168 replies to this topic

[Mike Steube]

I'm on a body quest for my JD sport car class. I'm in need of help sourcing some .010" lexan bodies that would be a fit for the 1966 R&C sport car theme. True Scale Products will no longer be producing it's retro line of bodies. I've been very busy putting this class together and have been postponing the search for other sources of JD bodies. Well, the need is on my door step. I'm sending out an SOS. (not Sting and the Police)( humm was it the Police?) Well, doesn't matter. SOS
I'm checking into these so far:
O/S Lola T-70 Spyder OS-412

True Scale Products is not for sale and is not going out of business. He is only discontinuing the Retro bodies.

[Mark Wampler]

Mike,

I'm going to post the approved Toytech bodies here. Steve does 10 thou in Lexan. Far as period correctness, historians will pick and choose. The P3/P4 is available. I will be meeting with Steve today to discuss these late developments.

Toytech-Dynamic TR179 McLaren M8A
Toytech-Lancer TR180 Shelby King Cobra
Toytech-Lancer TR183 Ferrari 350P4
Toytech-MAC TR195 Lola T160
ToyTech-Dynamic Lola T-70
ToyTech-Russkit McKee

Toytech Honker
Toytech Mirage
Toytech Chaparral 2-H

[Mike Steube]

Thanks, Mark. The cars need to be no newer than 1966 Can Am cars. No 1967 and newer.

[Mark Wampler]

Ok, thanks Mike. Steve is a fairly substantial museum owner and up on history. Let's see what's in the vault

[John Streisguth]

From what I have read on the results of the 1966 Can-Am races, only the Lola T-70 (if Mk. 1 or 2) and the McKee (if Mk. 6) would be eligible. I'm not sure if the King Cobra preceded the Can-Am series, but it is not listed in the results I looked at.
Other possibilities:
Lotus 23 and 30
McLaren 1A+B
McLaren-Elva Mk.2
Ford GT-40
Porsche 906 + spyder
Genie Mk. 10
Chapparal 2E
Ferrari Dino 206S

There are other obscure makes that ran but it's doubtful a body was ever produced.

Including 1967 bodies would probably make many more available. Just a thought if availability is an issue.

[gascarnut]

Of the bodies that Mark posted, only the Lola T70 and the Mirage are pre-1970.

The Toytech Ferrari P3/350 CanAm is a 1967 car.

The pre-1967 McLaren cars were the M1A and M1B (also known as McLaren-Elva Mk1 and Mk2).

Pre-1967 Chaparrals were the 2E in CanAm and the 2A (and 2C for just a few races) in USRRC.

There were also all kinds of weird and wonderful one-offs that ran in the CanAm in 1966, like the Wolverine, the Cherokee, the PAM Chevy, the Hamill SR3, Genie Mk10, and then there were still some of the carry-overs from the USRRC series like the Cooper-Fords, Lotus 19s etc.

[John Streisguth]

The results I was looking at did not show a Mirage until the 2nd or 3rd race of the 1967 season.

What bodies were actually used in the R&C series in 1966? Someone out there have the race reports handy?

[gascarnut]

The results I was looking at did not show a Mirage until the 2nd or 3rd race of the 1967 season.

Scooter Patrick ran the car at Las Vegas at the end of the 1966 series, retiring after 40 laps after a spin.

[John Streisguth]

Scooter Patrick ran the car at Las Vegas at the end of the 1966 series, retiring after 40 laps after a spin.

I see you are correct on that...I skimmed the DNF's pretty fast and missed it. Thanks.

But is the ToyTech body that one?

[Mark Wampler]

Steve will be reviewing inventory and I will post some more pics later. The Lola T70 and Lotus 40 are available from Toytech.

This is a pic of the Mirage I had on file. It may not be period correct

[gascarnut]

That's the Mirage M2-BRM Coupe from about 1969.

This is the one you need (thanks to the LASCM):

Terry Schmidt 1967 winner

[Mark Wampler]

Might be seeing Terry tonight for Monday D3 racing. I figured the pic I posted looked too boxy for a '66 car.

[John Streisguth]

That's the Mirage M2-BRM Coupe from about 1969.

This is the one you need (thanks to the LASCM):

Terry Schmidt 1967 winner

I am assuming you are refering to the light blue body in the color pics? The shot from the race report looks more like a Lola T-70 with weber sidedrafts.

[Mike Steube]

The Lola might be my car?

[John Streisguth]

Not unless you ran a car with "Terry" painted on the side windows

[TSR]

The light blue Terry Schmid car in the LASCM.com museum pictures is a Dynamic Mirage. It was used extensively by Terry and others for a while in 1967.
The black & white picture in the same webpage shows a Russkit Lola T70 that was also very popular until the Dynamic "Handling Bodies" came out.

Electric Dreams is going to produce in a hurry to help out the body supply, in thin PETG that is perfectly suitable for the speeds the Jail-Door cars are running, the Dynamic Lotus 40 and Lola T70 of which they already have good molds. These are 3-1/16" wide inside, meaning that they are suited for the 3" wide chassis. The wheelbase is 4".
The retail price will be competitive with the currently available bodies.

There appears to be a confusion out there about one of the Lotus 40 models sold by Electric Dreams, that is an exacting copy of the Russkit model: those are 2-7/8" wide and require the narrower chassis that were used by the pros throughout 1967, before the chassis width moved to 3". This is what it looks like:



One of my personal favorites and the one used by Team Russkit and Team Champion for a long time in the day.
The one you need for Jail-Door racing if you do not wish to remove 1/16" on each side of your frame is this one, originally made by Dynamic:



Like the others already on the market and now apparently unavailable, it requires trimming the body sides BELOW the trim line. This is something that will be fixed on the mold before too long, but not immediately.

Other bodies IMMEDIATELY available:

this Lancer 1967 Ferrari 350CA is in 10-thou Lexan and is in stock:



But it is from 1967 and not from 1966, so Mike S needs to decide if OK or not.

[n.elmholt]

Mike,
Toytechs body does not look "scale" to me - why don't you take a look at Tom Andersons bodies:

Tom Anderson

Niels, DK

[Duffy]

I was going to ask about Tom's bodies--I'm building a chassis around his Chaparral 2A right now.

Duffy

[gascarnut]

Electric Dreams is going to produce in a hurry to help out the body supply, in thin PETG that is perfectly suitable for the speeds the Jail-Door cars are running,

Suitable for the speeds perhaps, but not for the paints that some folk like to use........

And if you think the motor "discussions" have been heated, wait for the "discussions" about the comparitive performance of Lexan vs PETG bodies

Now if we could mandate PETG instead of lexan for all the bodies, then all of Tom Andersen's stuff would come into play, plus a lot of what John Dilworth (Howmet TX) is making too.

[MrWeiler]

Also the Testors Plymouth Special (I think it was a modified McKee) I think Terry makes that one. Cheetahs of various brands are period correct for 66 and earlier The Cooper Monaco/Ford "Snelby" would be legal..but short WB. Lancer had a great version of the Hammil SR3 if someone has the mold...

Mike

[HarV Wallbanger III]

I hope they will see fit to produce them in Lexan for the market or... someone will if they do not. I hear TrueScale is up for sale and that is why he is not making more right now. Hey Victor if that falls through let me know!

[TSR]

Barney,
Electric Dreams will do Lexan as soon as their machine is set up. There are still tons of stuff in the room where this is going to be done, and that stuff has to be moved out, the place cleaned and sealed and connections made. They are working on it.

So in the meantime, they have another facility in Anaheim that does PETG (but not Lexan) and they simply will make a few bodies as a stopgap until Lexan is available.
As far as paint, PETG is a bit sensitive to some paints so make sure that it works for you before painting. It may have no adhesion OR make the plastic brittle if the wrong paint is used. If the right paint is used, no issues and the plastic is strong enough.

I have been running PETG bods on some of my old vintage cars as well as some of our TSR cars and they have been holding well, so I know it can be done.

[Mike Steube]

Victor is not selling his TSP business. Due to work overload he is cutting back. The retro body portion of TSP is being shut down. He will continue his Scale bodies. True Scale Products will continue in business without the retro bodies being produced.

[Mark Wampler]

Body painters should weigh in on PETG. My experience relates to using lacquer on PETG as a thing to avoid. Unless you can do a semi-transparent coat that dries on contact, the lacquer etches into the plastic turning brittle. One decent bump sends chunks flying. Acrylic water base is just about the only thing you can use on PETG.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

I just talked to Mike and PETG will be last if we can not get bodies. I do not want to use water base paint. YUKKKKKK!