Back in the 1980s I had the TCR Rat Trap racing set. The set came with a yellow & orange Mustang (#12),



a red, white & blue Pinto (#77)



and a blue & yellow Mustang (#55) jam car.



My favorite car was the Pinto (although I didn't know it was a Pinto back then) because it was wicked fast! Always good for a race car, and I never realized that these cars were (loosely) based on actual cars. Fast forward to earlier this year when I saw Chris' (hpiguys) build-up of the MPC Ridge Runner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdvI7ypcKqE

I saw that video, and said "That's the TCR car!" I had to have that kit. Well, I finished it up earlier today, and I am please with the results. The fit & detail left a lot to be desired (no brakes, no steering column, no steering box, very soft details in the engine), but in the end it was a quick pleasurable build. I'm sure there are builders that could build a much more detailed Pinto than I did, but like I said I'm please with the results. The Ford decal on the rear does not come in that kit; it came from my Decal Collection.









Jim

Neat. Is it a Pinto shell on a custom chassis?

That looks great Jim! I used to watch life size versions of those racing on the 1/4 mile dirt track every Saturday night in the summer back in the early Eighties. I can still hear and smell them now.

cheers
Michael

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

Mark, Yes, it's sort of on a custom chassis. From what I can tell, the chassis is the same in the MPC Ridge Runner & the MPC Rat Trap Vega kits; it's just the engine & body that are different.

Jim

Jim,
Very nicely done.

Your Ford Modified really does look the part. From the real ones I've seen, they're bare bones, but get the job done on a small Bull ring track. I live about 45 min from Riverhead raceway, a one-quarter mile asphalt, high-banked oval, so the few times I get to attend local races, it's usually about homemade modifies with big bore engines.

Joel

Thanks, Joel.

Jim

That's pretty cool. Nicely done James.

Thanks, Jesper.

Jim

Really nice job Jim, definitely an uncommon build subject and great to see one completed. The decals look like they went down cleanly, a very eye-catching little unit indeed. I'm not sure that MPC sponsored these though

Cheers, D

Thanks, Damian. Yes, the decals went down really nicely. No problems there.

No, I'm pretty sure MPC didn't sponsor dirt track racers, either. When are you going to do the Chevrolet Vega? Come on. It's a Chevy!

Jim