Wickersham Humble Posted January 3 Posted January 3 I am building several Bonneville phantom contenders: 1,) 'Big BIrd', a '62 Bullet-Bird (AMT Styline kit, begun in '62!) with apocryphal CAT V-16 Diesel, dual turbos, 2.) a streamliner powered by two Cad V-16 engines (Monogram, tail cockpit from old Mono Indy-car kit, rest scratched) called the 'Catholic Comet' -- vs. the 'Mormon Meteor' Deusie, and 3.) a '53 Stude with scratch-imagined NOVI V-12, full belly-pan, Kamm fastback, etc. I tried Indycals Firestones, but they look undersized, even on the 1/25 T-Bird; though nice on my BBC/Avanti. I've had a hard time finding good speedway or B'ville looking tires in 1/25-1/24 (even posting some time ago in this topic) for them. I have one soft-rubber from a very old (lost) Comet 'Panther' racer kit which looks good, but no luck finding more. Now, I'm trying a new tack: using Harbor Freight firewall grommets with the 'slot' filled with neoprene O-rings and 3M weatherstrip adhesive (black death). They fit a regular stock wheel backer pretty well and have a tall profile. No sidewall detail at all, of course, but that can be added. With Parks scale 16-inch spun aluminum 'Moons' and a coating of 'salt' on the tread area (new white glass-beads) they should look about right! Maybe I'll try Good*Year lettering on them, just to be iconoclastic? Thx for any help! Wick
Pierre Rivard Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Interesting, I am scheming a future build, a salt-flat racer and have come empty on a search for wheels & tires. Will be interested to see what you come up with. Other possibility is getting someone to design & print them.
stitchdup Posted January 3 Posted January 3 if you look on cults for a designer called DigitalSurface, they have a couple sets of salt tyres and rims and also a bellytank racecar. i've printed a few of their files and they turn out nice
Wickersham Humble Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 Only just tipped off to Cults; I'd like to build a bellytank racer, with an off-beat mill -- like the SOHC Pontiac resin I just bought! My publisher, the late 'CA Bill' Fisher, was a B'ville regular and member of the Inliners Club. I believe he and my editor Tom Monroe built a L-series Datsun Z (G-nose, etc!) for the 'Flats in the late 'seventies and set a record; have to check. We used to have belly tanks all over our rural county in N CA; surplussed and sold to folks to use as fuel-oil tanks for their home heaters; very common! Also knew of some put side-by-side and made into pedal boats, to rent. Exciting shape, to we kids listening (not yet watching) Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, and Space Patrol shows! I have no way to 3D print, but someone might do some for sale. I seldom see the kit version available. I still build nostalgia drag beasts, but salf flat/lakes cars are very interesting, and have a considerably longer history. Thx again! Ole' Wick
stitchdup Posted January 4 Posted January 4 3 hours ago, Wickersham Humble said: Only just tipped off to Cults; I'd like to build a bellytank racer, with an off-beat mill -- like the SOHC Pontiac resin I just bought! My publisher, the late 'CA Bill' Fisher, was a B'ville regular and member of the Inliners Club. I believe he and my editor Tom Monroe built a L-series Datsun Z (G-nose, etc!) for the 'Flats in the late 'seventies and set a record; have to check. We used to have belly tanks all over our rural county in N CA; surplussed and sold to folks to use as fuel-oil tanks for their home heaters; very common! Also knew of some put side-by-side and made into pedal boats, to rent. Exciting shape, to we kids listening (not yet watching) Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, and Space Patrol shows! I have no way to 3D print, but someone might do some for sale. I seldom see the kit version available. I still build nostalgia drag beasts, but salf flat/lakes cars are very interesting, and have a considerably longer history. Thx again! Ole' Wick the one by digitalsurface has a flathead in it but i'm sure it could be stretched in a slicer to fit another engine
Claude Thibodeau Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Hi! You might try the rolling stock from Mickey Thompson's Challenger (a Revell kit). Used them on a 32 lakester, and unless you want very small diameter tires, it might do. See pic... CT 3
Wickersham Humble Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 Boy, that's choice! Wish I'd done it!! My dual V-16 streamliner uses a gas stove lighter 'body' with brass chassis; pretty interesting look. Caddy wire wheels & tires, so far... So-Can; I like that, eh?! I remember trying to build the Challenger (and Ivo's Show Boat) back when first issued; defeated me, but left lots of parts! I 'm doing two phantom Miller roadsters, one with Bugatti spokers, which Harry M. did first, btw! Ah, 'the life so short, the craft so long to learn!" Wick
Big John Posted February 19 Posted February 19 Another option for LSR tires would be Indy racing wheels and tire combos available in cast resin, available at certain on line auction site. 1
Wickersham Humble Posted February 19 Author Posted February 19 John: Thanks! As mentioned, I tried Indycals resin sets, and liked them okay, but they seem smallish for my needs. I'd like to have the real old skool tall Firestones (etc) with a fairly hunky profile. I have 3 project that need them, including a Strombecker Scarab (1960) that has really bitchin' bean-hole Halibrands (which I have been trying to recast in resin) and came with real rubber tires. OC, for authenticity, they should have had wider rims and taller tires on the rear, but the kit was one of those pre-slot car tryouts, with a slot-steerer front end, and battery powered motor. Also, a Comet Panther (sort of a Bonneville racer, set up for Jet-X (not Musk-X) power as an option) of which I still have one tire/wheel, and a decal sheet. They had real rubber because of expected use as 'racers'. As one of my Bonneville phantoms is going to be powered by twin-Caddie V-16s, I'll probably just use the tall wire wheels and hard plastic tires from the kit, as it's a throw-back piece to the 'thirties. I need to try to cast that one Comet tire, I guess. You didn't say what site had the tires you show? Indycals? The grommet trick looks okay after running tires through old glass-beads (for salt); big issue was they were a tad too big for my BulletBird chassis! The Challenger wheels/tires are indeed smallish; both that kit and the Ivo Buick Showboat kid were barely 1/25 scale, I thought. Provided lots of hot Buick and Pontiac mills, tho, if like me in 1962 you didn't finish them!! Old Wick 1
Big John Posted February 20 Posted February 20 James, if you are going for the early 30s look there are also sets of tires and wheels that were used on both the Golden Arrow and Bluebird.
Big John Posted February 21 Posted February 21 (edited) These are on ebbay, 1/24 scale for the Golden Arrow and Bluebird. Edited February 21 by Big John
Wickersham Humble Posted February 21 Author Posted February 21 Spent ten minutes searching; any tips on source? WIck
Big John Posted February 25 Posted February 25 (edited) On 2/21/2025 at 2:18 PM, Wickersham Humble said: Spent ten minutes searching; any tips on source? WIck search under Golden Arrow Wheels. Edited February 25 by Big John Spelling
Wickersham Humble Posted February 25 Author Posted February 25 Darn; sold out! Thanks anyway, John. I'll check again later with ebay. Wick
Big John Posted February 28 Posted February 28 You might also check out the current listing for the BLUEBIRD 1933 record breaker FPPM from Fernando Pinto Portugal he also sells wheel and tire sets on the side.
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