"Nitro Jr." - Late 60's Junior Fueler

[BERNARD "HOT ROD" KRON]

“Nitro Jr.” - Late 60’s Style Junior Fueler
(More pictures below)

Chassis & Drive Train, Interior Details:
AMT Digger ‘Cuda
Slicks & Rear Tires:
Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster Kit
“Shorty” Style Body:
Altered States Models
Motor:
Block, heads, pan and accessory drive – Revell Skipper’s Critter; Hilborn Injectors – AMT Double Dragster; Detailed Hilborn injector pump – Altered States Models; Injector stacks – Parts By Parks; Magneto – Morgan Auto Detail; Scratch-built exhaust manifolds
Paint:
Body - Duplicolor Platinum Pearl Metallic with Duplicolor Metallic Maroon stripes; Chassis: Duplicolor Orange Mist Metallic; Interior – Testors Acryl British Crimson; “Nitro Jr.” Logo – Home made decal

This is one of a series of drag cars I did over the summer that I showed over on Vintage Drag Models, Inc. I try to make it a habit to reserve my drag machines for VDM and put my other builds over hear on Hobby Hangout. However, I thought I might show them over here for those that might not visit VDM and who might find them interesting. Apologies ot those who have already seen them on VDM...

As the front engine dragster reached its peak in the late 60’s the Top Eliminator ranks included the Junior Fueler, an ultra-light machine running fuel injected motors on heavy doses of nitromethane capable of running in the 7’s at speeds of over 200 mph and often weghing less than a 1,000 pounds. Junior Fuelers, when properly driven, would regularly beat blown big block AA fuel dragsters and were quite capable of taking home Top Eliminator honors.

Besides the allure of their underdog status and incredible efficiency, they were also among the prettiest cars of the era with clean, simple lines. As a result they were often featured at custom car shows where they would be decked out in fancy paint jobs and plenty of chrome.

This is my take on these cars as they existed in their final evolution at the end of the decade, with the extra long wheelbase of the period. The basis for the project was an AMT Digger ‘Cuda kit I picked up on clearance at my LHS. It offered up its chassis and running gear, although I substituted slicks and rear wheels from a Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit, which are more correct. The pretty little resin “shorty” style body is courtesy of Altered States Models and is a beautifully executed casting. Altered States also supplied the finely detailed Hilborn fuel injector pump. A Revell Skipper’s Critter kit supplied most of the motor with fuel injectors from the AMT Double Dragster kit and injector stacks by Parts By Parks. I designed the “Nitro Jr.” logo in Photoshop and made my own decal.

Thanx for lookin’,
B.