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

[absmiami]

Mr B :   Is this the hinge ????

[Bainford]

On 3/14/2022 at 9:42 AM, absmiami said:

Mr B :   Is this the hinge ????

Nice looking piano hinge. How narrow is it?  
The hinges I bought were of two different types. Looking at them now, they seem quite useful, though I kind of forgot I had them. The barn door hinges, suitably modified, would be great for 20s - 40s cars, hot rods, etc. In fact, I’ve just solved my ‘48 woody door hinge problem. The barn door style were the ones billed as worlds smallest hinges, probably available through doll house sources. Opened up they measure .560” long and more importantly about .150” wide, the pivot bit .042” thick. I’m surprised at how many I still have, some showing sign of having been used, and later salvaged. 

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Bainford

[absmiami]

Wait !  I got those too !!

[absmiami]

[absmiami]

let's see  -  where was I ...

woke up with British racing green fever one day this week

this is a Lotus 16 - it's a rare bird - this particular 16 resides in the Barber Collection in Alabama

the racing museum with the world class collection of motorcycles

they also have some rare Loti ... 

[absmiami]

This is  - i think - the only Lotus 16 in North America - Chapman and Lotus built 8 - per the Taylor Lotus bible - in 58 and 59 - the Barber 16 is an early chassis - Lotus used a series of revisions by Len Terry in 59 - all improvements - although the revised 16 continued to break with regularity - I’m going to build a revised 16 - one is currently for sale in GB - ill get the link and post it - with excellent photos - its one of the last front drive Grand prix cars - not a successful Lotus - but it looked cool - and many of its features were carried forward to the Lotus 18 …

[absmiami]

And this brings me in a round about way back to the mysterious Guido Feiw - the resin caster responsible for the few in number and hard to find Scale Kraft kits - fr South Africa - 

[absmiami]

The scale is 24th - I used his Cooper casting for my Cooper IX build three yrs ago - all of his castings were thin - and his chosen subjects were almost always unique - i do not think he offered the 16 as a kit - he intended to - but was badly injured in an accident before he was able to offer the 16 in kit form - dont know if anyone else was able to obtain this kit body - would love to know …

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'll be rooting fer your take on the 16, should you decide to build one.  

[absmiami]

Ace - how could i NOT build it ??

look at all these goodies … !

cutaway by Lofthouse - many times posted on the net - originally published late in ‘58 in ?? The Motor??  This is the ‘58 16 - the one that i will build has Len Terry’s mods to the frame and suspension …

[absmiami]

 

so I've been doing some more research

Lotus entered two 16s in the 1959 Sebring Grand Prix

this link has  some good shots of what I think is chassis 365

http://www.gurneyflap.com/formula1lotus.html

I think that is the Ireland 16 that finished 5th 

see also the Ultimatecarpage site

I think the late Joel Finn might done all the research for his book on this race  ...

[absmiami]

A quick check of Douglas Nye’s old Theme Lotus book on all of the early Lotus formula cars confirmed my suspicion …

[absmiami]

The first order of business is to add a scale inch of depth to  the baseplate - with a lip to grasp the main body mounding - made from 2 L shaped Evergreen strips - this will aid assembly and provide an added inch of body height - which will be needed to fit a Climax engine into the cramped engine bay …

[absmiami]

Most of Guido’s body castings were poured from open moulds - the castings are thin - but alot of sanding and prep is needed for the “insides”’of the body castings …

[vamach1]

Andrew,

Did you go to the Key Biscayne show on Sunday.  There was some cool stuff there.  Somehow they let me sneak the Mach1 in next to a Lambo.  While waiting to be parked I was behind a BMW M1.

Edited December 19, 2023 by vamach1

[absmiami]

Whoa - didnt know there was a Lotus 72 in the U.S.  …. Sunday ?  I think i was napping - next time send up a flare - who was  the show sponsor?

[absmiami]

Did you say hello to Emo for me ?

[absmiami]

You can see how thin the resin is …

[absmiami]

Once the bonnet was removed i glued on three strips of .010 Evergreen to make the bonnet rest …

[vamach1]

3 hours ago, absmiami said:

Did you say hello to Emo for me ?

He was pretty busy all day. ?   It was the Key Biscayne show that they barely advertise and I had to dig deep to find the date and then the website to display my car.  Last year the show was in October and this year it was supposed to be two days but they only salvaged one day of good weather.

[absmiami]

this might be the 72 that  you saw, Rex

I shot this car at Goodwood the same yr that I shot the Ferr FII engine that i just posted on the Barquetta thread ...

Edited December 24, 2023 by absmiami
Brain freeze

[Bainford]

On 12/15/2023 at 8:36 PM, absmiami said:

Lotus used a series of revisions by Len Terry in 59 - all improvements - although the revised 16 continued to break with regularity

Well, it is a Lotus.

As successful as Lotus was in the 60s and 70s, I wonder just how great their record would have been if they didn't break with such frequency. ...or run out of fuel. Which also makes me wonder just how many Lotus victories can be directly attributed to the 'mechanic's gallon'.

[Bainford]

On 12/19/2023 at 5:00 PM, vamach1 said:

There was some cool stuff there.  Somehow they let me sneak the Mach1 in next to a Lambo. 

I hope the Lambo felt suitably honoured to park next to a Mach 1.

[vamach1]

4 hours ago, Bainford said:

I hope the Lambo felt suitably honoured to park next to a Mach 1.

I hope so.  ?  Funny thing is if I had a Aussie Falcon Cobra that raced at Bathurst the racing enthusiasts would be drooling all over it.  I like showing my car that many car relate to as just about everyone has or knows someone that owned a 65-73 Mustang.  When someone asks questions about my car they realize it was not just an old car I bought 42 years ago but that it has hundreds of miles of track time from Connecticut down to Homestead Florida and just about every road course in between on the east coast.

Edited December 21, 2023 by vamach1

[absmiami]

On 12/21/2023 at 10:44 AM, Bainford said:

Well, it is a Lotus.

As successful as Lotus was in the 60s and 70s, I wonder just how great their record would have been if they didn't break with such frequency. ...or run out of fuel. Which also makes me wonder just how many Lotus victories can be directly attributed to the 'mechanic's gallon'.

And in thd fifties - early sixties - the grand prix calendar was short - ten races or so plus the non-champ calendar - so when you put an unproven or unprepared car on the start line - the failures must have been humiliating - the 16 actually scored championship points in two races in ‘59 because of Vanwall’s and Maserati’s withdrawal - the entry lists were shallow …