Lola T-70 Mk III

I started reworking one of the forward bulkheads/core support. I drilled out the duct openings molded into the part and added ducting and supports on the inside so it can be installed without the flexible cooling ducts. The elbows won't be seen when it's assembled, but I didn't want the intakes dumping into an open space. I also shimmed the edges for a better fit.
https://i.imgur.com/pqq8jOI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/h3ivvHh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/T0padhw.jpg

The A-Pillar sections of the doors are inherently weak, and I could see with all the heating and bending some fractures were appearing. They would have broken well before I could get to painting and if they broke it would affect all the fitting I had already done. I bent some .061 spring steel reinforcements that fixed the arc to closely match that of the A-Pillar along the windshield.
https://i.imgur.com/es3qFGh.jpg
The left door.
https://i.imgur.com/6PQYviW.jpg
The right door.
https://i.imgur.com/MTnFKAs.jpg

A lot more sanding and shaping was done to the doors and roof after the doors were set in their frames and hinges and reinforced with steel, (way more than the hood received). I added a few thousandths of an inch of material around the windshield and center of the roof and removed and added more elsewhere; as much as .030 was removed (at the bottom of the doors) in addition to what had been done previously.
The door panel lines are getting trued up and both doors operate well.
All the holes I drilled for threaded hardware have been filled too. Since the primer has been sanded off much of the material used to reshape the doors and other parts is visible. Clearly more work to do… but a lot of progress so far too…
https://i.imgur.com/Jm8TDXv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7qfRaMl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yqgAlxb.jpg

And we have an action shot…
https://i.imgur.com/GB87lEs.mp4

https://www.facebook.com/100000498895348/videos/2876074719085796/

I started making the shifter and the linkages to connect it to the shift shaft that ultimately feeds into the transmission. All brass, hand filed and soldered.
At this point the shifter mechanism actually is functional, but will likely be "frozen" in first or neutral later.
https://i.imgur.com/6erasQE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/n8bzCIO.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YKuhPX6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fHfyolR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/USB1LqU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YDETVRY.jpg

I cleaned up and assembled the other wheels Fraxional "grew" from my files. But I decided to try some other colors for the heck of it.
https://i.imgur.com/wvDXL2G.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ktAM4IK.jpg

The tires were one of the parts I intended to use at the start. I was a little concerned however when they turned out to be Bridgestones instead of Firestones as shown on the box art.
What became a larger concern was that they were a little wonky in shape (probably from long-term storage) and there were flaps of rubber material on some of the sidewalls.
I put the rims in them to hopefully retrain their shape and that worked well over the course of a few weeks of resting.
But when I started to sand the tread to give a scuffed look and remove the mold lines, light colored specks started to show through. They were embedded in the material. Removal would leave a divot or scar, so I applied some dye I use for resin casting and it hid the spots well.
https://i.imgur.com/QZjIwAm.jpg

Those look really nice. Three dye has done a great job

Thanks Niro.

The door windows needed to be fitted now that the exterior of the doors were getting close to being fixed. A good amount of reshaping the openings including the corners was done. Since I didn't do anything to the openings until this point I was a little surprised at both how off one side was and how close the other was.
https://i.imgur.com/Ns4FZjl.jpg
I tried not to rework the clear parts, but some extending was required on the bottom edges of both main sections and shaping on other sides. There were also a couple hairline fractures in those parts that had to be repaired too.
https://i.imgur.com/6KlnBeM.jpg

After I got the windows to fit I seamed the edges with 1000 grit sandpaper then started smoothing the faces with 1200.
https://i.imgur.com/PA5h7HX.jpg

All polished out…
https://i.imgur.com/XuWobGn.jpg

How do you fix hairline fractures in these?

I put some CA glue in to fill the cracks and then sanded/polished them out. Just like where I added more material to the bottom edges of those two windows.

Superbe ;)

I wanted to get the hinge mechanism made for the rear hatch since it's the last part of fitting up the body that needed to be done.
I had to start by reworking the rear bulkhead.
https://i.imgur.com/knFCUjl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mkNrELk.jpg
The rear tray has half of the hinges molded to it. I cut them off and installed a stainless steel tube.
https://i.imgur.com/LIMaAdI.jpg

The two little plastic parts of the hinges that mount to the engine cover didn't look like they would stand up to too much action, at least at the joint where they would be cemented. Plus I could see they are supposed to be added after painting the exterior, further creating fit continuity issues. The gray pieces are the modified and beefed up kit parts; the rest is scratch-built from sheet styrene. The plan is to make the hinge system stand-alone from the body shell.
https://i.imgur.com/UhmDa1O.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ftJirZr.jpg

Final new part with 1/16 inch steel rod laminated in to it for strength.
https://i.imgur.com/lknfEii.jpg

The outer hinges are made of brass and styrene.
https://i.imgur.com/AgvgC1Q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ihw7kZL.jpg

More magnets…
https://i.imgur.com/mr5Vo2m.jpg

I started reworking the two rear supports that connect the tray to the rear bulkhead so I can continue working on the hinging of the engine cover. I removed the posts that supported the battery box (used to be a motorized kit) and drilled out the flanges for the spare tire guides. Since they also have suspension mounting points that will need to accept closed ended fittings I had to engineer them to facilitate those parts (that will be made later). The first machined aluminum pieces for this project…
https://i.imgur.com/G8a97T0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MOzFje9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/u4QJIRY.jpg

Brass tubing was used to make the hinges for the engine cover. More magnets were also utilized.

https://i.imgur.com/MLjww3S.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KuNlVXF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kTu1XmL.jpg

Terrific progress.
I use magnets to secure opening panels as well!

The gas struts for the doors.
Upper hinges, acid cut brass.
https://i.imgur.com/na8pUQb.jpg
The strut bodies are brass, the shafts are stainless steel.
https://i.imgur.com/QwXxmwj.jpg
The lower hinges are machined aluminum.
https://i.imgur.com/Ofv2ZLW.jpg
Closed. They compress well.
https://i.imgur.com/9cvzacf.jpg
Open. They slide smoothly and provide just enough friction to keep the door open.
https://i.imgur.com/MxJDZz8.jpg

Very cool.

The last part of fitting the door skins to the openings was to add the gaps at the bottoms of the doors.
https://i.imgur.com/G2muea1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DiGV5Xo.jpg

Just love your skills. Even at this stage it is not looking like the original slapped together kit it was. Shut lines etc are spot on.

Thanks Malscar!

The little winglets are shown on the box art but are not included in the kit. Not a big deal for this project, but I wanted some on it nonetheless. I hand cut a pair from sheet brass and slotted the nose to accept them.
https://i.imgur.com/6H81gCt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0lKbX7T.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XG1vjCz.jpg

Good progress. Your work is very clean.

Thanks!

Next I cut and annealed a couple strips of brass, shaped them to the fender and curvature of the winglets and soldered them in place for the mounting flanges.
https://i.imgur.com/rDVtCzP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sQOqg5h.jpg

I started adding the rear spoiler fairings. Sheet styrene instead of brass, but installed in slots like the front winglets.
https://i.imgur.com/6l8e6kK.jpg

I added the top edge of the rear spoiler(s) by sawing a notch into the existing peak to accept some strip styrene and fairing it in.
https://i.imgur.com/wpXD3Kz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EImjP9i.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/45OltOi.jpg

Looks much better in primer…
https://i.imgur.com/aCf0ydR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BwBAsiJ.jpg

The kit engine is a SB Chevy, but it doesn't quite look right on its own and it builds up differently than a "normal" American kit. (Probably due to it being designed to house an electric motor.) Plus the heads were molded to the block halves and the rear of the block is a separate piece creating interesting seams.
I borrowed the engine parts from the Monogram '69 Z/28 Camaro kit and made molds then cast resin copies.
https://i.imgur.com/jjIlT5k.jpg
I cut off the oil filter, bellhousing & engine mounts from the oil pan, and the transmission & bellhousing from the block halves as well as the fuel pump from the front of the block. The timing tab was also removed from the timing cover and the bolts were cut off and holes drilled in their place.
https://i.imgur.com/X9v0ORq.jpg

I added some internal structures to the oil pan and block as well as a positive locator tab and then set three magnets into the pan and three into the block.
https://i.imgur.com/8kxvRrE.jpg

The rear of the block didn't look bad when it had a bellhousing molded to it, (and was going to be hidden by a firewall), but it turns out it is not at all symmetrical. Since the rear of this engine will be very exposed when in the car I had to rework it. I added 0.020 sheet styrene and reworked it.
https://i.imgur.com/HuVneoi.jpg

I drew the valve covers (copied from my real car) in SolidWorks. I'll have Fraxional "grow" them.
https://i.imgur.com/JB4F6Ta.jpg

I also made the bellhousing in SolidWorks since the kit item wasn't a fit or match for the new engine. Again Fraxional is my go-to 3D printer. This is will be a stand-in for mocking up the engine mounts and rear suspension and might get modified later.
https://i.imgur.com/rirNSYy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oUvDToJ.jpg

Nice!

Thanks!

The bolt-on rear spoiler is made of brass. I hand cut two identical pieces from 0.010 sheet. Then drilled 19 holes in each and scored one side of both for the upper "tabs".
https://i.imgur.com/CKauf5x.jpg
The upper "tabs" were bent using an angle template for continuity.
https://i.imgur.com/KeVs202.jpg
Then I soldered them together. This is the rear side.
https://i.imgur.com/kR0VQDp.jpg
I acid cut a recess that will accept a clear spoiler element/window. This is the front side.
https://i.imgur.com/W3wvMTt.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/93VWEbN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/weWeS2q.jpg

I started building the transaxle so it might be ready when I get the bellhousing from Fraxional, (the 3D printing service I've been using).
First up was to cut off and drill out all the bolts, studs, drain plugs… and fill some sink marks.
https://i.imgur.com/kVbmj6h.jpg

I drew up a new Hewland transaxle rear cover because there was a sink mark where some of the lettering was.
Since the kit part had HEWLANG molded in with that sink mark, it only made sense to fix both issues this way.
https://i.imgur.com/I7yE3NR.jpg
I planned ahead for the mounting of the part too.
https://i.imgur.com/6iHtpVd.jpg

The resin heads I cast have been reworked by removing all the molded on "bolts" and drilling out for the aluminum replacements I'll machine. The spark plug holes have been relocated to their proper locations too. The exhaust ports have been hogged out and the holes for the accessory mounting brackets added.
(The white head is the stock Camaro one.)
https://i.imgur.com/ALhsGGP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QISHKpp.jpg

I used the Lola kit header tubes but had to make the ends that go into the head smaller diameter. Originally they were a constant diameter the same as the tubes. I made a tool from an old collet to uniformly cut those ends down to a 0.13 diameter.
https://i.imgur.com/vAquW50.jpg

New header flange also designed in SolidWorks. Heavy duty 3/8 inch thick flange for the 1- 7/8 diameter big tube headers to come.
https://i.imgur.com/PgoCwyP.jpg

I started working over the Z/28 water pump I copied in resin, but I realized it wasn't the best choice for this application let alone an accurate piece even for what it is supposed to represent. The shorter Corvette pump with the oversized bearing was more appropriate even though in the end it will hardly be visible, and it will buy me more space since the engine I'm using is longer than the kit provided one.
The Tamiya water pump actually was closer looking to the short style even though it didn't measure out or and has some "interesting" details.
Here's the Lola kit part.
https://i.imgur.com/UDIXatc.jpg
Having a real pump at my feet made it a lot easier to modify the part into a more accurate rendition. It still needs the mounting hardware and heater hose fitting to be machined and the sand cast texture to be added.
https://i.imgur.com/IJXFKjS.jpg
I also started reworking the harmonic balancer. I shaved it down to a proper 8" diameter and installed a brass sleeve. I also cut the timing mark into it.
https://i.imgur.com/1dncQbz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QQpIuse.jpg

I machined a billet aluminum water pump pulley. It's dual & deep grooved so I can run the same belt set up I have on my real car and add an alternator to this car.
https://i.imgur.com/KtJyFxx.jpg

Here's the matching crank pulley.
https://i.imgur.com/zw2qJci.jpg
Both loosely sitting on the engine.
https://i.imgur.com/rYQxHxa.jpg

I made some washers and bolts and added the pump shaft and set up the mounting system for the pump pulley…
Video:
https://i.imgur.com/hpinOnZ.mp4

I installed more magnets to attach the heads to the block.
https://i.imgur.com/e9JjcGb.jpg
The four holes on each head where the valve train would be are to mount the valve covers.

I got the bellhousing I designed back from Fraxional. They did an excellent job of 3D growing it. Other than removing the supports on the face that mounts to the engine, this is how it came to me. A tiny bit of clean up is in order as it is not the higher resolution they offer. (It was provided as a "test shot" but it is good enough to use.)
https://i.imgur.com/ez2vXjM.jpg

It aligns to the block with two dowel pins like the real ones.
https://i.imgur.com/gtqYBaL.jpg

Since the exhaust port spacing on my heads is different on than the Tamiya parts I had to modify the rear of the inboard tubes to meet the collectors.
I used the header flanges I drew that were printed by Fraxional and fitted the tubes to them and the heads.
https://i.imgur.com/utvUUr2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oS0VrBL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6nHN9Cu.jpg
And they are mounted into the heads with magnets…
https://i.imgur.com/5gap8QT.jpg

Removable front engine cover for the interior. Since the engine I'm building is larger than the kit provided item, and I'm using a dual belt pulley set-up, I had to make room for the water pump pulley.
Before:
https://i.imgur.com/zTbTssl.jpg
After:
https://i.imgur.com/iL3TddK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3NJLz4O.jpg

I had Fraxional grow me a second bellhousing after I reengineered the center section where the transmission mounts to it. (Very easy to deal with this 3D printing service.)
More magnets are used to hold these sub-assemblies together.
https://i.imgur.com/tjMGubW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3RA8XRz.jpg

Since I'm not using the magneto (I'll make a distributor) I have to add an alternator. I designed a proper Delco-Remy alternator in SolidWorks and it will be printed by Fraxional.
To make it look more realistic I made it in four main pieces. I'll machine the pulley later as well as the other hardware and electrical connectors.
https://i.imgur.com/KsYDbR1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZgyR0Y4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9Iu9xxc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yaYw4h1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Id9TdZX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PloQ99G.jpg

Wow!

Your modeling skills are on another level, and your build threads are really inspiring and informative.

One question I have is about is the use of magnets in this build. I can see using them for removable body work and panels, but I'm not sure about the smaller items like the heads and bell housing.

Will the engine and it's sub-assemblies be removable for display, or is there another reason to use magnets during the build/fabrication that I'm missing?

Thanks!

As to your question,the magnets are utilized for mocking up the parts for measurements and test fitting and so they can be taken apart and painted (much later) knowing they will fit the same after painting. And in some cases to make moving parts align the same way repeatedly. Many parts have to be assembled at once to see how and where other parts will fit. Cementing them together with an adhesive strong enough to hold them without shifting creates other problems that I don't have to deal with using magnets and it wards off a stacked tolerance situation too.

Most of the sub-assemblies with magnets will be permanently cemented after painting and final detailing.

Now that I have the bellhousing to positively locate the engine, I can start to make the front motor mounts. Good old sheet styrene fabrication…
Front:
https://i.imgur.com/WoCRypn.jpg
Rear:
https://i.imgur.com/z9QDbV9.jpg
Dry fitted:
https://i.imgur.com/XcDLBaq.jpg

Once I mocked up the heads with the headers on the engine in its final orientation due to the motor mounts I could see the headers should have a little more clearance around the rear shock upper mounting points. They fit, but I wouldn't want the heat from them on a real car.
I used a metal wedge and a hair dryer to bend the pipes.
I had to replace the header flanges too, luckily Fraxional provided me with a second set before I decided to make this change.
I also had to lengthen the inboard pipes on both headers with some Plastruct tubing.
https://i.imgur.com/2UebXfH.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qLYlHQn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JaTs4uB.jpg

Rear hub carriers. Step one, remove the brake calipers.
https://i.imgur.com/S2huweY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MNOWhtU.jpg

Front spindles. Step one, remove the brake calipers.
https://i.imgur.com/jhE6iP5.jpg

Rear lower control arms. Left is kit part as it comes. On the right is the reworked one ready for brass and aluminum hardware upgrades.
https://i.imgur.com/rvc8mSs.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JGnZZcu.jpg