267 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

This is my first hardbody so I'm a total newb  and I can use some help from my friends, please.

Don Weaver gifted me this body years ago, and now is the time...…...

 

 

My first question is, what ruleset to build it to? I'm thinking either D3 or Mid-South?

[Pablo]

I found some D3 rules that look good, but I don't know if my Lola is a "mid-engine" car or not???

 

Mid-Engine class

BODY
1. May use any 1/24 – 1/25 scale plastic model car kit, mid-engine car.
Typical cars for this new class: LeMans race cars, GT-1, GTR, Can Am, Exotic high performance cars, etc.
2. May flatten sides below body belt line, but not beyond vertical.
3. May not alter wheel wells (bodies with side skirt covering wheel well area is allowed or can be
removed if it resembles real 1/1 race car)
4. Must have 3-D driver/interior, chassis not visible through interior.
5. Must have kit front and rear bumpers unless supported by photo documentation
6. Aero devices from kit or scratch built to resemble real car (documentation may be requested)
Cars with rear wing which Is not an integral part of the body must have at least 50% of the wing beyond the rear
portion of the body unless supported by photo documentation.
7. Must use front windshield and rear windows (including quarter windows) from kit or .015" thick (min.) clear plastic.
8. Body must extend beyond chassis when viewed from above. No part of chassis may be
visible from above and wider than the bottom portion of body. Body side panels cannot extend
beyond vertical.
9. Body can be cut out (or modified) to provide clearance for spur gear, but gear must be covered/not visible from above.
10. Body must have 3 numbers

CHASSIS
1. May be anglewinder, sidewinder or inline.
2. Must be scratchbuilt using any materials.
3. Maximum chassis width 3.250”. Chassis cannot extend beyond body side panel when viewed from above.
4. Wheelbase to be determined by center of wheel wells in body (plus or minus 1/16”).
Complete wheel/tire assembly must be visible in wheel well at a point level with axle centerline.
Bodies with side skirt covering wheel well area is allowed or can be removed if it resembles real car.
5. Ground clearance - .050” rear min., .015” front min., measured under axles (front of body to front axle, rear of body to rear axle).

TIRES
1. Tires cannot extend beyond the body when viewed from above and cannot exceed 3.25” width.
2. Rear tire diameter, .950” minimum, maximum width .700”.
3. Front tire diameter, .850” minimum, minimum width .225”

MOTOR
1. Must use stock (sealed, no tampering) TSR D3, Falcon 7 or Retro Hawk motor.

Read more: http://d3hardbodyrac...s#ixzz5rFfAaQXO
 

[Rotorranch]

The engine on the real car is in front of the rear axle, and behind the driver, so yes it's mid-engine.

 

 

Rotor

[Pablo]

Thanks Jeff 

 

D3 has a very active hardbody presence here on Slotblog, thanks to Keith Tanaka, so my path is clear - D3 rules 

 

Don Weaver says:

-ditch the stock interior and install a lexan unit

-use scale size wheels

No problemo 

 

A heavy body needs a heavy chassis. That part is right up my alley 

[Ecurie Martini]

Patti's Place (Australia) makes decals for several different T 70's

 

EM

[Vlado Yankov]

[Bill from NH]

You probably know Hardbody D3  has its own BBS, which provides an idea of what some of their cars & building ideas look like. On hardbodies, decals don't go on the inside of the body.

[Don Weaver]

On hardbodies, decals don't go on the inside of the body.

 

Kinda like when laying sod... "greenside up!" 

[Pablo]

Thanks everybody, even Bill wins a cookie 

Look what I found in my decals n stickies "drawer of horrors":

 

 

Didn't even know what body they were for until Vlado showed it 

[Bill from NH]

The DANA 52 was driven by Peter Revson.

[eshorer]

One of the innovations that really works with Hardbody cars is to put a slab of brass weight behind the rear axle. It helps to keep them from tipping. Check out Keith Tanaka's excellent website for recent pics here: https://socald3.smug.../Hardbody-races

Eddie

[Pablo]

Thanks Bill Thanks Eddie 

[Pablo]

Rough planning:

 

 

Studying the photos of D3 HB cars at BP, I don't see a single Lola T70. The sides are curved, and the width only allows 2 3/4" track front and rear, whereas the rules allow up to 3.250". No wonder nobody uses it. So I still plan to use D3 HB rules as a guide for my car, but it won't be a BP race car at all. That said, here we go.....

 

WB 4", GL 1/2", track front and rear 2 3/4", clearances 15/50 thou sloped, rears .950 OD X < .700 wide, fronts .850 OD X > .225 wide.

Axles 3/32", Hawk Retro in sidewinder configuration, 64 pitch gears, total weight about 170 grams

[Keith Tanaka]

Pablo, I recently indicated (on our Blog website) that our D3 Hardbody rules would provide a "new" separate category for Can Am and 60's Le Mans race cars. Originally, these classes were included in our "mid-engine" class, but these older race cars are typically much narrower (except for the Porsche 917 Can Am car which is very wide) than the newer mid-engine cars. I haven't posted the new rules for the Can Am/60's Le Mans cars yet but basically the tires and chassis cannot extend beyond the body. The main reason for a separate class for these older cars is to establish a separate "Lap Differential" so these cars can compete with the wider, newer, mid-engine cars.

Hopefully, this new separate class will motivate some of our D3 hardbody builder/racers to try Can Am and 60's Le Mans cars. I've always liked the 60's era race cars since I originally raced slot cars in the mid 60's.

 

By the way, one of our D3 Hardbody racers, Bob Krigbaum was the first to build/race a Tamiya Lotus 30/40 back in 2014. I believe he also built a Lola T70. 

Bob Krigbaum's Tamiya Lotus 30 on the purple lane during a D3 hardbody race at Buena Park Raceway, April 19, 2014.

 

 

Keith

http://d3hardbodyracing.proboards.com/

[Pablo]

Very cool, thanks for the info. I was planning to use a Hawk 25 since it couldn't conform to the rules anyway, but now I'll go back to my original plan with a Hawk Retro.

 

I'll be looking for those new rules.....

[eshorer]

And, if you happen to want that car raced out here in a Hardbody race when it's done, I happen to know an able and willing driver with decent credentials.  :-)

Eddie

[Pablo]

We got us a test monkey pilot volunteer    

Consider it done. Do you want the driver stickers to read "Peter Revson", or "Eddie Shorer" or "Team Boola"?

[Ecurie Martini]

I did a bit of research awhile back looking for the most advantageous prototype for one of our local classes that included the CanAm era.  As I recall, the Ferrari 612P at about 87" was the widest example that I found.

 

EM

[eshorer]

We got us a test monkey pilot volunteer  

Consider it done. Do you want the driver stickers to read "Peter Revson", or "Eddie Shorer" or "Team Boola"?

Let's put "Eddie Shorer" on it, and hope for a better finish than Mr. Revson.  Cool! This'll be fun!

Eddie

[Bill from NH]

Not to put pressure on you Pablo, but I've seen Eddie win the race  when he's driving a top hard body car. 

[Pablo]

Word on the streets is, wheel size rules for the new class will be same as regular mid-engine rules:

Fronts >.850 OD X >.225 width

Rears >.950 OD X <.700 width.

 

I ordered Pro Track "retro" hard fronts, part #526

 

 

Pretty sweet, reasonably priced, and advertised as 7/8 (.875) OD X .300 width.

They actually mike at .890 OD X .260 tread width. So I'll trim and re-true them down some, no problem.

 

What I don't like is the excess glue wasn't wiped off at the factory. I thought it would be an easy matter of wiping it off with a lacquer thinner soaked Q-tip. It ended up being 30 minutes of fighting goobers of snot in the rim slots with Q-tips, pipe cleaners, tissues, and tweezers. Must be some strong glue. I just don't feel I should have to clean snot off such nice wheels.

 

A bitchy sailor is a happy sailor   The rears are coming soon...…... 

 

 

[Martin]

All the race car back then added fender flares as tires got wider. Is this an option for this project?
 
Click on the picture to view the rear flares. Not sure why it does not center.

[Pablo]

Thanks Martin, cool suggestion, but the rules haven't been announced yet. I doubt that would be legal but I'm just guessing.

 

Do I have the skills to flare wheelwells on a hardbody without ruining it? I can answer that right now no   

[Martin]

I have an original Tamiya Lora T70. I hated the interior with that lump in the middle and the wheel arches look way too large for slot car wheels, that and wanted it to look like a 1967 Can Am race car. I pushed the track out to 3'' and fit the arches to the wheels.

These are a couple more examples.

I do not believe you do not have the skills.

If you do ruin it I will replace it. No questions ask. Kinda like that Pizza add.

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[Bill from NH]

It's a job using plastic, glue, & putty. 1/32 guys are doing it all the time. YouTube may even have a video, HRW will definitely have pictures.