Allison Thunderland Funny Car Chassis

[LennyB]

One of the first model kits I ever built was the AMT Thunderbird "Allison Thunderland". A few years back I replicated my first build with whatever parts I still had from the original and the addition of new parts. I even had my father paint it with Krylon paint as he did the first time. I still need to do the decals but that is not why I am here.

I was thinking about doing a more proper version of this build. The AMT kit has a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH chassis that they imagined up just to get some extra life out of the T-Bird body. I want to use a logghe chassis on my build. What I'm looking to find out is if any of the kit logghe chassis are of the correct wheelbase. The WB on the T-Bird is 118MM or 4.65". Even AMT didn't get the wheelbase right so if I can find something close it would be OK. Thanks in advance.

 

 

Edited January 5 by LennyB

[Mark]

Not too many of those early chassis will have a long enough wheelbase to work with the Thunderbird body.  Too, the frame rails probably won't be spread apart enough to fit the engine.

The structure of those frames won't have enough beef to support that engine either.  Actually, the kit frame isn't too far off from something that would have been used.  If you're bent on a different design, I'd look at actual Allison-powered cars from the period, and copy from those.

[Mark]

One of the things on the kit chassis that I was never crazy about was that crossmember that loops under the engine.  It's not needed, and just makes it necessary to raise the whole car up a bit.  Really, that big heavy engine is pretty much a structural element in the car, with the chassis being built around it to attach the wheels and driver compartment.

Too, the aircraft engine removes the car from competition and puts it into the exhibition category.  Still, to turn a tire on an NHRA strip, the driver's compartment needs to be sealed off from the engine, and from the fuel tank(s) and battery (ies).  Getting rid of that loop crossmember, lowering the car a bit, and separating the driver's compartment from the engine will go a long way towards making the car look more plausible as a 1:1 piece.

[LennyB]

Thanks Mark, this gives me a different way of looking at it. I was thinking strictly along the lines of a funny car but what you say makes a lot of sense. Never built too many drag vehicles so this helps.

[Mark]

If you are open to going with something really different, you might consider the AMT double dragster chassis.  I'd use the side-by-side dual engine frame, and replace the section where the engines go with simple straight channel stock.  This chassis will move the driver back into the trunk area, which will change the car quite a bit.   You'd probably leave all of the windows out, and you'd maybe have to actually make the roll cage taller so the driver could see over the engine and hood.  But the chassis and front axle look stout enough to be realistic.

[LennyB]

I’ll look into that.  I just want to make something that’s more realistic then the original kit.  I don’t have a fixed vision in my head.  The only elements that I want to keep is the body and the decals.  

[Carmak]

I like the thought of using the engine as a structural member of the chassis. Strategically cut a funny car chassis in half near the front, attach the rear section of the chassis to a rear engine plate and attach the front section of the chassis to a front engine plate. 

Whatever you decide to do please post pictures.   

[LennyB]

I actually found this online and was thinking of going this route.