"Big Daddy's" Swamp Rat XXX

I live about 55 miles from Garlits Museum in Ocala FL. One of my managers at work has arranged for us to visit the museum first week of April to get a tour by "Big Daddy" himself! He asked me if I would be interested in building a car to present him when we arrive to take the tour. I jumped at the chance! I perused evilbay and found a sealed kit of his Swamp Rat 30. The car that blewover and flipped around and went back towards the start line at Englishtown in 1986. I called upon Shiryl from Detailmaster to get me some parts lined up to make it a nicely detailed car. I have a little over a month to get this project done so lets get started!

The frame and body were cleaned up and primed with a little boxart in the backround :)

http://images44.fotki.com/v1449/photos/1/335511/7271532/P1010001-vi.jpg

Then they were all covered in PPG Black basecoat followed by 2 part Chromaclear to make them "Garlits black" ready for decals.

http://images21.fotki.com/v578/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010002-vi.jpg

Even though the front end will be closed up on this build it lends itself to nice detailing that I cant help but add. I added a detailmaster battery hardware kit upgrade, new steering rod made from brass tubing along with .080 solder for the fuel line. Don's interior panels were gold on this car so I carefully painted that area with Tamiya gold. The fuel cell, steering linkage, and bulkhead were painted with Testors buffing aluminum metalizer.

http://images46.fotki.com/v1443/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010005-vi.jpg
http://images44.fotki.com/v1449/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010007-vi.jpg
http://images44.fotki.com/v1461/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010004-vi.jpg

The top loader Rear Axle was "misted" with Primer for a texture look and painted with Metalizer. I picked out the "Strange" rear end logo with a black wash.

http://images45.fotki.com/v1440/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010003-vi.jpg

Finally I added decals to the painted cowl cover. I was skeptical about bleedthrough and age of the kit decals, but fortunately they worked out nicely considering this kit wad made back in 1987. That worry is over with!

http://images44.fotki.com/v1461/photos/1/335511/7271532/P1010006-vi.jpg

Engine work next up!!

DaveT

WTG cool - both the kit and the reason for building it :thumbsup:

The length of the steering rod just made me laugh out loud! :lol:

WTG cool - both the kit and the reason for building it :thumbsup:

The length of the steering rod just made me laugh out loud! :lol:


The same from me, good start!!

Not only the length of the steering rod but also its (IMO) big diameter made me frown

Looking really good, an interesting project, great finish on the bodywork. Great reason for the build aswell, have to get some good photos when you hand it over.

Dave,

I just love your projects and this is another beauty, brilliant stuff!

Big Daddy does not know how lucky he is to ger one of your masterpieces!

I've had dragsters in the past and the steeering shaft from the butterfly to the rack is a hollow tube. With a bigger diameter you can use a thinner wall tube for less weight. They are supported 1/2 way down with a rose joint(heim joint). They appear to be simple chassis, but are complicated in engine height, distance to rear end, and angle for the best traction.

Thanks guys and here is more progress, time constraints looming I really have to stay fairly dedicated to this one....

Engine is well underway, Alclad paints were used for the engine block and supercharger. I have also installed detailmaster pulleys, a homemade belt from electrical tape and business card, and started plumbing the fuel lines using craft wire ( supercharger lines) and detailmaster braided line and fittings. The barrel valve and fuel dist block out back on the supercharger are scratch from square rod. Don ran only one magneto on this car so I used a pro tech distributor, plug wires, and a MAS PE magneto cap all painted red.

http://images14.fotki.com/v222/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010008-vi.jpg
http://images44.fotki.com/v1470/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010009-vi.jpg

Here are the wheels and tires labourously sanded clean and slixx decals applied followed by dullcoat. I scuffed the front bicycle tires. Hand painted the good year lettering and popped them on.

http://images20.fotki.com/v369/photos/1/335511/7280708/P1010010-vi.jpg

Finally a few mock ups......

http://images26.fotki.com/v936/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010011-vi.jpg
http://images47.fotki.com/v1479/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010012-vi.jpg
http://images47.fotki.com/v1475/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010013-vi.jpg
http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010014-vi.jpg

Mighty nice build you've got happening there. Built this one about 19 years ago when I first started modelling. Not as goos as this one.

Nice start Dave, don't see many rails get built. Watching with interest.

Beautiful work again!

Thanks guys......

Motor is done for the most part. All detailmaster hardware on this one with Pro Tech PE bolts. The headers required major clean up so much I think I needed a little more on those inner seams..... ::) Blast belts are extra seat belt material from model factory hiro kit. Again, I went for the older vintage look. This car had.

http://images17.fotki.com/v308/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010019-vi.jpg
http://images44.fotki.com/v1468/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010020-vi.jpg
http://images27.fotki.com/v994/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010021-vi.jpg
http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010022-vi.jpg


Here is a chassis test fit. Its looking busy. And I am pleased by that. Building a top fuel car with no detail is like asking me to cut my arms off! ;D

http://images42.fotki.com/v1466/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010023-vi.jpg
http://images42.fotki.com/v1466/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010024-vi.jpg
http://images42.fotki.com/v1466/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010025-vi.jpg

Lovely engine :thumbsup:

I always feel depressed when I look at your work :D

Lovely engine :thumbsup:

I always feel depressed when I look at your work :D

HAHA, the same from me, especially klutzy´s second sentence ;-))

Very nice work...again!
One thing puzzles me though. The exhaust pipe ends look a bit chunky ( wall thickness ). With all the neat work you're doing why don't you thin them some? They're not supposed to be like that are they? :-)

Thanks guys... the 2 year old is home sick today so I took a vacation day to watch him.... so while he slept all morning I got this done...

Interior is busy yet not overly done due to the fact it will all be hidden behind glass windows.... I used detailmaster detail wire for the gauges, model car garage PE steering wheel, Brake lever, and chute lever. I added Model Factory hiro belt material and leftover PE buckles from Model Car garage and stuck then directly over the kit belts. I think it worked out well. Very vintage with gold paint that Don used inside his dragsters... This kit was plagued with injector marks everywhere! But the floor ones wont be seen and were very difficult to get to.

http://images46.fotki.com/v1452/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010026-vi.jpg
http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010027-vi.jpg

Here is the last shot of the car before I add the body panel assembly. It fits very tight so its not going to be removable. :(

http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010028-vi.jpg

Here is the chassis with the body applied for good.

http://images44.fotki.com/v1448/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010029-vi.jpg

While I was at it, I buttoned up the rear brakes. I used Detailmaster drilled rotors and a caliper from the spares box cut in half. Once they were painted and added I plumbed the brakes using craft gold #1 Crimp tubes and #1 Detailmaster braided line.

http://images17.fotki.com/v311/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010031-vi.jpg

Since the brakes were done I could see no reason why I could not add the Slicks permanantly....

http://images47.fotki.com/v1454/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010032-vi.jpg

Since the body was installed I decided to clean up and install the glass dome on the cockpit body work. Don pioneered this and it really worked for him... Even if he was a "Rat under Glass" :)

http://images27.fotki.com/v984/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010034-vi.jpg

Some final pics to show how the car is shaping up with the engine temporarily installed..... I still have lots to do to tie it altogether but its getting there. Oh.... I also have some spun aluminum discs from Detailmaster coming to replace the rear kit covers you see now....

http://images42.fotki.com/v1466/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010035-vi.jpg
http://images44.fotki.com/v1449/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010036-vi.jpg

Looking very good! That type of car is not my style, but the work is absolutely top notch . . .

Fantastic!!! The engine is a work of art. I'll bet it gets a special display spot in his museum.

Holy Sh!iiiiiT! Amazing!!!!!

Fantastic!!! The engine is a work of art. I'll bet it gets a special display spot in his museum.

This is what I am hoping for!! It will be neat to have it become a fixture in the place!

Thanks guys..... oh I plan on getting pics giving it to big daddy.... I hope he appreciates the work in it!!!

More progress:

I made a new rear firewall from sheet aluminum. Its on the right with some scratchbuilt fuel system timers. BIG improvement over the chrome thick kit piece.

http://images19.fotki.com/v353/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010037-vi.jpg

Next up it was installed and a detailmaster fire bottle was used for the air tank that runs the timers plumbed with #3 detailmaster fittings and line....

http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010038-vi.jpg

And an engine fit for clearance check:

http://images45.fotki.com/v1451/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010039-vi.jpg
http://images47.fotki.com/v1398/photos/1/335511/7271552/P1010041-vi.jpg

Super job, Dave.

Yes, your alu panel is a simple, but very effective improvement

You slay me! :eek2:

Q: what gauge wire are you using for teh instrument wiring and where do you get it? It looks way finer and nicer than anything I can find :(

Very Very Nicely done...It couldn't have been done better...I Like the Golden_Cross also..Hmmmm..Thats about the only thing I copied from the Ole Rat...Great job and what an Honor to be able to meet Him in person..Please post the pics!!!
Take Care!!!

You have done such a nice job on the car I can not suggest anything on it! However, I think if you have time, you need to put a base under it. Maybe a racing lane like at the dragstrip just a little longer than the car.


Mark

Wooooooowww impresive job, I will say what I always say when I see a proyect like this:
Add some fuel, maybe It would start.

Wow really impressive, I love the engine, a work of art. He will love the kit.

Thanks guys.....

Well here is the final WIP update.......

Motor is fully plumbed, oil filter is installed, Fuel tube is in place, and its ready for the side panels...The throttle linkage is made from fishing leader line :)

http://images44.fotki.com/v1448/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010042-vi.jpg
http://images25.fotki.com/v948/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010043-vi.jpg

The puke tank lines that were molded to the tank were removed anf clear tubing was added. Then they were coated with clear orange tamiya acrylic to give them the oil and fuel stained look. I think these REALLY give it a vintage look!

http://images44.fotki.com/v1471/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010045-vi.jpg
http://images43.fotki.com/v1322/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010046-vi.jpg

A closeup of the front area and all those oil lines! :)

http://images20.fotki.com/v382/photos/1/335511/7280700/P1010047-vi.jpg

Finally I replaced the rear wing ends with aluminum sheet....

http://images42.fotki.com/v1466/photos/1/335511/7271532/P1010044-vi.jpg

Rear chutes and lots of PE fasteners and it will be finished up!

DaveT

A truly great tribute to Big Daddy. Amazing work and detailling that went into this stunning model. I admire the research and accuracy you bring to your work.

Absolutely great job !!!

Where did you find the clear tube for the puke tank ?

Awesome work Dave.

The man should be mightily impressed with this rendition!

Quite a terrific job, Dave. Engine threatment and plumbing is at top level to me: fantastic stuff. Can't wait to see the shot with you, the Man and the badass stuff.