- BODY: Auto World
- WHEELS & TIRES: Road Race Replicas
The second of these bodies to join my muscle racing fleet, this one was sold under the later Auto World label rather than as a Johnny Lightning body like the earlier green one profiled in a previous Meet The Fleet post. Being a later model, this one benefits fully from the amazing advancements made in ink jetting technology which have allowed both plastic slot car and die cast metal model car manufacturers to bring amazing and heretofore impossible levels of detail to their models. In addition to being almost perfectly proportioned, its coloration is superb, being coated in an almost eye-watering shade of flaming red and lashed with two stark white wide stripes, making it a pacesetter in the best muscle car tradition.
From the moment I ordered it I knew it was going to get the most often used set of custom wheels in the fleet: the Road Race Replicas “Bullets”, aka the American Racing Torque Thrusts in chrome. I also made sure I had a set of the expensive and-at the time, at least, difficult to obtain-RWL silicone slicks to wrap those wheels in, since I could tell how awesome this car was going to look and I wanted to go all the way with it. I made sure to mount it on what, at the time, seemed like the fastest and best Ultra-G chassis I had available.
The Lore fell into place easily: being an SS454 LS6 it is the most powerful Chevrolet muscle car you could buy in 1970; loaded from the factory with nearly every conceivable performance option as well as many of the interior upgrades including bucket seats with a console, full instrumentation and white upholstery, this 4-speed road hog is appropriately dubbed “The Landlord” and is bulled around the track by a brawny farm-bred lad named Oscar “Outlaw” Obermann, a California native with German roots whose immigrant family once worked orange groves before buying a few…land that was later sold to real estate developers, assuring a family situation comfortable enough to allow the young man to pursue his childhood interest in fast cars. That interest culminated in this prime example of a prime muscle car, which pushes its Herculean torque to a 3.73 12-bolt axle via a Muncie wide ratio box and rides on a customized suspension featuring sway bars, Bilstine shocks, and larger, upgraded front and rear brakes. Despite his intimidating nickname, Obermann is known as a good sport whose determination to win is checked by a respect for other competitors and for his car, which accounts for the low-mileage muscle car’s pristine appearance. His sense of fair play combined with the flash and power of his bright red Chevelle has won him many fans, and today The Landlord is a fan favorite at Drag City Raceway, whether it’s in the winner’s circle or not. Though the car rarely drops below the top quarter, a tournament trophy has still been just barely out of reach for Obermann, but everyone knows a tourney win is only a matter of time.
While writing this blog I’ve made no secret that I am a “Chevy man” at heart, and the spirit of the real car, one of the most powerful and exciting machines of the muscle era, has really been done justice by this model. Cars like this are exhibit A of why I find this hobby so enjoyable!
Sweet!!!
Those details, even down the license plate really make this model pop! I’ve seen the same things in my train layout and it really does make a difference. Boy, that white interior must be what heaven looks like!