24 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

Sorry for the blurry picture below of an eBay lot I won. I was going after a new Strombecker Brabham F1 carded body kit that was somehow separated from the rest of the kit. 

 

 

When I got the parts home I found a Revell BRM body that someone carefully detailed and assembled (I'll show more of this later in the finished pictures):

 

 

I thought it needed to be assembled into a complete car. I rounded up the parts needed. 

 

 

This is how a Revell slot car could be built up in 1963:

 

 

I think it was a bit later that Revell offered complete kits with the new Mabuchi motor:

 

 

Time to start assembling.......

[don.siegel]

Right you are Rick - the separate parts came out before the complete kits. Looking forward to seeing what you do here, since this is far from your scratchbuild comfort zone! 

 

I've got a fair number of these early Revell F1 bodies that were adapted to other chassis, mostly scratch or semi-scratch - they must have been very popular at the time. 

 

Now, the $100,000 dollar question: why did Revell recommend the smaller RP66 motor for their 1/25 models, and the larger RP77 motor for their 1/32 models? True, they both fit in both, especially because the 1/25 F1 models are a bit bloated, but still, always wondered about that.  

 

Don 

[Eddie Fleming]

Now, the $100,000 dollar question: why did Revell recommend the smaller RP66 motor for their 1/25 models, and the larger RP77 motor for their 1/32 models? True, they both fit in both, especially because the 1/25 F1 models are a bit bloated, but still, always wondered about that.  

 

Don 

Because they were ahead of there time. Getting ready for strap motors and segmented magnets? 

[MSwiss]

Right you are Rick - the separate parts came out before the complete kits. Looking forward to seeing what you do here, since this is far from your scratchbuild comfort zone! 
 
I've got a fair number of these early Revell F1 bodies that were adapted to other chassis, mostly scratch or semi-scratch - they must have been very popular at the time. 
 
Now, the $100,000 dollar question: why did Revell recommend the smaller RP66 motor for their 1/25 models, and the larger RP77 motor for their 1/32 models? True, they both fit in both, especially because the 1/25 F1 models are a bit bloated, but still, always wondered about that.  
 
Don 

Where you live, do they have 88,000 Euro questions?

[don.siegel]

We're very advanced digitally: we have 2-bit questions... 

 

Don 

[Alchemist]

Hi Rick,

 

Very nice!

 

With the body seemingly completed, hopefully you'll be able save some time and effort with the project.

 

I always look forward to the progress pictures.

 

Thanks for sharing Rick!

 

Ernie

[Lone Wolf]

Don, the earlier Revell aluminum chassis ( somewhere around 1963 ) are not as wide as the ones that came in the kits that use the 16D.  I have pics. 

 

The 66/77 motors fit much better in these. Not sure about the 77/1/32 recommendation tho. 

 

Rick, that body is sweet. Looks like an accomplished builder that handled the multi piece body very nicely. Grahams helmet too. 

 

I've built a few of these and the actually look pretty good when finished. There's pics of one here on SB I did but I can't find it.

 

The thing that really dressed it up is to use 1/8" ID tube to set axle width instead of a bunch of nylon spacers. 

 

I'm sure Rick is already on that 

[dc-65x]

I believe my 1/24 F1 chassis is a bit narrower than the 1/32 sports car chassis. My instructions said to use the RP66:

 

 

Of course I didn't need any instructions to do such a simple assembly......or did I?      After assembling and disassembling the frame and motor several time I decided to read this:

 

 

"READ THIS FIRST" indeed.         

 

Yes assembling per both instruction sheets yielded a nice tight package:

 

 

 

Joe you are going to be disappointed. I used the Revell wheel spacers and not brass tube. I wanted to keep this particular car a stock, all Revell build:

 

 

 

No problem with this setup passing tech inspection for track clearance:  

 

[mdiv]

Great thread, Rick!

About 15 years ago I got this kit and the Ford Lotus and all the bits and pieces to make both cars from EJ's Hobbies.  Surprisingly to most I haven't moved but no idea where any of that stuff is now. 

 

Really nice job on the body by whomever built it.  Mine definitely did not look as nice.

 

It's funny, I remember talking with Ed Sourbeck (EJ) on the phone when I ordered these kits...he was so confused why he sold more of the Ford Lotus than the BRM, even though the BRM was the winner of the race.  Some of those phone calls were 90-minute enduros......

 

Onward!

Mike D

[Lone Wolf]

Rick, you chassis, your way 

 

You have the slimmer first style chassis there where the front chassis section fits inside the rear section.

 

The later 16D style has the front frame rails outside the rear section. The rear chassis section on that one has a triangular rear body mount.

 

You can tell a 1/32 chassis right away as the area where the guide mounts is recessed because the 1/32 tires are smaller diameter. 

 

Don't know if anyone cares anymore but there it is 

[Bill from NH]

Joe, we never have too much information. Keep it coming! I never had Revell slot car anything in either scale, Your post was the something new I learned today.

[dc-65x]

I set the slot car up with the scale track width (center of left wheel to center of right wheel) of the full size racer:

 

 

I strayed from the "all Revell" theme by adding Strombecker knock off's to the Revell wheel inserts:

 

 

 

I had some fresh Ulrich decals to replace the dinged up and yellow deals that were on the car:

 

 

Fresh decals and note the nicely filled in body seam between the upper and lower halves:

 

 

Same nice workmanship on the upper and lower nose body seam:

 

 

Wonderfully detailed driver and no glue damage on the windscreen:

 

 

The finished car:

 

 

 

What a cool car 1963 slot racer!    

[don.siegel]

Amen Rick. 

 

Goes together a lot faster when you don't have to do the painting, eh? Those knockoffs are a nice touch - didn't realize Strombecker made a pack like that; I have some other Strombecker inserts, but not those. 

 

If you've got fresh rubber on the rear, are you going to do a track test? I'm curious how this one will compare with some of your fancier models... 

 

Don 

[Lone Wolf]

Love it.  As I said earlier the first thing I noticed was the handling of the multi piece body.

 

That coupled with your surgical assembly is what sets it apart from the rest.

 

Consider yourself one of the lucky ones that those 60 year old decals did not disintegrate in water. Did you clear them first? 

 

Pardon me if I'm hijacking.  This is the title of the one I did some years back .

 

Revell BRM just for fun 

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Isaac S.]

Wow! Thats a beautiful car. I would be interested in a track test as well.

[Gary Bluestone]

   A friend on mine had some Revells that needed resurrecting, so I set out to fix them up and was amazed at how great the RP66 ran. In order to make them competitive with the Cox F1's I decided to lower the tail end with smaller better tires. I think I found some Monogram front tires at first and since then have found some Otaki urethane copies that work fine. I made the rear track as wide as the Cox F1's just to be fair .

  After doing up my friends cars, I wanted to build one for myself but don't have any RP66 motors. I remember trying the RP77 and I don't think it fit properly and used it elsewhere and found it lacking. Eventually I found a DC60  that worked well and will compete with Cox F1's. In the end  I had to build some up with 16d motors because that's what I had, but these are a ton of fun to race together.

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[dc-65x]

I think this particular car is destined to be a shelf queen Don. One of the NOS rear wheels is tapped wrong and wobbles like crazy and the rear tires are not fresh.

 

Joe, this particular lot of Ulrich decals is quite fresh. No clearcoat needed.

[mdiv]

Super spiffy Rick!

 

   

 

Mike

[Martin]

Nice car Rick, I have always had a soft spot for these early kit F1 cars.

 

I have a sensitive project that I would like to clear coat. What have you used that does not damage the decals or the paint for that matter ??

[dc-65x]

This works great Martin:
 

I tired something to help my crappy paint and decal job look better and it worked beyond my wildest dreams:
 

 
A brushed on coat of floor wax worked miracles. The paint took on a high gloss. The decals blended much better into the paint and the cast resin windscreen became crystal clear...........amazing!


 

 

[Martin]

Thanks Rick, $30 plus is a bit rich right now, sure wish it came in smaller amounts. Looks like that bottle would last multiple life times.

[Dave Crevie]

I think this particular car is destined to be a shelf queen Don. One of the NOS rear wheels is tapped wrong and wobbles like crazy.

 

 

The very reason I started using the Cox tapered axles when they first came out. The hard core guys laughed at me at first, sighting the limited number of lengths available then, and how easy the knock-offs stripped out. But I used hardware hex nuts instead, and seldom lost a wheel.

 

Really cool Cobra, by the way. 

[John Luongo]

   A friend on mine had some Revells that needed resurrecting, so I set out to fix them up and was amazed at how great the RP66 ran. In order to make them competitive with the Cox F1's I decided to lower the tail end with smaller better tires. I think I found some Monogram front tires at first and since then have found some Otaki urethane copies that work fine. I made the rear track as wide as the Cox F1's just to be fair .

  After doing up my friends cars, I wanted to build one for myself but don't have any RP66 motors. I remember trying the RP77 and I don't think it fit properly and used it elsewhere and found it lacking. Eventually I found a DC60  that worked well and will compete with Cox F1's. In the end  I had to build some up with 16d motors because that's what I had, but these are a ton of fun to race together.

beautiful work! looks like a scene from grand prix! all you need is james garner in a honda

[Gary Bluestone]

There is a simple solution to the wobbly wheel, besides looking for a replacement. You can exchange the rear wobbler with one of the front wheels, I think they are the same, and then turn the wobbler into an independent rotating wheel by drilling out the threads on a drill press and fitting a suitable brass tube, a fraction wider than the hub, 1/8 ID.

[Gary Bluestone]

Just one more tip, I never install or remove tires from wheels while they are on the axle, because the wheels may become bent in the center from the pressure. I always remove the wheels first.