Builder:Paul Canney

My wife told me I have to buy easier models to build because I was constantly yelling at the decals breaking apart on this at the top of my lungs.

I bought extra decal sheets on ebay in preparation for this build, but I was not prepared for how delicate and brittle the decals are. If you've tried using Cady decals that have not been stored in plastic, you get the idea how bad these are.

I did end up using 3 sheets of decals in the end. Add to that many paint touch ups on the left and right rear quarters.

I jumped right in though and painted the body gold as is shown on the box, with the engine poking up through the body.

According to the nifty full color pamphlet that comes with the kit though, the engine is only poking upright because MPC was in such a big hurry to get the kit to market, and wanted to utilize existing tooling. The laydown crank powered Potvin style blower is actually the correct style.

Maybe I'll start reading ahead of time in the future. Maybe I'll start reading assembly instructions as well. Maybe.

There's some nifty stuff in this kit that really stand out. Like the center point steering and the fuel line from the tank. One thing I did that I'd like to pass along is, I cut the lower tip off the bottom nose piece and glued it to the bottom of the top nose piece before painting. Trust me, saved me aggravation.

I do question the documentation claiming the engine is a 426 Hemi when it's obviously a 392, based on the location of the distributor / magneato. But there's not a lot of engine to see here as it's buried under the body.

All being said, this model is really pretty sitting on the shelf but definatly not for the faint of heart to build. Especially if you are a grumpy old man.

I now understand why the majority of these are painted a simple solid color when purusing them on the web.