14 September 2013 (22:11 UTC-07 Tango 13 September 2013)/09 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/23 Shahrivar 1391/10 Xin-You (8th month) 4711
Click pics to make bigger and read why the instructions are wrong:
AMT-ERTL & Hobby Heaven reissued the early 1970s MPC Multi-Maverick kit. They even reissued the original confusing instructions.
The reissue kit reminded me why I had so much trouble building dragster kits as a kid in the mid-1970s. The instructions show you attaching the headers in step 1, but if you do you can’t get the engine onto the chassis. Headers/exhaust pipes must be attached after the engine & chassis are mated.
I installed this firewall as per the artwork on the box. The instructions didn’t mention it and I found out why. If you build the car with the extended wheelbase, and the engine moved forward, the firewall contacts the engine preventing the body from properly resting on the chassis.
The kit allows you to build two options; a standard wheelbase or extended wheelbase dragster. It says not to glue on the fender mods so you can switch between set ups, but for practical race time handling, I mean display purposes your choice should be permanent.
A major reminder of why I didn’t get along with dragster kits in the 1970s; suspension components are frustratingly fiddly & fragile!
The suspension parts can be easily broken when removed from the sprues, and the instruction’s rigging template for the front suspension was no help. I used a slow setting glue while fanagling the parts into place.
The fuel can in front of the engine is not how the instructions would have you mount it. It won’t fit with the engine in the forward position, unless you turn it sideways. Also, there’s no definite location point. The belt on the supercharger (blower) is plastic and snapped right on. No mention of it in the instructions. In fact, in step 1 you’re told to use string to make a belt, then in step 9 you’re told to use a rubber band. The ‘C’ notch in the front of the chassis is so the belt drive can fit when the engine is in the forward position, however, I still had to thin it greatly to get the engine to fit.
Another problem: The body hinge bar. Instructions tell you to insert the bar into the chassis, then glue it to attachment notches on the body. So called ‘notches’ are almost nonexistent. On top of that when I closed down the body the wheel wells didn’t line up with the Altered wheelbase.
You get one flimsy rod to hold up the heavy body, when you’re not busy racing down the strip.
4 kits bashed to make a unique 2006 Mustang Funny Car.
Chassis from Revell’s Vega dragster kit. The 429 V8 engine came from Revell/Monogram’s 1970 Boss 429 Mustang. The molded on automatic transmission was cut from the 429. The Vega’s supercharger, transmission and exhausts fit with very little modifications.
Two Revell 2006 Bullet Mustangs were chopped to make a long nosed Mustang Funny car.
What was that about measure twice, cut once? A lot of bondo and sanding coming up.
All openings were filled and smoothed.
Those plastic bread bag clips were used to join the body parts together. They are made from the same polystyrene plastic.
More body putty and sanding. I added plastic strip at the bottom because I got carried away and cut too much from one spot (maybe it’ll also help hold the body parts more securely).
The Boss 429 cubic inch (7 liter) V8 looks good. The Vega came with a 426 ci Hemi.
I used a wing from a crashed up rail dragster. I had to make a new fence from plastic sheet.
I tried protecting the windshield as I cut it for the Funny Car, unfortunately it still cracked.
White decals sheet was used to create a company sponsor with red marker. The kit is for an employee of WinCo.
Decals came from the Revell Vega and Revell/Monogram Boss 429 Mustang kits, as well as AMT kits and a fragile Slixx Decals set.
The silver strips came from an AeroMaster silver decal sheet.
The black lettering came from a sheet of stickers.
Now you can see the damaged windshield. Racing damage, yeah that’s it, racing damage.
Open wide! In hindsight I should have used a wider/stronger chassis as the modified 2006 Mustang body is very heavy.
Lots of putty, sanding, thick red paint, lots of decals followed by thick clear lacquer, helps smooth hacked up body joins.
Photos by AAron Hutchins. Model kit builders take note of the mass of raised rivets all over the tank-killer. Click pics to make bigger:
Go Idaho!
In 2007 the USAF decided to replace the wings of A-10s, allowing to American Stuka to soldier on until 2040, supposedly saving taxpayers $1.3-billion in the long run!
The awesome A-10 is the last of Idaho’s Air National Guard air assets. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
Despite the lies by Pentagon officials, the A-10 is still the most destructive ground attack aircraft in U.S. inventory.
It seems we’ve been crewing our Saab Grippens and German F-4 Phantom 2s with the wrong pilots! PJ Production has set things right by releasing his latest 1/72 scale resin pilot figures.
Click pics to make bigger:
Use cyanoacrylate glue (super/krazy type glue) to put these guys together, and in your Grippen or Luftwaffe F-4.
I’ve been attending Chubbuck Days since 1998 (I live right next to Cotant Park where they’re held every year), and this year’s events were the busiest ever!
Click pics to make bigger
Cotant Park hosted the busiest Chubbuck Days I’ve seen since 1998.
Lots o’ food and games.
Music.
Dog obstacle course.
This dog has been training since March for this agility course.
Tossin’ a hay bale (sheaf toss) at the 4th annual Eastern Idaho Scottish games.
Winding up to throw the weight.
Gotta have a pole toss in your Scottish Games.
Classic LaFrance firetruck, waiting to cool things down.
Things got too hot for this portable toilet.
Kids and adults go running as the Chubbuck Fire Department cools things down.
A cool end to a hot Chubbuck Days.
Nice 1971 Firebird. Many older people reminisced about the good old days of ‘merican muscle cars, while the younger drivers wished such cars were still in production.
