Courtesy of the instruction sheet:

"Fastest and Quickest Ice Wagon in the US of A. The Ice 'T' comes on like strong. Designed for the latest trend in show/go rod styling, Tom Daniel's newest creation is stuffed with mouth-watering glitter.

This beauty rides on huge real-looking wrinkle slicks, just like those seen on hot machinery at drag strips everywhere. It's big thumpin Chevy mill is topped by the latest Weiand Hi-Rise Manifold, giant gas gulpin' Holley 4 barrel jug and a slick looking scoop. Go juice is carried in two chromed side tanks with quick filler knock-off caps.

The body has that low mean look that Tom gives to this kind of competition car. Check out the side exhausts, forward rake, chopped roof, groovy dished hood and out-of-sight interior. The car comes complete with melting ice blocks and tongs. "

Before there was rap, Ice T was a show rod and one of Tom Daniel's many creations during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Like most of his work, the car was only done in plastic. These kits were very much the rage at the time and any company that did cars did these exotic show rod kits.

The kits are actually pretty simple as things go. There is a complete, though basic engine with a two piece engine/transmission section, an intake manifold, separate heads and separate chrome valve covers. While on the subject of chrome, most of the parts in the kit are chrome plated. This will mean that the modern modeler will be stripping and rechroming or repainting a lot of these pieces to eliminate seams of one kind or another. The engine with headers cements onto the floor pan.

Many other parts such as the rear suspension, drag bars, tail light assembly, rear pan, and exhaust will be glued to the pan. So will the single piece interior that has the interior floor, seats and dash. Pedals are molded onto this piece and the shifter as well as the steering tiller will attach to it. There is a bed onto which the clear ice pieces are to be glued. The rear of the lower piece includes the permanently open tail gate onto which you attach chrome chain pieces. For the front there are two axle stubs with molded on springs. The fenders in the front are each two chrome halves that also double as fuel tanks.

Wheels are an outer and inner section which fit on either side of the tires. The tires are vinyl with the rear wrinkle-wall slicks being two pieces that are glued together. Not sure just how well that will work in terms of getting rid of the seam.

Instructions are well done and there is a separate painting guide at the end of the instructions for all the pieces in the kit. Decals are the thick, almost plastic type that Monogram used for decades. Despite being off register, they should work well and the instructions state that you need to be creative. Since the kit is molded in yellow, this would be the color of choice for the body and chassis pieces that are not chrome.  

Your chances of seeing something like this molded today are remote to say the least. Fortunately, enough were done when they were new to allow Revell and others to keep reissuing them for many years to come. The molds are still in excellent shape as this one was pretty well free of any flash. If you have the interest in something a bit off the beaten track, this would be a good choice.

Kit instructions

April 2015 

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