Vintage Road Racing Roadsters

[dreinecke]

MUCH better! Nice work!

[btaylor]

Got to really test out the Birdie last night, My son-in-law came over to test his new scratch built Porsche, so i decided to put some laps on the Maserati. Very pleased with the way it ran! I had used some epoxy putty to make chassis mounts(something i dont usually do) because a friend had some he wanted me to try. Turns out that little extra weight in the rear, really helped out in the handling department! I was neck and neck with the late model RSR with its typhoon motor, and actually was getting him in the corners. Some great racing! had about two hours of straight fun on the old road course, and some quality time with a family member, does it really get any better than that? I think not.

Bob

[chappy]

Looks Good Bob, I love a fun time like that too. My son in law enjoys it too when his wife lets us get together lol.( sometimes daughters insist on racing too)

So the Roadsters Over America Race. Otherwise known as " ROAR " do you think it could become an annual fun run . Sure would be interesting seeing our cars pictured at different tracks around America.
I would be content to keep it south of the border just to keep, shipping costs down and the fun up.
Bob

[btaylor]

I would love to see us be able to have a yearly race! and i like that "ROAR" Monicker too! I see no reason why we couldnt do it at all. I believe there is more than enough interest on here for a race like that. I always seem to have more cars being built for fun runs than i need to, but it is Fun! and it keeps me busy not looking for the next what if project.
There is a chance that Shotgun will get his Riverside track done in the future, so we could actually race on some historic tracks! And i can pretty much guarantee he would be up for something like this too.
Bob

[Nor Cal Mike]

[btaylor]

That would be a great build Mike! I had never seen that car before. I have an extra Rossa body, I will try and make us some windscreens. The headlight lens's are easy enough out of Fake nails, or the plastic spoon trick, so i probably wont bother with them.
Bob

[Nor Cal Mike]

Oh Ya, now I remember your post where you showed fake nails as lenses. I have to go to the CVS Pharmacy tomorrow to pick up some photographs for my wife. I'll check into the nails then. Plastic spoons will be fine for my "liner" car that will be built for the blue body. Bob, I notice that the Strommy TR's don't have any kind of tab penetrating the body to anchor windscreen. They must have depended on glue only. That is why these bodies always come sans glass. Or if it has glass, it has glue smeared all over from when the then 9 year old you and I's in 1963 were trying to glue their windshield back on. I'm thinking that if a person making windscreens were to leave some extra material at the bottom edge of the screen, he could leave some tabs at key areas when cutting out the screen. Then it would be easy to cut corresponding slots into the body with a hit razor knife to insert the tabs through. Add a touch of jelled CA glue to the tab on the bottom side of the body, and you will have a clean and secure glass installation. Did what I say make any sense?

If you would like some help from me making a buck for this, let me know. To be efficient with your material, it would be best to have several windscreen bucks laid out to be vacuformed off of the same sheet of plastic.

I want to thank you all for posting here. This thread is open to all who want to discuss these old cars. Please do keep your photos, stories and ideas coming.

[btaylor]

That is a great idea on the windscreen mount.I dont know if my Vac unit would allow more than one at a time. In keeping with the vintage theme, I actually use an old Mattel Vac-u-form for doing these! I get 50 pvc clear sheets for around $8, so its not really a big loss at one at a time, at least not when we are saving these old gals from the attic or closet.
I will see what i can come up with. I have also thought about making a silicone mold, and using the water clear resin for this and headlight covers. just have not tried it yet. might be the time for it.
Bob

[Nor Cal Mike]

Oh, I figured you might have an 8 1/2 X 11 or something like that. Vacuform and resin are places I haven't ventures yet. It seems that I have always had one to many irons in the fire to add yet another.

[btaylor]

I wish sometimes i had one that big for doing replacement glass in full bodied cars, but i dont so this works pretty good.
Now that i have started casting some bodies it really helps to have the whole package to send out to folks. I can do a body and glass and a driver figure, and we have a buildable car without waiting on vintage parts. there are so many aspects of this hobby that are fun to me, that i am almost always doing something i enjoy, and can stop at any time to go do some racing!
Life is good!
Bob

[Nor Cal Mike]

[btaylor]

Definitely worth the effort! That transforms that body into the shapely little lass that it is supposed to be. nice work Mike, This one is going over the top!

Bob

[chappy]

Sorry guys, I must have hit a wrong button, but I posted this morning re the windshields, but it went into, cyberspace.
Anyway, I have 2 vacforms, a dental one, 5x5, and my homemade one 10 x10.
I have been using 30th petg by Vivak. Pretty good stuff, molds at a lower temp, nice and clear.
even picks up, the windshield wipers on my Mini mold.
Although Bobs clear plastic resin is the ultimate repro, I can if needed help out.
I usually make bucks out of balsa, and coat them with CA glue.
So if I can be of help let me know, I'm more than willing.
Bob

[btaylor]

Bob, it may take both of us! being that there are several different bodies out there.

Georgia Bob

[Nor Cal Mike]

Chappy,
Is it OK If I call you Bob C? Since we have two Bobs in the discussion it might be helpful. I would be more than happy to have your help but don't want to interfere with Bob T's plans since he already volunteered. I would be happy to help make a buck or do whatever I can to help make clear parts available. I could also offer my improved Bergman body as a mule if anyone wants to try to cast an improved one. I also have an original true 1/32 scale vacuform version of the Birdcage too if someone wanted to try to cast a mold from that. Beware though, the 1/32 scale car is pretty small.

I am also looking at the Strommy D Type as an upcoming project as well. It's little wrap around glass should be easy to come up with something for. I am going to check out Bob T's fake fingernail method for the light lenses.

I have the red TR250 Ferrari set up with the body posts on the chassis and have applied JB Weld to glue the posts into the body. It takes about 8 hours for that JB Marine to set up so by tomorrow she will be mounted. The Ferrari will probably be the first car on the track I think.