Forum Replies Created
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Share a photo please?
The trucks looks and runs great! :good:
The gear is a bit tall. Rarely do you see a motor run out of RPM on the short straights. It accelerates like lightning! :yahoo:
DB. Thank you for accepting the invitation (emergencies excepted). I look forward to a day of fun. If I can help you with your Tudor in any way, please let me know?
Ah yes. The famous “Rollo” that the Carrera Panamericana was known for. I did a few “Rollo’s” myself. It adds realism to the paint.
Ken
A friend just ordered 2-Porsche 911 kits for me (Thank you Steve). Registered shipping was $17, 10-days to 6-weeks delivery.
Although they were in stock on the site. At the time of check-out, the Porsche Turbo, Izuzu Bellet GTR, and Fairlady were not in stock. Probably just as well because I already have a mountain of builds ahead of me.
I will say, I hesitated to start chopping. But the plan to make the purple people eater is going forward.
An all white Mini could not be more boring. A purple Mini will rise up in it’s place!
Ken
Thanks for your comments JMSracer. I will take your advice and ditch the stock parts.
There’s no turning back now. The wheel openings are modified for the flares and 13″inch wheels/tires. The car will get a full chassis with all the trimmings.
Small drum sander with a drill at very slow speed.
Ready for the flares and chassis.
Thank you for answering the question “where did you guys get all your Porsche 911 bodies?” I’ve been actively looking for them.
Looking at the list of 1/32 cars. The right-hand drive 1969 Izuzu Bellet GTR is a funny, but fascinating looking car for it’s time. There’s a real one for sale in Pickering, Ontario. Only 1,400 Bellet GTR’s made.
Ken
Thanks Porsche911.
I needed to get to this stage in building cars to need this info. I’m finally there.
Ken
This was a very inexpensive build. Art inspired me to save some money and use some of the original parts that come with the car. The original guide and pod were a nice bonus. The car performs well. I would easily do this build again.
One point to mention. I fly RC planes. When you crash a P51 Mustang at 140kph full throttle into the ground. You usually need a small spade to get the motor out of the ground. It’s only then can one truly appreciate the strength of 5-minute epoxy. You only get that kindly of testing one way, and it always ends in many parts. We call it “re-kitting” a model aircraft.
I’ve built 9-cars using epoxy to glue the motor in. Anyone worried about the bond yet?
Ken
Sponsors added. Something I forgot to mention. The car used to be tippy. It used to roll over on it’s side, and slide down the track on it’s side. The car won’t sit on it’s side anymore since I added weight. It immediately rolls back on it’s wheels when you set the car on it’s side. It’s very stable, and a pleasure to drive since I added the weight. It did well in it’s first race with a slow motor in the last Targa.
Ken
Thank you for your kind words gentlemen.
The car now has a few sponsors. It’s absolutely fun to drive!
I’m hoping Mr. Arutunoff would approve.
Ken
The car now has numbers.
Last night we changed heats. Then took a short break and I switched cars and forgot that this one has a faster motor. Usually a car slows down when something goes wrong. Here I’m wondering why is this car so darn fast all of a sudden?!? Then realized I set the slower Scalex Vette back in pit row. Oops. Never race matching white Corvettes with different motors on the same night. Confuses the brain.
Last photo with numbers. The livery is now Richard Dawkins/Rod Eade – 1969 Targa Florio. In honour of that car.
Ken
MIA. I was originally going to screw the pod in, and epoxy for reinforcement. But trying to line up the pod with the front axle was a challenge. So I chose to first epoxy the pod onto the chassis while on the jig. That way the alignment is as good as any other chassis. Now I can still drill and tap a few holes to reinforce the epoxy. Doing it in this order helps to prevent the screws from distorting the pod. I sanded the bottom of the pod true on my belt sander with 80-grit before the epoxy. I’m not worried about the bond.
As far as handling is concerned? We’ll find out Monday night. It may not go super fast. But I hope it will look nice going down the track. This whole thing is an experiment just like all the other cars before it. I’m still too new to predict how these cars will run in advance.
This experiment has me looking at a Fly Lola T70 MK3. If the Ferrari runs well. A Lola might be next. It uses the same pod.
Ken
Thank you very kindly Dave. Inserts are like a tigers teeth. No bite without them.
Craft paper makes a great grill/dust cover to nicely hide the guide.
Art. Thanks a million for posting those inspiring pictures! Nino looks great! The livery is set at #6. I get the new numbering decals Saturday.
I was scratching my head wondering how I was going to line up the axles from the chassis to the pod. An aluminum chassis is idiot proof for axle alignment if you follow the procedure. Then I remembered the brass chassis jig. Problem solved. I’m not sure the jig was designed for this. But it works fantastic!
The motor wires are very long to wrap around the interior. There is no room under that car for the wires to pass through the center.
The underside shows how I needed to route the wires to the side. The drivers foot is a great bonus support.
The specs of black are tire dust from a recent profiling (oops). The engine/transmission details went back in nicely. Gotta love the look of those back tires! :yahoo:
The basic build weight came out to 84-grams. I would like to add 11-grams for a final target weight of 95-grams.
Even though there is barely any room between the chassis and interior. There is full body-float. There is no substitute to taking the body and chassis apart 20-times to lightly sand in between. It just takes patience. :good:
Come on people. Please post your builds. I know I’m not the only person out there building cars. The Coppo D’oro had a field of cars without build threads. I need help to be inspired to make a Bentley Blower. That thing is way outside my comfort zone. I’ve started it a few times, and then finished other cars instead.
Thanks for looking.
Ken
Dave. Interesting find.
At first I thought “asking almost $11,000 Canadian funds? Not going to happen”. Then I noticed it was not the asking price, but the winning bid after 40-bids!
Why is that car worth that kind of money?
Congrats on finishing your Bugatti DB!
Family comes first. I hope your father-in-law makes a full and happy recovery.
Please share pics of your build for inspiration?
Ken
Thank you very kindly for the suggestion. I will add weight and try to move it out to the sides. They say advice is only useful when followed. There’s my homework for tonight.
Also, thank you for your kind words about a possible podium finish. I can’t say I agree because I was at the edge of death trying to keep up to you and I was still falling behind. Unless I make changes. You’ll lap me several times before the night is over.
Ken
I installed weight and it’s now up to 102-grams. It’s been tested, and Art’s heavy GTX passes it in the corners and straights without any trouble. Now to work on making the car better. Even though the car looks finished. It clearly needs a lot of work yet.
On the bright side. My wife offered to make a pair of fuzzy dice to hang from the rear-view mirror.
Ken
Thank you for your kind words Porsche911.
If only my garage and budget were a little bigger. I would not hesitate to buy the Lancia.
Mr Arutunoff had quite an interesting racing career. The days when you just bought a car and raced it.
Ken
Thank you very kindly JMSracer.
Here it is almost ready to race. It weighs a surprising 95-grams. The body weighs 40-grams by itself.
Ken
The weight has been increased from 60 to 75-grams. It corners amazing now compared to before! I can’t believe the difference. Like night and day. No more rolling over. It might not win the race. But it will be fun to try. And fun to drive.
Ken
I tested the car today. It’s a fun car to drive with that Fox-10 motor. Art suggested a bit more weight should help it in the corners. It still needs decals.
Wheels are Anthracite Gray in colour.
I like the way this car sits. Slightly lower than the first one.
As per usual for my builds. The rear tires were touching the inner fender wells ever so slightly when pushing the limits of the body-float. I have no clue as to why. I left at least .003″ of an inch clearance on each side. Art seems to find these mistakes instantly. After 5-minutes of sanding it was all good, and the tires were spinning freely with full body-float.
Ken
The results of the first tests are in. To descibe it in one word would be “tippy”.
Now to go from 60-grams to 75 and re-test.
Originally looking at the kit, I thought this car would have a wider track. The fenders bow in at the front and quater panels bow in at the back dramatically limiting the track width. Never leave anything on the table because others won’t. I need to choose my builds a little better if I want cornering performance. I would hate for this car to become a shelf-queen.
The alternative would be to build another 2-Tudors. Not that I like the car that much. But what an amazing slot car platform.
Ken
Being a convertible, I can’t get away with just shoulders and head for a driver. That means making some sort of seat. The steering wheel was 1/16″ of an inch from the motor. So I had to mount the seat from the side. Just don’t open the door or the seat goes with it.
Here is the clean body. Number 5 goes on it before it’s first race. Driver is Snydely Whiplash.
It weighs 60-grams.
It’s ready for the test run. Thanks for looking.
Ken
Thank you very kindly Porsche911.
I forgot to mention the dash and steering wheel is also going to be installed. That will show-case the right hand drive. If I’m not mistaken, I think the driver even has a British accent. :good:
Ken
It runs. I need to figure out how to get a driver in with a tonneau cover. Add a few more details (tail lights, door handles, inserts) and it’s completely done. Inserts are just set in place for the picture. They get full detailing shortly.
The windshield locating holes were 1/8″ of an inch offset. What a disaster those windows were. I nearly ruined the car.
You almost need to lay your head on the track to see the chassis on this one.
Ken
Thank you very kindly. One of my previous careers was an automotive machinist building race car engines at Engineered Racing Services back in the early 80’s. Here’s a bit of info on engine specs.
The 427 cubic inch ZL1 engine actually had over 500 bhp — making it likely the most powerful engine Chevy ever offered to the public. Being an all aluminum engine, it weighed just 500 pounds — about the same as Chevy’s 327-cid V-8.
In 1971 Anatoly Arutunoff was attempting dominate the field of European cars with a Corvette Stingray that had incredible horsepower to weight ratio. His engine was well beyond street car specs. If the street version of that engine was already above 500hp. How much did Toly really have? 600hp? Too bad we didn’t get to see the results of that one.
Ken
There is a black hood. It’s on the unlimited class car.
I wanted to keep close to the facts on both Anatoly’s cars. His first one was a small-block 327 (Scalex). His second Corvette with the black hood, was a big-block powered all aluminum 427. The second white Corvette with the black hood will get a Fox-10 motor. Most likely my first aluminum sidewinder. It’s under construction.
Ken
I noted two Corvettes on the Targa Florio entry list that never made it. Rules are it only had to be registered to enter to race in S32. I really wanted to make one or both of these cars, but the rules say you need details. I combed the internet for any details. But because both cars never made it. There are zero records of them anywhere other than the cars were numbers 76, and 37 respectively, and the main driver was Anatoly Arutunoff. After 4-days of wasting time. The only thing I could find was a phone number through the yellow pages for an A. Arutunoff in USA. So one Sunday night I was brave enough to call his number and this is what I found out. Toly Arutunoff is a really nice guy! We talked for 45-minutes about the details of both his Corvettes. Here are the details of his cars.
1970 – 327 ci. C3-Corvette #76. All white. The car was caught in a stike dispute that happened at General Motors. It was a week too late to make it on the boat to Italy. This thread is in tribute to his first car.
1971 – 427 ci. ZL1 – all aluminum block and aluminum heads. Corvette #37. All white with a black hood. The car made it to the race, but was disqualified due to a technicality of the roll bar. One that could have been rectified had an Italian engineer signed off on the roll bar prior to the race.
Here are a few photos of Anatoly Arutunoff’s 1970 Corvette Stingray #76.
Thank you for looking.
Ken
Thank you kindly JMS. What is this sleep thing you speak of?
The Tudor flew off the track like crazy at first. I added weight and the handling got much better. Then I remember a gentlemen showing up at Art’s vendor table at a model show. He bought all the urethane body washers Art had. Like 25 bags worth. That got me to thinking. So I added the urethane body washers to the Tudor, and the rest of the story is listed in the race results.
I bought an extra set of exhaust manifolds that twist straight back. But the stackpipe deserves it’s decoration. The car has body float just like the Tudor, and lead 3-layers thick jammed into the chassis. It still only weighs 65-grams. I can’t wait to test it.
Ken
Here are some detailed photos. This is the worst view of the car exposing the chassis. I’m not sure how the original plastic chassis fit but the crown is almost touching the inside of the body. The body post is so close to everything that it had to be carved to let the set-screw pass for the crown to rotate. NUTS! :wacko:
Nobody’s eye should be that close to the back end of the car. This is how the car will look at the races.
Tight fit is an understatement.
I was going to leave the nose grill out. But it’s a unique BRM part, so in it went. Looks kind of cool now that it’s in.
A friend asked why I didn’t use the white background on the numbers. Slot cars are generally the only BRM’s with white backing behind the numbers. The real car rarely had them. Looks a bit more rough and race ready to me this way.
The aluminum chassis is evolving. Thanks for looking. I hope this inspires others to do the same.
Ken
I changed my mind and installed the bumpers. Too much red. Gold wheels just to be different.
I need to buy some number decals.
The original car was number 3, and was silver in colour. This red version will be number 9. Driver will be Mickey Thompson. Engine builder for Mickey was Smokey Yunick. The real car had a big-block 427 and was known as the “Mystery motor Corvette”. It was a fast car for it’s time.
I got brave and tried the chrome on the back. The chrome started to run in the circle at the center of the rear deck. I wish it wouldn’t do that. I didn’t even bother with the fuel injection emblems because they aren’t raised up high enough. Quit while I’m ahead. Too easy to ruin a nice paint job.
I heard about something called a “rattle pan” chassis. I am not exactly sure what that is, but I needed to add 10-grams to this car. Because this car is high enough above the track, I made a brass plate that sits under the chassis. I installed the plate, backed the screws off, then epoxied the threads above the chassis so they can’t back out. The plate rattles around ever so slightly. The car now weighs just over 100-grams. My curiosity is peaked on how it handles now.
Ken
Please excuse the finish on the inside of the tires. They’re going back on the truer to get cleaned up before final assembly.
Ken
This is a fun car to drive. Rarely can I relax while pushing a car.
Weight was added to bring the car up to 80-grams. Makes a world of difference.
Ken
It goes like a rocket! Fun but twitchy. We had to add weight to make it a bit more stable. The total weight is now 90-grams.
Art. Thanks for all your help!
SP+ here we come!
Ken
I could have lowered the body a bit more, but prefer a somewhat realistic stance. Chassis is very close to the track on this one.
Ken
Thank you very kindly gentlement. Yes the Molotow chrome pen will makes it’s way across the door handles and wipers, etc… I took the cheesy hub caps off. I need to see Art about CB-Wheel inserts.
After checking many photos. Very few racing Corvettes had bumpers, or side-pipes. So the bumpers will stay in the box. The tail lights will get get some work done when the chrome and livery goes on. I expect to handle and debug the car a lot at the test.
Ken
As I build each car. I look back at my mistakes and say stuff like… “crap, I could have bent the aluminum up a little at the back to hide it better”. There’s always another car to build. This should be fun to test none the less. Mistakes and all.
Ken
The body and chassis weight 80-grams. The only thing to add are the body posts which are going in shortly.
I had a major failure when I put a bit too much epoxy between the chassis and motor and epoxy got into the motor. Oops. Popped out the scrap motor and set the car aside until a new motor arrived. Now everyone knows why the build stopped. Something to do with a senior moment. The new Scalex 18k motor has been glued in place and spins nicely. I hope to have this car ready to run for “Tuning night at the Ring” this Monday. The idea of tuning night is a great idea! Ken
Motor is glued in place. Tires are glued and trued. Now comes my least favorite part. Cutting hardened axles. Hope to try it out for the first time this Monday night. This idea of “Tuning at the Ring” is amazing. This might be the first time I can tune a new S32 car before it races. Ken
The wheels from this GT-350 experiment ended up on a 49 Ford Tudor #18 driven by Fred Steinbroner. The chassis went into the garbage. The body back in storage, fuzzy dice and all. Kind of funny now as I look back at this silly thread. Humble beginnings.
Ken
Group 5 cars come with a 20k flat-6’s geared at 11 x 28 = 2.54 ratio. That’s a known formula that already works.
Experiment A = 22k flat-6 geared at 9 x 26 = 2.88 ratio.
Art has informed me that my cars so far have very little brakes. I want a taller gear ratio to offset the extra 2k in the motor, and increase braking.
I’m crossing my fingers that this should work. I’m fairly confident the car will move in a forward direction. The question remains, will it corner well?
Ken
Art. You and me both can’t wait to see how this will turn out. Nice looking lady. She seems to have everyone’s attention.
Jim. It’s not really ambition. It’s the product of being a newbie and not knowing where the limits are. It’s too easy to install these motors. I may regret it. Am I really the first one to try this kind of thing? Hard to believe.
If there’s a pile of crown gear material laying on the track after a few laps. I’ll know I went too far. Chris Walker has a car with an inline drive and angled gears. Looked very inspiring to me. Something to consider if this drive system starts to tear itself apart.
SP+ is open. Why not experiment? I can always change the motor. They pop out in less than 2-seconds. Takes 2-minutes to clean the remaining epoxy. Then mix another batch of 5-minute epoxy and another motor is installed. So long as the replacement motor is a slim-line (or thin like a flat-6), it will fit.
The aluminum chassis are dedicated to either an S-can or slim-line motor based on axle/pinion height. Beyond that I can move around within either style of motor by popping the old one out and gluing in the new one. I figured that out when I ruined a motor and had to replace it before a car saw the track.
Like the songs goes… She’s my “lil’ red Corvette”. This experiment should be fun!
Ken
I was thinking of making this an SP-slow class car. But it really doesn’t fit the style of car. Corvettes were all potentially fast. Installing a different motor is a matter of reaching to the left or right side of the chassis once the 5-minute epoxy is mixed. Flat-6 here we come! :yahoo:
Ken
I seem to have left this thread unfinished. The livery had to change due to it being too different from Mickey Thompson’s actual car. Fred Steinbroner is the new driver of car #18. I added 7-grams of lead to the chassis. The final weight is just over 75-grams.
I didn’t like the car at first. However, it seems to have earned my respect, and a solid spot in the “Hot Rod Garage”.
For more (better) photos of the completed car, please check the database or gallery.
Ken
Thank you Bill for noticing the edges on the rear tire profile. Art barely even touched the edges of the tires with 2000 grit sand paper and the Ferrari was half a second faster per lap, and become a pleasure to drive. I can’t believe the difference.
Tire profiling lesson 101-A for beginners is in the history books. Homework for tonight: Build a tire cleaning/profiling block.
Thanks a million to Art and Bill for helping me debug this car!
Ken
I am hunting for nicer Slot-It inserts. I would prefer the original 5-spokes in gold. Hard to find something that fits 15’s front and 17’s rear. The only thing I’ve found in gold so far from Slot-It is BBS style wheels.
I might try and modify the original inserts I have for the car.
I appreciate the logo’s. Thanks a million!
Ken
Front grills look better in black. I hope to install none-functioning head-lights at some point. It’s just about ready to race. The driver’s paint is drying.
The shape of this car is stunning. It was a fun car to build. I hope I can get it to perform as good as it looks.
Ken
Fun to paint the black around the tail lights. The red brake lights and amber turn signals would not pop as nice had I blacked out the lenses. Nothing more fun than having to paint with a tooth-pick. That takes more patience than a good ketchup.
The gas caps are very close to the body and slightly recessed. Hard to use the Molotow pen without making a mess. I started taping around the louvers until the decal lifted. Then switched to hand painting the black. Big mistake. Paint the louvers first next time. This will be my first and last time hand painting louvers.
It’s almost 100% done. Just a few more details. I’m not fond of hand painting semi-gloss black. I need more practise. I nearly ruined the paint on this one.
Newbies are happier the playing field just evened out a bit.
Not good news for anyone that has a secret stash of these motors.
Just wait until the brushless motors hit the slot car market. Something the size of a pencil eraser that weighs nothing will go as fast as a flat-6. Scary thought. It’s one thing to have a car hit the floor. It’s another when they leave dents in the drywall. Splat!
Time marches on.
Ken
If these are too tall for the bridges. Maybe one gas tank can be converted into a small diameter Praxair high pressure tank. That might fit under all the bridges without having to change the suspension. We’ll see what happens when the build continues. I look forward to it.
Ken
Nice video. All three cars are stunning. The man was a genius.
The BT33 would look much better in my driveway. Those slicks are nuts!
Thanks for sharing.
Ken
It’s a bit over 15″ inches long. The tanker is shorter in height than the typical box trailers. It might actually fit under your over-passes with very little effort. I don’t want to break the factory seal so we’ll find out when I bring it over.
I’m still admiring the really cool molded fenders, wheels, tires, gas valves, etc…
Ken
It’s in a factory sealed bag with nice tires etc… Art. Please consider this as trade for the Tudor you already donated? It might look nice behind that cab, or off to the side somewhere. I could not pass it by.
Ken
I was at Hornet Hobbies today and this thread got my eye to notice this 1/32 tanker. However, I don’t have a track or truck.
Very cool! It runs really well too. There’s nothing like the sound of 10-tires running down the track on one vehicle!
It will never roll over. That’s a fact. Watching it fly through the corners was pretty amazing.
I feel sorry for the guy behind the tire truer.
Ken
Number 51 is born. The decals are a pain in the neck.
Windows and headlight lenses are about to go in. Then interior, driver, and a little flat black paint on those rear louvers. That’s tonights homework.
Rear orange dot tires will be ready to true tomorrow.
My Ford Tudor had to be debugged quite a bit before it ran properly. The Tudor lost a bunch of races before it started improving. I would be foolish to expect this car to be any different. My Slot-It GT40 is also ready for Saturday.
Ken
Thanks for the tip Mike. You are absolutely right. Dubro brand will likely be more than good enough.
If I’m going to travel to Mississauga. I like KBC tools. A candy store for the machinist at heart!
Here’s a pic of the set-screws that just arrived from Spaenaur.
1) Professor Motor 2mm by 3mm long = $1.00 each (10 per bag)
2) Spaenaur 2mm by 4mm long = $0.29 each (100 per bag)
3) Spaenaur 2-56 by 1/8″ inch long = $0.16 each (50 per bag)
4) Spaenaur 2-56 by 3/16″ inch long = $0.16 each (50 per bag)
All set-screws seem to be equal in quality to the Professor Motor 2mm by 3mm. I agree with Art in that the 2mm x 3mm long strip easy. The 2mm x 4mm will be 33% less prone to stripping simply by being longer. They all use the same driver as the Professor Motor 2mm screw.
Ken
Hollow point, hardened steel set-screws. Not sure what size key until they arrive.
The 2-56 tap was not that easy to find. My usual supplier, Karl Richter in Scarborough would have to special order one. So I made the trip from Scarborough to KBC tools on Kennedy road in Mississauga. They had a choice. Made in the USA for $19, or second quality version for $12. I went for the one made in USA. It will last my entire life if I always use oil. Good quality tools are never a waste of money.
Ken
Here’s an example of what I mean. I called Hornet Hobbies, Minigrid, Concord Fasteners, Brafasco, Hobby Hobby, and Great Hobbies for 2-56 set-screws. No one had them in stock, and no one wanted to order them.
So I called Spaenaur today. They have them in stock by the box. 50 set-screws 2-56 x 1/8″ inch = $8.00. I also bought another box of 50, 2-56 x 3/16″ for another $8.00. They arrive tomorrow via Fedex.
Ken
Thank you for the kind words gentlemen. Macro camera settings and interior lights are not a paint job’s best friend. This looks a bit better. Ken
It’s my pleasure to help where I can. I originally bought 1″-inch square tubing and realised it was a bit big for 1/32.
Bill. There’s a 9″inch length of 1″ inch square tubing for you at Art’s place to experiment with. It looks better suited for 1/24 cars. Have fun and knock yourself out!
The reamer barely takes off a hairs worth of material. Just to clarify. I used the pilot drill, then changed the tooling to the #14 drill. Then changed the tooling to the reamer before moving over to the next axle hole. It’s the only way to keep the bearings across from each other true.
I have a compound table that costs around $90. It has a scale and measurements but I only trust my scribed lines. The only reason I like the table is that it keeps the part locked in place so I can drill for both axles. There is very little chance to be out of alignment from each other that way. I use a #14 drill bit. It’s about .005″ undersize so the reamer does very little work. I use oil at every stage of drilling. It helps prevent drilling oversized holes.
Time to test fit the bearings, axles, etc. I had the body painted long ago and only started the chassis today. More building to follow shortly. Thanks for looking. Ken
Further detailing to the guide keel area. A new file cleans up the rest of the chassis very quickly.
And so the project begins. Another piece of 3/4″ aluminum square tubing from local hardware store. Drilled and reamed holes for bearings. Also drilled the guide keel hole.
Here’s a photo of where the body mold line used to be. Easy to sand out. Nice body kit to build! Thanks Art. Ken.
Here’s the extent of orange-peel because I laid the paint on a touch too thick. Oh well… Such is life. Ken
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