173 replies to this topic

[MattD]

You missed what I was saying.  I know the guy you are building it for and he values it as a collectable, the peak of the1960's  scratch building art.    He may run a few laps, but will not take a chance to damage it.    You take for granted  builds of this level.   To a lot of us mortals this is a skill level we will never reach.    For us, builds like this are so far above what we can do that we wouldn't ever run it hard like our everyday cars.    Your builds like this  reach  guys that are not just racers, many of us are vintage collectors and this type of build is a collectable, not just a car to race.

[Pablo]

Thanks for the compliments    I never suggested any of my vintage cars be run to the limits. Once they start getting thrashed like a flexi the guarantee is voided. LOL  It only takes a few careful laps by a skilled driver who was alive in the late 60's to know if a car has the "right stuff" or not.

 

Styrene sheet is scheduled to arrive tomorrow 

[Pablo]

Styrene has arrived. Looking at the two thicknesses, I like the .060 better for this build. Cut as planned 7/8 x 2 1/4". The extra scraps are for glue and paint experiments 

 

 

 

[Pablo]

Quickie rattle can paint to styrene test swatch experiments. L to R, grey primer, white, chrome. All dried fast and adhered well. Lower test piece is a CA glue test with .032 wire, which I plan to test by prying it off with my strong meaty fingers. I'll decide which I like best tomorrow

 

[Pablo]

Wing paint and glue experiment results, chrome Rustoleum paint is my favorite. Strength test of .032 wire to styrene wasn't bad but not as strong as I'd hoped.

 

Still working on it .........

 

 

 

[James Wendel]

If you want strong bonding with dissimilar materials, I recommend Permatex Plastic Welder.  (I think Devcon is the same).  I bought some at True Value.  I think Home Depot may also carry it.

 

Insanely strong, sets up fast, but NASTY chemicals... use only with lots of ventilation, like outside and stay upwind.

[dc-65x]

That Plastic Welder James recommended Is really strong stuff:

 

 

I used to use it to reinforce my vintage hardbody race cars.

 

I did this on the Mirage wing:

 

I ZAP glued the wing to the strut and filled the area inside the wire with epoxy, primed with Tamiya fine white primer, Testors gold base and metallic red top coat:

 

 

I like the way the epoxy flows and looks smooth and clean but it might not be as strong.

[Pablo]

5200 or Sikaflex, the boat will break in half before the glue fails LOL

 

Thanks guys, I just tried a 2 part Devcon clear wire to styrene test. We shall see in the morning.

 

Had some very high humidity today (as usual) but I'm sold on the chrome. One thing I learned today is, better to leave outdoors paint job dry outside instead of bringing it from 88 degrees/95% humidity into 72 degrees/55% humidity. It bubbles up immediately    

[Pablo]

Wing is done. No fancy physics shaping, just beveled the edges with 400, then finished with 2,000 grit. Rattle canned with chrome. Trying to be like Capt. Rick always turns out good 

 

[Pablo]

Better builders talented in visualizing and implementing a design probably could have done this wing in a few hours. Tony P. told me once he knows exactly where and how all the pieces of his chassis builds before he even begins.

 

I'm not that guy. I don't have visualization skills. I'm simply a copy cat and a mechanic. I've done lots of testing to make this wing. Paints, glues, template, etc. Enough to know what will work, and what won't. Here is my (rough) test .032 attachment piece gizmo, heavily inspired by dc-65x and tailored for my chassis 

 

 

I like it. Next step is making a perfected copy using plated Swiss wire ......

[Bill from NH]

Do you have a honeycombed hole  ceramic soldering plates?  Your shape & others could be easily be jigged up for soldering.  The 5"x7" size plate can be used as a chassis jig for 1/32 & 1/24 too.

[Pablo]

I don't, but I wish I did    Don't worry, I'll be fine with what I have for now.

 

Wing support strut assembly is done. Practicing with the template and K & S .032 wire scraps paid off - I didn't ruin a bunch of precious Swiss plated wire    I have to brag, I nailed both the four-bend and two-bend gizmos first try 

 

The only critically precise checkpoint on the gizmo is the width of the uprights - Russkit bracket sides are .906" wide. Add a pair of .063 tubes, and the centers of the wires must be .969" wide. I nailed that too, at least close enough to slide into the tubes, anyway.

 

 

Tube pieces soldered to bracket sides and main middle rail at ground zero

 

 

"Hey Bunky, is this wing too high?" 

 

 

[Pablo]

As dc-65x suggested, the wires work like pins in pin tubes. The wing can be pulled straight up and off, and re-inserted. If you (gently) push the wires down to the hilt, the rise from top of body to forward lower edge of wing is 1/2".

 

It can be raised or lowered (by cutting the bottoms of the wires). But Fred suggested about 1/2" so I made it so. Holes through the body for the wires are big enough for the body to move without conflicting. Any and all downforce goes directly to the motor bracket and rails

 

[Isaac S.]

Looks great Pablo, are you planning on a putting a Team Russkit style front diaplane on? 

[Pablo]

Thanks Isaac 

 

No, but if you can show me a photo of a 1966 Team Russkit McLaren race car that had one, I'll look at it. I've seen this one, looks like the beginning of time of diaplanes LOL (the Larimer #3) Too ugly for me to even consider for this car. Neither Capt. Rick's, nor Jairus' cars had one 

 

 

No disrespect intended - if I was at a 1966 pro race and saw a competitor do that, I'd cut one and staple it to my body in the blink of an eye. You are the historian, show me 

[Isaac S.]

Morrissey, Larimer and all the guys one the team were actually well-known for there use in air-control. First, some Elva's from the "early days". Race reports are from the 1st R and C race.

 

Now a recreation McLaren built by Brian Warmack. 

If you look slightly above the Larimer and Quintana cars you show you can find a Morrissey Ferrari 330 with a cleaner diaplane. 

These style spoilers that go into a slit in the front were used well into 1967. 

 

Hope this helps. P.S. Jairus's Russkit Elva had one.  

[Pablo]

OK thanks Isaac, I'm a believer    If the owner wants a diaplane, I'll do it 

 

Wing is done. Paints are all acrylic (I got tired of waiting for good outside weather). Primered, 2 light coats of Model Master Silver, then acrylic clear coated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Martin]

Pablo, are you sticking to the plan, or are you just winging it ?

[Pablo]

  "Yes" 

 

[Pablo]

Isaac, you asked about possibly installing a diaplane. I appreciate and understand your evidence. My personal choice for this car is to not mess with the front end. The owner can certainly experiment with diaplanes on the car if he wants to gain a tenth of a second  

 

Onward .........

[Isaac S.]

Sounds good. Was just wondering. 

[Pablo]

Doubled a piece of 10 thou Lexan with CA, punched holes, set up a little jig gizmo, and tacked the pipes with a couple drops of CA

 

 

Then slathered Devcon in the gaps

 

 

Once the rear end is painted, it will simply be filament taped on. The only thing you will see from the outside is the pipes

 

[Martin]

I find these details EXHAUSTING 

But I like them

[Pablo]

Keep 'em coming, humor is good for the soul 

 

If that tickles you, how about this?  Pipe connector gizmo and all connectors for roll bar and mirrors are ready for paint. They will be same colors as the body - orange backed with white 

 

 

Inside decals are done (all the others are going outside)

 

 

Pipes and attachment gizmos ready to go. The opposite sides are white - same as the body backing

 

[Pablo]

All paints acrylic. Main color is 2 drops of Createx Fluorescent Orange into a cup of Parma Fasorange, backed with RTR white. Skirts are Model Master silver backed with white