The Survivor - Short Wheelbase Digger Ca. 1960
Dec 31, 2019 19:20:14 GMT -4
Post by BERNARD "HOT ROD" KRON on Dec 31, 2019 19:20:14 GMT -4
“The Survivor” – Revell Parts Pak Dragster circa 1960
This kicked around in my stash since I started it back in early 2013. I actually got fairly far with it, constructing the chassis and the basics of the front and rear suspension, even painting the body and applying its signature checkerboard scallops, adapted from the Revell ’32 Ford Roadster kit in its earliest release. I had painted it Krylon Caribbean Blue with Krylon Mango for the frame. But when it came to clear coating, with Krylon clear, I seem to have gotten a defective batch and the clear just didn’t seem to want to harden. Eventually I gave up on it and stuffed it into a plastic bag along with the Modelhaus T140 wide-whites slicks and set it on my shelf. From time to time I would look at it. I regretted that I had never finished it because I liked the early-era look of thing with its late 50’s color scheme and the funky short wheelbase chassis with the 4-point roll cage. But the clear took forever to really harden up and, stupidly, I bagged it too early and eventually dirt and tire marks got embed in the paint.
But then last month I took it out one more time. Six years on, the clear had hardened up and stabilized. I tried to clean it up where I could but it only made things worse so I thought “Why fight it” and decided to finish it up, accepting the worn patina for what it was – a Survivor from another era.
This particular Parts Pak chassis represents something along the lines of the Scotty Fenn Chassis Research 4-point diggers he sold in the late 50’s and early 60’s, particularly the TE 440. But it also has some of the thin–tubed sophistication of Kent Fuller’s chassis he built for Tommy Ivo’s first dragster with the single injected Buick Nailhead. I’m sure back in ’61 or so when the gang at Revell created this thing they had both in mind.
Obviously when you start with a Parts Pack there is no kit or instructions to refer to so a lot must come from the kit bashing or be scratch built. With its suicide front end I used the beam axle and spring from a one of the Revell ‘29/’30 Ford “Rat Rod” kits. The steering gear is 100% scratch built from end to end using styrene rod, tubing and strip. The rear wheels and the seat are of unknown origin, having been found deep in bowels of my parts box. But those lovely wire wheels are new, modern aftermarket pieces, something unavailable even back in 2013, Tru-Wires by Curt Raitz with AMT front motorcycle tires from the various Ivo/Digger’Cuda/Two Much/etc. series of dragster kits. The small block Chevy motor is from the recent Revell Slingster kit, including the period weed burner headers. The blower is from the aforementioned AMT dragster kits and the Hilborn 2-port injector was cut out of the blower from an AMT ’40 Ford kit. The moon tank is another mystery piece from the parts box but the steering wheel I recognize from the Revell Double Dragster kit.
So here, after a lot of scratchin’ and bashin’ and a little wear and tear and a 6-year hiatus is my prototypical early 60’s digger, The Survivor.
Thanx for lookin’,
B.
