Nostalgia build #1, Monogram 1/24 Stinger Dragster

[TimJ]

With the Glitter Bug in the Gallery I thought that I'd build something that I last built in the late 70's. Originally issued as the 'Trick T' in 1970 this Tom Daniel design was revamped in 1975 and became the 'Stinger'. The main difference was the replacement of the Trick T's deployed parachutes with front and rear wings of the Stinger. The last one that I built would have been brush painted and all seam lines would probably not have been sanded down so this one will be an improvement.

 

 DSCF3484 by timothy jones, on Flickr

DSCF3509 by timothy jones, on Flickr

DSCF3510 by timothy jones, on Flickr

DSCF3506 by timothy jones, on Flickr

DSCF3507 by timothy jones, on Flickr

^{DSCF3508 by timothy jones, on Flickr}

 

I haven't decided on a colour yet but as it's a nostalgia build I suppose it should be orange like the original.

[Pete in Lincs]

Interesting design. With a huge engine behind you, crashing is a 'don't go there' option!

 

[stevej60]

Always room for one of these beast's Tim,nice one.

[malpaso]

On 8/13/2022 at 7:10 AM, Pete in Lincs said:

Interesting design. With a huge engine behind you, crashing is a 'don't go there' option!

 

Yes , it would be so much more calming to be staring at an unstable bomb of an engine right in front of you! 🤣

 

interesting kit, though is it based on a real one or a Tom Daniel’s fantasy?

[Six97s]

1 hour ago, malpaso said:

Yes , it would be so much more calming to be staring at an unstable bomb of an engine right in front of you! 🤣

 

interesting kit, though is it based on a real one or a Tom Daniel’s fantasy?

 

Anything TD = fantasy.   That said, the bones of it are kind of correct for other classes, it's just unlikely that you'd see anything in this exact form.

 

On 13/08/2022 at 07:10, Pete in Lincs said:

Interesting design. With a huge engine behind you, crashing is a 'don't go there' option!

 

 

Would you rather drive this?  😬

 

 

Or worse, the less common "legs under" construction.  Don't ask me how you get in or out.  🤔🥴

 

[Pete in Lincs]

I think they are all bonkers or incredibly brave. Drag racing looks and sounds great, from the side of the track. Rather them than me.

[TimJ]

On 8/14/2022 at 7:15 PM, Six97s said:

 

Would you rather drive this?  😬

 

 

Or worse, the less common "legs under" construction.  Don't ask me how you get in or out.  🤔🥴

 

I wouldn't fancy driving either of those, not that I'd fit in them. 😀 Not only ddo they look dangerous but I'd imagine the view forward wasn't too good either. Although there had been some rear engined dragsters in the 60's they were still a rarity when the kit first came out with the first successful example being Don Garlits' Swamp Rat XIV of 1971, which he built while recovering from a serious foot injury after the clutch exploded in his previous front engined car. 

 

Being a Tom Daniel kit this is a fantasy design, especially the engine sitting in a T bucket body, although the chassis does bear a resemblance to real dragsters. I've made a start and after a couple of hours of cleaning up mould lines on the chassis rails I've assembled the frame and fitted it to the floor panel.

 

DSCF3515 by timothy jones, on Flickr

 

Next up will be painting the chassis and fitting the axles. 

 

 

 

 

[TimJ]

I didn't realise that it had been almost two months since the last update. As mentioned in the previous post the frame has been painted and the front and rear suspension parts added.

 

P1050911 by timothy jones, on Flickr

 

The basic engine block of the Hemi has been assembled and painted.

 

P1050912 by timothy jones, on Flickr

 

More soon. 

[TonyW]

Yet another kit I wasn't aware of!

 

Pure Tom Daniel, from front to back. I quite like his take on reality, close enough is good enough.

Having said that, those front and rear wheels and tires look very nice indeed, pretty much period perfect.

 

The target market lapped the kits up by the million and were a major part of Monograms balance sheet at the time. Having a count up of the Daniel list in Grahams Monogram Models, there's well over a hundred kits listed. A few are rehashes and just paint jobs, but what an output!

[AdrianMF]

Love the frame now it’s in silver not red. Seems a shame to cover it up!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[TimJ]

On 10/16/2022 at 9:09 AM, TonyW said:

Yet another kit I wasn't aware of!

 

Pure Tom Daniel, from front to back. I quite like his take on reality, close enough is good enough.

Having said that, those front and rear wheels and tires look very nice indeed, pretty much period perfect.

It is one of the rarer Tom Daniel kits. Originally issued as the Trick T in 1970 it was modified and issued as the Stinger in 1975, which was the kit I built back in the late 70's. Since then it has only been reissued once in 1995, which is this boxing. With most of the TD toolings now owned by Atlantis maybe we'll see it again one day. 

 

On 10/17/2022 at 10:18 AM, AdrianMF said:

Love the frame now it’s in silver not red. Seems a shame to cover it up!

 

Fortunately the front bodywork is removable so it won't be hidden all the time.  

Edited October 19, 2022 by TimJ