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Post by kip on May 4, 2015 8:53:16 GMT -5
 Going to do a WIP of the Wally Meskowski Sheraton Thompson champ dirt car. Bobbyc provided me with a resin kit of the car. According to my sources (and I could easily be wrong) Foyt drove it from the Sacremento race in 1963 through 1968 with 12 wins. It last ran at Eldora in 1984. At that race, it was driven by Bobbyc. He told me it looked much different by then and had a different suspension. The kit is going to require a lot of kit-bashing. There is no suspension, no side panels., no seat, no headers, etc.  kip |
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Post by indy on May 4, 2015 9:19:57 GMT -5
A lot of the guys that grew up on 60's dirt champ car racing are going to freak out when they see this. Should be a very popular build  Jordan |
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Post by 2lapsdown on May 4, 2015 9:22:06 GMT -5
You know I'll be watching this. I'm hoping this WIP generates enough interest in these cars that someone will produce some for us.
John
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Post by Calvin on May 4, 2015 11:46:38 GMT -5
I'm hoping this WIP generates enough interest in these cars that someone will produce some for us. This is the wrong place, wrong time to be saying this but I actually have started on a scratch build of a Meskowski Dirt champ car a number of months ago....(The body is almost in shape) But I dont want Kip to stop what he is doing because I have no idea what my timetable is plus I think I know the history but not well enough to blab about it yet....I'd rather hear what Walt has to say to before I would know if I know what I'm talking about. I didn't even know anyone made a resin kit of this car!?!?! I thought I was thinking out of the box, but once again.....NOT! (Which happens a lot) |
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Post by oldphotos on May 4, 2015 12:13:18 GMT -5
A slot car was made by Strombecker in 1/24 a long time ago and are hard to find and not cheap. Garage 97 ( Rick Sanders ) made a copy of the kit which looks a lot like what Kip has. Now Big Donkey Resins is making this kit available in 1/24 here's link to the listing www.bigdonkeyresin.com/big_donkey_web_site_012.htmThis car was one of the best Dirt Cars ever to run on the Mile Dirt Tracks After tis car Foyt had a Meskowski with a 4 Cam Ford which later became the Pizza Hut of St. Louis Spl. in which Jimmy Caruthers won the 1975 Silver Crown Championship in. Oldphotos Walt |
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Post by Calvin on May 4, 2015 12:35:12 GMT -5
So let me get this straight, the car Kip is building is not the same Meskowski Dirt car Foyt used to win the championship in 1960 and 1961 but a brand new chassis in 1963?
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Post by kip on May 4, 2015 13:39:14 GMT -5
To my limited knowledge, the one I am trying to build was new in late 1963, first run at Sacremento but did not win. The kit I am working with is the Garage 97 version. (Good call Walt). Bobbyc said he picked it up when he was racing in Indiana a long time ago. The Big Donkey kit appears to be very close to the Garage 97 kit except it has more pieces including the side panels molded in, the headers, the grill, the exhaust and other stuff. The Big Donkey kit is #082 and costs $25.00 I think.
I would love to build a 4 Cam Ford dirt car sometime.
kip
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Post by Patrick on May 4, 2015 17:13:44 GMT -5
It's about time these car get their due! I was taken to a Sacramento race that had all the greats, but was too young to know any of them.
Patrick
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Post by oldphotos on May 4, 2015 17:22:39 GMT -5
The Big Donkey kit is a copy of the Stombecker slot car body.
The Garage 97 it had plans for all the side panels which cold be made out of flat sheet plastic
The 1960 Meskowski dirt car was raced by Foyt from 1960 thru 1963 except for the races in 1963 that Foyt left the George Bignotti Team and drove for Lindsey Hopkins Racing. during these few races Bobby Marshman drove the car.
With Foyt in the car it won 13 of the 26 races it was entered in.
The car that Kip posted the photo of is the car that was built for the 1964 season, a new chassis with minor updates
This car also was on the POLE at Milwaukee in 1965 against all the new REAR ENGINE cars and almost won the Race.
here a link to a Video
Oldphotos
Walt
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Post by 2lapsdown on May 4, 2015 22:44:05 GMT -5
It's about time these car get their due! I was taken to a Sacramento race that had all the greats, but was too young to know any of them. Patrick I agree! The Big Donkey kit seems to basic to me. I'd love a four cam version too. I do have one of Chris Etzel's Kuzmas and once you've seen that kit you get kind of spoiled I guess. But something along those lines would be great, but also a big undertaking for someone. I'll keep dreaming. John |
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Post by jamesharvey on May 25, 2015 16:00:30 GMT -5
Tom and Ed have a new and improved version of Chris Etzels' Kuzma that I saw Saturday at IMS. It would be worth checking into and talking with them. You also might want to contact Lance to see if he has any four cam engines. Just a thought.
Jim
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Post by IndyCarModels on May 25, 2015 18:17:04 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to this build.
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Post by kip on May 25, 2015 18:31:56 GMT -5
Now that I am done with the sprinters, I started working on the Meskowski again today. It'll need a new belly pan; the one with the kit is pretty much a throw away.
kip
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Post by 2lapsdown on May 25, 2015 21:04:21 GMT -5
Tom and Ed have a new and improved version of Chris Etzels' Kuzma that I saw Saturday at IMS. It would be worth checking into and talking with them. You also might want to contact Lance to see if he has any four cam engines. Just a thought. Jim Now this sounds very interesting John |
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Post by kip on Jun 1, 2015 15:06:29 GMT -5
I am going to try to do the Meskowski dirt car with some internals-- engine, partial frame, drivetrain, radiator, etc. To do the frame I made a jig, using the Clindinst drawing, and am using soldered copper tubing. I also used the back of an Exacto blade to remove the hood. I plan to use the ARM/Etzel Offy engine.   Pictures of the completed frame and body in a few days. kip |
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Post by Calvin on Jun 1, 2015 15:25:27 GMT -5
OMGosh!
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Post by Calvin on Jun 1, 2015 15:40:55 GMT -5
..........Woops! I kinda froze up from being so amazed!
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Post by Gary Davis on Jun 1, 2015 20:20:38 GMT -5
Wow...am I looking forward to this wip.Great start Kip!!
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Post by racerbrown on Jun 2, 2015 5:53:55 GMT -5
gotta love this kind of work.
looking forward to seeing it come together.
duane
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Post by kip on Jun 2, 2015 18:08:36 GMT -5
The frame is complete for now. Didn’t do a complete frame. The very front and rear will not be visible so I just did the engine and cockpit area. When I figure out how to do the front end I may add a segment on. I also need to figure out what color the frame was. Any help will be appreciated.  Working on the engine now. kip |
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Post by Calvin on Jun 2, 2015 19:13:02 GMT -5
This is so cool I think I will put the AJ Foyt song on the record player! |
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Post by oldphotos on Jun 2, 2015 21:00:09 GMT -5
Kip
The frame is White just like the roll bar.
Oldphotos
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Post by kip on Jun 3, 2015 7:07:38 GMT -5
Thanks Walt
kip
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Post by kip on Jun 7, 2015 19:23:34 GMT -5
Engine is complete. Used the Etzel/ARM Offy kit. Added fuel line, spark plug wires and spark plug boots, and radiator hose and clamp.   kip |
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Post by racerbrown on Jun 7, 2015 20:26:43 GMT -5
looks great kip,
i'm interested to see what you come up with for a motor mount.
duane
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Post by 2lapsdown on Jun 7, 2015 21:20:36 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying what you're doing with this.
John
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Post by Calvin on Jun 7, 2015 22:25:13 GMT -5
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Post by jamesharvey on Jun 8, 2015 7:47:59 GMT -5
Your detail on the engine, Kip, is out-of-sight. It parallels what you did with the frame. This is going to turn out well and you will have something no one else does.
Jim
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Post by Gary Davis on Jun 9, 2015 14:40:01 GMT -5
Man Kip...that frame and engine work.... is outstanding!
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Post by indy on Jun 15, 2015 10:09:03 GMT -5
Always love a model with a scratch built frame, very impressive!
Jordan
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