Hi all, Here's my step-by-step article on the M8F Can-Am racer, which I'm now starting to get back into. http://public.fotki.com/cafox513/m8f_112th_step-by-step/
I hope that'll get you there. Some of the pictures are of the real car and all of the pics have a section of text explaining how I did it. Maybe it ain't railways and scenery, but a model's a model and the techniques are all relevant somewhere!
Cheers, Hector
Thanks for that Hector. You are right, all modelling is good, whatever the subject. Glad you are back at this one. Bruce and Denny and Pete and Dan and the rest would be happy too (geez only Dan is still with us) The "B" is my favorite, but they are all related!
Chuck
Hi Chuck, unfortunately I could only find an F to measure. I guess we're lucky in this country, we're never far froma restorer/seller of interesting cars. I too, like the B as well as the Lola T70, early Chaparral, Scarab, old Yeller, Zerex Special, Lotus 30, but life's too damned short, eh?
Hector
The early Chaparrals were beautiful cars for sure. My favorite was, I think the 2J, the 'vacuum cleaner". Not that pretty, but dammed audacious. When it worked, nobody was faster. Ive read some funny stories on the web regarding its exploits.
CD
Chuck, many moons ago I made a 2J Chap. Fascinating car and Hall was a real rule bender, like Colin Chapman. I take my hat off to them all
Hector.
The Chaparral 2J (They called it the 'Hoover') was a very interesting idea. It was a pretty good car even without the fans. When I had MAC Mfg., they let us have it for a couple of days so I got to go over it pretty well. Actually Jim Hall didn't design it. It was designed by an engineer at General Motors named Gates. His philosophy was to spend the most time working on the car where it spent the most time. That's why he didn't try to make things go fast. He tried to make them go around corners. He later on did some Indy car stuff for Hall. While he was doing that, Hall and crew designed the 'Great White Whale'. That was the thing that looked like a slot car. It was so bad, they finally gave up on it and ordered a M12 McLaren. You might remember pictures of it with a wing that looked like an outlaw sprinter.
John
I'm going to try to post a picture of the Hoover with the Great White Whale behind it.
John
Hmmmm. I guess this thing will only accept one picture at a time since when I tried several at once, it rejected them. So here's another:
Oh, that takes me back! To the days when whitemetal wasn't thought of as a kit business and several of us were knocking out one-offs in lime and body filler, including those two. No way there was a living in it. I wonder where they went. Little white wooden blobs in 1/43rd scale.
Hector
Thanks for those, John! Nice to see them still around.
What the deal was, Jim Hall had stuck them in a barn there in Midland. They were in a state of disrepair as they had pirated parts off them. Jim came to the Monterey Historics when Chevrolet was the honored marque and Steve Earle told him that if he would restore them, Steve would make Chaparral the honored make. Jim did just that and these were taken at that meet.
Here is another shot of the Great White Whale.
John
Thought I might give you another picture of the Hoover (named for the vacuum cleaner). If you guys are interested, I'll tell you the story of 'Charlie'. I wish I still had the photos I took of the Hoover when we had it. I did many detail shots with a yardstick taped to the car. That was 35 years ago and last I knew, Lloyd Asbury had the pictures.
John
Here's my favorite Chaparral
John
Nice pic, John! Hey Hector, I caught some coverage of the Montery Can-Am segment from this year...an M8F won! (not REAL racing of course). Still, it was nice to see some orange Kiwi's in motion.
CHuck
Chuck, my pal in Cal. has just sent me a video of that meeting, but I haven't got my granddaughter to give me a spare 10 minutes on her VCR!! She's got the only one left that works.
Hector
Our old Led Zeppelin M8E/D has been purchased and was there. It is the blue car with the wild paint job designed by the guy that did the Yellow Submarine movie.
I'm going to have to post a picture of one of my trains to prove I also build things.
John
John, many years ago, to earn a crust I worked as a clerk in the local benefits office. One day a really weird guy came in who had "gone bad" after working on the animation of Yellow Submarine! I later worked with a guy who confirmed this fella's name. I wonder if it was the same bloke?
Hector
The guys name was Peter Max. He was a well known artist at the time. I understand his paintings now get many dollars. The paint job on the car depicts a Zeppelin flying through a field of stars. Definitely not kiwi orange but does draw a crowd. Actually, it never ran in the Can-Am series but rather the European equivalent. The vintage promoters over here still do welcome it because of the unusual paint and history.
John
This all brings back memories of a CanAm race I attended many years ago at Mosport Park north of Toronto. Somewhere I believe I still have some pictures from that adventure...
Bill
Hector
I sure would like to see more of this project.
John
John, I've just put some more pics on the fotki site of engine, bellhousing and gearbox. Shit pictures, but I'm rusty. I haven't touched the site for 4 years!
Hector
Daguerrotypes? I should have been so lucky. Bloody woodcuts mate, done with a locally knapped flint on the back of a lazy cow!
Hector
Hector
I hope I don't sound too stupid, but what is a fotki site?
John
John, my friend in California has a big fotki site which is a photo storage thing like photobucket. He lets me upload photos on my own little bits of it. That's where all the M8F step-by-step is stored. After 4 years, I've just loaded on some shots of the Big Block and gearbox. I never keep the link, but if you go back to the beginning of this thread I think Rich R left a link to it.
Hector
For that, sir, I would normally have you vapourised, but the fact is we need more like you on Zog, so you're forgiven. I have spares anyway, in my 4th Dimensional shed ( the one only I can see) Har-har-ha-h......hector
Colour, manoeuvre, Barbour jacket, flavour, savoury.....Give in yet???
Har-har-ha.........Torture by lexicon.
We say Jag-you-er
You say Jag-warr
We laugh.
But you don't really say potarto, do you?
Hector
I've really been enjoying looking at the pictures of this project on the fotki site. You are doing such an incredible job. I'm amazed you don't have more machinery. Brings back memories of working on these beasts. By the way, did they tell you about the 'purple rivets'?
John
Good man, I knew you'd say it proper-like<g>
Potarto, like the song? tomato tomarto, potayto, potarto?
Hmm, let's call the whole thing off,eh?
I have a few pics of three-wheeler masters, not all of 'em. I have some finished models tucked away in the same cabinet that houses the whaler Bill wants to see, but opening the door of it would require a major redecoration, my daughter being a piler-up of crap in front of things. She also has a short fuse!
But if you have anything interesting I'd love them e-mailed over, mate.
Cheers, Martin
Down south we call it a tomader.
John
So is this Fiat's answer to the Chaparral 2J Hoover... ::)
Bill
Bill, is that the FIAT126 that Ford learnt about front wheel drive with? Several of the little Italian buzz-boxes were seen circulating the test track at Dunton R&D centre in Essex when I was living nearby. Ford hadn't a clue about front wheel drive, so using their hush-hush links with FIAT they dressed 'em up to disguise the fact and before you could say "Numb Nuts", they'd produced the Fiesta!! Clever boys and girls!
When they couldn't sustain a truck programme, who'd they go with? FIAT, and called it Iveco.
Hector
Ford has always had a habit of stealing ideas and claiming them as their own. Goes clear back to Henry and the production line which everyone gives him credit for. All he did was use it. He didn't invent it.
John
Yes, these did start out as Fiat 126s (otherwise known as Fix It Again Tony) and just what was trying to be accomplished here is open to speculation.
Here's another photo of a somewhat more extreme version ? makes you want to ask "WTF is this all about?" Looks like something the lads on Top Gear would come up with ;D. Afterall they did try to make a space shuttle out of a Reliant Robin. :o I suppose it could be one solution to a bad fogging-up problem with the windshield. Certainly be entertaining to drive it through an evening bug swarm :P
Bill
That thing should be parked on the field during a monster truck event.
John
Rich, alledgedly to disguise the new designs, but it never fools anyone.
I saw a BMW Mini "disguised in black cardboard going up the road near the Land Rover testing ground at Gaydon. It was so obviously a BMW Mini that I couldn't see why they bothered. But why was it coming from Gaydon, owned by Ford and run by Jaguar? Now the place is owned by Tata, I suppose, but it's also used by Aston Martin. In the middle of it all is a Museum to BMC!! It's crazy.
Hector