Munster Koach and Drag-U-La double kit

[Madd Trucker]

Here are some pics of my builds of the Blueprinter issue of the Koach and Dragula. The Dagula has the corrected frame.

[Longbox55]

I only paid $25 for mine at the slhs. The tin was slightly dented on the bottom, so he gave me a deal in it.

[unclescott58]

Okay guys. I'm digging this one back up because I need some info. Does anybody out there know what color to paint the engine block on the Munster Koach? In searching the Internet, I can find no color pictures of it's engine showing the block. I found a couple of color pictures of the Drag-U-La without its body. The engine block in that car was purple. Matching the upholstered seat. But, nothing showing the Koach's motor beyond what can be seen by just casually looking at the engine from the normal open hood. The chrome valve covers and the hood side panels hide the actual engine block.

I'm assuming that since they claim the engine was a 289 Cobra motor, and the car was built before 1966, the engine maybe painted black? The "Ford blue" painted factory engines came out starting with the 1966 model year. So I doubt that it's that.

Also, the at MunsterKoach.com where I found the color photos of the Drag-U-La's motor, it states that the Munster Koach's engine was a 289 increased to 425 cu. in.? Good luck with that! The 351 from the same engine family can be stroked out to something like a maximum of 408 cu. in., I beleive. So I don't know how they got 425 from a 289?

Scott

[RancheroSteve]

You are correct about semi-gloss black being the correct color for a Ford block before 1966, so in the absence of any better info I'd go with that.

There's usually a lot of hype that goes along with TV, movie, and show cars as well, so I'd be willing to bet that the only thing really "Cobra" about those engines was the valve covers and some dress-up bits. And I'm still unclear as to how they got ten carbs on that Koach engine . . .

All that aside, I dug these cars as a kid, I have the kits and plan to build them (again) some day.

[RancheroSteve]

Then again, I just found a photo online that looks vintage and shows the engine block as RED.

[unclescott58]

The photo above is interesting. After posting my question above, I went back and looked at the booklet that comes with the double kit. And guess what? On pages 4 and 5 they show the Koach's chassis sitting with its engine exposed. And it's block is purple! So this now brings up the question of the photo Steve posted above. What exactly are we looking at here? It looks like the Munster Koach, but certain details do not look quite right. The red paint should stand out in other photos taken of the engine like that. Barris is known to change and modify stuff on his cars at later dates. The "bat fuzz" that covered the outside of TV Batmobile #1 for a few years is a perfect example. Plus replicas of some of his cars have been built, including by him, that are not exactly the same as the original. Is this what we're looking at here?

In many ways this all becomes a mute point when one looks at the kit itself. The engine in both the Munster Koach and the Drag-U-La are extremely simple kits, with a very low parts count and detail. Note again the photos of the Koach's engine on pages 4 and 5. The intake manifold looks silver/aluminum to me. Plus the engine sports a Cobra oil pan. In the model this too would be painted silver/aluminum. In fact most of what you'd see of the engines in either kit when they are assembled, will most likely be painted some form of silver. I'm thinking I may just paint the engines in both kits silver, and call it good.

Scott

Edited May 26, 2015 by unclescott58

[Casey]

Had no idea Round2 reissued this again in 2016...did anyone notice?  Good source for vintage Firestone pie crust slicks, though.