25 replies to this topic

[Jairus]

Okay, only way I say "plus" is because it's not totally stock.
While 95% of the original car are there, some bits were missing and sourced elsewhere.
Body was stripped of the original paint (silver) and some bits found on ebay like the intake manifold and carbs.
Still need headlights and front windshield, but the finished product should end up better than the original.

 

Yeah, it's got the "Ackerman" front wheel steering and for a moment I thought about removing that for my GT 40 project... but, naw.  Works great here.

 

Front wheels and rear rims are from Professor motor (free wheeling fronts and set screw rears requiring swapping out the threaded rear axle for a solid drill blank axle.)

 

Here we go again....

[Paul Menkens]

where do you get a set screw spur gear that can be used with a 36d without being too wide? What do you use for rear tyres?

[Jairus]

where do you get a set screw spur gear that can be used with a 36d without being too wide? What do you use for rear tyres?

The car came with a set screw rear spur gear and that rear is plenty wide for the wheels I have sourced.
The debate is whether to use original Cox rubber or some more modern gray donuts as I have both here.  The modern rubber stays soft much longer btw.

[Bill Seitz]

I had a Cox Cheetah and a Lotus 40 back in the day. I've heard disparaging remarks about the mag chassis, but I actually liked them over some of the other production slot car chassis of the time. Neither of my cars had the steering front end, and I also don't remember those two brass weights on top. Cox used a rear axle with tapered ends with matching tapered hubs. The taper made the wheels quite secure even if the knock-off nuts came off. I think I finally discarded the last of my plastic wrenches for them. The track was fixed with the tapered axles, but I thought they were a better idea over the much more common 5-40 threaded axles and jam nuts. A friend recently gave me two Classic cars, a Manta Ray and a Viper, and I've experienced unthreading wheels again for the first in a long time.

[Jairus]

Took almost the entire day, but managed to make the beginnings of a windshield mold.  A little primer and putty and she'll be right as rain!

 

[Jairus]

Long range projects seem to be a habit with me these days.
The Cox Cheetah, which I have been working on for a year now, has finally shown some progress.
Finished stripping and painting of the interior.
Body received headlight covers and I removed the two outside taillights because I don't like the cantered placement.
Rear wheels  are set screw, but the axle remains threaded to allow a narrower gear mounting.  However, I did order a set of BuzCo acorn nuts for the rear wheels to complete the look and lock down the rear axle.
So... we keep slogging through the mud.
Time to shoot some bright red paint and let it cure.

 

 

 

 

[Pablo]

Bad to the Bone bitchin' 

[Martin]

Love the spare tire strap,   and you did go with the steerable front end, with American mags no less. Nice

I only did that one time, when I wanted Cox Lotus wheels on a Cox Lotus RTR. To bad Cox only made the Ford wheels fit the steering front end.

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[Martin]

Hey Jairus, hope you do not mind me butting in? Would you mind sharing how you did the spare tire strap?

Would like to put one on this interior.

I thought it was finished until I saw yours. Look forward to seeing your Cheetha painted and on wheels.

 

Interesting ( and you probably know this) the race cars only had 2 taillights and the street cars 4.

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[Jairus]

Yes Martin, I knew that.
Besides I dislike the cantered taillights with a passion.

As for the spare tire hold down.... your's is correct with a center wing nut.  But the straps were cut from painted masking tape cut into strips with a photoetch "buckle" piece.
Simple trick and easy to reproduce.

[Martin]

Thanks, for the info.

The buckle adds a nice detail. I found some good shots of the tire tie down straps when I was researching the Cobra GT project.

[Jairus]

Well, this has been a long range project.
Got a few other projects done for customers here and there and went to my Nephew's wedding.
But... managed to get the body painted, decaled and clearcoated.
The Tamiya TS-13 paint went on in many thin coats and was polished as best I could.
Only thing left is vacuum forming a windshield.

 

 

I pulled 3 examples off the master and only manged to hurt it each time.  So made a mold and two resin copies that can take the heat better.

 

Interior is done, and the engine detailed with throttle linkage and fuel lines.
Just need to make one good pull on the vacuum former for the windshield... then final assembly.

Jairus

[dc-65x]

It's really beautiful Jairus.  

 

How do you do your body line accents?

[Jairus]

I use a Rapidograph technical drawing pen with india ink.  Double 00 size!
That is the same type of pen artists use to draw with.

Example:

[dc-65x]

Very cool drawing Jairus. Thanks for the info on Rapidograph Double 00 size pen.   

[Martin]

Good progress on the Cheetah Jairus. Looking forward to seeing how your windshields fit. I had problems with the stock windshields and put my Cheetahs off to the side for a while.

It seems in my case the the stock windshield interferes with the roll bar, and was not sure how to deal with that. 

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[Bill from NH]

Martin, did you use a pen & ink to outline your panels or did you use one of the Tamiya body line paints? I've seen both successfully used in the past.

[Martin]

Bill, I used Tamiya panel line paint. Its the first time I had used it. I was quite impressed with how you drop a small amount into the panel line and capillary action takes it from there. Sometimes it will go 2 to 3 inches at a time. 

 

I am easily amused

[dc-65x]

Looks great Martin. 

 

A couple of questions please:

 

Did you use the panel accent directly on your Tamiya lacquer or clear coat first?

What did you use to remove any unwanted panel accent on the top coat?

 

Thanks!

[Jairus]

Rick, the red paint is actually Testors bright red enamel.
The panel lines were drawn after light wet sanding and then buried under the clear lacquer.
The panel lines being India Ink can be corrected with a que-tip and water or Rubbing Alcohol.
Lines should be corrected before any clear is shot and that I build up very slowly since the lacquer can penetrate and raise the red or decals.

[Martin]

News flash. I just read the instructions on the Panel line accent color by Tamiya that I used. No clear for me BTW. Never sure what brand of clear is safe for decals etc.? Can you recommend one in a rattle can Jairus?

 

It clearly says (when using a magnifier)  DO NOT USE ON ENAMEL PAINT the label goes on to say use X-20 enamel thinner to wipe off. I would test that X-20 as I just wipe any boo boos off with a Q-tip and then used plastic polish once the panel line was dry.

 

Just like JHW, I will use ink from now on. Safer.

 

Too bad as it worked so well. Maybe just use it on Tamiya lacquer paints.

But its got bad stuff in it like Ethybenzene and Xylene. Do not need that

[Jairus]

Finished at last!
This thing was killing me and happy to have it on it's wheels finally.
Only thing I wish I had found were outside rear view mirrors.

 

 

 

 

A bit hard to see here but there are fuel lines and carb linkage added to the top of the engine details.

 

 

[Pablo]

       

[dc-65x]

Gosh I love Cheetahs and that's a beauty Jairus.

[Phil Smith]

I love Cheetas too, wspecially this one. And Jairus' is better than a real one because it has a stiffer frame.