Scale-Master

Yes David, and thanks. I was planning some of it in my head on the trip home even. The more I get into it the more gets put in the "won't be using that" pile.

The cowl also had to be modified for LHD. Before: In Progress: Styrene was used as filler in some places; in other places the kit plastic was cut and reused. The rivets were cut off and drilled out. Since this car will only have one master cylinder the reservoirs for the dual set were shaved off. The underside had to be modified as well so the steering would work properly and everything would fit. Aluminum rivets… Hand cut, filed and installed (some of them). After:

Thanks Scott! Those will come in handy.

The front bulkhead was converted to LHD and all the holes were drilled out. The inside was milled to be a constant thickness too. Before: After:

The top of the dash also needed to be converted to LHD. I cut the pod out and a matching area on the left and swapped and blended them back together. A little white styrene was used as filler on the new passenger side.

Converting the steering rack over to left-hand drive. Part of the framework had to be cut and other areas filled for the track of the rack to slide and everything to be "flipped". Then a new gear for the rack had to be created since the teeth were backwards. The ejection pin holes were filled and new mounting holes for the pedal set were drilled too.

I started by cleaning up the tub and main body panels. Lots of filling and sanding to remove the twenty ¼ inch diameter ejection pin marks in the tub alone and general parting lines. But still a nicely molded kit considering its age. The insides of the body also needed to be addressed for the same issues.

I pulled this kit from my stash on May 5, 2019; the night we got home from the GSL show. 1997 reissue of the 1970 Tamiya kit. It's been patiently waiting for 22 years in my stash to be built. I've been researching, planning and figuring all month. (Actually I was scheming a couple days before in case I didn't find a dream deal on another Caterham kit during the show/trip.) It will be built as a street car T-70 replica with some modern upgrades.

Thanks guys! It was really nice to see those of you who also made the show. I don't think an LS is the proper engine for a Seven. (I did go overboard with a V6 powered one though.) However, the next "big" project is well into the planning stages and it will have a small block Chevy. (Starts with an "L" and has a 7 in the name too.)

Thanks guys! Your comments and compliments mean a lot to me. I took it to the 27th annual GSL International Scale Vehicle Championship last weekend. (This was my 20th year in attendance.) It earned Best In Class, The Augie (Best Machining), The Gerald Wingrove Scratch-Building award and Overall Judges Best of Show. Time to build something else...

Look closer... It's Velcro. (Says so above the key outline ttoo.)

Thanks guys! I am looking forward to seeing those of you who are also going to the show. The last ones I built had fun stuff in the trunk too. Like a 1/12 scale version of a 1/24th scale Seven kit and cans of WD-40, oil and brake fluid. Even made a scaled down "big ruler". [/URL] The one before that had a can of Fix-A-Flat and a Hide-A-Key...

Those wheels would be easy enough to draw, but it might push the boundaries of print-ability to get them in 1/25th without some significant beefing up.

Thanks guys. Yes JC, it is for that Kart. (Your Kart came out really sharp.) I'm doing it for a magazine article, but the parts will likely be offered for sale later once I find out what the costs are. I'm working with Fractional to determine production costs now. I wasn't planning to offer them in cast resin, but it is an option too. (These are not resin copies.)

I designed this 1/25th scale Go Kart engine in SolidWorks and had it printed by Fractional. The crankcase with pull starter was grown as one piece. The cylinder/head and carb were grown as another. The chain, sprockets and clutch are one piece and the exhaust is one more. I machined the tank, cap and velocity stack from alumminum. Also grown... Two piece Go Kart wheels and treaded tires (with custom decals).

It's finished.

I started this project in October of 2016. It's been fun. While it is another Caterham Super 7, it is as unique in its own right as all the others I've built. It was a Tamiya factory built that I fully disassembled (breaking some parts along the way) and rebuilt and re-engineered using an uncountable amount of scratch-built and machined parts. It was right hand drive; it is now left hand drive. The removable roof is fabricated from brass. I played around with different configurations of how to stow the stuff in the back before settling on the way it is in the second to last photo. For all the details of how it was built, here's a link to the WIP thread within this forum: All buttoned up; everything installed: Top off, street legal and ready for cruising: Spare off, ready to race once the "trunk" is emptied: Bottom side:

Thanks guys! Looking forward to the GSL show next week for sure, see you there John! The flashlight actually does work just as well as the one I copied. (The batteries were dead in it though.)

I've been a member there for years, but several months ago I could not get in using Explorer. Chrome however works just fine.

Anodized red. I made a bulb from thin stainless steel bent into a filament shape and a drop of canopy glue. The lens is clear styrene sheet. And it has a rubber power button.

I also like to keep a good flashlight handy. This one is a three D cell MagLite made of solid brass. The knurling has been added to it…

In the trunk of my car I keep the front plate since there is no place to mount it as it should be by law, but at least I can show I have it if needed. I copied the envelope it came from the DMV in, but changed the stamp to match the Seven's plate. It's a little dirty after floating around in the rear for 15 years… I figured I might as well put another brass plate in the envelope even if it is going to be sealed.

I didn't like the idea of the jack and other loose items being tossed around in the back so I made a little crate similar to what I kept in my real pick up for the same reason. The frame was built out of sheet styrene. And then the honeycomb sides and bottom were cut out and added.

Machined more hardware for the inside of the nose; nuts, bolts and washers for the badge and the spoiler. (Nine more pieces.) I made and installed the metal hood hold-downs and inside fasteners for them. Added a floormat for the driver's side footwell.

I machined the bezel for the nose badge from aluminum. Made a decal for the logo and filled it with clear for a cloisonné look.