This is actually a model of the first Jungle Jim model that was released by Revell in 1971.
There was a funny car kit "explosion" in 1968. AMT, Johan and MPC flooded the market place with funny car variations of almost every kit they sold. Unfortunately, the majority of the kits were the stock bodies on tubular chassis's.
Prior to licensing at least 2 dozen racers to model deals, ( mostly with far out caricatures created by Dave Deal or the Revell art department ), Revell released a kit of the hottest show man in funny car racing. Russell James Liberman. "Jungle Jim". The box showed the real car on the cover, but the kit was unique in that, the body was NOT just a stock body on a race chassis. But, the body wasn't exactly accurate either. This late 90's reissue is that same kit.
The original JJ Camaro kit had an engine choice of the obvious hemi or a Ford cammer engine. The reissue (Heavy Hugger) omits the hemi and leaves just the Ford. (!) I don't think Jim would ever stick a Ford under a Chevy body, so I modified the Cammer with 454 Chevy Rat valve covers and ground off all the other Ford "stuff" from the front of the motor.
Paint is Nassau Blue with 2 coats of Candy Blueberry (Cobra Colors), decals from Slixx and Fred Cady, and 3 coats of Kucaba's Kustom Klear. (all lacquer)
Only the engine halves, and valve covers were glued. The rest of the car was assembled with 2 part 5 minute epoxy. Though I normally would at least wire the spark plugs on the engine, I thought that might have taken away from the charm and flavor of a kit built in 1971.
The original 1971 hand painted prototype's instructions photo and box lid above.
Kit impressions: Crude by today's standards, I believe the original kits success played a major part in Revell's decision to license so many racer's (including Gene Snow, Ed McCullogh, Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Kuhl and Olson, The California Charger, Don Garlits and so many many more) over the years. (Let us not forget the infamous Jungle Jim 1/16th scale Vega)
I have a special place in my heart for this kit. The first one I built in the back seat of a car in between Newburgh, NY and Boston, Mass. That one I'd had in 1971, was the only one I'd ever seen. (to this very day). After that, MPC started licensing real drivers, and eventually AMT and Johan. This was a significant kit, and still is.
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I'm proud as jungle coconuts to say this model is listed at Jungle Pam's web site!
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02/24/08 20:05 |