63 replies to this topic

[Tex]

Shiny goodness.

 

Awesome!

 

Brutal!

[dc-65x]

Thanks Tex, that big, black wrinkle finished B-motor does look menacing amongst all that brass!

 

I hope you find one soon Tony. Can your friend run the 1972 Mura C-can motor at Tottenham? You did a killer article in the September 1972 issue of Miniature Auto Racing  called "PRO RACING East Coast Style". One of the chassis you showcased is what you called "a standard East Coast chassis" you built for Fred "Da Flash". It's really clean and elegant in it's straight forward design. It's a favorite of my and is on my "to build" list. No "unobtainium" center section needed, just a drop arm and pans and I have extra's of those. 

[SlotStox#53]

That is one braid ripping monster you've created Rick   !!!!

 

Epic save on the pan width, Mr milling machine saves the day !

 

 

Have to keep an eye out on epay along with Tony, seeing this all built up inspires me to build a steel center section car

[tonyp]

Rich they use Mura and Champion cans from the era up to around 72...

[dc-65x]

I just checked out their rules and your car I mentioned would fit perfectly.

[JHMerriman]

Wow! Do you ever build anything that isn't perfect looking?    It would take me forever to even come close to your high level of quality. Thanks for sharing!

[Pablo]

Capt. Rick's builds not only look perfect, they are perfect indeed.  Welcome to dc-65x Diaries, Sir James    It is impossible to catch up to a guy like dc-65x (or OKeefe - or Tony P - or PdL - or Mike Steube)10 years from now he is going to be 10 years ahead of us   and it will continue for eternity. But it sure is a lot of fun trying to keep up !   

[dc-65x]

Thank you for the kind words but I think I'm more persistent than skilled like the icon's you mention. I just keep plugging away over and over until I get things as good as I think I can.
 
Speaking of plugging away, now the hardest part for me begins...............painting and detailing a body.    I want to try and make this car perform well (hopefully     ) but finished as if it was to be entered in the race event's concours (again....HOPEFULLY ).
 
That's where wheel inserts on an open race car show up. Here's the concours winner from the 5th race. Cool car. Wheel inserts (at least in the rear???), mirrors and big honk'n velocity stacks:
 

 
I'm going to have a go at a McLaren Mk8A:
 


I'm using a repop Dynamic by True Scale. Victor does beautiful work:
 

 

I've got decals by Pattos Place and a set by Fred Cady:

 

 

Here are some detail pieces I'm going to try out. Don't know if I'll use them all but we'll see :

 

 

I finished the first step and got the thing trimmed and mounted:

 

 

It is pretty low and swoopy!

 

 

Onward to paint and detail land.........arg

[SlotStox#53]

Wow that thing really is LOW & SWOOPY !   Gonna look good all detailed up Rick

 

Thought you'd hidden the airbrush

[dc-65x]

 

Thought you'd hidden the airbrush

 

Don't temp me Paul! 

[Jairus]

Man up Rick, you are a wonderful painter. 

[Regis4446]

 Great story and superb restoration of the châssis.

[Hworth08]

One nice car!

 

Amazing how much slot cars evolved from '64 till 69.

[dc-65x]

Thanks for your comments guys, it's always much appreciated.

 

I've been busy putting all the detail pieces together and poking holes in the body for them in preparation for paint.

 

I found another use for my beloved Rick's Chassis Jig.....bending up a roll bar to a precise dimension:

 

 

Pushing the bend around with that aluminum block makes a nice neat bend....much better that than using fingers.

 

Another detailing thing I wanted was mirrors. PdL told us how he would reinforce the mirrors with a metal pin and he's right.

 

Below is the funky Revell mirror transformed with a .047" piano wire post:

 

 

OK, I can't stall any longer. Time for paint. I've got some Pactra RC red and yellow paint ready to try and mix into a McLaren orange color.

 

Wish me luck................

[Pablo]

Good Luck

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!! 

[James Wendel]

just a little red 

[SlotStox#53]

Make the force be with you & just a little luck! You will be fine Rick

Can't wait to see the results

[dc-65x]

Her she is................................

 

 

..................well, maybe not! Sure is somebodies beautiful model though.    I like the color but I think mine will be closer to the car below with just mixing a little red into yellow:

 

 

Every picture I look at the color is a bit different so..............

[dc-65x]

It's painted. Here's the painted shell next to a Mk6 (that turned out a bit too orange) I did years ago:

 

 

Detailing time.............

[Bill from NH]

Rick, I think your orange color came out nice! Will you be tinting the windshield green? Did you write down your paint proportions used so you can duplicate that shade for your next McLaren?

[dc-65x]

Hi Bill,

 

I used my last bottles of Pactra RC lacquer. I hear they're not making it anymore?? So I guess my recipe doesn't matter any more for this paint.  But I dipped a wooden cotton swab stick into the bottle of red and quickly transferred it over to the bottle of yellow and stirred it around....3 times.

[Bill from NH]

Rick, PCH still shows Pactra bottles in the reds & yellows on their website. You could mailorder a couple bottles of each to keep on hand for any future use.

[Mbloes]

 

 

I'm using a repop Dynamic by True Scale. Victor does beautiful work:

 

Just to confirm, is this body 3 1/8" or 3 1/4" wide?  When did they go wholesale to 3 1/4 width?

[dc-65x]

Hi Mike,

 

The body is 3 1/8" wide.

 

 

When did they go wholesale to 3 1/4 width?

 

I'm not sure. But I do know that the Kirby Lola T160 and McLaren M8A bodies I have are 3 1/4" wide. I was really temped to use one of those rather than narrow up my chassis. But the Kirby's don't show up in the newsletter ads until, I think, early 1970.

[Dave Fiedler]

Hi guys,

 

If I'm reading the 69  car model rules right, it doesn't specify chassis or frame width. Just track width at the wheels and overall width of the body.

 

3" at the wheels and 3 and a quarter overall body maximum width. Could this be correct? I think the usra rules were the same.

 

Kinda strange, me thinks.

 

Sano Dave