Spark Model S3601 Ford Galaxie #0 'Gurney' 5th pl Daytona 500 1963

Although Dan Gurney’s first NASCAR ride was in a Chevy, by 1963 he was firmly in the Ford camp. Already at Daytona for the sports car races, he was offered a ride for the 1963 Daytona 500 in the Holman-Moody Galaxie sponsored by nearby Fayetteville, North Carolina dealer Lafayette Ford. Dan adapted to the big stockcars quickly, qualifying 11th and finishing 5th, one place behind another young driver, Richard Petty. Back then NASCAR cars were pretty much stock, at least on the outside, and Spark’s resincast model matches scale drawings and photos perfectly. Spark has all the Holman-Moody details right, too, including the reinforcements (photo-etched parts) around their unique “through the frame” side exhausts. Bumpers and door handles are correctly plated while the grille is an equally correct aluminum color. Hood and trunk tiedowns, along with the window frames, are p.e., while the drip rails are printed chrome. Spark’s paint is literally flawless, though a bit brighter than FoMoCo Corinthian White, and the decal graphics are 100% complete and correct for race day. The stripped down interior has a full roll cage and a correct single seat with detailed belts. Underneath, there’s good chassis detail in relief on the baseplate. The single color photo found shows light blue wheels, but that could have changed during the race. Dimensions are as accurate as the rest of this beauty.