Because I don’t have enough Lotus kits. ...

[absmiami]

So ive decided to try the Pierre rivet thing …. These are .06 solder balls - just dumped a bunch if them on to this black tray and started drillin …  .06 is a bit over scale - but the thought is that a coat of primer will help seal the rivets - and that i can leave a scale appearing rivet after some light sanding -  

[absmiami]

On the restored 38 - none of the rivets are exposed - but the best pix that ive found of the Clark 38 at Indy in ‘65 show exposed rivets - my theory is that Team Lotus used a minimum of paint and that the rivets were exposed after repeated polishing in the weeks before race day - Chapman did value appearance - but paint added weight - and at Indy extra weight made a big difference … the rivet decal that ive taped to the surface of the cowl is used to help me space the rivets …

[absmiami]

Ths hardest part is drilling a shallow hole and making a shallow “divet” that the rivet is glued into - i want the top half of the solder ball above the surface of the body - 

[absmiami]

 Getting bettter at this as i go - the right hand - in the picture - row of rivets is better than the left hand row - which was done first …

[absmiami]

[absmiami]

[kensar]

I'm interested to see what the rivets look like when painted over.

[absmiami]

Knsr - you’re concern - and mine - is the size of the “rivets” …. 

[absmiami]

Under a coat of Tamiya primer…

[absmiami]

Its a compromise - the .05 solder balls would have yielded a more sc accurate pattern - but would have been harder to handle and apply … think these .06 balls are set in securely - think they will stay put while the body is finished - more rivets needed for the back half of the body - think ill  use the Archer rivet decals for those - they are black on the sheet - but i wont need exposed rivets in those sections …

[absmiami]

I looked thru the parts bags in the kit three times - couldnt find the attenueter ….

[absmiami]

The driving compartment side panels on the kit are abbreviated - stopping at the dash - so i made 2 panels from Evergreen strip to complete the monocoque forward to the pedal box …

[absmiami]

Here’s where they go …

[absmiami]

The dash was then soldered to the monocoque and installed - had to do this before painting because …

[absmiami]

I can now make the chassis extensions in the engine bay - the kit leaves these out because its a curbside …. Made from H shaped Evergreen strip, L shaped strip, and .015 and .020 strip - i’ll need to paint this dark gray …

[absmiami]

Now i can add the engine mounts …

[absmiami]

The Mad Mike 25th scale Ford DOHC was an early 3D print kit engine made and sold about five years ago - it just fits into the 24th sc engine bay - this is a scale compromise - the 24th scale version of this engine won’t fit - you wont get the engine cover over it … measuring the mock up lets me know that I’ll have an issue w the wheelbase - which is 96 sc inches … the engine and gearbox w/out modification produces a slightly longer wheelbase - ill have to make some changes so that i can attach the gearbox to the suspension bulkhead … with the added bonus of an accurate or nearly accurate wheelbase

[MarkJ]

Andrew, again, that dash looks superb and the engine is going to look superb too. You are the only builder I know that's not in a big hurry to finish. And it shows in the final photos.

[absmiami]

Gracias MJ - but i am in a hurry to finish - i just keep forgetting which Lotus im building ….   Anyway - as this kit is a curbside I had to scrounge around for a rear supension bulkhead - i had made one years ago for a Gurney Eagle - im modifying the casting to make the Lotus 38 bullhead …

[absmiami]

I’ve had gearbox-brain this past week - this is the block / gearbox casting in the old IMC 25th sc Lotus Indy kit - not so much - - - 

[absmiami]

The gearbox on the right is the box that is included in the printed Mad Mike Ford DOHC kit - its a Hewland - teams like Lola - in the T90 - did use the Hewland in ‘67 and ‘68 at Indy - BUT - team Lotus - in ‘64 and 65 - used ZF gearboxes - the same ones found in the GT40s - the box on the left is correct for the Lotus 38 - its a ZF - and was included in the Mad Mike Ford GT40 engine kits - 

[absmiami]

Here’s a shot of the GT 40 ZF box - confused yet ? - Randy D can straighten us all out …

[absmiami]

The printed Mad Mike ZF box is super - but really hard to get - and it is buried in the tail of the Lotus 38 - won’t be visible - can’t make the tail removable - so my Plan C is to use a resin casting of the ZF created by LeMans Miniatures in their great 24th scale GT40 Kit - 

[absmiami]

Have to remove the flexible rubber donut joints used in the GT40 - but these will find a home on the Lotus 25 - and just make those left and right odd shaped side plates …

[absmiami]

So after all of that excitement (it doesn’t take much to excite me) I’ve got the correct gear box and with a little filing - I’ve recovered the correct 4 inch [96 in] wheelbase … now back to the engine mounts ….