92 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

Thanks to our friend Slot Car Rod, after a little horse trading, I now have not only a Lancer Chaparral 2G Super Comp (the subject of this build thread) but also the wild 2H version.  

 

Here is Jim Hall in his 2G at the 1967 Can Am race at Road America:

 

 

Look how wild looking it is in comparison to it's contemporaries:

 

 

The Lancer Super Competition bodies first showed up in the Auto World Catalog in the first 1968 issue:

 

 

 

Here's my perfect Lancer beauty:

 

 

The detail in this body, not to mention the full interior and wing kit, is fantastic:

 

 

 

 

 

Time to start building.   

[Lone Wolf]

Sweet

 

Nice clear body.

 

When I look at that first pic with Jim driving the first thing that came to mind is the Cox driver figure.

 

Good times in America when model makers took great pride in their work.

 

God bless America tonight.

[Martin]

As a young boy, I can still remember sliding a Lancer body from its box and being amazed at the detail. Thanks you Loyd 

 

Looking forward to this build.

[don.siegel]

Good horse-trading Rick! 

 

Did Lancer do the 2G in a regular version as well? I believe so. 

 

And now that I see this body, I realize I probably have one on a kind of trashed car; I thought the body was cut down, but looking at your photos it may have come like that! 

 

Don 

[Bill from NH]

Don, when Tom Andersen was pulling bodies, he did the regular version of the Lancer 2G. I included one free with an order of mine.

[dc-65x]

.......Did Lancer do the 2G in a regular version as well? I believe so.

Rodney has the scale version of Lancer's 2G Don. They both look pretty similar from the top but from the side you can really tell how much Lancer lowered the overall height of the Super Comp body.
 

..........Good times in America when model makers took great pride in their work.

........As a young boy, I can still remember sliding a Lancer body from its box and being amazed at the detail.

I started thinking how important the body is to me in my choice of what to build next. It is THE deciding factor. I decide on the body and then research the historically appropriate mechanical components and chassis design.

 

I know I'm really living in the past but I love it!   

[n.elmholt]

Rick,
I am normally crazy about Chaparral cars, but the 2G is not my favourite.

The 2E was a very nice car, but the need for bigger wheels and engines put their mark on the development of the car and the 2G was the result :-(
However, the quality of the Lancer 2G body is just an amazing  and a piece of art in itself :-)  - and I am sure You will make a splendid model out of it.

 

Niels, DK

[dc-65x]

I agree with you Niels, I like the 2E more too. What I like about this "low and wide" 2G is it will be a full on 1968 "PRO" car that doesn't look like a door stop and I'll have all 6 of the first Lancer Super Comp cars released. 

 

I recently bought an eBay Lancer 2E that's PERFECT. It's the scale lightweight version and I want to build it "scale". It will make a cool contrast with the 2G.

[dc-65x]

"inspiration" for my chassis and running gear is coming from Bryan Warmack's beautiful "batwinder" he raced in the July 6, 1968 Texas Car Model:

 

 

 

Here is the July 19, 1968 Model Racing Journal that covered the race and Bryan's car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dc-65x]

I've admired Bryan Warmack's batwinder for years. In fact I built a clone of it in 2005 which ended up at LASCM. Here's a picture of it before I even had a digital camera:

 

 

17 years later rather than cloning I'm going to build my version of Bryan's beauty. First thing I'm going to do differently (not better by any means just to my particular taste and abilities) is the drop arm. I'm using a Cobra 3/4" plate drop arm as shown in this May 1968 MCJ ad:

 

 

Here are the drop arm, front and rear axle tubes and motor bracket for the build:

 

 

I set up the jig motor with bracket at 16 degrees of angle and temporarily soldered it to the axle tube. The motor is pushed as far to the right as possible and still have the pinion and spur gears align:

 

 

Now the fun begins. No half rails. No motor box. Just a continuous rail from the front axle to rear axle with many critical bends to snake it around the motor.

[dc-65x]

The key to these early angle winder chassis are the one piece main rails running from the front axle to the back axle. All the angles have to match the angle of the motor or the chassis will look goofy so I spent a lot of time the get these rails made:

 

 

 

With the jig motor, motor bracket and axle tube set in the jig with the rail, it's time to start soldering:

 

[don.siegel]

Rick, 

 

In the first shot, it looks like brass tube and in the others like rod, or are the holes we see an optical illusion? ... and aren't these main rails usually piano wire? 

 

Just wondering. 

 

Another great project! 

 

Don 

[zipper]

I think just the angle shows the shine effect.

[dc-65x]

Yes, that first photo showing the main rails to look like tube is an "optical delusion".  Generally speaking, except for the piano wire "thingies", main rails evolved from brass pin tube to brass rod and then a mix of brass rod and piano wire to all piano wire to sheet steel. 

 

When I built my clone of this chassis in 2005 it was with the watchful eye of PdL so I believe it was supposed to be all brass. My current inspired by version is going to be all brass too. Brass chassis are my personal favorite.

[Alchemist]

Look at that crowd in the upper right corner photo! ! !

 

Remember the excitement of yesteryear!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing the article Rick.

 

Ernie

[Mr. M]

The crowd was like that even into the modern era, Chicago Nats at Jerry Kulich’s was pack for the main.

[dc-65x]

The main rails are installed and it's starting to look like something. No polishing yet just a quick wash and rub down with a Scotch Brite pad:

 

 

A 1/4" strip reinforcement................

 

 

...........goes under the rear axle tube and attaches to both main rails:

 

 

A brass rod brace further reinforces the rear axle:

 

 

With the motor bracket soldered to the main rail...........

 

 

............another brass rod brace is bent to shape............

 

 

............that connects the bracket to the rear axle tube:

 

 

4 more inner and outer main rails are next along with the "traditional" 1/4" brass strip in front of the motor connecting all the main rails together.

 

 

[don.siegel]

Crazy bends, man! 

 

Don 

[dc-65x]

After over a week of battling a cold or the flu or whatever in the heck I caught (not Covid at least) I'm back at work on the chassis. The outer rails were added and the all important 1/4" brass cross strip. The rails were tinned and the cross strip soldered on from the top:

 

 

With that all cleaned up the drop arm hinge and up stop added, the final inner rails were bent up..........

 

 

...........and installed on that all important 1/4" cross strip:

 

 

This really strengthened the frame:

 

 

The drop arm is next.....

[SpeedyNH]

gorgeous as always, Captain. 

[Mike Patterson]

Rick, how much guide lead are you planning to use? That body is kinda short in the nose, compared to modern offerings.

[dc-65x]

Thanks Steve, it's coming along.  

 

This body has a short nose compared to vintage offerings too Mike. With a Cox quick change guide (under the body) the lead will come in well under the mythical ideal 7/8" at about 5/8".  I'm sure that's one reason we've haven't seen a 2G in the tech charts of a major period race report. 

 

There is the option of a Cox trailing guide but I'm going with a conventional setup for now anyway:

 

 

Here's the finished center section/chassis ready for polishing and some huge "Bat Pans":

 

 

[Larry Horner]

You've done it a couple of times now but I really love the detail where you've milled the back of the arm! Wonder if Santa can get a milling machine down a chimney?

[dc-65x]

My little milling machine in the garage comes in handy for jobs like that Larry.........but that garage is COLD now.  

 

I was going to use it for my bat pans but I decided to stay inside where it's warm. I've been busy with layout dye, a scribe, my trusty bandsaw and a file. 

[Regis4446]

Very nice work and very nice pictures of details, thank you Rick.

 

Lancer bodies are the best for me.