42 replies to this topic

[bres3000]

Oh... it's not FECAL, but Facel?

Nevermind.

[The Number of]

Chevrolet produced the Fecal Vega.

[bres3000]

I remember now. The MSRP was somewhere around $300, wasn't it?

Then they tried unsuccessfully to market the Noriega and the Escobar. No one seems to know if it was their sun roofs or their .5 million dollar sticker prices that doomed them. It could have been DeLightful, but it wasn't even DeLorean.

[TSR]

OK Bill, that was really funny!

MMK produces this model, as well as their whole line, entrirely by hand. MMK is... two persons: the husband and the wife. Working in their little shop in the garage of their house near Marseille, France.
1) The husband carves the model in wood at four times the size of a finished model, from which a rubber mold is made. A large epoxy cast is produced and then hignly detailed. Then this is pantographed down to the 1/32 scale, in brass. About ten rubber molds are made of the brass master. Resin cast bodies are made from the rubber molds, no more than twenty per mold as they deteriorate very quickly. The bodies are then trimmed, cleaned, and polished.
2) The wife then paints the bodies and applies the decals, a clear coat, then painstakingly applies the chrome detailing, glass, and other details... The chassis are then assembled, the wire wheels being assembled from six pieces each. The bodies are then assembled over the chassis, and the cars tested. The the boxes are assembled from flat board, the cars packed, and the models shipped to retailers all over the world.
And the 400 models cost only $299.00 at the end of the line, with a dollar-euro ratio very unfavorable to the US customer??? That's a very low price to pay for something that involved, and that is targeted to discriminating collectors.

Maybe you should stick to 20-dollar Chinese-built Artin models, their Fecal-Vega model is so fabulous.

Regards,

[bres3000]

That's a very low price to pay for something that involved, and that is targeted to discriminate collectors.

Maybe you should stick to 20-dollar Chinese-built Artin models, their Fecal-Vega model is so fabulous.

Maybe YOU should tell me when your birthday is... I'd like to buy you a sense of humor.

(I wonder if you would have gone all defense-o if the car referenced had been on any other site?)



Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! I noticed the Vegas when I was trying to decide whether to buy a "body kit" TKP Maserati Birdcage or the RTR version. They're on the same page as the MMK Vegas!

[TSR]

Yes, I would have. You see, I have ZERO financial interest in MMK, Electric Dreams, or any other similar business or website.

But I DO know how these things are made and I DO respect the artistry and immense labor these hand-built little models require.

And I DO believe that in spite of it all, I DO retain a certain sense of humor, even if not appreciated by all here and in other places...

Kind regards,

[idare2bdul]

In defense of PdL's sense of humor or lack of same, humor often depends on cultural context. Since he grew up a furriner and often doesn't understand our American way of life he sometimes misses our middle class attempts at humor. We must be sensitive to this because we might not find a joke about truffles and brie funny.

I seem to remember the Facel Vega had a Hemi. It wasn't a GM product in any way I'm aware of.

A Chevy-powered exotic a few years later was the Apollo 3500





Nice-looking car. I saw one go cheap about five years ago.

[Lone Wolf]

I had a chance to buy a real one of these powered by a big block Chrysler in the early '80s for $2,500 and passed. What a dope .

Anyway, when the guy took me to his basement to show me the spares, I spotted a motorbike. It was a Schwinn Stingray with a two-stroke Mac and chain drive. Beautifully-designed and built with throttle, etc. I bought it for $100 on the spot so it wasn't a total loss.

I believe the Facel is worth a little more than $2,500 today.

I also had two Chevy Vegas with V8 power but that's a whole 'nother story.

[TSR]

In defense of PdL's sense of humor or lack of same, humor often depends on cultural context. Since he grew up a furriner and often doesn't understand our American way of life he sometimes misses our middle class attempts at humor.

I don't miss a thing, dude, YOU do.

Facel stands for "Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir".
The Facel Vega HK500 (which is the model represented by MMK) was Chrysler "Fire-Power" powered with a three-speed automatic "Powerglide" transmission.
Facel was created by Jean Daninos in 1939. Jean was Pierre Daninos's brother. Pierre is a famous writer and a poet.
Facel made bodies for various car manufacturers including Panhard, Delahaye, SIMCA, and others. During the war, their four factories made aircraft parts under Nazi rule.

The Facel Vega was designed to be a grand-touring luxury GT car that would reach 150 MPH, which it eventually did. It was designed by Jean himself and was very stylish. The design had formerly been used on a prototype Bentley car by Facel. An interesting detail is the PAINTED steel dashboard, looking like... wood! There was a single artist who created these dashboards and he died a few years ago, making restoration of the older cars a problem as no one has been able to match his incredible single talent.

The first Facel Vega production cars appeared in 1954 using Chrysler V8 engines, at first a 4.5 litre DeSoto Hemi engine; the overall engineering was straightforward, with a tubular chassis, double wishbone suspension at the front and a solid driven axle at the back, as in standard American practice. They were also as heavy as American cars, at about 1,800 kg (4,000 lb). Performance was brisk, with an approx 190 km/h (120 MPH) top speed and 0 to 100 km/h (60 MPH) in just under ten seconds.

The bodywork was beautifully styled, making the Facel Vega an enduring classic. Most cars were two-door hardtops with no centre pillar, but a few convertibles were built.

The 1956 model was improved with a bigger (5.4 L) Chrysler engine and updated transmission and other mechanicals; in the same year a four-door model, the Excellence, with rear-hinged doors (suicide doors) at the back and no centre pillar, was also produced. Its pillarless design unfortunately made it less rigid and the handling was thus poorer than the two-door cars, and they are rare.

1959 models had even bigger engines, a 5.8 L and later a 6.3 L Chrysler V8, and were quite a bit faster despite their extra weight.

[Cheater]

I like this tidbit: "According to Facel, the HK500 out-performed the Ferrari 250GT, the Mercedes 300SL, and the Aston Martin DB4 as regards acceleration 0-60 mph, speed over a 1 km distance, and fuel economy."

Total production of FV (all models) was approximately 2,900 cars.

[Jairus]

$270 seems like a bargain to me!

[TSR]

Chevrolet produced the Fecal Vega.

Now, THAT is funny!

[idare2bdul]

I don't miss a thing, dude, YOU do.

Marcel Marceau had more one-liners than you.

I do however defer to your knoweledge of slot car trivia.

[TSR]

Marcel Marceau and his one-liners were great. No need for words when you can express yourself in different ways...

I defer to your knowledge about what the !@#$#@! is a legal D3 RetroPro motor.

[Mopar Rob]

My deceased friend had a HK500. The car is bigger than photos make it look. The 383 Chrysler in the latter years is a RB or truck block, not the 383 B blocks that most MOPAR guys know. The car had has a crappy transmission since Chrysler didn't have a good 4 speed at the time. Supposedly the car my friend had was raced in the Pan America or something like that. Never paid too much attention to it since he could embellish at times. PDL could probably chime in on that one. Even though they are rare I don't know how desirable they are? I remember seeing one at Memory lane vintage auto recyclers about 4 years ago needing some TLC for $4,000-$5000 at the time.

CLICK HERE FOR MEMORY LANE

[bres3000]

Marcel Marceau and his one-liners were great. No need for words when you can express yourself in different ways...

A Jewish clown living in France during the War..... I guess even I would have learned to keep my mouth shut had I been in his shoes.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

4.5 Hemi?

That would be a 274 or so. Smallest I have owned or worked on were 318s. Gota look that up.

Fate

[Ron Hershman]

I also had two Chevy Vegas with V8 power but that's a whole 'nother story.

And how many windshields did you "twist" out of them????

A friend of mine specialized in Big Motor Chevy Monza's after he out grew the Vega thing. The first one has a small block 400 punched out to about 430 cubic inches and his last one he stuffed a 454 into. I took one ride and said never again.

[The Possum King]

Hi

4.5 Hemi?

That would be a 274 or so. Smallest I have owned or worked on were 318s. Gota look that up.

Fate

Fate, the Hemis were all over the map in displacement in the '50s.

Dodge had the 241ci, a 270 ci, a 315ci, and a 325ci; while DeSoto had hemis in 276, 291, 341, and 345 ci.

Chrysler had the 331ci, 354ci and the 392ci badass that Big Daddy Don Garlitis used in all his dragsters.

Plymouth didn't get any hemis in the '50s.

The 426 hemi that we all know and love didn't appear until either '63 or '64, depending on the source. It wasn't available thru the dealers in a street car until 1966.


Oh, and for Dokk, I may be wrong, but I believe the Facels used a TorqueFlite transmission, not a PowerGlide. I've never seen a PowerGlide that would mate up to a Mopar block without an adapter plate, and the PowerGlides were 2 speed, not 3 speed.

Thanks for the other info, though.

[Lone Wolf]

Mike, theres always a MOPAR freak in the crowd . The Facel I had a chance to buy had a 383 "B" block and a Torqueflite. The guy said it may be a 413 but alas no 413 was on the ID pad. The 383 has always been a slug and I've yet to see a fast one.

[Mopar Rob]

Oh, and for Dokk, I may be wrong, but I believe the Facels used a TorqueFlite transmission, not a PowerGlide. I've never seen a PowerGlide that would mate up to a Mopar block without an adapter plate, and the PowerGlides were 2 speed, not 3 speed.

Thanks for the other info, though.

HK500's had a TorqueFlite if it was an auto or the piece of Sh!t Pont-a-Mousson 4-speed.

[Ron Hershman]

Fate, the Hemis were all over the map in displacement in the '50s.

Dodge had the 241ci, a 270 ci, a 315ci, and a 325ci; while DeSoto had hemis in 276, 291, 341, and 345 ci.

Chrysler had the 331ci, 354ci and the 392ci badass that Big Daddy Don Garlitis used in all his dragsters.

Plymouth didn't get any hemis in the '50s.

The 426 hemi that we all know and love didn't appear until either '63 or '64, depending on the source. It wasn't available thru the dealers in a street car until 1966.


Oh, and for Dokk, I may be wrong, but I believe the Facels used a TorqueFlite transmission, not a PowerGlide. I've never seen a PowerGlide that would mate up to a Mopar block without an adapter plate, and the PowerGlides were 2 speed, not 3 speed.

Thanks for the other info, though.

Awwww good old Powerslide tranny's, a friend of mine had a Pontiac Tempest that would go to about 80 MPH in low before shifting to (second) drive...... I preferred the Tourqeflites that bolted up to a Chevy and had a clutch for taking off.

[68Caddy]

Where is the 1:32 scale car?
Or is this post on the wrong part of the blog?


Nesta aka 68Caddy

[The Possum King]

Awwww good old Powerslide tranny's, a friend of mine had a Pontiac Tempest that would go to about 80 MPH in low before shifting to (second) drive...... I preferred the Tourqeflites that bolted up to a Chevy and had a clutch for taking off.

Ron, I just pulled a 427 with a PowerGlide out of my '68 Nova. I could roast the tires all the way to 80 mph before it shifted into second, and when it shifted, it threw you into the back seat.

Where is the 1:32 scale car?
Or is this post on the wrong part of the blog?


Nesta aka 68Cad

It's back on the first page, Nesta. Post #1, I think. Now sit down, we're busy correcting PdL on his OBVIOUS lack of American transmission knowledge!

[Mopar Rob]

I preferred the Tourqeflites that bolted up to a Chevy and had a clutch for taking off.

Ron:

Your showing your age. ClutchFlites were a early 70's Pro Stock trans that didn't work that great. You're bringing up 1971 Don Carlton Motown Missile memories.