# tribute to senior year



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I’m a teacher in PA, which means we’ve had lots of snow days lately. So I’ve had some time to get down in the hobby dungeon and work on a project that’s been banging around in my head for years.

This is what a bunch of my buddies in high school used to drive, in colors as close as I could get out of Dupli-Color spray bombs:
































































Still remember the real ones pretty clearly. I’ve had to fudge some of the years and options for this project because the selection of HO scale slot car bodies is pretty limited.

The ‘cuda was a ‘73 with a 340, and it had the twin blister hood, not the shaker one like in the pic. I remember it had a “slap shifter” kind of deal that only went up one gear at a time when you whacked it. I think it was in the nicest shape of all our cars.

The Cyclone GT was a ‘70 with a 351 Cleveland. I remember the least about that one because the guy didn’t have it very long; he tended to turn cars over cars every couple of months back then.

The Mustang was actually a ‘73 Mach 1 with a 302 2V. It should have the Mach 1 hood and a trunk spoiler. He had Cragar SSs on it; I don’t remember if they came with the car or he added them after the fact. We got stranded in it one night in a suburban neighborhood when it threw an alternator belt. Concerned residents thought we were casing houses to burglarize and we got a ride home in a cop car. Scared the s#!t out of me.

The Cutlass was actually a ‘71, not the ‘70 in the pics. Apologies for the crappy job I did converting it to a 4-door for this project. 350 with Rochester 2-barrel. It was originally dull silver with a blue interior, and if memory serves, we painted it Krylon primer gray. He put a set of Oldsmobile Rally Wheels on it, painted black. Pretty sure that was the car we drove without rear shocks from someone’s house to a shop with a torch, because we couldn’t break loose the rusty bolts at the tops of the shocks to install Gabriel Hijackers (remember them?).

I think the Skylark was a ‘70. 350 2v again. Obligatory Gabriel Hijackers and cheap headers. Apparently, putting headers on a Buick was way harder than putting them on a Chevy, because I seem to recall that project took him and a couple of the guys all night and multiple cases of beer. He put GS emblems on it because that was what we all did back then.

And the Nova was mine. ‘73, not ‘70, and mine didn’t have the cowl induction hood. Came with a 250 straight 6/Powerglide, and I swapped in a 307/TH350 when the girl around the corner from me wrecked her ‘73 and sold it to me for 50 bucks. Dad had the car before me, and he did the Earl Scheib paint and vinyl top. Hacked in bucket seats out of a Cougar and a console and shifter from a junkyard ‘71 or ‘72 Camaro. That whole car was a colossal hack job, but man do I miss it.

I’ve been collecting the bodies for this for a while. They all run on standard vintage Aurora Thunderjet chassis.

--rick


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## 60chevyjim (Feb 21, 2008)

cool idea that you had , and got to build close as possible !!
I lived in phila pa , till 6 years ago.
now I live in nc out in the country .. 
now I got my old car farm that I allways wanted .


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Very cool

2 things pal, 1st wht didn't you come to the show at the Merchant Square Mall last sat and 2nd, where did you get the Buick? Taillightsfade?


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## XracerHO (Feb 6, 2008)

Great idea & thanks for reviving the memorizes at the Dairy Queen and A&W drive ins!! ..RL


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Cool tribute!!! Oh, to be back in time!!! Had one of those Nova's myself...RM


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

My friends drove a 61 Falcon Futura, 63 Impala, 65 Buick and 62 Ford that I recall

My first year in the Navy the group that was in my boot camp class that went to Whiting Field in Milton Fla had 59 Corvette, 64 Galaxy, 66 Buick GS 400, 427 57 Chevy that would snatch the wheels off the ground. No I'm wondering if I have any photos. Nice thread


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Joe65SkylarkGS said:


> Very cool
> 
> 2 things pal, 1st wht didn't you come to the show at the Merchant Square Mall last sat and 2nd, where did you get the Buick? Taillightsfade?


Hey man, would have loved to be there but the kids have me running on weekends... basketball games, baseball practice (yes, indoors all winter!), indoor track meets, college weekends, like that. Killed me that I missed the Superbowl show too. I didn't even know they were still doing shows at Merchant Square after the hobby shop closed... guess I will have to pay more attention to the Races and Events board.

And that Buick is an MEV, as well as the Cyclone.

--rick


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

vaBcHRog said:


> My friends drove a 61 Falcon Futura, 63 Impala, 65 Buick and 62 Ford that I recall
> 
> My first year in the Navy the group that was in my boot camp class that went to Whiting Field in Milton Fla had 59 Corvette, 64 Galaxy, 66 Buick GS 400, 427 57 Chevy that would snatch the wheels off the ground. No I'm wondering if I have any photos. Nice thread


hey Roger, does the Mustang look familiar? It's one of yours. :wave:

--rick


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