McLaren BRM M5a

[datto]

Leaving some notes for myself...


PP 13 inch wheels

[datto]

Began detailing the body shape with panel lines. I uses 1/64 Chart Tape to lay out the panels, and after a repeated series of build up primer then sand back to tape, got the panel lines in Radius arm farings and rivets to come.

[datto]

Update on the McLaren.

Molding master done using decals for rivets.


I'm not fond of slush-casting, but sometimes it's the most practical approach. I ended up buying a sample kit of quick resin, so I'll probably run a bunch of these...

[f143]

Terrific final cast of the body Marc and the mould looks very interesting, could you give more details of it, please.
Regards
Nigel

[tomato007]

I would be also interested in this point.
What is the black part used for? the red shell is also closed underneath?
Best regards,
Thomas

[Andrew Rowland]

Extremelly nice production there!

[datto]

A little explanation of what you're seeing.

The mold is made the way it is for 2 reasons. The PP Ferrari 158 shell I bought was open under the nose just behind the front edge. I wanted to avoid that. I also wanted to avoid putting a lot of stress on the mold and the part when demolding. So I ended up with this mold which is set-up for sludh casting, pouring the exces from the back end.

The casting is closed on the bottom when it comes out of the mold. I kinda wish I had finished the bottom, but it is fairly rough. Except under the nose, that's actually pretty smooth.

The black thing is really hard to see. It's the buck for the windscreen. It still needs work to get it mirror smooth in order to make clean vac-forms.

[datto]

So the stripe on this car has a green border, but the main color is gray or silver, but I'm not sure which.





The number art looks a bit different from the older photos, so the stripe may be different too.

Any thoughts?

[David Mitcham]

Hi Marc

Colours - always an issue as old photographs aren't necessarily accurate and restored cars like the one above are often not 'right' either. I think the restoration is too red (and shiny!), I believe the colour in 1967 was more towards an orange red and I would say the stripe was blue/grey. I'm not sure about the green border but I doubt it was as bright as it appears on the restored car. However I don't think anyone is going to be able to say definitively what the 'right' colours are so go with what you think looks right.

Best Regards

David

[datto]

I think you are right on the color bing too red and too shiny. I'm hoping the gray stripe is not metallic in color. If it is It will have to be paint with maybe a decal border?

Here is the car, possibly on the day in question. Was it raining?



Another day, another number. Stripe looks more bluish, but is that reflecting the sky?


And here is what I have on graphics so far The red is just for a look-see

[Phil Kalbfell]

From the pics I have of the original car the stripe looks silver, and that would reflect the NZ National colour. This would also explain why the Colour seems to vary from pic to pic as the light reflects off the silver.
The green looks very thin,unlike the restored car.

[datto]

Apr 30, 2017 17:18:09 GMT -5 Phil Kalbfell said:

From the pics I have of the original car the stripe looks silver, and that would reflect the NZ National colour. This would also explain why the Colour seems to vary from pic to pic as the light reflects off the silver.
The green looks very thin,unlike the restored car.

Very helpful! Thank you I should start looking for super thin green striping tape, I guess

[old23]

My take, and my take only:

I first saw Bruce and his sports racing M1B at Mosport in 1965 and then again in 1966 (in the first year of the CanAm). It was most definitely RED, though no evidence of silver in the livery.

In GP racing, 1967 seems to have been the end of the era of the requirement for the cars to be presented in the FIA official national racing colours. From 1968, sponsorship and marketing were allowed to drive the livery of the F1 entries. McLaren Racing's entry in the 1967 Canadian GP, the new M5A, definitely wore a silver stripe. Phil has suggested that silver is the "National Colour" of New Zealand. But the historic motor racing National Colours as prescribed by the FIA and its predecessors -- Red for Italy, Blue for France, Green for Britain, etc. -- extended to the former British colonies with variations on "British Racing Green" as follows: Australia - Green and Gold, Canada - Green and White, New Zealand - Green and Silver.

So, in compliance with this ancient custom, perhaps there was a slim green edge to the silver stripe on the M5A in 1967. If so, it was certainly less obvious than on the restored car pictured above. Here are some additional photos. You be the judge.

At Canada, very sharp but unfortunately in B&W:




At Monza:




At Mexico:



Honestly, for a 1:32 scale model, I would be happy with plain silver paint for the stripe!

Cheers,Stewart

[datto]

Thanks, Stewart!

That's great of the script on the nose too!

[Phil Kalbfell]

Extract from Doug Nye's McLaren




Only a Black and white but does show a light green border.