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Review: Bad Ass Diecast Drag BoatBad Ass Diecast Drag Boat Review Drag Boats! Any gearhead has to love these river rockets. How do you run in the fours at over 250 mph with only two tiny propellers biting the water for traction? Slap a top fuel dragster motor on a surfboard and see what it will do!
Bad Ass Diecast has recently released the first in its series of authentic 1:18 scale drag boats. First out, and the subject of this review, is the Speed Sport Special, driven by John Haas. This boat won the 2005 Top Fuel World Championship for the International Hot Boat Association, and set the official speed record at 252.24 mph and the elapsed time record at 4.705 seconds. Unofficially, the boat has run a best speed of 258.50 at the Nitro Nationals in Red Bluff, California in 2006 - the fastest speed ever recorded on the liquid quarter mile. The boat also holds the second quickest elapsed time ever recorded at 4.640. This boat is the baddest of the bad.
The boat comes packed in a colorful box with action photos, crew photos, and other information. The boat is cradled in a Styrofoam packing shell, and my boat arrived packed in an outer box with peanuts for further protection.
When I was a kid in the 1960s, I enjoyed building model cars to learn about the inner workings of the automobile. While I still build an occasional model, diecast vehicles now serve the same purpose. I knew little about Drag Boats prior to obtaining the Speed Sport diecast, but I have learned a lot in the past few days as I study this highly detailed work of art. Let's start with the hull. Hull design is apparently a highly-prized secret among boat racers, but the folks at Bad Ass Diecast worked closely with Wolfie McClendon from Water Craft. The hull is a close replica of the Speed Sport boat's hull. I'm amazed at just how shallow the draft of a modern Drag Boat really is. Check out a profile photo of the boat and you will see. How about that canopy? The real boats borrow their canopies from an F16D fighter jet. The hull on this model is a nice piece of work. The majority of the hull is heavy diecast metal, with a sheet metal rear upper hull section and a few plastic detail parts. The plastic parts are not a problem, as all parts are painted to look the same. Small side hatches and the bodywork to the rear of the cockpit are held on by magnets, and are removable to show interior detail, including foam fill and various tanks, etc. The driver capsule is removable, and this is an authentic detail. In the real boat the capsule detaches from the hull in case of an accident to protect the driver. The canopy hinges up with two pistons to hold it in a raised position to show off the detailed interior. The butterfly steering wheel turns and operates the rudder at the rear of the boat. Cloth seat belts and all controls are plainly visible. There is a full roll cage and even an oxygen system for the driver. Paint is very smooth and glossy, and the tampo printed signage is well-executed.
The motor is nicely replicated. From its injector hat with movable butterflies to its dual MSD magnetos with wiring in the correct firing order, this is a miniature masterpiece. Have you noticed how some diecast cars now have ignition wires molded from one piece of plastic? This boat features real individual wires running from the magnetos. The mags have the MSD logos printed on the bodies. Fuel lines run from the tank to the double fuel pump to the barrel valve. There are fuel lines running to the rear of the heads for port nozzles. The fuel tank itself is a heavily chromed piece with fuel cap and overflow line. The headers are plastic, but they have been hollowed out deep enough to give the impression that they are real metal tubes. There are also oil breather overflow tubes running to a puke tank at the rear of the boat.
I didn't know much about the drive line of a modern Top Fuel hydro. Power is transmitted through an automotive top fuel-style clutch to a drive unit via a short drive shaft. The drive unit reverses the direction of power flow while splitting the output into two propeller shafts. I was surprised that there are no clutch timers involved. Apparently all the slippage is between the twin props and the water.
The boat is stopped with dual parachutes mounted at the rear of the hull. On the model, plastic shroud lines connect the chutes to the hull. About the only thing missing are the parachute release cables, but there are red safety tags to remove prior to the run - a nice touch.
The boat is delivered with a nice display stand, and a plastic tool to help open those little hull panels. Bad Ass plans to produce a dual axle trailer should you want to display the boat in another manner. They also made the rudder foldable so that the boat can sit on a flat surface. Speaking of display, I found that the boat is slightly larger than the inexpensive 1:18 display cases available in many stores. Close, but no fit. Bad Ass is manufacturing a six boat display case for the entire series. I thought about attempting to photograph the boat in water, but I had some reservations about putting it in water. Before I tried it, I contacted Mr. Stan Gill at Bad Ass Diecast to inquire about the capability of the boat to float. Mr. Gill replied that he didn't know if it would float or not. A little later I received a second email. Stan's curiosity got the best of him, and he tried to float the model. Here is the result. Unless you want to duplicate a 1:18 scale underwater archaeology salvage project, don't play with the boat in your pool or bathtub. It sinks like a stone! Five additional boats will be released this year. Already available is the Problem Child, a beautiful white boat with blue flames. Other boats to be released (in order) include Hot Licks, Loose Cannon, Whiskey River II, and the Toxic Rocket at the rate of one each month. Bad Ass Diecast has other plans for the future, including making an Alcohol/Pro Mod version (single mag, lenco transmission, etc.) and also plans a less expensive 1:43 scale version. These are beautiful models. (Also, see Photos by Marvin T. Smith in our Photo Gallery.) Get One at Bad Ass DiecastRush out and buy one from Bad Ass Diecast, Inc., 4606 Shirley Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32210 (telephone 888 223-2774 or email info@diecast-badass.com). They also have a web site at www.diecast-badass.com. The web site has a nice story on the entire production process for doing the boat. It is quite informative. The boats are $119.00 plus $12 Shipping/Handling. Tell them you saw it on GeorgiaDragRacing.com
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