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Post by David Lawson on Jan 11, 2013 12:37:56 GMT -5
A slot car I have been meaning to build for years is the gorgeous 1970 Ferrari 312B and it is surprising that apart from Charlie Fitzpatrick's Betta and Classic shell there hasn't been a commercially available shell of the car. Sadly the Betta and Classic version was made to the overscale ECRA regulations which rules out me using it. I first saw the 312B at the 1970 British Grand Prix, this is my Box Brownie photograph of Clay Regazzoni heading downhill to Bottom Bend during that race. Scroll forward to 2007 and at the GP Live event at Donington Park they brought a 312B along for Mario Andretti to demonstrate. Here he is in the paddock re-united with Bob Dance, his mechanic from his 1978 world championship season. The car in the paddock. The mechanic is shouting to his colleagues to get help in fixing the car's gearbox problem they were experiencing that day. On track and powering out of Redgate corner but sadly the gearbox was still playing up and Andretti only managed a couple of laps. It was still marvellous to see and hear the car though however short the run was. Back in the paddock Mario ponders the gear selection problem, out of my shot there are a couple of mechanics trying to sort out the linkage in the cockpit. I made a start with the carving a few days ago and hopefully in a couple more days it will have taken shape. I will post a progress picture then. David
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Post by Andre Acker on Jan 12, 2013 15:52:33 GMT -5
Hi David,
This is a really beautiful Ferrari, although I prefer the b2 model.
One question : do the Betta Ferrari 312 model and the Classic 312 model have the same dimensions ?
And forgive me for insisting, please do finish that m23 !
Cheers !
André Acker.
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Post by David Lawson on Jan 15, 2013 3:58:05 GMT -5
I'm not 100% certain but I think the Classic fibreglass and the Betta vacform 312B are from the same master, they are certainly both ECRA regs dimensions.
The M23 is still amongst by pile of half finished cars. So many cars, so much balsa and so little time....
David
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Post by Andrew Rowland on Jan 15, 2013 9:36:42 GMT -5
I'm very much looking forward to this build David - show us what you've done so far then! Process please....
Not one of my favourite subjects but anything that starts with a '7' is good in my book......
Last summer, just after my son was born I purchased a lovely book called "La Ferrari secondo Forghieri". It is essentially Forghieri well and truly blowing his own trumpet and telling all and sundry that he was responsible for just about every innovation in F1 for most of the last centrury....
However it is a good read, has some lovely information and great photos as well as the odd plan. I read it between 5 and 7am (my shift in those early weeks of fatherhood) and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who reads Italian... (unless its been translated of course).
It points out that the 312 motor which was designed for this car and then used (modified) for another decade was also conceptualised for aircraft use.
Anyway you don't need any photos it seems David as you have your very own. Can't wait!
Andi
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Post by David Lawson on Jan 16, 2013 7:45:34 GMT -5
You asked for work in progress pictures, I wasn't really ready yet as I haven't had much model-making time but here are a few to be going on with. I haven't got the Italian Ferrari book you mention and as you say I have got some of my own photographs of the car but I also have the Rainer Schlegelmilch "Ferrari Formula 1" book and his "Grand Prix - Portraits of Formula 1" which are both excellent for good clear close up detail pictures. The balsa carving sitting on a Schlegelmilch photo of Ickx at the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix. I've also used the drawings from Model Cars which are lacking in detail but gave me the overall proportions of the monocoque. The part finished carving with the vacform windscreen buck in place Obviously there's loads of refining still to be done and the gearbox and all the rear detail still needs to be done. David
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Post by Andrew Rowland on Jan 16, 2013 14:14:32 GMT -5
Great start David, a couple of quaestions if I may...
First, your material of choice is balsa. I've heard here and there that other woods can be 'better' for carving being closer grained and slightly harder. Presumably you'll be casting this in resin, not making a balsa shell, so is it just that you've always used balsa or do you have other reasons to use it?
Second the front wishbone mounting 'slashes' appear to have been cut seperatly and 'inserted'. Is that the case and if so what is your thinking? I mean why?
Keep it going i'm enjoying it a lot and it might make me pull my finger out and have a go myself!
Andi
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Post by f143 on Jan 17, 2013 4:54:55 GMT -5
Lovely photos of a great design, and lovely carving too.
David, you actual inspired me to carve some bodies some time ago and I was happy that the shapes I ended up with were something of a representation of what I wanted, but not in the same class as you turn out of course. I still have a lot of details to finish on my models so I'm affraid there are no pictures. I will be watching closely to see if I can learn anything to help me improve my carving. Regards Nigel
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Post by David Lawson on Jan 17, 2013 6:49:06 GMT -5
Andi
I use cheap and very light balsa as it produces a bodyshell that weighs more or less nothing which is perfect for a slot car rather than a "shelf queen" and it costs almost nothing, which is nice.
I also use jelutong if I plan to mould and recast resin shells from the master, it carves just as easily as balsa and in fact is easier to carve finer detail into but as I build cars for pleasure I rarely recast as it is something that I don't particularly enjoy even though the process isn't difficult.
I usually shape the basic shape of the car first working from the side elevation and plan view and then add detail like the suspension fairings that you mention, I do it that way because I always have and hadn't really thought about it before you asked me. Now I've thought about it I suppose it is easier when you are working on an area of the bodywork where you have compound curves merging with other parts that also have compound curves.
All slot car builders have their own methods and I am from the school of do what ever is right for you. Over the years I've just worked some things out for myself and of course absorbed ideas from seeing other peoples work.
David
Nigel
Your comments link to the above I think.
First of all thank you for saying I have inspired you in my own small way, over the years literally dozens if not hundreds of slot car people have inspired me. It can be a brief chat to a fellow hobbyist at a slot car race where he shares a little tip about something that had never occurred to me before or at the other end of the scale it can be when reading an extremely detailed write up about an ambitious scratchbuild project.
I'm glad you have been happy with the results you've achieved with your carving, as we all know the most important person is yourself although if other people like your work as well that's a nice bonus. The most important thing is that we all end up with a slot car we enjoy racing on track.
I never pretend my slot cars are anywhere near perfect and I can always see the mistakes I've made but I enjoy every second of the hobby and always hope that the next slot car will be just that little bit better.
David
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Post by David Lawson on Jan 18, 2013 10:34:33 GMT -5
I carved the rear oil radiator cowls in a block of balsa and attached it to the back of the monocoque today. I then added two small pieces of balsa to represent the transistor ignition boxes and the battery. I didn't have time for anything else today but I will post an update after the weekend hopefully. David
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Post by f143 on May 23, 2013 3:50:19 GMT -5
Hi David, just revisiting the thread. Have you done any more on this project or has it somehow slipped under a number of other builds until later? Thanks Nigel
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Post by David Lawson on May 23, 2013 11:41:50 GMT -5
Nigel
The 312B has been put away in my masters box for the last few months and after a bit of a break from model-making I have recently resumed working on my Ligier JS5 and Lotus 43 but I do plan on finishing the Ferrari over the next month or two.
David
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Post by Mark Huber on May 24, 2013 9:24:08 GMT -5
The Ferrari is such a beautiful car.. even with the wing and those protrusions poking out of the nose cone.
By the way David, I saw a picture of your progress on the Ligier on the big board. That is very impressive. I wonder if that was the tallest car in F1. Were there height restrictions on these cars (excluding the rules on the wings).
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Post by Andre Acker on May 25, 2013 0:51:59 GMT -5
Mark,
Maybe the Lola t370 (first version, 1974 Argentina and Brasil GPs) was taller. But I am not sure about that. Cheers. André Acker.
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Post by David Lawson on May 25, 2013 1:18:57 GMT -5
Mark
There weren't any restrictions originally and that was the fun of having cars of all shapes and sizes but sadly the FIA clamped down part way through the '76 season and the large airboxes were no more, what a shame.
David
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Post by Russell Sheldon on May 25, 2013 1:57:08 GMT -5
Beautiful car and beautiful workmanship as ever, David. I watched Mario Andretti winning the 1971 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami with a 312B. Kind regards, Russell
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