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Posted

Those who know me know I like odd subjects. Mickey Thompson's Tempest slant four powered dragster certainly qualifies as an odd subject. When the Pontiac Tempest was first released, the base four cylinder was literally 1/2 of a Pontiac 326 V8. The left cylinder banks were not cast , only the right bank and crank case. This was not unique for GM. The original base 4-cylinder in the Chevy II was 1/2 of a 283 V8. I have no idea how GM thought this was feasible. Indeed, in very short order, both slant 4s were replaced by inline 4s (the Pontiac Iron Duke).

I have wanted to build the Revell Attempt 1 kit in it's dragster form since the kit first came out. However, pictures of the dragster version are not plentiful. The car was at the NHRA Museum but with the salt flat bodywork. I would like to build another kit as the salt flat version but have been concentrating lately on 60s dragsters. The kit has a reasonably good representation of a Dragmaster chassis to go along with the Chassi Research chassis in the Monogram Slingster kit.

I found some pictures in the book "Slingshot Dragsters of the 60s Photo Archive" by Lou Hart. Here is the picture on p10 that got me to finally build the kit. On p13 is another picture of the dragster on a different day (notice polished wheels and different water inlet on the head). On p11 is a picture of a Mickey Thompson dragster with a big block Pontiac engine that could be easily made from this kit as well (that's a project for another day).

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I chose to build a model like the image on p10 with the unpolished wheels (I like that look).

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Posted (edited)

excellent! totally love that weird-o engine setup. could you maybe take some close ups of the engine and post them?

ive built the engine in the attempt I, which included two complete engines, both the 4 cylinder variant. I think I might build the other one for a hot rod Trabant Universal (station wagon) and use an XR-6 Zed frame for it. been looking at the motor I already built but think I will build the other and this time use a pair of Weber carbs.

great build on this, the frame looks like it went together well...any detail under the cowl?

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I love to see these sort of strange configurations! Your engine looks much better than mine, more refined. looks like you slimmed down the exhaust manifold a bit? looks good. also love that rag stuffed into the blower intake. classic!

jb

Edited by jbwelda
Posted

Now THIS I like! It's nice to see something unusual.

A couple of observations - first off, I don't think the Chevy II four cyl was slanted and second, that Pontiac four cyl would go good in an Opel GT.

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