Monogram 1/24 #12 Raybestos Buick

Hut Stricklin grew up in Calera, Alabama. He married Pam Allison, the daughter of NASCAR legend Donnie Allison after they were introduced by her cousin and fellow racer Davey Allison. Stricklin was the last member of the Alabama Gang.

In 1987, Stricklin won NASCAR's Dash Series championship and made his debut in what was then the Winston Cup Series.

Two years later, Stricklin finished second to Dick Trickle in the NASCAR Rookie of the Year competition with car owner Rod Osterlund. In his sophomore season, he competed in only three events before taking over the driving chores of Bobby Allison's No. 12 Raybestos Brakes Buick (the subject of this kit). 1991 turned out to be one of his best seasons, as he finished 16th in points as well as a career high second-place finish at Michigan International Speedway. With eight races left in the 1992 season, Stricklin was fired by Allison. Stricklin ended the season driving for Junie Donlavey. For 1993, Stricklin signed with Junior Johnson, driving the No. 27 McDonald's Ford. In 1994, Stricklin paired with owner Travis Carter to form a new team, the No. 23 Camel Cigarettes Ford. It was a disappointing year for Stricklin, finishing 26th in points. That was his last full season and while he drove on and off for a number of teams, he was never able to find the winner's circle in Cup racing.  

As mentioned with other similar NASCAR kits, this one has no surprises. The majority of sprues are molded in a blue similar to the overall color of the car. There are rubber/vinyl tires, a clear sprue, and a very nicely done 'chrome' sprue. What makes this latter sprue neat is that part is a shiny chrome while the majority is a more realistic aluminum color.

The construction begins with building up the engine, which, after adding the front suspension, will be installed into the chassis/floor section. There are a few internal items to install before building up the roll cage. This takes a number of steps during which the top of the fuel tank and the firewall will be installed. Probably a main reason why so few people build these kits is the extensive roll bar cleanup that is required to remove mold seams.

Next the underside is filled out with the rear suspension build-up. Followed by attaching the radiator bits and then attaching the wheels/tires (this is usually where I mess up and don't get all the tires to touch the ground). The last steps are all focused on the body. Front and rear windows are attached from the inside so it would be wise to paint the body before heading to this step. All the side windows can be glued on after painting and decalling.

Instructions are well done with all the parts labelled. No color information is provided during the build, but there are a ton of images on the net and you can also glean some of this from the box. The interior is apparently red on this one. Decals on this one are in excellent condition despite being 35 years old. I like that all the white bits on the car are integrated into the decals. I have no doubt that they will work just fine. Monogram decals are a bit thicker than aftermarket, but that thickness is not an issue. Finding aftermarket is problematic at best. 

For a period of time, these kits were in high demand and you'd find these built all the time. That period is past, but you can still find these kits from vendors and second hand sites. Interestingly some of these have been resurrected by modern companies, but at a price that is five times what this one cost.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hut_Stricklin

June 2026 

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