13 replies to this topic

[don.siegel]

Not quite a production slot car, but an interesting case. Back in '63-64, when Kemtron introduced their line of pre-cut chassis to be soldered together, one of them was especially made to fit the Lindberg "4-banger dragster." Took awhile for me to find both of these, but finally got them both this year. So here they are... 
 

 

 
The plastic body is always a little disappointing after you're seen the cover art... will probably put this together one of these days! 
 

 
Don

[Lone Wolf]

Very cool Don. 

 

I also have that chassis and noted the 4 Banger reference. I also searched for the kit with no results at a reasonable price. I think you very lucky to score the kit itself. 

 

As usual with Lindberg as you mentioned, there is always some disappointment with the actual kit. It kind of looks like a mutant extended lawn tractor 

 

Anyway, if you are not going to build it, sell it to me and I will 

 

Joe

[MSwiss]

Nice Don.

Please post if you build it up.

Yes, as a kid, I remember Lindbergh, along with Palmer Plastics, being part of the lowerarchy (is that a word?) of model cars.

FWIW, a kid in my drafting class used to work at Lindbergh after school.

[SlotStox#53]

Kept seeing one of those Kemtron four banger chassis kits and often searched for the matching plastic kit with no luck.

Great seeing the chassis & intended body together Look forward to seeing it built!

[don.siegel]

Well, at my usual rate, this should be ready in no more than 8 or 9 years, tops! 

 

Once I put the kit in my search list, I think 2 came up over the next few months - missed the first, but bid a bit higher on the second and won it at around $50 or so... more than I'd usually spend on a kit, but this one seems to be a target for model kit collectors too. I did go many weeks at a time without seeing one however. 

 

Great word Mike: lowerarchy! 

 

Actually, I think Lindberg was more middle of the road, under AMT, Johan and IMC, but ahead of Palmer and maybe Pyro (which only did 1/32) and a few lesser known brands. 

 

The 4 banger was priced at 69 cents, but I also have a D Jag box, which is at $1 and so is a 1/32 Porsche kit (adaptable to slot racing). Here are a couple more Lindbergs (no h, that was the aviator guy - I have to look it up each time!). 

 

 

The 1/32 Porsche model kit, and with the slot version: 

 

 

 

And a strange one I found in Britain, with a 5th wheel, and again using this ubiquitous D-Jag from Lindberg: 

 

 

Notice that all the boxes are branded "by Paul Lindberg" - must have been a pretty modest guy! 

 

Don 

[Bill from NH]

lowerarchy (noun)

   1. A series of people or things considered as representing progressively lower levels of a series or whole.

[Detroit Dave]

Very cool! I just picked up an old Hot Rod Magazine from the early '60s this weekend and there was an article on a "Fours Forever" drag racing club!  

 

Please put this one together!

[don.siegel]

It's now under way guys! 

 

The theme at the Bordo vintage race this year is Hot Rods & Customs, so that finally inspired me to get started. 

 

Chassis assembled and body cut out and primed, will post photos when it's a bit further along. 

 

What they don't tell you, of course, is that the guide is going to stick way out of the nose... I'm seeing what I can do about that, maybe a trailing guide, but there's not a lot of room! 

 

Don 

[Dave Crevie]

Lindberg models were definitely not as good as the AMT and Monogram kits. As a kid I used that body to build a dragster with

one of the Allison aircraft engines that AMT sold as a "hop-up" type kit. I liked the rear of the body and thought it stylistically

fit with the airplane engine. I only used the body, and stretched it to fit the Allison. It turned out really neat, and entered a

picture of it in the Model Car Science magazine monthly model contest. It never made it into the mag, but won a second in 

the contest Al's Hobby Shop used to have each month.   

[sportblazer350]

Don, great Lindberg models. Funny, i had the Porsche F-1 slot car in one display case and the model kit box in another with model kits, never connecting that they were the same body until i saw your photo with both together!   The dragster is cool, never saw it before- so now i have to find this kit and slot car frame- thanks for tempting me!! And i always liked the D-Jag kits, will eventually turn one i have (Strombecker) into a slot car someday. 

[don.siegel]

Here's the finished product, and some paper that goes with it... I did fit a trailing guide in the end, using an idea from Tom Malone in his article on "fun" cars: 4WD, differentials, etc. 

 

It's got a 4V KTM motor, Weldun gears and unknown wheels, with homemade MPC urethane repro tires on the back (from a friend), still to be trued... 

 

Don

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of Rods for Bordo...

 

 

[sportblazer350]

that is one wild looking dragster, especially with the body inside of the chassis. what are the details on the blue car? 

[don.siegel]

Thanks Glen, 

 

The blue one is quite simply the Strombecker Hot Rod, with a few upgrades - mainly 5-40 wheels and axles and a 6V Aristo-Craft motor. Got it in a trade with a friend here, and I think the rollbar cage is a homemade soldered version, but it looks pretty good. I just added some decals and a bit of chrome to the body... 

 

Don 

[sportblazer350]

very nice Don, that is another car that you don't see often. Great pairing.