Centerlines, so I was just gonna use them. I appreciate your input, as I have bought quite a few of Scott’s aluminum drag rims, but never even thought about checking out his resin sets. Reason being is, I have a whole storage case full of resins, but not this style. So I’m gonna buy a set or two of his resin rims for this build. Your wheels look great. Did you use RB Motion lugs and studs on yours? 

Yeah Scott has some nice resin wheels, draglites, super tricks, centerlines and motorwheel Flys.  But I used some HO scale train bolts I happened to find at the local hobby shop..they looked like they would be perfect for 5/8" studs and larger lug nuts.

[Brutalform]

Just now, keviiin86 said:

Yeah Scott has some nice resin wheels, draglites, super tricks, centerlines and motorwheel Flys.  But I used some HO scale train bolts I happened to find at the local hobby shop..they looked like they would be perfect for 5/8" studs and larger lug nuts.

They look right on to my eyes. I built a Pontiac Super Duty and used some Pro Tech aluminum hex fittings, and some Evergreen rod, and they came out ok I suppose. I think it was the Pontiac steel rims that made them look a little weird. But I was lucky enough to get some RBM lugs before he closed up, and took a break. 

[keviiin86]

7 minutes ago, Brutalform said:

They look right on to my eyes. I built a Pontiac Super Duty and used some Pro Tech aluminum hex fittings, and some Evergreen rod, and they came out ok I suppose. I think it was the Pontiac steel rims that made them look a little weird. But I was lucky enough to get some RBM lugs before he closed up, and took a break. 

If you have any hobby stores that sell HO train accessories you can probably find them, don't recall the brand off the top of my head but they came in a small package and molded in brown styrene.  I'll take a picture of the package tomorrow and post it.