Awesome shot! got any more? Note the guy on the right is hitting the guy on the left in the face! (On top of the ramp truck)
Earlier in the post there was a discussion about Altereds. this is what I think of with altereds as opposed to altered wheelbase. to me, they're all good
Yes, I took these pics. 1967 maybe 68, gettin old ya know . New York National Speedway. the pic of the injected altered was taken in 70, maybe 71, there's that CRS kicking in again. too bad about that "flaming arrow" car. she sure was pretty before it sailed off the track.
In July we're hoping to have the 1:18 scale die cast White Test Mule car, California Flash, and the Sox & Martin. In August we're hoping to have the Melrose Missile and Lee Smith cars. We would love to tackle more projects, but only have so much money to invest in all this new tooling. We do have orders for about 60-65% of the 5 cars we're doing, but it's going to take abit more than that to make more cars. Some ad's are in National Dragster and Drag Illustrated so that should help some. With these samples arriving last Friday and posting the photo's, it helped snag a few more online orders. I just updated the Lee Smith car withOUT the hood scoop, as the sample did come with it on the car. Heck, here's the other 4 cars too... The way the drivers received them, skinny tires and all. Even has the blue tinted side glass and headlights. The turn lamps won't be blue on the production units (that's why we ask for samples first). Had Torque Thrust mags on the front, Keystones in the rear - so the 1:18 version will too. California Flash, always popular. Melrose Missle to have the plain black wheels on the rear. My job is fun...
My business partner Scott is the one who spec'ed these cars and he's off this week. I'll make note and get with him next Monday. Thanks!
Also, make the hoodscoop blue on the S&M car. The prototype appears to be white. Also here is another shot with clear headlights and good underhood details. I'll be ordering one very soon!!
I just found where Scott saw the blue headlights and turn signal lenses. They are on a large autographed poster we have in the shop. It's actually the same photo as one of yours, but seeing the full size poster in person, the front lamps are blue. We are going to be toning down the blue as the pre-production sample car is much too dark of a blue, with the headlamps much lighter in color, but the turn signals just a bit lighter. They are blue, just lighter blue than on our 1st sample car. Here's a photo of the poster, yet it still doesn't show it as well as looking at it in person. The turn lenses show up better as they are darker, yet headlights are tinted light blue.
I do thank you for noticing that. We have a list of 26 small items to change/correct/modify and didn't notice the big noticable one 0 the hood scoop. I took the one off the Melrose Missle and put it on the Sox & Martin car and re-took a photo. Again, many thanks for the "good eye" help. Hope to see your order soon. PS No c/cards are charged until the items ship.
I think the poster was printed with the colors incorrect I have same one even the chrome and stainless trim has a blue tone to it.
I'm going with Funnycar65 on this one. It's readily apparent that the poster has too much blue in it. Heck, even the tires have the same hue/value blue cast to them. And, if the lenses were indeed blue (which I seriously doubt) then how was that accomplished? Replacing the side glass (and you'll notice that it's just the side glass) with blue plex is easy enough...but the lenses? I can't recall anyone in the 60's (and yes, I was around racing then) tinting their lenses with, what, stained glass paint? Now, replacing the lenses with flat pieces of plex...yeah, that I remember. But those are clearly still headlight & turn signal lenses. Not trying to slam on you here, but you already know that your customers will demand accuracy, and if you're wrong they'll bitch to high heaven.
I have 3 collections of older 1:18 we purchased to check in and post to our site. I'll look into this more by weeks end, as we do want to get them correct. I know S&M ran blue headlights on some cars. Their '67 Belvedere & GTX's for sure, plus some of the pro stock Cuda's, and I think even on their '64 Comet. Ligher blue than this pre-production sample car, but blue. Don't worry, as we do want to get it right for everyone, and we were going by the poster, and other past S&M cars having blue headlights. It does make sense if they ran them in 1964 and 1967, why not in 1965 when looking at that poster - looking like they are (I do now notice the blue hue over all of the poster). We'll double-triple check, but just have to do it later this week. Thanks to all for the comments, as it helps.
I gotta build me one of these. Unfortunately, I can't weld Any idea what a place like Funny Car Farm charges for the alterations?
If you wanted blue headlights back then all you had to do was buy a spray can of blue window tint from Honest Charlie or ?? and spray them--at least that's what I did back in the early 70's. Syl
You can give us a call. All depends on how far down the road you want to take it. I'm finishing up an altered '64 Comet, with a '64 Polara on deck, and just brought in an A-100 donor van with all the goodies for an early Barracuda altered conversion. Keeps me busy,
I said I would get back on this on Friday, so here we go. Looking at Ronnie's web site, and calling Buddy Martin - here's what I find. Headlights lighter blue - darker turn lamps Several blue lamps Headlamps & turn lamps blue Turn lamps much darker than headlamps Just headlamps blue So there are blue headlamp & turn lense Sox & Martin cars. Some are darker, some are lighter, and how some look depend on the camera and how the photo's turn out. I did also call Buddy Martin this morning (nice to have contacts when you need them) and upon asking him if the as first ran carburated 1965 AWB car had them, and he said yes right away with zero hesitation. Buddy did say the headlights were a lighter blue than the turn signal lamps, but the lights were tinted blue. He said even the side marker lights on some of the later cars were tinted blue, as they liked how it looked. That's straight from Buddy Martin. Now I fully realize the 1st 1:18 sample car has way too dark of blue on them, and we did make a note in the comments back to the factory to make them much lighter. Can I supply a better photo - no. The light blue lights on many of the cars, and the poster, is what we were/are going by. That, and talking to Buddy. We don't claim to be experts, but we do try real hard to do the 1:18 drag cars as correct as possible. Thanks for the read.
WRONG!We have posted photographic proof that the 65 A/FX car did not have blue headlights.For the money your asking you should listen to your customer base.I pre-ordered over 700$ worth of these maybe I'll just ask for my money back then.
Please... don't read this in the wrong tone, as I'm not trying to anger anyone. I'm simply sharing why we're doing what we did. I'm sure you know, and everyone knows, all race cars (Sox & Martin included) changed greatly during the season. Sometimes week to week changes were made. As an example - on the photo's you posted: One has TT's on front and Keystones on rear One has all 4 Keystones One has the front tank, no injection One has injection with headlights One has injection with spun disc headlight covers We decided to go by this photo, as we had to pick one... and it even has different sponsor decals than the photo you posted with TT's and Keystones, but we can't see the headlamps & park lense. The poster we have different opinions on. Buddy said blue when called. We do try to listen to customers, as that's exactly why we are doing these AWB cars. Many many customers called asking for them. Please relax, and have a nice weekend. I'll still talk with Scott on Monday, when he's back.
And none have blue headlights,even your poster you use for referance is based off of a photo used on the cover of Super Stock Magazine,first photo second row of the pictures I posted.No blue headlghts.More proof.If someone can produce a color photo from back in the day of their 65 A/FX Hardtop with blue headlights.No photoshopping I'll pay a 100$ reward.Has to be definative proof in color.
I'm sure Buddy's intentions are good but you can't go on his memory of something from 45 years ago. True, the later cars had blue headlights but the '65s did not. The photos prove this. I posted a photo made from a slide that was taken at Delmar DE. in 1965. They were not tinted there or in any other photos I've seen here. By the way my father ran blue tinted headlight on his D/Gas Falcon in 1965. NHRA tech made him remove the tint as it was not allowed. I don't know if this was an issue with the S&M car. I doubt it but I'm just throwing that out there.
I'm not saying I'm positive, but we raced at a lot of events when S&M were there, from back when they ran a Comet. I don't recall them having a car with blue headlights until the Duster...
Thanks guys for your help on this.As many cars as they raced over the years it would be hard to remember every little detail on every car.The Super Stock mag has a great artical on their car.Not to be real nit picky but I don't think the Keystones would be correct on the carbed version nether.And don't get me started on the tail lights.
Early,carb version still has the black steel wheels on the rear.And the cover of the SS mag with Howards mags also carbed version.
Man I dig that shot from Cecil County!! That had to be from a slide, it is so sharp!! I like the version with the Howards Wheels by the way.
Thanks for the photos. I have collected all the photos of the Strip Teaser cars that I have found and am going to forward a disc to Howard Neal's family. Would you mind me using this photo? I have also forwarded some photos to the Double H Dragstrip.com site for their posting. The Double H was the Strip Teaser's home track back in those days. Would you mind if I forward to them with credit to you? I remember going to the Speed Shop, Inc. shop and talking with Howard while the plumbing and wiring was going on on the chassie of the flip top car.
With Monday here, and Scott (our resident Mopar man) back in the office now, we discussed the headlights. Hurray - they will be changed to clear! We do want to say "thank you" for the help, as we too want to these miniature ones as right as possible. We orininally went with blue - knowing the '67's and newer did have them, plus they looked blue to us in the '65 poster, and on this photo of the '65 later in it's racing life they are blue (aren't they?). Anyway, the bottom line is they will be clear on this 1:18 scale, turn lenses too, and we do appreciate the comments. We'll get word to the maunufacturer today. Maybe I'll try to change out the parts from another '65 and retake photo's. There's always something to keep me busy...
The Jalopy Journal
