Junior Johnson 65 Ford

[Lefturns75]

This was an older build I completed in 1991.  It has held up pretty well but is beginning to show its age so I will show it here and then to the display case for retirement.  I used the AMT 65 Galaxie from a Countdown Series kit.  Most of the molded in chassis parts were cut away and replaced with file card.  The roll cage was built using evergreen rod.  Decals were Fred Cady.  I used a Motor Trend Mag article as reference and tried to stay as close to the photos as I could.  The car in the article was Juniors car for the Darlington race.

The kit 427 was used and wired and detailed.  The inner fenders were trimmed and shock towers added. 

The fuel cell was made from sheet plastic and the filler, line and vent tube added.  The article mentioned it was a Firestone Fuel Cell.

The rear got dual shocks with a belt driven pump for the lube.  It was plumbed to the cooler.

The underside got a light weathering.  The dump tubes are aluminum tube with wire hangers

[sentsat71]

WOW!!  Great looking build!!!

How big is that fuel cell? as in how much gas did it hold! 

[MarkJ]

Ok, Super George. That's an awesome build. Thank you for posting it. If you have any more like this, and I'm sure you do, please post them as well.

[Michael F]

Very nice Galaxie! Incredible detailwork.

[Bob P.]

Very nice build and the detail work is excellent.

Bob

[Lefturns75]

Thanks for the comments guys.  The fuel cell does look large but the article stated it was 22 gal.  It was an early cell so I really have no idea what the internal construction looked like.  Knowing Junior, it may have held 30.  Some years later I learned of many mistakes I made while using black and white reference photos.  The car was equipped with Gabriel Shocks so at the time they would have been white, not yellow.  The 427 was black, not blue and the chassis was mostly black with grey and red primer in places.  Only the pure rivet counter will know so I guess I am still happy. 

[Lefturns75]

LMAO!  David, I'm not trying to bring you down, just gig those rivet counters a little.  You know the type, the ones that call out EVERYTHING-----only four bolt heads when there should have been five, color off, fender lip too small.   I have met them and so have you.  Funny thing, you never see ANY of their stuff.    This is an old build but if you guys like it thats great.  I had fun when I built it and thats why we do this, right?

[sentsat71]

Yep! That's it, you build it as you see it in your mind, that's what counts....

Yeah, Ol' Junior may have been trying to get something past NASCAR......LOL
a might easier to do back in those days than in today's NASCAR, where 1 mm off somewhere and the teams then have to redo it until it passes....

Wasn't trying to put you down on the fuel cell size.....guess I was thinking that it was sitting lower than it actually is.....

If you think rivet counters in model car building are nit picky, try model railroading!! IMO, I think they are worse......especially model railroading clubs......  lol

[TarheelRick]

Very nice replica build. Used to be one of my favorite racer/builders.

[MarkJ]

LMAO!  David, I'm not trying to bring you down, just gig those rivet counters a little.  You know the type, the ones that call out EVERYTHING-----only four bolt heads when there should have been five, color off, fender lip too small.   I have met them and so have you.  Funny thing, you never see ANY of their stuff.    This is an old build but if you guys like it thats great.  I had fun when I built it and thats why we do this, right?

You got that right, George, on the rivet counters. They never post builds.

[sentsat71]

These comments about rivet counters reminds of an old Car Model or Car Model & Science mag, that I still have from the late 1960's - early 1970's that has a cartoon about this subject as well as a few others.....now, just have to figure out where it went....again......