Getting RAMBUNCTIOUS

[Dragline]

While I'm waiting for my replacement dash for the Frank Iaconio car I figured I'd tackle a quick project.

Never built ANY Polar Lights kit and I must say there are some issues with these.

But test fitting has paid off handsomely I must admit.

Replaced the kit bug catcher with a correct one. Got one of my patented masking tape supercharger belts on there as well. I guess the supplied one could work, but I didn't bother.

I'll wire and hook up the fuel soon. Nothing toooo detailed. These are really nice kits once you get past the terrible instructions and occasional poor fitting part.

Bob

Edited December 21, 2009 by Dragline

[caine440]

Thanks for posting this one.

I have really been wanting to try one of these but had a rough time with a polar lites Buddy Baker Charger. It just went together all wonky.

Seeing this has me rethinking and looks like a good looking kit.

Thanks!

[Dragline]

Roger, this kit will feel no different going together than the Baker Charger I'm certain of it.

These kits are not for the faint of heart. They require lots of test fitting and sizing things up before you attempt assembly.

The good news is the plastic is very nice and takes paint well. I hand painted the chassis with Tamiya red out of the jar and it took well.

The chrome strips easily as well.

But the instructions are vague at best so making sure things fit first is paramount.

You have the skills, get crackin!

Bob

[caine440]

Thanks!

I have been really looking at their funny cars as I love the nostalgia. Been thinking of doing a Hawaiian along with a Gene Snow car.

[Dragline]

Thanks Dave.

The decals were beautiful to work with. The complex side scallops went down nice with a little Solvaset. They snuggled down nicely. This is my first experience with Slixx and it was a pleasure.

The injector hat in the kit is OK for the period but the box top [and other sources] show the one I put on there. Plus I had one hanging around so that didn't hurt.

I made progress last night so I'll post some pix later today.

Bob

[Fuel Coupe]

I read where someone was having fits with there p/l slixx decals but Im guessing it was the user or possibly where they were storing them.. I for one have built several of these using the kit decals and had zero issues.

You are doing a great job on this one. Keep up the great work. These are fun kits and I hope P/L decides to do more of these....

[Dragline]

Khart, you are right on the money! It's Dupli-Color touch up. You know, the smaller cans. The color name escapes me at the moment, but it's a foreign car color.

The local Auto Parts store had a sale and I picked up a bunch for 3.00 ea.

I too am waiting for the Revell Hawaiian, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a LOT better than the PL kit. Not that these are slouches by any means.

I think if they had put more time into the instructions and fit of some of the parts they'd be considered true classics. As they stand they are good sources of Logghe chassis as well as complete kits but I'll wager more than a few never made it to completion by some uninitiated modelers.

Some of the parts are a little crude considering these are "modern" kits.

Bob

[Dragline]

I dry fit the motor this evening and finished off the injection. Looks cool. I'm starting to dig this kit.

Added a few odds n ends. Should have made a safety belt instead of using the kit supplied but no biggie.

Thanks for looking.

Bob

[caine440]

It is looking real good!

I forgot about the revell kits coming out soon, Thanks.

[Dragline]

Did some behind the scenes stuff on my Iaconio Pro Stock but felt like putzing around a little more with this tonight.

This is my new favorite right now. Something about these kits has me buggered a bit.

Enjoy!

Added some fuel delivery and fittings. Hoping to wrap this up by mid next week.

Bob

Edited December 10, 2009 by Dragline

[Dragline]

All I have to do is button up the last 2 pieces of tin and this baby is done.

This was a fun learning experience about these kits. Considering it was a 4 day build it came out pretty cool.

Enjoy, and next time you'll see her will be in the showroom.

I'm waiting for my Mums to finish a box of pasta so I can steal the acetate window in the box to replace the kit supplied ones. While they are OK they are a tad thick.

Thanks

Bob

Edited December 12, 2009 by Dragline

[Dragline]

Thanks again Dave. I added a body up pic.

Windows to go in soon.

On to my Dyno Don and Iaconio projects.

And my Garlits Swamp Rat 1-R car will be done soon as well.

I gotta buy a shelf! The cars I have done are back in their boxes sitting on the shelf with unbuilt kits.

I know!

Dear Santa:.................

Bob

[Harry P.]

The body has molded in hood and trunk lines... is that the way the 1:1 car looked?

[Dragline]

GEEZ LOOWEEZ, where do I start?

I painted it with the colors at hand. Were I to build a 'SPOT ON" replica I guess a metal flake would be in order.

I'm not a rivet counter like our dear OLD Harry, so I'll just have fun modeling and enjoying OUR hobby.

Looks like Metal Flake, smells like Metal Flake. Musta been Metal Flake... I painted it RED, flawless RED.

I built the car. I'm enjoying it.

Thanks for playing.

What! No comments on execution, build quality? Tough room.......

Bob

PS: When I go for accuracy, my Garlits build comes to mind. When you see it, you see it as it was.

This was/is a quick build of a kit maker I'd never tackled before. I did well for a 1 week build.

I had fun, you should as well.

Bob

Edited December 12, 2009 by Dragline

[Harry P.]

GEEZ LOOWEEZ, where do I start?

I painted it with the colors at hand. Were I to build a 'SPOT ON" replica I guess a metal flake would be in order.

I'm not a rivet counter like our dear OLD Harry, so I'll just have fun modeling and enjoying OUR hobby.

Looks like Metal Flake, smells like Metal Flake. Musta been Metal Flake...

I built the car. I'm enjoying it.

Thanks for playing.

What! No comments on execution, build quality? Tough room.......

Bob

PS: When I go for accuracy, my Garlits build comes to mind. When you see it, you see it as it was.

This was/is a quick build of a kit maker I'd never tackled before. I did well for a 1 week build.

I had fun, you should as well.

Bob

Geez, settle down. I was just curious, that's all. Seems odd that a funny car body would have hood and trunk lines in it, so I was wondering if the real car was done that way. I was questioning the accuracy of the kit, not slamming your build-up. Man, ask a simple question here and you get clobbered....

[Dragline]

Then we are good Harry. I get a little bent at times.

I am enjoying myself and MY hobby. This is a place where I can share with LIKE MINDED individuals.

If I wanted TOTAL accuracy I'd be a MILITARY modeler.

For my purposes this is a place to share my ideas and passion for all things NHRA.

I get to model TRUE replicas once a year or so. The rest of the time is a compromise of accuracy and a willingness to show others my vision of cars I love personally.

I had fun with this build.

Paint or panel lines are a minor issue that cloud a larger ideal.

Bob

Edited December 12, 2009 by Dragline

[Crusader101]

This is a beautiful build and has rekindled my interest in funny cars; my last funny car build was probably 35 years ago. Now to start shopping...

[Dragline]

This is a beautiful build and has rekindled my interest in funny cars; my last funny car build was probably 35 years ago. Now to start shopping...

Well, there we all can help you Mike.

While there are "currently" no funny cars available from any kit manufacturer Revell has some kits in the works that will be available shortly.

There will be 1:25 scale replicas of 1970's [of all things] cars. The first batch [i say this with all the hope of a youngster] will be of a correctly modeled Roland Leong Hawaiian AA/FC and a correct Chi Town Hustler AA/FC.

I believe the other car is a Tom McEwen reissue car. All from the masters of Drag Racing, Revell.

These Polar Lights cars should be available via eBay. Of course if you eBay it, nearly every car is available for the right price.

Glad to inspire you even a little bit. It's beyond the scope of my building to inspire, but if i did, then I am humbled by not only your words but the spirit of my build.

Good luck, and please post your "in progress" and "finished" tasks here for all to see.

Welcome to the forums also.

Bob

Edited December 12, 2009 by Dragline

[Jon Cole]

Far as I'm concerned, when funny cars stop bearing a least a passing resemblance to the street cars upon which they were based, big-time drag racing started going to Hades in a handbasket.

Think about it ... even the stretched Pinto and Vega bodies they ran back in the day still looked like Pintos and Vegas. Today's F/Cs don't look like much of anything, except amorphous blobs.

Today's F/Cs are faster, more sophisticated and probably safer ... but they don't have 1/10000th the character that the old ones did!

Ditto NA$CAR. The sanctioning bodies just keep allowing more and more until the end result has every last ounce of soul squeezed out of it.

So much for progress.

[Fuel Coupe]

i think a certain member here has all the Polar Lights funny car kits left in the U.S. if he doesn't, i'll bet no one has more than he does.

Dave

[Harry P.]

Far as I'm concerned, when funny cars stop bearing a least a passing resemblance to the street cars upon which they were based, big-time drag racing started going to Hades in a handbasket.

Think about it ... even the stretched Pinto and Vega bodies they ran back in the day still looked like Pintos and Vegas. Today's F/Cs don't look like much of anything, except amorphous blobs.

Today's F/Cs are faster, more sophisticated and probably safer ... but they don't have 1/10000th the character that the old ones did!

Amen to that! When I was a kid, I was totally into funny cars, because on the surface, at least, they looked like the cars they were "supposed" to be. Today's FC bodies all look exactly alike, and nothing like a "real" car. Ditto NASCAR. I agree with you, all the personality has been stripped away, and all the cars are now generic "speed devices," one no different from the other.

[Harry P.]

If I was King of the World I'd make the rule that you have to run a body that's stock in appearance. Yeah, you could use Lexan or polycarbonate or whatever for the "glass" and you could do the grille and headlights with a decal... but the body would have to match a stock body as far as proportions and dimensions. Would the end result be slightly slower cars? Yeah, sure, but so what? It would be a lot more fun to see funny cars that looked like real cars, like they did "back in the day." Same for NASCAR. Make the cars look like real cars again.

I bet that fans would rather see funny cars that were maybe a second or two slower but looked like real cars instead of the amorphous blobs we have today.

[Crusader101]

Amen to that! When I was a kid, I was totally into funny cars, because on the surface, at least, they looked like the cars they were "supposed" to be. Today's FC bodies all look exactly alike, and nothing like a "real" car. Ditto NASCAR. I agree with you, all the personality has been stripped away, and all the cars are now generic "speed devices," one no different from the other.

All the drivers today are generic as well; they look alike, sound alike and have about as much personality as a vanilla ice cream cone. Many also perceive themselves as "personalities": John Force with a 'reality' tv show, Castroneves on 'Dancing with the Stars', Jeff Gordon filling in for Regis.....can you imagine a Prudhomme, Allison or Foyt stooping to such lows?

[caine440]

Just a great looking build!

Wow, four days! It takes me four days just to make up my mind

For me the funny car that just sent me over the edge was Kenny Bernstien's Ford Tempo that led to the even more goofy Buick. But that is just me.

Edited December 16, 2009 by caine440

[6bblbird]

Regarding the molded in panel lines. Yes, it was quite common to have panel lines on Funny Car bodies.

When a mold was made from an existing car body (rental car?), the panels lines were often left in the plug.

Door lines very noticeable on both the Maz car and the Lime Fire

For the longest time. I thought that the Lime Fire had a steel body because of the prominent panel lines, door handles, and stock trim pieces when in fact, it had a one piece glass body.

WF

Edited December 21, 2009 by 6bblbird