Union models Lola T70

[Brudda]

A union model Lola T70 can am car. I was told it is a imc kit. Union models of japan bought the molds from imc. Reissued in 1983. I think.  A friend of mine found it for me on Craig’s list for $20 plus $5 shipping. Putting on hrm starburst wheels and hrm resin tires. Need to order a hrm Webber set of carbs. Here it is so far. Hope you like.

[Lizard Racing]

This looks like the old MPC Lola from the 1970s.  You have made a good start. Keep us posted.

[Dave Van]

Good start.......It was a IMC kit and thus a little tough build. The molds are now listed as MIA and we may never see it again.......you got a good deal....I have been looking for one myself. 

[MrObsessive]

Ooooh.......gotta watch this one! I built one of these a loooong time ago ('80's) and I've got another one that's yet to be built. These can be a bit fiddly, but seeing your past work, this should be a piece of cake!

[afx]

I have this kit Bruce, I'll be following.  The HRM wheels you are using are 6-hole Halibrands often seen on the FIA Cobras.

[absmiami]

yes - definitely order those carbs ......

 

they are great

 

 

[Brudda]

Thank you for the info and comments. Had to add some evergreen plastic to the bottom of the door. Have to sand at a angle like the other one. Big gap at the rear bottom of the door. After the mfh kit I did, I am much more relaxed at doing what needs to be done to get things to fit. This kit is not a shake and bake. You have to make things fit. Had to also add heat to the rear of the doors to get them to fit. Still learning but not as nervous to do something about the fit. Definitely a early 70s kit. But it was state of the art for the time. 

[Rich Chernosky]

I built this kit in 1970 when it was an IMC kit. I have it again as a Union and have been thinking of re-visiting it. I did my IMC Chaparral over again and it turned out way better 45yrs later.  I will follow your build with interest. Thanks for posting it. 

[Snake45]

Sweet! I wish I could find one of these. Drive on! 

[Brudda]

Back on the build. The doors are tough. Do not line up. They need evergreen on the bottom to fill the gaps. I had to heat the plastic on the doors to get the shape. Primed but need more sanding. Just fitting the body. Did the right door. So far it is ok. If you do this kit , take your time on the doors. The right door took me a full week just to get it right. A lot of sanding and shaping. 

[MrObsessive]

Lookin' good Bruce! That's something I didn't do the last time I built this------line up the doors and such. You're doing a good job of it and IMO, this is just as important as a good paint job.

And to be fair, pretty much all of those old IMC kits need a lot of finessing to make them right. As they say "Patience is a virtue"!

[Gramps46]

Is the box labeled 1/25th like the other other IMC kits?  The AMT Lola T70 is labeled 1/24.  It is a striking design.

[Brudda]

Thank you Mr Obsessive. Thank you Gramps 46 and I did not know amt made a lola. Thanks for the info.

[MrObsessive]

1 hour ago, Gramps46 said:

Is the box labeled 1/25th like the other other IMC kits?  The AMT Lola T70 is labeled 1/24.  It is a striking design.

Gary, I have this kit among others and it does say 1/25. That's news to me about AMT's Lola...........never seen that one.

[afx]

From the internet:

Edited February 27, 2019 by afx

[MrObsessive]

That's the first I've seen of that JC..........never knew AMT made one. A bit different bodywork than the IMC, but still recognizable as a Lola.

[Gramps46]

I have still have the AMT box but stupidly sold off the model.  As JC's photo shows it is based upon the slot car and has no engine etc.

Don't mean to divert this excellent build thread.

[Brudda]

That is so cool! I did not know amt did that.     As I research the Lola, there are so many versions that I am confused. I was reading that there are over 100 versions of the Lola T70. Most spiders, have rear flares and are restored to shiny perfection. Brian Johnson’s Lola is really cool. I even read that you can have them built again. So I have to figure out which one I would like to do. Or maybe my own “what if” car. I also saw the prices they are getting. Holy cow!

[Brudda]

Ok I played around with the hrm wheels. Put the centers from the union kit and it looks better for you purists. 

[styromaniac]

[styromaniac]

[styromaniac]

[styromaniac]

I picked this up for a song awhile back when Piper Hobby in Chantilly closed. I think it might've been the shop owner...Bill Kimbals kit. He was a sports car enthusiast...loved Corvettes . It had a lot of extra stuff in it...aftermarket. Multi piece body looks like a challenge.

Edited March 1, 2019 by styromaniac

[djflyer]

On 2/27/2019 at 9:08 AM, afx said:

From the internet:

Quick question - does anyone know if this is the same mold as the Lola T70 spider that Tamiya was selling as a slot car body?  (I believe they called it the type "LT")

[Gramps46]

4 hours ago, djflyer said:

Quick question - does anyone know if this is the same mold as the Lola T70 spider that Tamiya was selling as a slot car body?  (I believe they called it the type "LT")

The Tamiya is a 1/24 scale body while the Union/IMC is 1/25 scale.