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Post by racerbrown on Jan 3, 2009 10:38:51 GMT -5
while i was talking to hugh (smokey cars) boulden the other day i was telling him that i had won a sellers version of this car. he related that he'd never seen a version built of the winner which has the oil tank missing as compared to qualifying. well that got me searching for pictures and i finally came up with this. now does anybody out there in the peanut gallery have any insight on this story? where the heck is the oil tank? you can see the outline of where it was. duane  |
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Post by professor on Jan 3, 2009 11:35:54 GMT -5
Oil tank was moved inside the body for the race.
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Post by eagle36 on Jan 3, 2009 11:52:28 GMT -5
I read somewhere the idea was to prevent a repeat of Jones' 1963 problems.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2009 21:00:51 GMT -5
 God....I love this car! Bob Clidinst does too. We have spent many hours talking about this one Watson. It stated life almost being sold. It sat in the garage with a for sale sign on it. It was driven by Foyt's Houston Neighbor Ebb Rose driving it, after his own car was bumped, bumped his way back into the field with a four lap average of 148.545 mph. It started 32nd and finished 14th. During the winter of 1964, George Bignotti sent it to Los Angeles to make improvements to it by Eddie Kuzuma, such as adding a big air scoop to the nose and a wider cockpit for an ever growing Foyt so he would be comfortable. Watson chassis number #19 is by far, the most successful of any Watson built. It won five races in a row including the 1964 Indianapolis 500, and qualified no less than 5th at Foyt's hands. It's last race on September 27, 1964 it started 4th at Trenton, and dropped out, finishing 20th. It was taken from the track to the Hall of Fame Museum, where it sits today....All original. This car looks fast sitting still. There has only been one really good version of this car in model form. There is the SMTS 1/43rd two in one kit of it. Better get out your grinding wheel and file to make the nose correct, which I did...what a pain! There is the Carousel 1 version... Lance Sellers did a 1/25th scale kit in resin which is by far...the best so far. I have yet to build the conversion kit of it. I did build Lance's full kit, which is above and below next to the 1963 Winner. Glorious times, wonderful cars and drivers. Get Lance's conversion kit, you'll be glad you did!  I love Watson Roadster!!! The thing with the cap on it is the oil tank installed before the 1964 500 |
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Post by racerbrown on Jan 19, 2009 6:53:58 GMT -5
well heck mr. bundy! i should have known that if anyone would have a picture on this it would be "mr. watson" himself! you wouldn't think that with the cooler mounted inside it would be very effective bit i guess the results speak for themselves!
those two models pictured above are sure inspiration.
duane
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2009 11:46:22 GMT -5
Hello Duane and everyone...
I spoke to the expert on this subject, Bob Clindist about this last night after I asked him many questions about my "current" project.
It seems Foyt and Big George Notti...(George Bignotti) were more brilliant than I thought. Eagle36 was part correct when he said that both wanted to avoid the Parnelli & Old Calhoun trouble of 1963 and have the tank split and cause trouble for the back rear left tire. When I think about that....Parnelli deserves the 63 victory for just keeping the sucker off the wall!
Moving the tank also had to do with Aero-Dynamics and weight distribution. They figured on the long stretches on the front and back straights, having the tank inside would cut down wind resistance and make the old roadster faster. After testing the car on Carberation day...They knew that had found something and did the work before race day.
God!!!!! I love that car!
Best to you
Russ
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2009 2:34:36 GMT -5
That is my favorite Watson Roadster, and I like a whole lot of them! LOL!! I am glad I got Lance's conversion. I am waiting a while to build it as I want to get back in the feel of using the airbrush and getting the colors just right.
Is it just me, or does anyone else have a similar project? ie: one that you really want to be right and look good? This is one of the Holy Grails of Indy car models for me. Super Tex's other three winners are more of the same. Then there are NOVIs and Vukovich roadsters.........
Geez.... some sort of addiction?? ;D
Mongo
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