Luis Meza

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    • IROC 2024 Series Gents, Talk is cheap, especially when it comes to an IROC series... but there might still be time to get the ball rolling for 2024 with a new IROC Challenger Series for both constructors and pilots racing at Nova Ridge and Molto VeLoce with the additional home host track too! Interested? The platform will be based on a finished DArt Ferrari 312P (with card interior) that is molded in one of 12 unique colours and using mandatory (and provided) DArt wheels, painted inserts & marked club series urethane tires. Each coloured model will have a distinctive livery. Chassis, configuration, body mounting system, motor, gearing, and anything else are completely open. Build or assemble it yourself or have anyone else do it for you. Maintain it or improve it after each race or don't bother touching it. The choice is yours. So long as you bring your working 312P model you can participate and race all of the models in true IROC fashion by rotating through the lanes (and models). With 12 models on a 4 lane track everyone would compete across three rotations: Every model is assigned to a lane and rotation (1Green, 1Yellow, 1Red, 1Blue, 2G, 2Y, 2R, 2B, 3G, 3Y, 3R or 3B) and stays on that lane throughout; Every participant races through the first rotation (european) until everyone has gone; Second and third rotations are raced until everyone has raced every model for an equal amount of time (usually 3 minutes); Both pilot and model/manufacturer results are recorded (top and lowest finish for each model/manufacturer in every race is dropped as well); On a three lane home track there will be four rotations instead of three. Any home track will have an opportunity to host up to two races. Every participant will provide and maintain their working 312P entry. 'Working' means that it is not only raceable but also meets a minimum lap time of 130% of the pole time, although this could be tweaked. If you don't supply a working 312P entry for that race then you cannot participate in that IROC race. Models will be assigned to a lane and rotation after qualifying so that the fastest models will be raced last and models performing alike will race together as much as is possible. The top three finishing pilots from the previous race will qualify the models. If a model cannot finish a heat then the closest available match will replace it for the duration of the rotation. Other tweaks will need to be made but you get the point... This will be a separate series and not piggyback R32, S32 or S24 racing. The day, time and frequency will be determined by the availability of the participants who purchase/enter models, but it would be preferable to have the series run at least once monthly. The cost of the completed 312P with card interior, four wheels, unmounted & untrued marked tires and painted inserts is $100. An extra set of wheels, unmounted & untrued marked tires and painted inserts is $50... An extra set of wheels, mounted and trued marked tires and painted inserts is $100... Any participant may purchase and enter more than one model and will get to race as often as they have working models entered... (so 3 models then 3x the racing and each scored separately - so it would be possible to have one racer take all three podium places...) Purchased models are owned and kept by the participant. The following molded colours will become available: Green (sold) Yellow (sold) Red (sold) Blue (sold) Charcoal White Orange (sold) Purple Brown/Rust Pink (sold) Baby Blue Liveries will use peel and stick decals and models will not have a clear lacquer or acrylic finish. Completed liveries and wheels/tires/inserts will be available in December, 2023, on a first come first choice basis. Racing will start on Saturday, February 3, 2024.

      Started by: Arthur in: R32 Class Criterium

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    • 2 months ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • The Zing A basement track (no matter how small) to test, run and possibly race a Mini Z in the comfort of ones' own home is a rather nice luxury... so the project begins... let's see what can reasonably fit into the space I have right now... if testing proves that it is enough then a more permanent solution can be pursued... Just using EVA tiles with generic square corner foam barriers doesn't turn my crank - the track, just like the models on it, must have curb appeal. Let's get going with a paper template to test with and see what's possible. [caption id="attachment_42376" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Laying out the basic footprint using scrap paper.[/caption]

      Started by: Arthur in: The Zing

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    • 2 months ago

      Luis Meza

    • NSR 917 White Kit FINALLY got around to finishing a 'White Kit' I painted and mostly decaled a long time ago...was in the "To be completed" group(along with many others) :>) Anyway, done...Took a while to configure a Pioneer driver as the NSR pilot just doesn't look right proportion, but it is a very nice kit. Will no doubt be waaay underpowered in the 'unlimited VLM' class, but so be it.    

      Started by: Avatar photoPorsche911 in: Modified Slot Car Models

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    • 3 months ago

      Luis Meza

    • 1963 Watson Special – Front Motor Indy Roadster Lots of discussion prior to the pandemic led to the beginning of an Indy Roadster class using a low power motor in an inline front motor configuration. In that spirit this is my build based on a 1:32 AMT kit for a 1963 Watson Special. This kit was the foundation for the DArt body kit which is what I am using for this build. The original kit and all of the parts, including decals: The DArt body kit which will be used: First things first - sorting out the wheels and tires. I opted to use RS Slot 15x7mm (14x7mm) insert wheels with DArt D7.5 tires mounted front and back. I trued down the fronts a little smaller. The rears were trued to a diameter of 25mm and the fronts to 23.3mm... I used the setup blocks as pictured when setting up my jig. Now time to start on the chassis using assorted piano wire and brass pieces...  This is my version of a two piece rotating torsion chassis. The motor is an extension of the rear end of the chassis even though it sits above the front section. A separate piece of piano wire wrapped around the guide tube will hold the two halves together after I solder the tips in place just ahead of the rear end. Now that the basic chassis is complete - you can see it has stubs for the front wheels - we can begin assembly, starting with the motor and driveshaft. Lots of trial fitting went into positioning the braces that will hold the motor shaft extension bushing. I only want to barely touch that bushing with my soldering iron to fix it in place after the motor is installed for the final time - then carefully clean away any acid flux and oil liberally. Time to trial fit the shell. I chose not to offset the body (or chassis) since we'll be running these on road courses. I'm happy with the overall stance of this chassis and body so time to trial fit the interior to provide clearance for the drive shaft/pinion. I hope to conceal the driveshaft under the pilot's left leg but I may need to improvise... we'll see... stay tuned!    

      Started by: Arthur in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 1 year ago

      Avatar photoPorsche911

    • Auto Union Type D – Dart Kit For this build, I have used the recently released Dart kit of the Auto Union Type D.  As usual, the quality of the kit is second to none and it comes with two driver busts and seat options, large wired inserts and a long styrene tube with two brass push in threaded inserts to be installed as body posts where needed. I decided to mate the body with an aluminium chassis (KRZ Design) that I made specifically for this model.  The BWA 14k ff motor is glued onto the chassis with 5 minute epoxy.  I decided to use wired wheels that were purchased from Pendle. You will note that there is the appearance of significant tire degradation to the front wheels on this model-it wasn't due to the photo taken after a race.  I'll be replacing these rubber tires that came with the wheels with Dart urethane that will be trued to the same size. The model as shown in the photos includes the smaller half bust that came with the kit but it is evident that this option requires a thick seat cushion otherwise the driver can barely see over the hood.  I'll be replacing the half bust with a modified full body to achieve the most realistic result. The model runs very well, and is competitive, with my Auto Union Type C and Mercedes Benz W125.  Based on early test results, this type D outpaces the other two. A new entry for the next Coppa D PGP+ race with Tazio Nuvolari behind the wheel to join Bernd Rosemeyer in the type C and Rudolf Caracciola in the W125. Thanks for looking.

      Started by: Avatar photoJMSracer in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 2 years ago

      Avatar photoJMSracer

    • 1963 Indy Roadster I found a few links that folks might find interesting when building the car. It is not a slot car build but won first place at the 2016 IPMS Nationals in SC. Parnelli Jones's 1963 Indy 500 Winning Watson Roadster - Cars, Trucks, & Motorcycles - IPMS/USA Forums (ipmsusa3.org) The second link is of a Facebook page (embedded in first link), with step by step pictures with comments when you click on the picture. I guess you need to be on FB to see.  The interesting thing I liked is it helped locating where bits go plus it identified the paint colors to use for the Watson Livery. Don't know if it is helpful to anyone but I found it helped me. My model is coming along.  I am going for a Watson Livery.  Mica Blue nose and White Pearl body, a little ambitious for me but what the heck.  I ordered decals and a paint mask to help me along.  The chassis I built 18 months ago for a STP Nova body but was never happy with the body.  It fits the Watson with minimal adjustments. The chassis wheelbase is a touch long (1/4inch) as you will notice in the picture.   So far the car is primed, interior glued in and driver fitted but not glued nor detail painted.                                 

      Started by: Avatar photoDB in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 2 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • Austin Healey Sprite I was walking along the front lot earlier looking for sections that still needed raking, when I heard the rumble of an antique motorcycle engine coming around the corner. I turned around and found that it was a tiny bright red Austin Healey Sprite. I remembered that I probably have one of those packed away somewhere in the basement, possibly even in the right scale. I eventually took a look and found a Healey 3000, as well as a 32’nd scale Sprite. It was a nice AirFix box of the 1958-1961 Sprite MkI. (1997 re-box of 1961 tooling).  However, the contents weren’t so nice and I recalled that I had set it aside deciding that it wasn’t worth spending time on it. But seeing the real thing drive by, gave me renewed motivation. Fig. 1:   You can’t judge a book by its cover – you can’t judge a kit by its box-art ! I had built many model cars when I was a kid, but never a 1/32 scale, and this one looks like the tiniest of the tiny. (I use two large magnifying glasses while doing intricate work, but here I could make use of a microscope!)   I started work on it and found that the tooling, moulding, casting were even worse than I had initially thought. The front fender pontoons were lumpy. The three sections making up the front end of the car did not fit properly. The hood seam in front of the windshield was scored different thicknesses from one segment to the next. Door seams were irregular. Rocker panel seams were different heights and shapes between left to right side. Other body features that were supposed to be the same, were different sizes and shapes from each-other, and not symmetrically positioned on the left and right sides. The headlight lenses are nice but the dome sockets they are to fit into on top of the hood are not smooth and semi-circular but are instead elongated leaving excess at the top and a gap at the bottom. There are other inconsistencies that I won’t bother listing, plus more I’m sure to discover. (Once again, it seems that I’ve stumbled into an overly difficult model to work with.)  But I decided to stick with it anyway.  One of the problems for me in this smaller scale, has been motivation, so I decided now that I have a bit, I should make use of it.   Fig. 2:   Sprite in another of the many standard colours, ‘Mint Green’.   I assembled the front end body sections, and started the prep by sanding down those seams and all the lumps on the curved surfaces. I’ve never used body putty on a motorized car, fearing that it may crack under flex during competition, but here I couldn’t avoid it and decided to take the chance. I filled in the top hood seam and the small body-fit gaps in the front, as a start. Fig. 3:   Kit contents.   There is something else about the body that doesn’t seem quite right. I almost bought a 3000 Mk III when I was a youngster, but I don’t know much about the Sprite, so I started searching the references to learn a bit about the car. If I’m going to the trouble of building it, I want to do it right. I couldn’t find matching wheels in my collection, so I tried the body onto a ‘Carrera Go’ chassis, and even at that 1/43 scale, the chassis was too large for this tiny body ( ~10.5 cm x 4 cm; ~4” x 1 ½” ) . With the kit wheels in place, the body looked very high off the tech block. I thought the problem may be that the wheels were out of scale too large. Doing a search and some arithmetic, I found that the kit tires are properly scaled and do correspond to the vintage Sprite tires, “Cross-ply 5.20-13 tyres”, which are apparently 23.1” or 587mm overall diameter (on nominal 13” rims). The kit wheels have a Rim diam = 11mm,  Tire diam = 18mm,  giving a Track clearance = 7mm with tires touching the inside of the fenders, and that already appears far too high for the tiny sportscar. Adding a 2 mm tire/fender clearance on the model, (which would be more realistic and would be needed to allow for minimum body roll), gives 9 mm track clearance, and would convert to 288mm, or 11.3” road clearance on the real car. (That 2mm tire/fender scale clearance converts to only  2 ½ ” tire/inside fender clearance available to the real car, still far too small.)   I don’t own a sports car, but the road clearance from the bottom of the rocker panel of my mini-van is only 8 ½” ; the other cars in the garage are lower.  Since the wheels are to correct scale, the only conclusion I can draw from this analysis is that the model is out of scale too shallow. As a result, they had to cut the wheel arches too close to the top of the body. The shallow body also gives very little clearance for the tires inside the fenders thus the whole body is raised far too high off the track. All of this is even apparent from photos of the real car. (Exterior photos, as well as photos under the bonnet show that there is plenty of space, and structure, between the top of the tire and top of the fender.)   Fig’s.  4 & 5:   Body proportions of the kit and the real car. It’s very obvious from comparison of these two photos, that the model body is out of scale too shallow, streamlined. (Compare the heights of the door panels, the heights of the fenders above the cut-outs, and the space from top of tire to top of fender.) Unfortunately, it’s an effect that can’t be corrected on this model without major surgery. On the other hand, using smaller wheels helps with the body height and track clearance, but makes the wheel cut-outs on the model look even larger .  (I may have to do what I see done on my Ninco XK120 and many other sportscar models - build a step drop between the body and chassis. Even on the real car, some chassis components show below the bottom edge of the body. However, such a step will limit my chassis design and it’s dynamics.)   This thing has given me so much trouble; Looks like my initial assessment was correct and I should have just left it in the box! In any case, now it’s become a challenge! So I have been searching for correctly scaled rims and tires. I have worked out four possible chassis designs to fit this tiny body, but until I have the wheels in hand I can’t finalize the adjustments on the body or the detailed dimensions of the chassis. I’m looking for rims 13” nominal which usually work out of be 13mm diameter at the centre ridge and 11.5 mm diameter at the outside edge, depending on the manufacturer. I need 5mm wide for the front pair and 7mm for the rear. Corresponding tires would be 18mm diam before truing.  It's going to be difficult to compensate for the shallow body; I may have to do other adjustments, but I want to get the best balance possible.   I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.   Vincent Van Gogh    

      Started by: Avatar photoFelix in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 2 years ago

      Avatar photoFelix

    • 3D printed Indy Roadster chassis I thought I would let everyone know about my progress in designing, building and testing a 3D printed chassis for our Indy Roadster class. For nostalgia's sake I've been working on an Eldon Indy Roadster which  roughly represents the Watson Roadster of the time.   As my printer has a very small bed the chassis had to be made in two pieces and aligned with piano wire pins, this does give the advantage of a wheelbase that will adjust to most roadster bodies. . The whole process has helped me use up any spare time that I thought I had as I had to diagnose and partially rebuild my printer ( each new part took a month to arrive and I didn't get it all figured out the first or even the second time) and then had to start learning Fusion 360 in order to make the kinds of designs I was interested in. I can't tell you how many iterations I printed that didn't fit the way I was expecting before I realized that my thumb had been hitting the reset button on my digital calipers. I am getting close. Here's the latest test fitting. One of the greatest design challenges was getting the ff050 completely ahead of  the edge of the cowling in order to comply with the spirit of a front motored build. The problem is that those tiny slim line motors are proportionately bigger than a V16 and its tough to get them into the space that originally had a 4 cylinder. Now I'm going to order axles, gears, bearings and a guide to make sure of my final measurements. In the meantime I'm going to start working on the body again. I hope that by this fall we can have an in person debut of the Indy roadster class. I look forward to seeing all your designs. Cheers Steve

      Started by: Avatar photoracer68 in: Class Eligible Bits & Pieces

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    • 2 years ago

      Avatar photoDB

    • 2021 Outside Track Optimism Despite the fact that our regional governments were recently ambushed and are scrambling with no coherent plan to immunize, our Ontario government passed the buck while deferring to regional medical officers in their ivory towers, and our fearless entitled drama queen Justin spouts more bullshit while ensuring he stands by our country last in G7 and worse than 40th in global vaccines to date I hope - I sincerely hope - we'll be safe by later this year. Given our government's track record now I don't believe I'll receive a vaccine until next winter. I hope the rest of you remain more optimistic - at least for your own sanity... as such... An outdoor track may be the only place we might race safely later this year/fall. Help me with your suggestions as far as how many lanes, how long, how easily transported - I guess I'm asking how many of you might participate on a strictly outdoor venue/track later this summer and fall. If proxy participation is anything to go by I am happy not to waste my time - but again I must ask.

      Started by: Arthur in: R32

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    • 2 years ago

      Avatar photoJMSracer

    • RIP John Flinn I am sad to report that John Flinn passed today. He had been undergoing some fairly aggressive  Chemo for the last couple of weeks. The only blessing is that the whole affair was very quick......a couple of us were at his cottage in mid Dec., doing a few laps, eating Pizza, and sharing silly stories.   RIP John Chris

      Started by: Anonymous in: Drivers of the Past

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    • 3 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • Chassis pics A few customer's chassis pics. A few more. This strange looking chassis was made for a forum administrator on a site in the UK. It fits something called a Morris J-van. Very odd vehicle. But who am I to judge another man's passion?

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: How To Order

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoPorsche911

    • Merry Christmas Everyone! Merry Christmas Everyone I hope that you are all doing well and that the Holidays give you some respite from this topsy-turvy-time. Many of you are ankle deep in new projects, that all look great by the way, and I hope to have some new stuff in the New Year to share with the group. May 2021 be a better, brighter year and give us all a chance to race together again. Cheers Steve

      Started by: Avatar photoracer68 in: Comings, Goings & Best Wishes!

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    • 3 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • Soldering Essentials for Chassis Building – What You Need 40/60W Soldering Iron Your largest and most important expense for building any piano wire/brass chassis will be your soldering iron. You will need at least a 40W or preferably a 60W soldering iron with a suitable chisel tip, ideally ¼” (but this is a matter of preference). Other smaller tips on lower power irons (20/30W) are perfect for soldering lead wires. There are several manufacturers of suitable soldering irons - Ungar and Cooper/Weller – among others. Make sure you also have an appropriate stand to hold your iron when hot. Better stands come with a tray to hold a replaceable (and less abrasive) damp sponge used to regularly clean your tip. Tinning Compound New tips may need to be ‘tinned’ prior to first use and whenever required thereafter. Your tip should always look shiny, like melted solder – otherwise it will not work. Simply apply the tinning compound to your hot iron tip then apply your solder. Clean the tip on your damp sponge and repeat until the whole tip is completely tinned. Solder A rosin core solder containing 60% lead and 40% tin will work very well for both chassis building and lead/electronic joints. Thickness of the solder is a matter of preference. ‘Silver’ solder requires a lot more heat and although it creates stronger joints this is unnecessary for 1/32 10-20v slot car chassis. Flux and Pre-Cleaning You must use flux when soldering your chassis. While rosin flux is fine for soldering simple electrical joints you will need acid flux when soldering chassis joints. The purpose of the flux is to clean the surfaces so that flowing solder actually penetrates the metal thereby forming a strong joint or chemical bond. Flux also prevents oxidation during the soldering process. If your pieces have corrosion, oil, or any other surface imperfection you must also remove that before beginning the soldering process. Sanding and/or scrubbing may be necessary to adequately clean your pieces. ScotchBrite works nicely as do household cleansing powders such as Ajax or Comet. Acid flux comes in either a paste or in liquid form and while both can be used liquid acid flux is best. If using paste, apply sparingly with a toothpick. If using liquid, apply sparingly with a small paint brush. Brands such as Lucky Bob’s Liquid Acid Flux comes with a convenient applicator. A small bottle of liquid acid flux will last you years. Post Cleaning Immediately after using acid flux you will need to clean your chassis. Acid flux will corrode all steel pieces or piano wire if it is not removed. Prepare a ‘bath’ for your chassis (and any other items such as jig supports, etc. that come into contact with the flux) again using a household cleansing powder mixed with water to neutralize the acid. Scrub thoroughly with a toothbrush. Soldering Surfaces & Jigs You will need a flat preferably heat resistant surface on which to solder your chassis pieces, such as a ceramic or porcelain tile or a marble or granite slab. Do not use anything metal. Measure and mark suitably spaced lines or use graph paper to assist with alignment of your chassis pieces. Better yet, make or obtain a ‘jig’ using pre-drilled holes with pins to easily align your chassis pieces. A great purpose built jig is made by Precision Slot Cars such as the 1/32 Scratch Builder jig for both 2mm and 3/32 axles which comes with wheel/axle blocks, guide, axle and chassis pins. The time you will save by using it is well worth the cost. Make sure to get extra wheel/axle blocks to accommodate all possible R32 wheel diameters. Pliers/Cutters A good sturdy set of linesman’s pliers which can both snip and bend piano wire is essential. You can even cut brass strip. Also helpful to hold small pieces when using a cutting/rotary tool. Rotary Tool A variable speed rotary tool with cutting wheels, grinding and polishing attachments will let you cut and prep piano wire, brass and brass tube. Drill with Assortment of Bits Use on a wood block to drill holes in your brass pieces for chassis mounting screws and/or guides, sizing dependant on specific parts. You should mark your hole using a mallet and punch first but be careful not to bend your brass piece. It is best to make all holes in every piece prior to soldering. Sandpaper You will want to have a range of sandpaper grits to help prep and polish your metal pieces. Files Filing sides corners and holes to prep pieces and remove excess solder. Both a flat and round file are good to have for these tasks. Optional Tools A sturdy bench vice or wire bending tool will help with bending wire and to create more complex bends. A ‘nibbler’ makes cutting into brass strip or plate easier, especially when building either a brass pan or torsion plate chassis. A drill press and machine clamp will help you drill more accurate holes. Thank you to Al Penrose and Chris Walker for their help and for sharing their vast soldering experience and knowledge.

      Started by: Arthur in: Workbench Essentials

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • 1965 Corvair Corsa The Corvair got a bad rap from Ralph Nader. Real Corvair owners all say that they did not experience whatever Ralph Nader was talking about. Some people say he was referring to the "hammer" effect of having a rear engine car. Exactly like a Porsche. Which no American car had before it. A Chevrolet dealership by the name of "Yenko" made a bunch of special Corvair Corsa's. They were very fast. They went by the name "Yenko Stingers". Aurora made a very nice static model of the 1965 Corvair Corsa with the flat-6. But there is only one, single, solitary kit on Ebay, and it's been there for the last year. And he just recently went from $150 USD, to $125 USD.  Still far too much money. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Aurora-Corvair-Corsa-1-32-Scale-Plastic-Model-Kit-666-130/254550866928?hash=item3b4469fbf0:g:89YAAOSw~wRecNYr Then out of the blue I happened to locate one. The box looks new and sparkles. The kit inside is new and perfect. This 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa is far more rare than a Rover BRM. Before I run off and build this ultra rare kit for SCCA. Does this car spark any interest to make a copy? Just asking before the point of no return...

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Historical 1:1

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • 59 Fairlane 500 Skyliner – Police car? Art and I recently talked about adding another dimension to the street racing theme. Having a police cruiser to chase the other cars. The chase car gets a head start. You have to stop and count your laps when the police cruiser catches up to you. I'm pretty sure a Skyliner hardtop/convertible was never made into a police cruiser. But it's a 59 Fairlane 500 none the less. I installed the chassis before the rear fender skirts. The body height at the front of the rocker panel is a respectable 3mm. It's even more respectable at 4mm for the rear of the rocker panel. I thought based on the front wheel housing that the car didn't look very low. Then I installed the rear fender skirts. Those added skirts make the back of the car look low. Such is life. The factory hub caps look great on a police car.  

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoJMSracer

    • Indy Roadsters are coming! I'm sure we've all been looking forward to the debut of the Indy Roadsters. After talking to Art at Monday nights race it appears we will have a race  scheduled towards the end of this years S32 season. The rules are firming up and here is what we have so far. -Any true, front engined  roadster that was registered, qualified or participated in any Indy 500 race from 1950 onwards to the very last roadster in 1967 is eligible. -Only the FF050 slow  motor may be used in a front motor, rear drive  configuration with the motor ahead of the cockpit. -Cars must weigh a minimum of 80 grams. -Cars may use any size wheels and tires as long as they represent a reasonably scale appearance. -Authentic liveries are encouraged but fantasy liveries that maintain a look (paint colours, fonts and graphics) representative of the period that they raced in are allowed For anyone having trouble locating roadster bodies e-Bay is a great resource. Geodies is a seller that usually has several eligible bodies available and he is willing to combine shipping. Here is a link to a current body on sale https://www.ebay.ca/itm/1-32-Bardahl-Ferrari-Indianapolis-resin-body-kit-slotcar/193310078141?hash=item2d022db4bd:g:izcAAOSwDuleJzIi. e-Bay also often has old Eldon roadsters on sale. Rules may need a little polishing going forward but hopefully by keeping things relatively simple we can all  rise tothe challenge of building a front engine roadster . I'm looking forward to seeing what we all come up with . Lets get building!    

      Started by: Avatar photoracer68 in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Strombecker McLaren M1B     Strombecker made some of the nicest molds, and the McLaren M1B, was one of their nicest, and very much to scale,....it is a tiny little bugger !! It really does not look all that great in stock form, sitting high, and without any details/decals. Anyway, it has been sitting in my workroom for eons, and with the forced hometime we are all enduring, I have decided to make it my next build. Trying to make this..............this one is not mine, unfortunately mine is a little worse for wear.......... Into something like this................so a few bits to be made/added. I started with the chassis, as I find these the easy part of the job..........a simple single rail chassis with .047 main rails, set for 2mm+ clearance with 19+ mm tyres. This will be powered by a  FF050 motor. I have started the bodywork........removed all bits, opened the vents, (as they should be , they were closed in the original), and added a front diaplane, and a rear spoiler. Still a lot of clean up to do...........but the rear molded in screens/vents have been opened as on the original. The car is tiny,....I think I mentioned that,.....luckily the shortest wheelbase setting on my jig was perfect !! Still miles to go, but, I will post updates...... Stay Safe Chris Walker

      Started by: Anonymous in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 3 years ago

      Anonymous

    • Cadillac, Cadillac, Cadillac Eldorado Well I started work on the '57 Caddy Brougham. Ken's comparison pic with his Nascar reminded me that I had a little used scratch chassis under my Petty Plymouth so I thought I could probably re-purpose the chassis to fit under the Caddy. Wheelbase needs a bit of a stretch but fortunately I can add an additional axle tube in front of the existing tube so I can convert the chassis back and forth if needed. Cheers! Bill

      Started by: Avatar photof1nutz in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 3 years ago

      Arthur

    • Ferrari 158 This is the Dart kit Ferrari 158. This particular model is of the winning car as driven in the 1964 Italian GP by John Surtees; #2.  JS was also the winner of the F1 Championship in 1964. The chassis is a combination of a bear dog chassis, piano wire and some brass.  Bearings were used in the rear, a square brass tube was used to support the front axel.  Silver foil packaging material from a pharmaceutical product was used to cover the top of the front axel and cut in the shape of the front assembly.  The same foil was used to create the floor in the cockpit. This model is built as a 1.5L GP and is powered by a BWA slim motor, geared 10 pinion by 23 offset crown. A single brass screw is used to secure the body to the chassis.  The body fits snugly in place with the rear assembly around the motor preventing any movement in the rear. A black twist tie was used to hold up the bottom of the motor between the two rear exhaust pipes-glued in place to bottom of motor and exhaust pipes.  Two polished aluminium extension pipes were glued to the ends of the exhaust pipes that came with the kit.  The motor that came with the kit was modified to fit together and two piano wires were inserted into drilled holes and glued into both sides of the motor to hold it in place.  The other ends of the piano wire were soldered onto the rear upright assembly.  The motor is attached to the chassis, the body floats freely above it but there is virtually no movement as the body is held firmly by the single screw up front and the piano wire at the rear which connects to the rear upright assembly. After applying the decals, I brushed on a coat of future to seal the decals and give the car a glossy finish.  One drop of windex was added to my future mix to prevent yellowing down the road. My camera and lighting could be better.  This model is much more attractive in the flesh. Initial test lap results indicate that this car will be a contender.  I think there is room for improvement. Thanks for looking.  

      Started by: Avatar photoJMSracer in: Scratch Built Models

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    • 6
    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Mandarin Monsoon – 1930 Ford Model ‘A’ Pickup The Mandarin Monsoon Hot Rod was made using a Life-Like Hobby Kits 1930 Ford Model 'A' Pickup truck body, BWMS050 motor with 10 x 23 inline gearing, BWA 14 x 5mm wheels, DArt whitewall tires & inserts and other DArt parts, including gas cap & rear transmission detail. The pilot is also DArt. Rear bed has removable mahogany boards. No pickup would be complete without a trailer hitch. This model 'A' also features a Ferrari V8 under the bed...  The chassis is a torsion chassis from piano wire and brass. The body is mounted using a slide in front pin and two wire supports at the rear which clip in place. Exposed suspension areas were chemically treated with Gun Blue. With little torque to worry about the motor was simply epoxied in place. This chassis also uses old school brass tubing in lieu of bearings or bushings. Rear end detail includes a few hand made components. Exhaust pipes are polished aluminium tube. Cheers!

      Started by: Arthur in: Scratch Built Models

    • 6
    • 6
    • 3 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • Porsche 914 Targa Florio Hello Guys, I just finished my Porsche 914, I made a lots of mistakes trying to use masking for the two colors and it shows all the corrections I had to make and I still need to find some stickers to match the livery and maybe it will help me hide some of the mistakes

      Started by: Luis Meza in: Scratch Built Models

    • 2
    • 2
    • 4 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • Porsche 914 I just finished my Porsche 914, I made many mistakes trying to use two colors and had a hard time covering them, I need to find more decals to finish the correct livery and help me hide some of the imperfections.

      Started by: Luis Meza in: Scratch Built Models

    • 3
    • 3
    • 4 years ago

      Arthur

    • D’Art Matra MS10 Most if not all Matra's were blue. This Matra found a can of Tamiya "camel yellow" and got friendly with it. The engine detail is Tamiya "semi-gloss black". The components at the rear have been painted with Tamiya "gloss aluminum". I still need to detail the interior, driver, engine and transmission parts. The body components snap into place nicely.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

    • 2
    • 7
    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Chaparral 2D If I could have a race car on the street. This would be it. Nothing nicer looking to me than a Chaparral 2D. I was fortunate enough to find an old beat up and badly sun-baked Strombecker body at the last Group25 model show/swap meet. First thing to do is to disassemble the parts. The body is in rough shape. Full of scratches, and lots of faded plastic. The underside shows how badly discoloured the body is. Choosing a colour was easy. Out of all my cars so far, Tamiya Candy Lime Green is still the favorite. I'll let other club members fight over the white cars, and main liveries. I prefer to be different. Now to choose a motor, gear ratio, and wheels/tires. I hope to eventually build 3 of these Chaparrals. Two more are on order with D'Art Hobbies. Those will be way easier to acquire. Thank you kindly Art.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

    • 2
    • 10
    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • D'Art Porsche 550 Spyder I painted this car last July. The body should be safe to handle by now. Someone suggested I expand my build threads so others can learn how to duplicate my mistakes. Careful what you wish for.   I measured the wheelbase and mapped out the chassis. Then I installed axle spacers on all 4-corners to help figure out the track width as well as center the chassis to the body when I glue in the body posts. I will remove the rear axle spacers after cutting the axles to length on final assembly. The front axle spacers remain in place to keep the independent wheels centered. 5mm spacing per corner was just right for this combination of parts. The chassis lays down nicely in the body. The tires are touching the inside of the top of the fenders at this point. But avoid the sides of the fenders. The build is self-slamming. I used to scratch my head on how to figure out the length of the posts. Toothpicks are a handy measuring device. I'm looking forward to seeing this car run. This will be the lowest car I've ever built. If this car runs half as good as the RS61? It will be a blast to drive! :yahoo:

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

    • 3
    • 9
    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Installing new braids in guides This is one way to install new braids/wire. I'm certain there are many variations. First, tin the motor. I gently roll the wire with a razor knife to barely cut a line into the shielding so as not to cut the core. The shielding pulls off with a small tug without taking any precious wire with it. You want the entire copper core if you can. The wires are cut to length to go past the guide by about 20mm. 4mm of the shielding is stripped on the motor end and about 8mm from the guide end. The loose core is twisted to prevent fraying. The small ends are tinned, and soldered to the motor. The long end that goes into the braid is folded in half to help the set-screw grip the wire. It also lessons the strain that might prematurely fatigue the wire. Have the following tools ready to go. Small razor/knife, 2mm set-screw pre-installed in the driver, and a very small flat-screw driver. Slide the braid through the guide. Use the knife to open the braid in the center just enough to fit the small screw-driver. Open the braid enough so the wire can easily fit. Slip the folded wire into the braid until the shield meets the braid. Make sure the wire is closest to the inside, or center of the guide. Then slid it into the guide and install the 2mm set-screw outside the braid, in the center hole. Repeat on the opposite side keeping the wire close to the inside again. Keeping the wires near the inside of the guide keeps the total movement of the wire to a minimum. It has less fatigue on the wire making it last longer. Less strain on twisting the guide helps the car slip through corners. Thanks for looking. Ken

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: How To – Build It

    • 3
    • 3
    • 4 years ago

      Arthur

    • 1949 Ford Tudor in red With the Carrera Panamericana around the corner. It's time to give Fred and his blue Tudor a bit of a break. Emilio Portez Medina and Armando Rodrigues Morado, both from Mexico, are busy preparing a red 1949 Ford Tudor #119 for the next race (1950). Emilio's red Tudor has a BWNC1. Fred's blue Tudor has a BWMS050.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

    • 3
    • 7
    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Independent front wheels One of the first lessons Art showed me was how to make independent front wheels. Thank you very kindly Art. I was asked to pass it on. You can buy independent front axles. But it's far too easy to make your own. The ingredients are as follows: Professor Motor axle blanks, Dubro #2 flat washers (hobby store), soldering iron, Lucky Bob's acid flux, drill, file, and fine rosin-core solder. I polish both sides of the washer with 2000-grit paper to remove burrs or dirt. Then I install the axle in the drill press and press the washer on (flat side to the wheel). Some fall off so I discard those. Others won't go on so I discard those as well. You'll lose about two out of ten washers. You can also use a small hammer and your eye. However, the washer may not be as true as a drill press. I touch the a little solder to the iron and gently dab it onto the washer without disturbing it. I'm not concerned about the blob of solder on the end of the washer. You'll see why shortly. Then I install the axle in a drill. Spin it up and use a file to chew away the extra solder that isn't needed. I gently file all three sides of the washer to make it very smooth. Let the drill do the work. Nice little pile of lead left on the file and work bench. As true as my drill press can get it, and ready to use. Not to mention as thin as the washer itself. Takes about 10-minutes.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: How To – Build It

    • 2
    • 1
    • 4 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • 65 Mustang 2+2 My very first thread was February 2018. Before I knew how to scratch-build, I posted a pic of an Eldon Shelby GT350 that I put together using an old Hornsby plastic chassis. It ran like... an old Hornsby plastic chassis. What a surprise. You only get what you invest. It was unrealistic to hope for more. It was time to re-visit the old Mustang idea. But with a fresh start. This is an AMT static kit I painted at the cottage. This chassis was going to hang out more than any other on this car forcing me to re-invent the back section. It's not perfect. But it's an improvement.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

    • 3
    • 8
    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Maserati 250F (Scalex body) There is a Shelby #5 car in the database already. So in an attempt to be different, I grabbed a can of Tamiya Coral Blue not knowing how the car would look. Without the details, it looks a bit scary. Over the top blue. The rest of the car made all the difference. Art's suggestion of white roundels really made the numbers and colour pop.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen in: Scratch Built Models

    • 3
    • 4
    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

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