ARII Chaparral 2C

[Mark W]

On 5/3/2025 at 3:34 PM, 1959scudetto said:

Very good solution with the mesh, Mark. As I have the same kit on my bench, I will look closely what you are doing with it

(I will have to scratchbuild an interior and have a simpler approach concerning the mesh. My problem actually are the wheels...)

Sounds great Helmut, do you have a wip on it? The wheels I used are still available from Harold at HRM. $15.00 a set with tires.

[Spooker]

Mark - Since you asked, I say yes to the duct tape!  Some silver decal should work nicely.  This is going to be one accurate Chaparral model!

[1959scudetto]

On 5/7/2025 at 1:55 AM, Mark W said:

Sounds great Helmut, do you have a wip on it? The wheels I used are still available from Harold at HRM. $15.00 a set with tires.

Sorry, no - it is lying on my bench for more than a year now (finished other models in the meantime), still not really started: I'm not sure if I should try to correct the kits flaws : the instrument panel, the rear fins should be a bit steeper and higher (which also needs relocating of the rear wing's pivoting point), the rear body panel should be a little bit more vertical, the side scoops are wrong /missing, the rear mesh is not correct (when compared with a picture of the original at Nassau), an interior has to be created and the wheels are still a problem (HRM's wheels + shipping + customs and import taxes would come up to about $ 50.00, and I'm not gonna pay that for a kit that cost me $ 20.00)

My solution for the mesh is as follows: I cut the mesh parts out of a steel mesh and will glue it directly into the recesses of the kit body. This should almost be perfectly flush (It is not glued yet).

1/24 scale white metal spring hood pins are from Scale Production, see pics:

As I am not sure if I should put all that effort into this oversimplified model, it will be lying around much longer, I suppose.

Edited May 8 by 1959scudetto

[Mark W]

14 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

Sorry, no - it is laying on my bench for more than a year now (finished other models in the meantime), still not really started: I'm not sure if I should try to correct the kits flaws : the instrument panel, the rear fins should be a bit steeper and higher (which also needs relocating of the rear wing's turning point), the rear body panel should be a little bit more vertical, the side scoops are wrong /missing, the rear mesh is not correct (when compared with a picture of the original at Nassau), an interior has to be created and the wheels are still a problem (HRM's wheels + shipping + customs and import taxes would come up to about $ 50.00, and I'm not gonna pay that for a kit that cost me $ 20.00)

My solution for the mesh is as follows: I cut the mesh parts out of a steel mesh and will glue it directly into the recesses of the kit body. This should almost be perfectly flush (It is not glued yet).

1/24 scale white metal spring hood pins are from Scale Production, see pics:

As I am not sure if I should put all that effort into this oversimplified model, it will be lying around much longer, I suppose.

So Helmut, a lot of good info on your post. Sorry to hear your build is at a standstill, but I understand. As you see, I solved the wheel/tire and interior problem, but you now pose some new problems for me. I have good reference on the car’s left side as far as the two intakes and will correct them, probably will not move the lower one back to the wheel well though. There is a scoop on the right front fender that I’m not sure if it’s on the early 2C that I am modeling, anyway the best picture I have for it is the one you posted. Do you have any info on this? You mentioned the higher tail fin that I was unaware of, this I can do, but will pass on making the rear body panel more vertical.

Thanks for your post and it still would be nice to see your build finished. You have a great start and I’m sure it would turn out fine even without some of the mods you mention.

[1959scudetto]

Mark,the only right side photo I could find  was in Jim Hall's biography "Texas Legend" (the books of Richard Falconer/Doug Nye and Dave Friedman show only the other side). It shows the car at its first outing, when it won at Kent/Washington (or maybe at Riverside, the attached text does not tell it)

No scoop behind the front wheel.

In your post of April 14 you show the left side view at Riverside, where it was a non-starter after 2 suspension failures in practice and in the warm-up.

Here is a right side view from Riverside practice: also NO additional scoop here:

 

The kit is supposed to represent the car at its last race at the Nassau speedweek, where Jim Hall DNFed due to an accident.

It has the additional scoop, the horizontal exhaust through the mesh in the rear panel and the high-mounted carburettors. It also has the steeper and higher fins now.

I found a few pictures on the web:

And finally, a photo of the Nassau version with body panels removed:

 

Mark, I hope this info is useful for you - the fins in the kit are ok for the earlier version - no need to modify them.

Edited May 8 by 1959scudetto

[Mark W]

7 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

Mark,the only right side photo I could find  was in Jim Hall's biography "Texas Legend" (the books of Richard Falconer/Doug Nye and Dave Friedman show only the other side). It shows the car at its first outing, when it won at Kent/Washington (or maybe at Riverside, the attached text does not tell it)

No scoop behind the front wheel.

In your post of April 14 you show the left side view at Riverside, where it was a non-starter after 2 suspension failures in practice and in the warm-up.

Here is a right side view from Riverside practice: also NO additional scoop here:

 

The kit is supposed to represent the car at its last race at the Nassau speedweek, where Jim Hall DNFed due to an accident.

It has the additional scoop, the horizontal exhaust through the mesh in the rear panel and the high-mounted carburettors. It also has the steeper and higher fins now.

I found a few pictures on the web:

And finally, a photo of the Nassau version with body panels removed:

 

Mark, I hope this info is useful for you - the fins in the kit are ok for the earlier version - no need to modify them.

This is perfect information Helmut, thanks for taking the time. Now the fin issue is settled, I can concentrate on detailing the side intakes, minus the right front fender one of course. I now notice an air dam just in front of the radiator exit, that should be an easy fix with some aluminum.

Tonight I am adding a rear bulkhead for the interior, the 2E was a smaller car and there some unwanted openings. By chance you wouldn’t have a picture of the dash? Not so much the gauge layout, but would I be correct on mounting it where the ARII kit suggests?

[1959scudetto]

7 hours ago, Mark W said:

This is perfect information Helmut, thanks for taking the time. Now the fin issue is settled, I can concentrate on detailing the side intakes, minus the right front fender one of course. I now notice an air dam just in front of the radiator exit, that should be an easy fix with some aluminum.

Tonight I am adding a rear bulkhead for the interior, the 2E was a smaller car and there some unwanted openings. By chance you wouldn’t have a picture of the dash? Not so much the gauge layout, but would I be correct on mounting it where the ARII kit suggests?

I think it should be moved forward  a little bit - further away from the driver (I drew a line with a pencil on my 2 C body - see picture above) - this is what I found on the internet:

 

and finally (after the crash in Nassau):

On the other pictures that I saved you can't see not much of the dashboard.

Edited May 9 by 1959scudetto

[1959scudetto]

10 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

I think it should be moved forward  a little bit - further away from the driver (I drew a line with a pencil on my 2 C body - see picture above) - this is what I found on the internet:

 

and finally (after the crash in Nassau):

On the other pictures that I saved you can't see not much of the dashboard.

Mark, I'm not 100 % sure if the last photo shows the 2 C - it might also be the 2 A (the front wheels look narrower to me).

[RancheroSteve]

Here's shot I came across in my files - might be just a color version of the shot above, but thought it might be useful to you.

Some other giveaways that the crashed car in the photo above isn't a 2C are the position of the steering column and the location of the brake reservoirs.

I really like where you're going so far with this - hope you can keep at it!

Edited May 10 by RancheroSteve

[Mark W]

4 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

Mark, I'm not 100 % sure if the last photo shows the 2 C - it might also be the 2 A (the front wheels look narrower to me).

Helmut, I also think the last photo is a 2A, looks more like a fiberglass tub not the aluminum 2C. No matter there’s enough info in the other pictures for me to make an instrument panel. I also agree it should be pushed forward some. Going by the 2E interior it also shows it belongs forward. The bare chassis you and Steve sent makes it definite.   What is also nice is now I have good reference on the center switch panel on the tunnel.

[Mark W]

3 hours ago, RancheroSteve said:

Here's shot I came across in my files - might be just a color version of the shot above, but thought it might be useful to you.

I really like where you're going so far with this - hope you can keep at it!

With help from you and others, it will get done. Interrupted at times by the M8B project. Thank you!