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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 7, 2013 20:04:04 GMT -5
I putting this as well as future photos of my Lotus here rather than clog up the GPd2013 thread. I'm testing the "3 liter" motor now, or at least running in the gears. I have a different set of gears for the "2 liter" silver can motor. But I'll have to make a choice as I didn't allow for motor and gear changes to best fit the Monza and Monaco tracks.
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Post by Russell Sheldon on Aug 8, 2013 9:30:58 GMT -5
Looks good, Mark!
Kind regards,
Russell
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 9, 2013 20:49:32 GMT -5
Thank you Russell. I wanted to get a full body driver figure in the Lotus and I succeeded--for the moment. I attached the Immense Miniatures Graham Hill head to an F1 Scalextric body (with surgery). I'll have to fiddle a bit more so that windscreen fits properly. Fortunately, the Scalextric body is made of that rubbery stuff (I'm sure this is the technical term) which is easy to cut and shape. In my spare time (of which I have much more than most as I am not yet retired.. ) I fitted a Classic Lotus49B to a 75mm wheelbase chassis with a black Scaleauto motor to see what my little car might be up against next month. I think Graham is going to have quite a challenge to keep up. Perhaps the larger cars will succumb to mechanical failure? ;-)
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 12, 2013 11:46:59 GMT -5
As I couldn't find the masking tape for my other project, I decided to put some paint on the Lotus. I'm inclined to think that Tamiya Racing Green (TS-43) is a bit too bright or light or both, but Tamiya British Green (TS-9) is definitely too dark for a Lotus. Perhaps I'll get an air brush some day. I see that I still have to smooth out a seam and a nick in the rear cowling. I was hoping that wouldn't show--I don't know why I try to kid myself about that--I do know better.
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Post by Chris Wright on Aug 12, 2013 12:41:42 GMT -5
Mark, Tamiya Racing Green (TS-43) is the paint Tamiya developed for their 1/20th scale Lotus 25
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 12, 2013 14:30:16 GMT -5
Chris, Yes, I noted that. I just bought the Lotus 25 kit made by Tamiya- as if I don't have enough to do already. I'll trust Tamiya on this one BUT... it still looks a bit light and bright.
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 15, 2013 23:01:17 GMT -5
I painted Graham tonight. But I think he needs some red (or blue) stripes on his overalls and some logos.. Firestone? It was all so much simpler when he wore Dunlop Blue.
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Post by David Lawson on Aug 16, 2013 2:06:53 GMT -5
You're getting there Mark and I do agree with you that the green does look on the light side. I think you lacquer your cars (if my memory is correct) this might darken the colour.
You are right about the overalls they had Esso and Firestone patches on them that season. Hill also rolled his Nomex face mask down to just below his nose at Monaco no doubt to aid his breathing at this long hard race but not the safest thing to do....
David
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 16, 2013 2:32:46 GMT -5
Rivals, Teammates and Friends. A blue stripe it is then. I think I can manage the Firestone and Esso decals, but the Les Leston Nomex on the shoulder is just not happening. David, I will be adding Tamiya High Gloss Clear at a later stage. I don't know if it will darken the shell any but it should add a bit more sheen. Chris, Never fear..I will solve the exhaust manifold "problem". I found a lovely Hewland gearbox for the back of the car (my Lola T70 didn't need it hiding under that big blue cowling anyway). PS.. Note the color of Graham and Jim's helmets in the picture above. Ah well, my pre-Bell helmet (I know it's the wrong one for this year) is staying black. Maybe.
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Post by Taffy on Aug 16, 2013 10:44:28 GMT -5
Pictures like these, and storys like these are, what in Germany we call "das Salz in der Suppe" (the right tip of salt in the soup)!
I like the Lotus BRM 33 very much, but the Lotus 43 with the heavy H-16-engine is my personal favourite in this early 3L-era.
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 17, 2013 16:24:39 GMT -5
I'm just trying to keep up with the other BRM engined cars in this race I can't believe I've been working on this car off and on for 4 1/2 hours today--little fiddly stuff like finishing a driver, cockpit detailing, etc seem to take me forever. I might even start on the decals and clear coating tomorrow. The windscreen, mirrors, rear trailing arms and exhaust detailing are waiting in the plastic baggie.
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 25, 2013 21:16:55 GMT -5
The good news.. I reattached the gearbox and exhausts after a lot of cutting and sanding, and I am reasonably satisfied with the fit... the first two attempts were a disaster. I do need to fashion a T support for the pipes to be faithful to the prototype. The bad news.. I don't know if I even want to talk about what happened with the decals. Let's just say that the paper must have been printed around 1000 BC. Roundels aren't a problem or the numbers, but .. no, I don't want to talk about it. Arrrrgh. I still have to attach the windscreen, mirrors and upper rear trailing arms. Perhaps I can enter the car as a practice session car.. no livery... By the way.. I snapped off the back of the engine cowling right behind the injector trumpets a few days ago --one of those moments when I was not focusing--and I'm rather pleased with the repair job.. it makes me think that I might be able to fix that Matra some day.
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Post by David Lawson on Aug 26, 2013 2:23:04 GMT -5
The back of the car is looking very neat Mark, well worth all the effort. As we all know the challenge of building these 1960s grand prix cars is getting the rear end looking detailed and realistic and you've achieved it.
Out of interest is your chassis your design or is it built from a kit?
David
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 26, 2013 12:02:14 GMT -5
Thanks David. The cars is not as accurate as I hoped it might be, but the back end is relatively tidy, and that is a big improvement over my efforts of a year ago. I've left the exhausts a tad too long --because I like them that way, and I should add a support bar across the back. That may or may not happen. The chassis is a Ken Wehnert design of piano wire and brass plate . I purchased it a couple years ago. When I was starting my GPd2013 car, I took this chassis apart as I needed to lengthen the wheelbase, (I probably should have added an additional side rail at that time--but of course I didn't think of that until much later). I wanted to have some relatively realistic looking uprights. In the front I used a combination of a kit bashed Scalextric rocker arm/disc brakes and piano wire for the lower A arms. It wasn't a very good look and I'm not satisfied with the result, but it is what it is. That being the case, I decided to do something more substantial and integrated for the rear suspension. I used a rotary wheel and sawed off the rear lower A arms from a Beardog Mk III kit and soldered on the uprights that come with that kit. I then attached this "sub-assembly" to the underside of the main chassis. Perhaps it was a bit much (or foolish) to kit bash a Beardog chassis. I could have just soldered the Beardog rear uprights to my own piano wire A arms, but I didn't think I could achieve the same symmetry. And I like the result, which is more than I can say about the front of the car. I gave the chassis a coat or two of silver spray paint. My soldering these days is neat enough to pass muster, but I prefer a uniform color for the chassis, so I've taken to painting the metal bits as a final step.
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Post by Mark Huber on Aug 28, 2013 21:24:01 GMT -5
After a few failed attempts with the decals (I blame the material not the operator!) over the past 48 hours, I managed to get some roundels and stripes in place. I'll glue Graham in to the cockpit tomorrow, attach the windscreen and mirrors and pop in the rear trailing arms. I can almost sigh with relief. {There are some funny shadows in both of these pictures which would disappear if I had better light. }
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