DonW

Well I got as far as Puma and Alfa Metais Veículos, seems like rear engind VW based sports cars were a big thing in Brazil!

Nope, can't get a handle on this.

Does anyone know what GT stands for? I know those responsible for the Hennessey GT don't! This is a GT:

Me too!

I'd say use the balsa, whoever cut the 'parts' and packed them into the boxes all that time ago would have wanted that... You don't build like somebody that wants an easy life! Whatever, I respect you for taking up this challenge.

Chevy were going to crush this Wankel engined concept car until someone stepped in at the last minute and it ended up being gifted (engineless) at the say-so of Wayne Cherry to Tom Falconer at Claremont Corvette in the UK who has restored it and got it running with a Mazda Wankel engine. There are countless other such horror stories, not all with happy endings. Makes you wonder.

Reminds me of Steve Bolander's car in Graffiti, but it isn't that one!

Thanks Tulio Do I get a point for noticing? Cheers. -Don.

So will they be facing forwards or backwards? Or just a little sideways...

Thanks Bill. I agree with your general point that cars with a big polar moment do have that sort of dumbbell effect, my comment has more to do with the general 'twitchiness' that short wheelbase cars with the weight concentrated in the middle tend to share, as you say in your last 2 paragraphs. Mike Hawthorn never really got on with 'Super squalo' GP Ferraris for that reason. The Cheetah could never be said to understeer, that's for sure!

Hi Cato Is that f/r or r/f?

Magic? Please do tell, Tulio!

He probably speaks French too, in fact I can guess what he might have said as he headed for said ditch! If you're not crashing you're not trying (someone said that, I don't think it's one of Abraham Lincoln's). Even Fangio crashed occasionally.

Must be the only road car since the brass era with the engine in literally in the middle but still in front of the driver where it should be. A couple of quotes from Diseno-art.com website that I found: 'Because the chassis was not stiff enough, the Cheetah exhibited quirky handling characteristics at high speeds.' '"Cheetah Race Cars" has gotten permission from one of the original creators of the Cheetah (Thomas) to create "continuation" cars that are advertised as faithful to the original with updated engineering and reliability, but without the problems of the replicas.' With such a low polar moment of inertia, snap oversteer would be the big problem and, as Cato says, the Cheetah makes the Cobra look safe. And there aren't too many cars like that since the brass era either. But what a way to go!

Eric Bates went on to be a top chartered surveyor, measuring out huge sites for major building projects, so he put his skills to good use. It is a lovely model, I can't help wishing he'd done a Spitfire too! Glad you all appreciate it.

It certainly wouldn't give over 3000bhp with those notches uncovered, even before the belts snapped. Maybe there are some blanking plates that haven't been fitted in that photo? Also, no way can the driver see what's ahead of the truck!

Good luck with it, it's hard enough moving from one place to another even if they're the same size. If the new place is smaller and semi-derelict that just adds to the fun...!

I once thought it would look great to cover a wall socket with a gold Benson and Hedges cigarette packet. When I put the plug in, there was a big flash and the power circuit blew. Gold foil conducts electricity!

I'd do the shifter knob and find a way to get a fan belt in there and - to me most important - I'd very carefully bend those droopy headlights so they are upright! Otherwise it looks great, especially with the other three big models.

Yeah, what's happening with the Allison LSR car and the Challenger? There's some great displays here. I used to hang my 'planes from the ceiling, but I did get tired of just seeing the underneath - and that idea really doesn't work with cars!

Is it still true that you can run tyres with tread projecting outside the bodywork in some states in the US? I'm enjoying this project!

I don't get chance to build models nowadays, too busy trying to restore our old house. I like to have models around but photographing a few recently makes me realise what a great job most of you do in keeping the dust at bay! The lens seems to show more than the naked eye, witness the highly visible fuselage join on the Spit 24! Nonetheless I love having models around, so here are some random shots of how I have displayed some of mine. One day I look forward to having some proper cabinets but I'm happy enough for now as they are at least visible and people do enjoy seeing them and playing with some of them. Note the Tonka toy General that Amanda's brother used to use as a roller skate - it still rolls!. I love Starfighters too, I found two 1/72 Frog models years ago one of which was plated in silver so I built them with no markings and painted the other one matt black just to show off the design - 'just look at the shape of that beauty!' Not sure if this thread is in the right place but I couldn't think where else it fitted.

Here is a wooden model of a Hawker Hurricane that was given to me by a man called Eric Bates, the builder. He was an RAF cadet in the war and carved and painted the model himself in around 1940. Two of the pictures show the model, which is 1/72 scale or thereabouts, against some pages of a bound collection of Aircraft Recognition magazine that was published from 1942 onwards, again given to me by Eric.

In the 1:1 world I drive BMWs and can't imagine any alternative but here is my ideal 3 of non-Bavarian vehicles which would suit our needs pretty well - the Vette for obvious reasons, the Fiat 500 for commuting and shopping - you can drive like a complete hooligan and nobody will care as it won't go over 60mph! - and the Koach for Amanda and I and our 4 kids. I wanted to bring out the inner Ferrari that I see in the Vette, and I found a couple of 4-bbl carbs and some better tyres for it as well as opening up the front vents in the scoop to let hot air out from the radiator. With the Koach I cut off two of the injector stacks (8 stacks / 8 cylinders) as I prefer it like that, although I know the original had 10. No plumbing, brush painted models that look fine on the shelf if a little dusty, people like to pick them up which is ok with me. I just wanted to post something!

Many years back I was working on my car at a friends yard and I went to get some burgers for lunch. The car, a BMW 2002, had far better tyres on the front than the back for some stupid reason and on the way back on a country road at maybe 65mph I managed to spin it through 180 degrees . I remember heading for a tree still going backwards and thinking this was going to hurt - then there was a feeling like a giant hand had caught the car and thrown it back into the road, pointing in the direction I had been travelling and with the engine still running. There was no damage on the car apart from a piece of trim knocked off the bootlid and the burgers and chips were all intact in their cartons. I still don't understand what happened, most of my accidents have not had such fortunate outcomes. I was completely sober and I pretty soon changed the rear tyres!