Great news for Drag Race modelers

[1320wayne]

So, what is one of the biggest areas of limited choices in available parts for modern style drag cars?............................................................................................... Tires and wheels!

So, I wanted to show off the preliminary shots of the first rear slick that is being manufactured by Top End Miniatures. What you are seeing here is the first slick to be popped out of the mold. It is thin, hollow rubber and has all of the consistency of the real thing. This first version being created is the Pro Stock tire. There will also be sizes for modern funny car/top fuel, pro mod, sportsman and 10.5 racing.

Top End Miniatures will be back in operational mode sometime during the month of January and these slicks will be available at that time.

Something else to look forward to in the near future will be multiple wheel designs for both rear and front wheel configurations.

[jphillips1970]

Hey Wayne - Being as thin as it looks how difficult is it going to be to sand out the mold line created by the molding process - Also, when will they be ready to road test? - Thanks in advance - Joe

[1320wayne]

I don't want to commit to answering that question about the sanding of the mold line until I receive a set and find out for myself. From what I see they will be as easy (or difficult) however you feel, as sanding the mold lines from a set of the Pegasus (formerly So Real) slicks. You will most likely have to place your thumb or finger inside the tire to support the sanding process.

They should be ready for sale sometime in January.

[jphillips1970]

Thanks - I look forward to see them in Jan. so I can give them a test drive on my 65 Chevelle AWB kit - Thanks again -Joe

[Dragracer]

Great looking slicks, I wrote to Chris a few minutes ago on facebook, saying the same, can't wait to see the wheels he has planned.Chris makes some great resin parts, highly detailed, I have a few of his clutch cans, transmissions & superchargers. I now have all the parts I need to start my '69-'70 Yenko Nova Pro-Mod. Also saw all the retooling car bodies you guys are working on, any idea when that firebird body will be done?, have a great idea for it: updated Brutus version (always liked the Brutus Firebird FunnyCar of Lew Arrington better then the Mustangs) Happy New Year All!

[3men2s]

Great News, It's great to see new stuff like this.

Time to throw out those hard plastic slicks, LET'S GO NATURAL.

[JB_Hobbies]

those look great, please keep us posted when there available!

[1320wayne]

Great looking slicks, I wrote to Chris a few minutes ago on facebook, saying the same, can't wait to see the wheels he has planned.Chris makes some great resin parts, highly detailed, I have a few of his clutch cans, transmissions & superchargers. I now have all the parts I need to start my '69-'70 Yenko Nova Pro-Mod. Also saw all the retooling car bodies you guys are working on, any idea when that firebird body will be done?, have a great idea for it: updated Brutus version (always liked the Brutus Firebird FunnyCar of Lew Arrington better then the Mustangs) Happy New Year All!

Hey Richard, the Firebird is done and ready to be shipped off to Chris for casting. It should be ready for release around the same time as the slicks.

[biscayne63]

Just a comment, tires aren't flat in the tread area they should have a crown. This has been the problem with almost all model tires made. Look at real tires, they are not flat. If you stand a drag slick that is inflated up, it tips to one side or the other. With that tire being hollow, maybe you could put plug in there to create the inflation crown or blunge.

[crazyjim]

I don't build any drag machines but those tires do look interesting. I really want to see the wheels this guy comes up with.

[Dom87SS]

Just a comment, tires aren't flat in the tread area they should have a crown. This has been the problem with almost all model tires made. Look at real tires, they are not flat. If you stand a drag slick that is inflated up, it tips to one side or the other. With that tire being hollow, maybe you could put plug in there to create the inflation crown or blunge.

this would add more pain to building a model than its worth. you would need to make the tire with a crown about 7/8th around and a flat spot on the other 1/8 or it will sit the car too high off the ground. I understand what your saying about it, and yes slicks do have a crowned area, but when the weight of a vehicle is on a tire it looses that very quickly at the contact patch. you would need to either sand a flat spot on every tire you got, or have them build it into the tire which doesnt make a ton of sense because then they can only be positioned in one spot. Also the width, height, and how much sidewall the tire has will play a role in how much contact patch the tire has in real life and how it sits under load. Which is also different per vehicle from rail, to funny car, to door car, to street car. There are just too many variables to make the tire 100% correct all the time. Flat is the best your gonna get without making custom tires for each application.

[Len Geisler]

So, what is one of the biggest areas of limited choices in available parts for modern style drag cars?............................................................................................... Tires and wheels!

So, I wanted to show off the preliminary shots of the first rear slick that is being manufactured by Top End Miniatures. What you are seeing here is the first slick to be popped out of the mold. It is thin, hollow rubber and has all of the consistency of the real thing. This first version being created is the Pro Stock tire. There will also be sizes for modern funny car/top fuel, pro mod, sportsman and 10.5 racing.

Top End Miniatures will be back in operational mode sometime during the month of January and these slicks will be available at that time.

Something else to look forward to in the near future will be multiple wheel designs for both rear and front wheel configurations.

Wayne,

That is great news, thanks for sharing it....Any chance they will be doing a slick sized for 60-70's Funnies??

TY

[Craig Irwin]

We need 60's super stock cheaters !

[1320wayne]

Just a comment, tires aren't flat in the tread area they should have a crown. This has been the problem with almost all model tires made. Look at real tires, they are not flat. If you stand a drag slick that is inflated up, it tips to one side or the other. With that tire being hollow, maybe you could put plug in there to create the inflation crown or blunge.

The last time I checked this was model building in scale. It's pretty hard to make any aspect of a model look like the real 1:1 counterpart. If, as you say, this has been a problem with almost all model tires then maybe there's a reason for that. Personally I think that these tires look great. And I haven't even seen one up close and in person yet. And I'm sure that with the limited number of choices out there that these will be well received when they are in full production.

[1320wayne]

that "crown" was the biggest issue with the So Real/Pegasus drag slicks and it makes those tires look toylike in my opinion. they are too round and not soft enough to sit flat across the tread area on a finished model.

are these new tires coming out real rubber or are they a soft rubber-like resin?

Dave, these are real rubber. And Chris has told me that if you put a small amount of downward pressure to them they actually wrinkle like a real tire.

Also, for those of you commenting on the need for vintage style slicks. If these first styles are popular enough then I might get Chris to delve into other sizes and styles.