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jbwelda

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tonite i looked over at its resting place and got a bug to pull out the T Ford lakester i started years ago and piddle around on now and then.

the current task is to fit the rough, primered body over the frame rails and running gear, in the front...the rear has been fitted already. so basically that means marking and cutting some notches or something to clear the radius rods and the exhaust header on the right hand side.

i started slow and it immediately became obvious the back of the body was off center, what i mean is the casting on the left side was very thick and the other side very thin, where the rear axle crossmember crosses the body line. this was preventing the body from sitting straight on the chassis. so i took out the dremel and ground down the heavy side (and believe me im talking *heavy*...like at least 3/16" thick where the other side is more like 1/16") until it matched and allowed the body to sit correct. heres a photo of the ground out area after i had cut notches but you can see the area im talking about. also you can see the inside of the body is still pretty rough due to me expecting to do some fairly major body work still.

bodyunderneathentirelenwu8.gif

heres some shots of the body with the notches necessary to clear equipment on the frame. note this is only the beginning of the notches, youll get a better perspective in later photos, but the notches are going to have to extend pretty far up the side of the body:

bodyleftsidewithchassismw1.gif

bodyrightsidewithchassicg3.gif

then some detail shots showing just how much more the body needs to go down. note here that the chassis is being held off the ground by a block under the motor oil pan and when it is on its front tyres on it sits very low in the front...these photos make the car look far off the ground but its not.

leftsidedetailbodyandcza7.gif

rightsidedetailbodyandfn1.gif

frontenddetailqt3.gif

so since its gonna be raining tomorrow and the go-kart is almost done, i think i will concentrate on the lakester and see if i can get the body down snug, see what it takes, and then plan out a final design that may have to include a removable panel as i want to be able to remove the body from the chassis. we shall see...

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Bill, glad to see you working on this one again! It's been a favorite of mine since you first posted pix. I like lakesters and yours with the Offy (also a favorite) is great! I think your scratchbuilding is top notch and I am really looking forward to this one being finished!

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thanks for the comments folks. yesterday i managed to get the body down on the chassis and tonite i hope to finalize its stance, then i will post some pics on all four wheels. i doubt i will have this for nnl 08 but maybe 09, theres stuff i still need to figure out like exact body configuration and interior...i want the body shell to tilt backwards so i have to engineer a bit still.

it sure looks cool down on the frame and the engine fits under the narrow nose just perfect. i planned this car out so long ago now that i forget the details but i do remember considerable fussing about whether it was going to clear the motor/radiator etc i was trying to use.

gokart: i will post a couple photos of the gokart in some other thread i started, something about distractions or something.

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  • 4 weeks later...

a little more progress leading up to the NNL, but it still wont be done!

fabricating the interior, steering linkage and wheel, firewall and drilled out seat:

firewallfromfront2qe6.gif

firewallfrombackde1.gif

firewallfromfrontjd0.gif

and the body on the paint stand, ready for first coats of orange, hopefully tomorrow:

bodyonstand2lf8.gif

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you know Bill, I look at these progress pics then I look at the ones on my 32 roadster..and I realize i"ve got a looong way to go on scratchbuilding and detailing. But I see that as inspirational more then competition, so it will make me try a little harder.

I really love this build, i've liked it since you first posted it and it keeps getting better and better...good luck with the finishing stages, I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Gray

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thanks folks i will post more pics as things come together. i just sprayed some tamiya orange on the body and so far so good. i will have to examine it closer when it dries a bit to see if it needs another coat before some clear.

back to an old question, sorry i neglected to address it before: yep its 1/25 scale. and about the detailing: while im proud of what ive done there i do have to say the photos look consistently better than the reality! the front end is the most detailed part and it was a white metal kit that i got somewhere, i forget the manufacturer but it builds up very nicely. i replaced the wavy radius arms with pieces from straight pins after cutting off and drilling the bat wings. just that front end gives the impression of detail but its really pretty simple. i still have to hook up the front brake lines once the wheels/finned drums are in place, and need to hook up the radiator hoses as well which promises to be a challenge. other than that ive just planned a simple interior, there will be a dashboard of sorts and a hand brake handle/hydraulic cylinder (!) and maybe a parachute on the rear deck with some sort of release mechanism but thats about it for further details. its actually getting pretty close to me calling it done.

thanks for the kind comments and for looking...stay tuned.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Love this roadster Bill! One thing i've been wondering since I 1st saw this thread...Where did you get the 27 roadster shell? Is it by any chance by Tim Boyd?

The subject has come up in another thread recently...(like today)

The Offy motor is very cool. In 1:1 scale, an old buddy of mine was building a blown Offy for his roadster. It was based on an ex-Indy 1970s Turbo motor he got without the turbo. The cam and other details of the engine should work pretty well with a rootes blower. Unfortunately, he passed away before he finished it. I don't think his son will ever finish it or any of the rest of his dad's projects, but he's definitely NOT parting with any of it.

I like the Edmunds nose on there. It suits it well.

The front axle looks like an R&D Unique kit.

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yes richard the front end is from R&D Unique, thanks for the brain nudge. the body was a All American Models resin that i picked up sometime a long ago, and i molded it into one piece (body, hood and nose), did some other bodywork like adding lower curved extensions to the sides, to suggest a bellypan and then trimmed away to fit over the chassis hardware. the car is currently painted and just needs a bit of touchup there, and ive begun the interior details and building floorboards, but i am moving house in the next few weeks so its probably on hiatus till summer or so when i plan on wrapping it up. many thanks for the interest!

Edited by jbwelda
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  • 2 weeks later...

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