Thanks for visiting the Predicta Project headquarters. We're all hard at work here to create this great project. Here are some developments that occurred since this web site was launched in 2002:
June 17, 2009:
Important matters have kept me from updating this site, unfortunately, so let's get caught up.
As you may know, Darryl almost totally disassembled the Predicta in 2007 and did what he describes as a "final" restoration of the car.
We are happy to announce that the Predicta has been fully restored. Actually, "restored" isn't quite the right word to describe the incredible job that Darryl Starbird did with this most famous car. While the Predicta was in very good condition following Darryl's rescue of the car from a parking lot in California in the late Seventies, it hadn't been fully restored. The engine compartment wasn't tidy, and the chassis and underbody were showing the years.
In anticipation of his fiftieth Wichita show, Darryl decided to disassemble the Predicta and to rebuild and show-detail the car. This was no half-hearted effort – literally, everything came apart with all fresh mechanical parts. In fact, the car was virtually disassembled: the entire drive train and the interior was removed, the bubble came off, the doors and hood were removed for minor bodywork, a substantial amount of the custom 1960-installed floorboard was replaced (because of damage), and the frame was welded to the floorboard to create a much more rigid and stable platform. The engine and all mechanical parts were rebuilt, a few body problems were resolved, and then a custom-mix blend of pearl/candy blue was sprayed by Cliff Starbird, Darryl's son. The Predicta was finished to the highest ISCA-show standard. The paint was stripped from every part, fresh chrome applied to dozens upon dozens of parts, and everything was placed in full show regalia! The historic bubble top "splitter" was restored to the car (the first time since the late Seventies).
The car was presented at Darryl's Wichita show – the fiftieth anniversary! – in January 2008. In our next update, we'll upload a few of the "finished" photos.
Also, the car was the subject of feature articles in the January 2009 issue of Car Culture Deluxe and a four-page spread in the July 2009 issue of Street Rodder.
If you're interested in how Darryl made his trademark bubble top, check out this e-article: http://www.aeclassic.com/bubbletop/index.html
Look for a major "make over" of this site by the end of July 2009.
May 16, 2005
We've combined the old "Outrageous" section with the revised "Project" section for the sake of clarity. The Project section has been expanded. Certain other changes have also been made to avoid duplicative photos and text.
We're now working on determining how the kit differs – as it does, significantly – from the 1:1 car. Identifying those differences are essential to the creation of a properly dimensioned and shaped scale body that can be resin cast and used to create the several scale miniatures for this project. This effort will include comparing profile pictures of the kit to profile shots of the 1:1 car and then determining exactly where those differences are. More on this in the next update, due in late June 2005. Presently, you can see a few of the first-detected discrepancies between the model and the real car by going here.
May 11, 2005:
Following the announcement of the Predicta Project in the last of 2004 newsletter of the International Model Car Builders' Museum, a follow up note was published. Read it here...
December 2004:
The Predicta Project has been announced in recent issues of The Builder, the official publication of the International Model Car Builders' Museum. Go here to read the text of the announcement of The Predicta Project.
Predicta Project headquarters has recently acquired two previously-unknown Predicta toys and two more Predicta kit test shots. Check out these exceptionally rare items here:
The Project section of this site has been entirely updated and refocused to better explain The Predicta Project. Please go here to read about recent developments in the model project.
The Lynx Project has been publicly announced in a recent issue of The Journal, the official publication of IPMS/USA.
Noted car builder Mike Smith is our technical consultant on this project. Mike has restored dozens of special interest automobiles and will consult with us to unravel the complex mechanical details of the Predicta. Initially, Mike is helping us decipher the hundreds of technical photographs we have of the car including a fascinating image of the second version of the Chrysler Hemi engine.
September 2003
- Dan Thomas, John Dino and Mike Swan (both research assistants), Dean Milano (www.toymuseum.org), Mike Smith (technical mechanical consultant), and Roger Yu and Greg Reed (electronics consultants) have joined Predicta Project Team!
- Bob Peeples built a model of the first version of the Predicta in the early Sixties, and before the kit was issued! Bob's work was good enough to merit a trophy in the second Revell-Pactra contest in 1964. Here's a bunch of photos of his early contest winner. Thanks, Bob, for sharing your great work!
August 30, 2002: The Predicta Project continues to grow in scope. The model project section will include building models of the 'customized' versions suggested by Tom Daniels and Darryl Starbird in historic magazines, as well as custom or out-of-the-box versions built by various builders The project will include the construction of a version of the car restyled by Mark S. Gustavson, and features on authentic scale replicas of various versions of the real car.
August 20, 2002: Please check back here from time to time for developing information on The Predicta Page. If you have any information, photographs, artifacts or anything of interest, please let us know by e-mailing a note to: Gustavson@ThePredictaProject.org
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