Lola T70 Mk1 Spider, Union (IMC), 1/24 (or 1/25, or maybe 1/27...)

[Matt Bacon]

Well, it was a bit of a battle, but we got there in the end...

There's a fair bit of work in getting the doors and clams to fit, and I've added some extra details like the oil coolers in the engine bay and fire extinguisher. But it's the only way you're going to get a 1/24 injection moulded Lola T70 on your shelves. You'd think that Tamiya would scale down their big Mk 3 Coupe, but they haven't yet!

best,

M.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Matt Bacon

[Phildaupho]

Hello Matt - Let me be the first to congratulate you on your superb build of the IMC Lola. I also very impressed with your photography especially the "see through" engine cover. I am not sure however we can refer to the IMC kit as 1/24. I think it is more like 1/27 or 1/28. Actually there is a way to get 1/24 Lola using a Tamiya body. Not that many years ago Tamiya reissued their Lola T-70 slot car body which I built up on a Fujimi Ford GT-40 chassis. You can check it out here.

 

[Matt Bacon]

Thanks very much Phil... yours looks blinkin' amazing; I hadn't seen it before, but I'm super impressed. I've actually got the same Tamiya slot body awaiting something similar...one day. The scale on the IMC is interesting -- the wheelbase seems pretty much bang on for 1/25, but the track is, as you say, more like 1/27. Seeing that the very undersized engine is probably driven by "squishing" it to fit under opening and well over scale thickness clamshells, I wonder if the narrow track is caused by the same design compromise. I measured up the engine block and heads, and it's pretty much right for a 289 fore and aft, but at least 25% too narrow, which seems to be dictated by a combination of having to engineer the serpentine headers so they can be assembled by a "normal" modeller, and fit inside the too-narrow track inside the overly thick clamshells...

best,

M.

[stevehansen]

Very nicely done!!!

[Dragonhawk1066]

Nicely done! Very sharp!

[bbowser]

Interesting subject modeled very well, thanks for sharing.

[cobraman]

Turned out great !

[Phildaupho]

3 hours ago, Matt Bacon said:

Thanks very much Phil... yours looks blinkin' amazing; I hadn't seen it before, but I'm super impressed. I've actually got the same Tamiya slot body awaiting something similar...one day. The scale on the IMC is interesting -- the wheelbase seems pretty much bang on for 1/25, but the track is, as you say, more like 1/27. Seeing that the very undersized engine is probably driven by "squishing" it to fit under opening and well over scale thickness clamshells, I wonder if the narrow track is caused by the same design compromise. I measured up the engine block and heads, and it's pretty much right for a 289 fore and aft, but at least 25% too narrow, which seems to be dictated by a combination of having to engineer the serpentine headers so they can be assembled by a "normal" modeller, and fit inside the too-narrow track inside the overly thick clamshells...

best,

M.

Thanks  Matt - Before I started building my Lola T-70 I did a comparison of all small block Ford V-8 I could get my hands on. There is an incredible variation in demensions but the IMC SBF definitely measured up the narrowest.

 

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[peekay]

Really nice work, Matt. I specially like the realistic paint job on the driver.

[Silver Foxx]

Really nice build , well done .

[Zoom]

Yes, very nice! And great photos also!

[Matt Bacon]

Thanks, guys! I think the driver figure is actually pretty good; if someone wanted to make one up and cast it in resin, I’d have a few (with a pencil moustache he’d make a good Graham Hill, and he’s more or less OK as is for Dan Gurney... ;-P)

beat,

M.

[Jim N]

Great job!  Looks very nice.

[Rich Chernosky]

Matt....that turned out superb. I followed your build  in "on the Workbench"  and will incorporate  the mods into mine. This build was the incentive for me to search out and get the Fred Cady decal set for the Gurney 66 car.  Now to find that Ford engine.  Thanks again for posting it.

[Dann Tier]

You most definitely did win the battle!....what a beautiful Masterpiece!!!!

[Dave B]

That's an exceptional build of a problematic kit Matt, well done

Dave B

[PappyD340]

Very nice!!

[Matt Bacon]

Thank you very much, gentlemen! No I just need to decide whether, while I’m on a roll, to start the Union/IMC Ford GT Mk IV I have, or take a bit of RnR and do something easier!

best,

M.

[Bill J]

Super build of the Lola. Those old IMC kits were a tough build to make them look right when completed. Too many parts! Yours looks perfect and I know that was not easy! Congrats on an excellent build

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Bill J

[tkzwolf]

Beautiful work.  Don't see one of those very often.