Another Old Build Castrol GTX Top Fuel Dragster

[Force]

Here is another of my old builds, this time the Revell Castrol GTX Top Fuel Dragster tuned by Lee Beard and driven by the late Gary Ormsby in 1990-91.

The model was built around 1993-94 and the model itself is built out of box except for some serious detailing...I simply had to...the engine looked so empty without it ...so the engine alone took about a week to do.

All details are home made as I hadn't began buying aftermarket stuff at the time and the only thing that's not out of the box except for the detailing are the rear wheels, I used the Centerline Convo Pro wheels from the Revell Soff Seal 57 Chevy Pro Sportsman kit as Ormsby's car had those back in the day.

I also built a hauler for it using the AMT Kenworth T600A Canepa and Trailmobile Moving Van/Race Car Trailer...everything was ready in the summer of 1995.

To the pics:

And the Hauler.

Enjoy.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Force

[shift13]

Apsalutely gorgeous!

[am73grand]

That looks awesome!!!!

[iBorg]

Thanks for the memories......

When both Gary and Garlits were pushing the envelope with their streamliners, my interest in drag racing was at its peak. When Ormbsy died, it was the start of my loss of interest in the sport. Now if I was given tickets to the "big show," I doubt I'd go.

[AZ Boy]

Great job on the dragster and transport!

[Jade043]

11 out of 10 for engine detail. The whole build looks amazing

[John Pol]

great build always wanted to build a model of such but have no idea how to make those injection lines

[Dragfreak]

Phenomenal work

[Mopar Mike]

That is AWESOME

[PappyD340]

Very NICE!!

[Force]

Thanks!!

great build always wanted to build a model of such but have no idea how to make those injection lines

It isn't that hard...just tedious and you need lots of patience,

There are good references on the internet so if you look around you'll probably find some...I used detail photos taken by myself at a race just before the build as I didn't have a computer back then.

The fuel blocks are made of Evegreen styrene stock and the barrel valves are filed out of the same material, all the 16 injection lines under the bird catcher and blower are made of 0.4 mm stainless wire cut and bent to fit, the fuel and oil hoses are a type of insulated wire painted silver to look like braided lines, the insulating is stripped at the ends with red and blue for the AN fittings, all the hoses were cut and bent to fit before painting, the ignition wires are made from a thin 0.3-0.4 mm copper wire painted red with black ends and the magnetos are modified some to look more like the Mallory Super Mag's (III, IV or V) they were supposed to be...no MSD Pro Mag 44's as they use today, they came later.

The throttle cable is the same stainless wire I used for the injection lines but most of it is painted red, and I added a return spring made out of a very thin wire coiled around a larger wire, the fuel shut off cable for the dual Enderle pumps are made the same way, (same here, the Sid Waterman "Bertha" series fuel pumps they use today came later).

The only important thing missing is the blower bag as it was required at the time...but I didn't know how to make one that looked convincing so I left it off, the hold down straps are bits of masking tape.
The thing is to not overdo it, so you need a bit of basic knowledge of what goes where and what they do, but you can't do everything as all things doesn't come out good in scale and will look clumsy and overdone so you have to have the feel of when it's just enough for the engine to look convinsing and busy.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Force

[booboo60]

Hello Hakan, looks great, I never liked the tiny "tricycle wheels" on the front of this car! But the build and detail are next too none on this site, I was wondering is it hard to buy NHRA kits in Sweden? Do you all have hobby shops like us! Or do you order off tne net! I really like

This one 60s station wagon like car over there in Europe, but dont know who makes it or where! I think maybe GB or Germany, not sure! But its like a dodge 1960s type wagon! But smaller! Have you ever seen thing like that? I thought it would make a sweet Gasser! Any ways thanks for your time, and look forward too the next build.

Alan

[krazyglu]

Wow what a nice kit and at nearly 20 years ago it has held up just fine. I have this kit and plan on building similar to your's with the detailing....the hauler is a whole extra level of awesome. I was but a boy in the early 90's ,but drag racing has consumed most of my life so I remember this and many other car's from that era. I have read that Gary was a mastermind when it came to working on nitro car's and much like Garlits had the ability to completely change the class as we know it. Again great build.

[swamprat58]

Great work on Your CASTROL Dragster. I was really bummed when Gary Ormsby died from cancer. I got to meet Him at Sears Point Raceway in 1990.

[Force]

Hello Hakan, looks great, I never liked the tiny "tricycle wheels" on the front of this car! But the build and detail are next too none on this site, I was wondering is it hard to buy NHRA kits in Sweden? Do you all have hobby shops like us! Or do you order off tne net! I really like

This one 60s station wagon like car over there in Europe, but dont know who makes it or where! I think maybe GB or Germany, not sure! But its like a dodge 1960s type wagon! But smaller! Have you ever seen thing like that? I thought it would make a sweet Gasser! Any ways thanks for your time, and look forward too the next build.

Alan

Yes we can buy kits over here...but they are more expensive than in the States tho' so I do much of my business in USA nowadays.

I don't know what stationwagon you mean, a picture would help.

Great work on Your CASTROL Dragster. I was really bummed when Gary Ormsby died from cancer. I got to meet Him at Sears Point Raceway in 1990.

When Ormsby lost his battle with cancer it was a great loss to the drag racing community.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Force

[slusher]

Great looking pair of builds. Dragster and engine have excellent detail..

[Petetrucker07]

Very nice work. Detailing looks awesome!