Saturday, October 30, 2010

Zingers! (that is what they are called) Built in the early 70's they were used as promotion in the ISCA hot rod shows.










above image from http://swissstash.tumblr.com



from http://treswright.vervehosting.com/Pages/Page4.html and http://elcistebravado.blogspot.com/2010/10/big-engines-or-small-cars.html

Thanks for helping me Michel Chaput, Pat Redmond, and Br'er Shaygetz who all let me know a bit more about these! Much appreciated!

MPC put them out in the 70's.
MPC's current owners, Round 2 Models, re-released them earlier this summer.
http://www.round2models.com/models/mpc



the last two photos are from http://stiffspeed.tumblr.com

16 comments:

  1. They're Zingers...haven't seen them in years. Too cool....

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  2. ...put out by one of the model companies...Revell, Monogram or AMT.

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  3. seen those in a car show in Montreal omg 35 years ago there was a 57 chevy not seen here tho my favorite

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  4. THEY WERE MY IDEA, DENNY JOHNSON, THOUGHT I'D MENTION THAT BEING AS NOBODY EVER DOES. CHUCK MILLER ALWAYS TAKES CREDIT, HE WAS COMMISSIONED BY BOB LARIVEE OF ISCA TO BUILD COPIES OF THE MODELS FOR THE CAR SHOW CIRCUIT BUT THEY WERE NOT HIS IDEA.

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  5. Maybe a silly question, but could the engines be started?

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    1. I've never heard that discussed, but I doubt it... the shaking would probably be more than these little show cars could handle, and I doubt they were working parts. Broken blowers are a dime a dozen... and would you build a display engine with internal parts, knowing you'll never drive it, but have to push it around for years? Also, would you ever want the hassle of fuel in a showroom? So for many reasons, I doubt it.

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  6. Is there anywhere in Michigan that a person could go to see these kind of vehicles?

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    Replies
    1. That's your homework to look up, not mine

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  7. Well you bring them here to desmoines Iowa for a show like good guys

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  8. I don't own them, never have. I just show you the photos and old ads.

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  9. Steve Tansy built several of those as well in the early 70s

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  10. I remember and love Steve's Coke machine. I lived in Kempton Indiana, 12 miles from Steve's home in Tipton.

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  11. I remember meeting Chuck Miller when I was a little kid! I understand he built these along with Steve Tansy. Also remember getting some of the models, wish I still had them!

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  12. Steve Tansey, Mark Moriarity and Chuck Miller all built full sized Zingers, yet Chuck Miller calls himself King of Zing..ironic as the designer of all of there was Dennis Johnson of Ohio who basically had the idea stolen from him my model company MPC. Bob Larivee later commission Ed the building of the full sized Zingers ..just setting the record straight.

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    Replies
    1. thank you, did you see that Dennis already commented?

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    2. they seem to get the story right in todays article at Hagerty https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/mutated-mini-muscle-zingers-turn-heads-at-detroits-autorama

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