curt raitz Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 This is the last in a series of Indy Roadsters I've built for a friend over the past couple of years. He sent me a bunch of Watson Roadster kits along with vacuum formed bodies to build different versions of these roadsters that raced at Indy in the early 60's. This particular roadster is unique because the engine is mounted on the right side and the driver sits along the left side. At first I thought this conversion would be a problem, but it was not as difficult as I expected. Vacuum formed clear plastic body of the J.H. Rose Trucking Spl All of the parts from the Watson Roadster kit, aftermarket tires, aluminum velocity stacks and you can almost see the clear vacuum formed body. The engine is "layed over" on this roadster, which required seperating the tranny from the engine so it could be "layed over" to the left Chassis w/ roll bar hoop moved to left and engine bracket moved to rightside had to shortened the fuel tank to fit under the rear skin Chassis painted and detailed Engine ready to be installed Tires and wheels ready to be mounted More to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Wonderful! I always loved the final lay-down engined roadster with those gigantic Firestone Indy tires towering over the slim line body. Real end-of-an-era engineering. And when you get this sucker done you need to photgraph it in that classic Indianapolis front 3/4 view. They must have had the ground marked out and the tripod permanently mounted to the ground. Every picture is virtually identical! What is the basic donor kit you are using for the chassis and engine? That motor details out very nicely and the chassis looks pretty dang good. More, more, more!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADmodelDOCTOR Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 What he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Curt, Is there anything that you won't build? Anything that crosses my bench that even remotely resembles something made from a vacuform process, (which is typically some type of discardable packaging material), is only there momentarily while in route to the central repository. Narrow vision? No. Too busy and no room to "store" any more stuff? Yes. There is no one I know that has such a wide range of topics that they'll build as you do!! Not even Jerry!! The frame mods look really good. Keep up the GREAT work, my old friend!! BTW: It's just about pizza time again...let me know when you have time to get up this way... Later, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 Wonderful! I always loved the final lay-down engined roadster with those gigantic Firestone Indy tires towering over the slim line body. Real end-of-an-era engineering. And when you get this sucker done you need to photgraph it in that classic Indianapolis front 3/4 view. They must have had the ground marked out and the tripod permanently mounted to the ground. Every picture is virtually identical! What is the basic donor kit you are using for the chassis and engine? That motor details out very nicely and the chassis looks pretty dang good. More, more, more!!! Bernard...here be the donor kit: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 Got a little more done... just waiting for my buddy Steve to print up the decals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 This one is coming along very nicely!! How do you get those vacuform bodies to come out so good??? (You know how much I like working with resin and vacuform stuff...) Keep up the GREAT work!! Later, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick6343 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Looks great! That kit can also be found in a late '80s AMT "Indy 500" set with the '63 Lotus roadster and the '74 McLaren. It's not too hard to find, even at a reasonable price. My question is, Where can one find those bodies? I visited the IMS museum during 500 weekend this year and got the itch to build a bunch of Indy cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 How do you get those vacuform bodies to come out so good??? (You know how much I like working with resin and vacuform stuff...) After you do 2 - 3 of'em ya get a lot better at it, plus the exterior finish on this body was really smooth and I'm good! Looks great! My question is, Where can one find those bodies? I did not find them - they found me! They showed up one day in an UPS box with a bunch of Watson Indy roadster kits. The guy who sent them said he had them for at least 20 years and does not remember where he got'em I really doubt they can be found anywhere...that's too bad, cuz if ya do not mind messin' with the vacuum form plastic it gives a modeler the oppurtunity to build varying versions of these roadsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Thats a really cool build. Love that engine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollover Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 What an excellent build to follow. It's nice to see an out of the ordinary, but legendary car being expertly built and detailed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 The decals are on the roadster and she's ready to go "Underglass" couldn't get the bonnet to "snug down"...that dang clear plastic is not easy to work with thankfully this is the last clear plastic vacuum form conversion I'll be building Thanx for lookin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Another very nice build, my old friend!! Other than the small problem with the misalignment on the hood, this thing looks pretty good!! You know that I'd have circular filed it long before I got it done if it was my build!! I don't know how you maintain the energy and enthusiasm to see your way through to finishing at kit like that...my hat is off to you, again!! Later, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Sigh.... :wub: The usual aesthitico-philisophical ruminations will have to wait 'til it's officially Under Glass... Just as an FYI, Norm Veber at Replicas and Minitaures Co of Maryland has re-released the old Etzel Speed Classics Offy 220/270 white metal kit as an all-resin set in his usual jaw-droppingly high quality. I just got mine today. Here's some pics Lyle Willits provided: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 You know that I'd have circular filed it long before I got it done if it was my build!! I don't know how you maintain the energy and enthusiasm to see your way through to finishing at kit like that...my hat is off to you, again!! Thanx ol' buddy ya know if I was building these vacumm form conversions for myself...the would've ended up in the "roond file" as well but...i built these for Bill Wolfe, DDS from Albuquerque, NM. He watched these roadsters race at Indy when he was a youngster. He sent me a bunch of Watson Roadster kits and vacuum conversions and really, really wanted a few built models of these roadsters. So I built'em for him! It was a challenge but o'er all me thinks they came out OK...I know he likes the models I've sent him so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 Sigh.... The usual aesthitico-philisophical ruminations will have to wait 'til it's officially Under Glass... Just as an FYI, Norm Veber at Replicas and Minitaures Co of Maryland has re-released the old Etzel Speed Classics Offy 220/270 white metal kit as an all-resin set in his usual jaw-droppingly high quality. I just got mine today. Here's some pics Lyle Willits provided: Gosh I sure do miss the Eztel Speed stuff...Chris did some remarkable stuff that's s'sposed to be the best Offy engine ever, glad Norm is "re-issuing" it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 ...Norm Veber at Replicas and Minitaures Co of Maryland has re-released the old Etzel Speed Classics Offy 220/270 white metal kit as an all-resin set in his usual jaw-droppingly high quality... Now if all resin kits looked that good I probably wouldn't stay away from it as much as I do!! ...i built these for Bill Wolfe, DDS from Albuquerque, NM... I only hope that he truly appreciates how much energy it takes to make them look this good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 I only hope that he truly appreciates how much energy it takes to make them look this good!! Yes he does...he was a very frustrated modeler in the past...has me build his stuff for him now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyn Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Nice work, Curt. This takes me back to my teens when Indy was one of the most exciting forms of racing on the planet. Tons of inginuity and variations in the cars back then. The modern day "spec" racers just don't measure up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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