Dragmaster Mk. IV Early 60's Digger
Aug 3, 2012 19:57:49 GMT -4
Post by BERNARD "HOT ROD" KRON on Aug 3, 2012 19:57:49 GMT -4
Early 60’s digger based on a Dragmaster Mk. IV chassis
This is an early 60’s dragster based on the Dragmaster Mk. IV chassis in the Revell Mickey Thompson Attempt I kit. The Attempt I was a fully enclosed streamliner designed to capture small displacement acceleration records in to two different classes using a couple of blown 4-cylinder Pontiac Tempest motors, which Pontiac had essentially made by taking their V-8 and cutting it in half. For this project I omitted the outer body, wheels, front axle and motor(s) from the kit. The inner body was cut down slightly and a front axle from the Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit substituted – the Attempt I had a narrow front axle to keep the frontal area of the streamliner to a minimum. I removed the front roll bar hoop from the dual hoop setup that was a Dragmaster option. Most racers ran a single hoop.
The Attempt I kit is from the high-detail era of the early 60’s from Revell, a period with a reputation for fiddly, ill-fitting parts. This was definitely not the case for this kit and I recommend it highly for this sort of build, especially considering what Mooneyes Parts Pacs are trading for on eBay.
The blown Pontiac V8 is from a Revell Parts Pac with a Hilborn scoop courtesy of Altered States Models who also supplied the highly detailed Hilborn fuel pump. The headers are from a Revell Chevy V8 Parts Pac. The Halibrand 5-window mags and front 12-spokes are resin pieces from the infamous gregory23sc on e-bay, who did beautiful work until he stole everyone’s money and disappeared into the night… The very nice M&H pie-cut slicks are from Ma’s resin and the front tires are the little Pirellis that come in the Revell ’31 Ford Sedan “rat-rod” kit. Paint is Testors Lime Gold Metallic enamel and Duplicolor Wimbledon White with most metal surfaces finished in various shades of Testors Metalizers. The Dragmaster Logos on the cowl are homemade decals.
It was great fun attempting to capture the look and feel of this era of drag racing history. Dragmaster offered the Mk. IV as a turnkey dragster kit and sold a ton of them all over the US and Canada which is one reason this design is so iconic of the period even today.
The w.i.p. for this project can be found here: krazyrick.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sggdgdgdg&action=display&thread=4232
Thanx for lookin’,
B.
