Study Time

Up to this point, I still wasn't sure who's car I was going to try to replicate. I even considered giving it an original paint scheme and made-up sponsor and placing my own name on the roof and number on the doors. I would later find out this tack was taken on a '64 Galaxie by a NASCAR fan in Sweden, albeit on a much larger (read: expensive) scale. But I thought it better to replicate an historical race car.

So, since I consider myself somewhat of a NASCAR historian, I figured I'd rely upon history help determine the outcome of this project. And as it would turn out, my wife as well.

Fred Lorenzen, probably one of the most successful and most recognized Ford drivers of the 60s, was certainly a top consideration. But, I'd already seen numerous iterations of the famous #28.

Ned Jarrett's #11 was still a possibility, while the lesser-known Galaxies of A.J. Foyt and John Sears looked like simple ones to re-create. Junior Johnson, Wendell Scott, and Marvin Panch all came to mind.

Curtis Turner (upper left ), Nelson Stacy (upper right ), and Tiny Lund (below ) were very strong runners.

Dan Gurney was a real favorite, and the driver whose car I was leaning more towards replicating because of his numerous wins at Riverside (I'm both a California boy and a huge fan of NASCAR road course racing) and the fact his was one of the few cars to sport a 3-digit number; 121.

Elmo Langley was a sentimental favorite. I was about to settle on Tiger Tom Pistone because my dad happened to have a gallon of paint that was close to the Robin's Egg blue of Tiger Tom's #59 entry.

But, none of the colors, save the dark metallic red of Panch's #21 Augusta Motor Sales Galaxie, were attractive to Patti. And even that color was too much like her van, just as Jarrett's blue was too close to that of my truck. She figured she should have some say in the color choice given that she would have to look at the car every time she went in the garage for something, so to my disappointment Gurney's refrigerator white car was definitely out.

A Twist Of Fate? Or Maybe Just A little Twisted?

It was then that I chanced upon the only color picture of Fireball Roberts' 1964 Galaxie I happened to run into. Photos of his lavender '63 were easy to find, but the metallic purple '64 caught my eye. And Patti's. She and I liked the color, and the contrast the red and white numbers made against the bluish-purple color in the photo. On a personal aside, I appreciated Roberts as a NASCAR champion who just never had the chance to wear the crown.

Now, I tend to have a bit of a twisted sense of humor; I have many friends that will attest to that. But I want to go on the record that choosing to pay tribute to Fireball Roberts in the same kind of car that would be the scene of the injuries that would eventually take his life, a car that had actually been a victim of fire itself, did not cross my mind.

But, I do now see it as a means of keeping a memory alive, albeit with a bit of a twist.

Note: Even though my car looks a lot more blue in many of the pictures, it is actually a self-mixed purple that (unintentionally) changes color depending on the light. More on that down the road.

How I WASN'T Going To Build It

As I mentioned in my introductory page, I wanted my project to be a little different than the promo cars I had seen in my past. Those cars were replicas.

Of course, my project would be a replica, too. To claim otherwise would be both false and foolish. But, I wanted the viewer to think twice when he/she saw the car. I wanted my project to be more than just paint and decals; I wanted people to linger that much longer as they looked over the car and wonder to themselves, "Is it?"

Now, this bug certainly is cute, but not really what I had in mind.

To accomplish this desire of mine, the car would have to withstand closer scrutiny. It would ride a fine line of what was actually street legal. My intent wasn't so much to cross that line as to stomp all over it.

Learning By Example, Both Good And Bad

So, this stage of the game required that I take stock of past and present street-legal stock car replicas. Most of them I had encountered, by necessity, were simply paint-and-decal tributes. That doesn't make them wrong , they just weren't enough for me.

Please note: the pictures and reviews of other stock car replicas on this page is not meant to disrespect those builders. It is merely to highlight my intents on my own project. Thank you for your understanding,

As I hinted before, building a stock car replica out of a modern-day car means you have to make certain concessions because of the vast differences between modern NASCAR stockers and their street counterparts. Body pieces, stance, wheels, all have an impact on how much the car will seem "real". The paint and decals on this Ernie Irvan #36 Skittles Pontiac Grand Prix replica are correct, but the car is still missing that certain "something".

Then again, there is always the interior of the car. Plush carpeting, reclining bucket seats and a 6-disc CD changer don't live inside of a NASCAR racer. But again, by necessity, the modern construction of a stock car barely allows for a driver! Still, this #8 Budweiser replica looks very cool. Of note, check out the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. car on this site by user "JuniorCar" (listed as one of my friends here). He's done an excellent job with his modern Monte Carlo.

And another CarDomain friend, IGNITR , has done a super job here, too. Check out his Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Jeans Monte Carlo SS below. David's ride just oozes with pride of workmanship and honors another great NASCAR champion.

As a general rule, the older the car, the closer it can be in shape and overall appearance to its racing counterpart, such as this mid-80's Dale Earnhardt, Sr. #3 Goodwrench Monte Carlo replica. This one certainly gives cause for a double-take!

In my internet travels I did chance upon a Fireball Roberts '64 Galaxie. It was a great tribute. But, it wasn't entirely accurate visually, and it certainly wouldn't be mistaken for the real thing. It was interesting enough, but far, far from what I had in mind.

I had an acquaintance out here in California that once owned a Bill Elliott Dodge replica. It came from the dealer with all of the correct (and licensed) decals on a bright red showroom-fresh 2001 Dodge Intrepid. It looked good enough in passing, but it was still only a passenger car with decals. (I have been up close and personal with an actual 2001 Bill Elliott Dodge that one of the HSCRS drivers owns and races. BIG difference, of course!)

On the other hand if YOU really want a modern, street-legal car to resemble your favorite driver's car, then you have to talk to my friend Bill Rhine of Rhine Enterprise . His shop restores vintage NASCAR race cars, fabricates promo cars and show cars, and just about anything else you can think of.

These pictures of a promotional Kyle Petty #45 Brawny Dodge Intrepid demonstrate the level of quality you'll find in his replicas. However, his restorations of actual vintage NASCAR race cars is just as incredible.