Lister Knobbly Jaguar

[kensar]

I started this project a couple weeks ago while still working on the GT40.  I think this is a cool old school subject and I don't think there have been any 1/24 kits of it - the Lister Knobbly Jaguar.  The prototype Knobbly was ordered by the Ecurie Ecosse team, but somehow was sold to Briggs Cunningham who brought it to the US.  It was driven to the 1958 and 1959 SCCA titles by Walt Hansgen, so it has a winning pedigree.  I will be depicting the prototype Lister Knobbly.  I have noticed that subsequent built Knobblys are different in a few details.

The Knobbly had a Jaguar D type XK engine and shares many details with the D type.  I believe Lister struck a deal with Jaguar after its factory burned down, leaving them with engines but no chassis to put them in until the XKSS was developed.  I am taking advantage of this similarity by using parts from a Revell XKSS kit.  I acquired Revell's 100th anniversary of Jaguar kit that has the E type new tool and the XKSS kit, whose molds are probably 100 years old also.  They are pretty bad, but these parts will be going under the car and won't be very visible. 

I sourced wheels from Ukranian Scale Car Production, which are superb.

For the first time, I will be using Renshape for the body.  Renshape is a rigid high density polyurethane foam which is ungodly expensive.  I bought a couple of pieces of it off evilbay many years ago and its been sitting around in my shop forever.  The pieces I had were only about 1/2 thick, so I glued layers together to get adequate thickness for the body.  This stuff sands very easily.  Having a foam structure means it will have to be coated with something to get a hard smooth surface.  I am thinking epoxy fiberglass resin.  First, I need to make the body.

The pictures below show the progression of the project.

I used Perfect Plastic Putty to build back up areas that I sanded too much or somehow needed material to be put back on.  I really don't like this putty because it does not dry hard, but I will be coating the body with something to get a hard surface anyway.

Jaguar XKSS kit parts

After many hours of sanding 'fun' I am at this point.

Still need to work out some interferences with the rear suspension intruding into the cockpit.

Welcome to the grind!

 

 

Edited August 5, 2024 by kensar

[Dave B]

Wow,  this is looking really good.  I cheated and backcast one in resin but without the detail you are going to apply.

Dave B

[1959scudetto]

This is going to be a very interesting WIP, Ken ! I will surely be following this!

The XKSS kit dates back to 1993 according to Scalemates - is it really that bad?  (I have the original issue and the first reissue from 2005 somewhere in my stash)

[Gramps46]

7 hours ago, Dave B said:

Wow,  this is looking really good.  I cheated and backcast one in resin but without the detail you are going to apply.

Dave B

Yes, great project.  I did the same as Dave and did a backcast and like Ken will do the Cunningham Lister.

[Pierre Rivard]

This simple styrene & putty assembler is bowing to the master fabricators

[absmiami]

A Renshape Lister - fan-f’king-tastic !!

 

[kensar]

Those that did a backcast, what was the master?  a slot body or a diecast?  Gary - your casting looks like a good shape for the Lister.  I am wondering if my fenders are not shaped right, but I find it's hard to tell in the raw Renshape surface.

I my opinion, the Revell XKSS engine and chassis sprues are in terrible shape.  Lots of flash and sink marks and some parts are unrecognizable because the detail is so bad.  No comparison to the new tool sprues for the E type that is in the same box.  The body sprues for the XKSS are in pretty good shape. 

As mentioned, I am using the XKSS frame parts to hold the wheels on, although they are not correct for the Lister.

[Gramps46]

7 hours ago, kensar said:

Those that did a backcast, what was the master?  a slot body or a diecast?  Gary - your casting looks like a good shape for the Lister.  I am wondering if my fenders are not shaped right, but I find it's hard to tell in the raw Renshape surface.

I my opinion, the Revell XKSS engine and chassis sprues are in terrible shape.  Lots of flash and sink marks and some parts are unrecognizable because the detail is so bad.  No comparison to the new tool sprues for the E type that is in the same box.  The body sprues for the XKSS are in pretty good shape. 

As mentioned, I am using the XKSS frame parts to hold the wheels on, although they are not correct for the Lister.

My inventory list does not show the backcast master, but it was a clear vacuum form slot body.

 

[Pico]

Excellent start.

 

[Bainford]

Incredible project. This will be fun to watch. 

[Dave B]

Backcast from slot car body.  Built one as Jag and one as Chev powered.

Dave B

[kensar]

The underside cuts have gotten complicated.

I'm at the point where I think I need to coat the body and install the chassis framework before building up the interior.  Tests with epoxy resin are looking very positive.

[Pierre Rivard]

Amazing stuff Ken. I same you did this with a milling machine?

[kensar]

Hi Pierre, These cuts were made mostly by hand with a Dremel moto tool with various grinding wheels and cutting bits.  For some cuts, I used a Dremel drill press  to hold the moto tool in place at a certain depth while I moved the body around under it.  The fact that this Renshape material cuts very easily makes this feasible, but one does have to be very careful not to cut too much away with an unintentional movement of the hand!

[kensar]

More progress.  I have coated the body with fiberglass resin.

Wheel 'modules' 

Lots of sanding to do.  Initial mock-ups.

 

I think it's going to work.

[kensar]

After final sanding and some body surface details added (louvers), I have completed the main painting.  I couldn't find the exact font for the numbers but it's the closest I could find.  The rough texture of the Renshape foam made the panel lines a bit uneven.

Next I'll be focusing on the interior and mounting the wheels.

 

[Pierre Rivard]

Very, very, very impressive! 100% scratch built, something rarely seen.

[kensar]

Thanks very much, Pierre, but I m not claiming 100% scratch built due to the parts snagged from the Revell XKSS kit and USCP.

Hope your USCP parts get here soon.  My order was delayed by about a week due to Russian missle attacks knocking out their electrical power.

[Bainford]

Outstanding!  Very impressive work. The body looks gorgeous. 

[kensar]

Working on the interior now

Got the wheels on.

Here are a couple of interior panels and drive shaft tunnel, the transmission that is visible in the cockpit, and some frame structure that goes around the rear axle.

 

[Dave B]

That's pretty speccy Ken, looking forward to seeing it finished.

Dave B

[absmiami]

Yup

[Mattilacken]

Wow what a build! great work on sculpting that body!

[kensar]

Latest progress - completed the interior - mostly from aluminum and styrene sheet.

Vacuum formed the seatbacks and made a cushion from Milliput.

Next significant detail is the windshield.

[Pierre Rivard]

Looks so so good Ken. Obviously Lister cared for their drivers and comfort was at the very top of the list! ?