# A tale of two drasterers: Ivo vs. Snake



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

*A tale of two drasterers: Ivo vs. Mongoose*

I'm doing this post here instead of at my garage because it is a review only, not a build. The builds will be in my garage later if anyone is interested. This is an open box compo of the two common scale front engined dragsters, the Mongoose of Tom McEwen and TV Tommy Ivo's car. Both retail for around $20 online, the Mongoose car a few dollars more. Let's open the boxes...

First up: Monogram's Tom McEwen Mongoose Double A T/F Dragster










The contents of the box included on bag of parts, a chrome tree and a tire tree. Decals allow two different versions of the car to be built. The first thing I noticed was the open parachute part, a nice billowed drag chute typical of the late 1960's cars. The instructions also give two chute pack options, one packed and one for the open chute. That's where the "pretty cool" stopped and the utter disappointment began. 

This car has no frame, no rail chassis that we identify with this type of race car. The entire chassis is made up if two body halves that make up the full length of the car. The drivers seat makes up the back half of the body but there are no pedals and no other cockpit details. The car is designed for the poorly designed drivers figure to be used to cover the absence of details, the driver himself is essentially a front shell with no back and a post protruding from his back to hold him in the seat. He does have a nice two part head with the open face helmet and nitro breathing mask, if you can find another drivers figure it would be a good piece for that. 

The rear slicks are very wide, almost too wide for this type of car. They're more like the modern day slicks on a rear engine fueler. The chrome sheet isn't bad, the front wheels are excellent although they lack the "beam breaker" that a lot of dragsters had in this vintage. The steering drag link and front axles are pretty good too. The whole engine is made up of 14 pieces, about average I would say. 

The Contender: TV Tommy Ivo's AA/FD










The Ivo car by comparison blows the Mongoose away. There are 2 bags of parts, a bag of tires and a chrome tree. Decals are included for just the one car that Ivo campaigned in 1969 and early 1970. 

This car is wonderful, it has a full length tube frame with separate roll cage parts, and a full length 3 piece body that can be built with the upper piece lifting off. The frame has details like a nice period correct fuel tank, pedals and hand brake, steering linkage and accurate transmission. The body appears to be modifiable to remove the Ivo hood on the back if you so desire, and/or cut to expose the forward chassis like an older dragster may have done. No driver figure for this car but I know where I can find one now if he's needed. 

The rear tires are extremely hard and like the Mongoose car made up of two pieces each. They look about the same width so maybe I'm wrong about them being too wide for this vintage of car. The rear wheels are Hildebrand style that Ivo used only in late 1969, they are accurate for the car. The chrome sheet is very nice, all of the same parts as the Mongoose car are chromed here; steering linkage, front axle, blower, scoop, etc. The added fuel tank and a small windscreen is also chromed. The front wire wheels have the "beam breaker" molded in. The engine is made up of 17 parts, not including the two-piece (per side) exhaust headers. 

The Winner:

Hands down the Ivo car is the better of the two. Neither are up to the level of MPC's old More American Graffiti Milner dragster, but if you can afford the $60 price for a sealed Milner then get the Ivo car and detail the snot out of it. As for me, the Ivo car get's the by-run, and Mongoose car will more than likely become an also-ran or a parts car.











...can this be far behind?


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## CJTORINO (Jan 20, 2003)

a great review of two kits that were on my list.
thanks. now I'll save buying the Mongoose car.
I Liked Tommy Ivo way back, will definitely get this dragster.

Wish someone would manufacture the hauler in a 1/24 - 1/25 scale.
nice stuff. thanks for posting it.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Lindberg makes the L-700 tractor, I think mating it with a conventional chassis from a big rig would make it long enough, building the enclosed part just takes some engraved sheet model railroad styrene. It would be a costly project but it could be done. 

I'll be working on the Ivo car over the weekend, I can already see some problems, especially with the body work, but this is a 40 year old kit and suffers from the technology of the day.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

..That was a nice presentation once again Pete, I like how you go in to detail on these things, Not many even try that on here, or even have the skill to do so, its shows passion and skill in many deferent levels to do so mister, 
BUT YOU KNOW THAT ALREADY, I'M SURE, It should like a nice kit as well, I don't have that one in my collection, Even know you would think I would, Being my kind of kit that I like to collect as all, And I still may pick one up here in time...But thinks for the information dude, THAT LOOKS LIKE A VERY COOL BUILD AS WELL, and what a GREAT JOB of showing it here.

This may be the kit your thinking of as the other Hauler as well, Even know it comes complete with its own set of kits, being the Little Red was build, I plane on using it to haul the Flintstones Dodge Custom Van body I picked up for the Piggyback kit on this one instead of the Body of the one it shows of the other version of the dodge wagon pickup, But I did pick this one up for the Hauler kit as well...
ITS A GREAT KIT, If not a little pricey, NOT TO BAD THERE REALLY, And let me know if you wont me to Brake it down for anyone as well, and show the contents of this kit on more detail, I will have no problem doing that if asked to this one or any other kit as well, I still think that L-700 Closed version you showed there, could be built from scratch my self with Little effort,.I MAY TRY SOMEDAY.


And CJ, where you been man, are you going to show more progress on that Olds build or what ?..Or did it go south like the other ones did,...lol...I though it looked like a nice one...



Ian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I've bought enough garbage kits over the years as I'm sure most here have. There was no kit review of either of these kits that I could find, so you heard it here first folks.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

Tell me that Ivo covered Hauler doesn't look like it could be made as a custom build Pete,..I mean corrugated Styrene sides, LIKE YOU SAID, L-700 Tractor cab,..and some other custom parts needed, And Bobs your uncle from there, "No Problem" I have been looking at this one for a while now, IT CAN BE DONE....WHAT DO YOU THINK PETE, I'm sure you are as you stated. ?, bet that one would win a few contests if attempted.




Ian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Oh HELL no, my contest days are long over Ian. Dude I can't even get decals on straight sometimes my hands shake so bad. I was drawing out a leveling plan tonight and I had to put it aside because my hands were all over the tablet. Good thing the job has been put off because of this cold front coming in. I'd more likely get a 1960's era truck and one of those Galaxie traliers as a hauler and do the Jade Gernade with the decals from Slixx. 

The interesting thing about both of these dragsters is the engines. Both are nearly the same, the AMT kit has a few more details but the proportion of the Monoram kit is better.


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## DOM-19 (Mar 12, 2002)

*Tommy Ivo*

Pete, That Will Be A Great Build ,ivo, Pruddone ,garlets, I Been A Race & Car Guy All My Life ,guy,s Dont Thnk I Will Not Be On Here With Pictures ,but I Get My Shoulder Replaced Tues ,have 95% 0f What I Need At Home Already, I Will Be Ready To Go ,i Think I Will Also Get A Few Dragsters,put Some "vht" Down On Your Workbench To Get Some Traction, Ha,ha,===dom


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

...And we will be here when you get ready Dom, "NO Worries There",...

Yeah Pete, All that may be true and all, and I will be the Second one to Admit it RIGHT BEHIND YOU my friend, That YES, we are getting older, There is no doubt about that, and all the ware and tare on are bodies Played a large part in how we can perform on task like this along with other tasks, I think the shock comes from when we where younger and Seemingly Immortal, and the sudden realty soaks in at times like this when we see the damages done when attempting some things, BUT for a bunch of Climbing the hill kind of guys, WE DO OK, and your mind seems to be as shape as I'm sure it has always been as well Pete, and as I have said, As long as the passion for building is there, The rest will fall in line even if we have to push are body's to see that. "We re still young really", and this proves it.

The rain has some back to my neck of the woods as well here mister, And put a stop to some of my building planes because of it, I still have Much to do on my ranch my self, but This site is Impotent to me, IF NOT A LITTLE FLUSTRATION from time to time, I will not give up on it as well, even if I have to fight my way past a few LETS JUST SAY, A little tipsy participators,...lol...
Besides, we seem to have to trouble sweeping them the rug anyway, My hope is that they will fall in line in time, If given the opportunity to do so and all, so no worries there, I'm sure it wont be the last time for that.....lol..

But the Drag build looks great over there mister, I love the description you have give us on it, I should brake out one of my rails and build it as well on here someplace, and I will get back to it as SOON AS THE WEATHER lets me paint once again here as well,.....

So, Take a few Advil my friend and carry on,....lol.. I will be posting some new stuff my self IN A VERY SHORT TIME NOW.....But out standing participation once again mister, You show at every turn, Why you are the "Chairmen of The Board" here, That CAN NOT BE DISPUTED...Im off once again to day doing chores, Be back tonight..







Ian


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## Rondo (Jul 23, 2010)

Those are definitely two very different kits. I built the "Snake" version of your Mongoose many years ago and yes, it's very simple. But on the up side, it goes together cleanly, looks good with the decals applied and it is the sturdiest dragster model I ever saw. Most of my "regular" rails (Ramcharger, Garlits RE and even Tony Nancy 1/16) had really fiddly flimsy frontends. They were tough to get together with tube glue and even harder to keep together. The Snake was tough as nails, relatively. 

The Ivo kit looks good with a one piece main chassis, even including the torsion tube and arms. Hopefully it will be tuff enuff.

I've always wondered if the Mongoose and Snake bodywork were accurate. Never saw an actual car that looked quite like them. Aaah, tonights research project. No wonder I never get any building done.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

You know the Mongoose kit reminds me of a great trans-kit for a slot car conversion.


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## Rondo (Jul 23, 2010)

Finally found a shot of the kit subject (the Snake version at least) at the Garlits Museum. Still no race shots though.

http://extremejba.jbaracing.com/index.php/2010/12/21/don-garlits-museum-of-drag-racing/019-5/

You're right Pete. The kit slicks are a LOT bigger.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I measured the kit slicks and they're about 18 3/4" wide in scale. I believe most drag slicks from that era are the same as the Hawaiian Funny Car I just did, or more like 14" wide. Now 5" don't sound like much in scale, it's only 1/5th of an inch but it's noticeable.


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## taskmaster58 (Feb 9, 2010)

I also remember the wedge rails that Snake and Mongoose campaigned in the 70's I wish that revell/monogram or whatever they call themselves now a days would re-issue them.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Slixx has those wedge bodies in resin. 

http://www.ecsvr.com/slx/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=4&subcat=135&cat=Dragster+Bodies+1/25th+scale


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## taskmaster58 (Feb 9, 2010)

I didn't know that thanx for the info.


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