and now, something completely different....

well, not entirely.
this has been something that i've always wanted to do and well, seeing as i now have a spare engine to pay with i've decided to put everything else on hold and get on with this little dream of mine.

i'll post some pics of what's going on but i'll keep the actual car a secret until i've sorted out the chassis, suspension, cockpit etc etc.

i've only just started to cut out bits of wire to build a chassis frame based loosely on the 288gto and lp400 frames.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486chassis.JPG

i figure i can just use flat sheets of plastic to build a cockpit and source a dash from somewhere....

the cutting and soldering shouldn't take me too long.
if i'm lucky, by the end of tonight i'll have the frame done.

That looks like a promising project! :) I would have to say that that is going to be a Lotus...;) Am I too far off? :D

Good luck with it, whatever it may be..

-Pedro-

hehe, ignore the pic in my signature.....
but if this goes well, i'll be well tempted to try and build an elise!

eheheh, btw, what's the deal with that Lotus, anyway?

eheheh, btw, what's the deal with that Lotus, anyway?

Erm... It's awesome? I'd like to know what it's story is, too, actually.

Nice little project you have.

[QUOTE=drunken monkey]i've only just started to cut out bits of wire to build a chassis frame based loosely on the 288gto and lp400 frames.[QUOTE]

Good references! Tubular chassis means great body shape! I'm captivated! :smokin:

well, actually, i just need the frame to hold the engine in place...
just so you guys know, i've decided on the f40 unit cos i like the look of it.
also cos it's nice and small.

hehe, keep guessing guys....
i'll be taking regular breaks tonight cos the soldering/flux fumes are definitely not good for my health.

ok, i think i'm done for tonight.
got to think about how to build the sills.
might cut open the doors just for the hell of it, i mean, i'm building a proper, albeit non-functioning chassis already....

anyway.
bottom of chassis frame is more or less done.
the engine here is from the 288gto.
i will use the one from the f40 in the actual model cos it fits in the space better and has the exhaust tips right where i want them.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486frame_and_engine.JPG

hopefully by tomorrow, the whole frame will be done and i can start to build some kind of interior.

monkey.

Very good job with the frame !
What do you use to solder it ? (sorry if there's a thread about this, i didn't checked)

haven't done much today.
spent about 4 hours carefully cutting out the doors, bonnet and boot.

been looking at the position of things.
not really sure now if the f40 engine is such a good choice.
it has the gearbox at the rear and i kinda want it like the lamborghini's (stick straight into the box...).
been measuring things up and doing a little sketching and the lp400 is a little too long.

thinking about building a shortened lp400 type unit
(unless someone knows where i can get hold of a 350 GT engine).
or perhaps building another f40 engine with the gearbox at the front.
any suggestions/ideas on similar powerplants/ layouts anything?

in anycase, the end result in terms of layout should look like this...
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486plans.JPG

if i have time, i'll do a quick drawing of the whole thing properly.
if i can get into the 3D scanner i'll try to do a max model and run up some renders....

laters.
monkey.

Wow, that's looking awesome!

Whoa, awesome work with those tubes, looks awesome, really neat. Can't wait to see more!

in not sure how its supposed to turn out, but that is awesome

Nice project. Lookin good so far.

crazy :)

wow...........an unique projct, for sure

Back to the seventies way of building car! I love that!
Take the Lambo power unit! :lol:
That seems to be a very small car for such a big engine!
Again, and even more: I'm captivated!

if you build it they will come

There's a lot of scratchbuilding going on here. Ain't nuthin' wrong with that.... Looks like you've got quite a project on your hands but it will no doubt be worth it. Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland makes a couple different engines for a 250GT, if that is of any help at all to you. www.scaledreams.com has them, and you can check out a pic of each there.

looks good.

still keep changing my mind.
i think i'll stick to a ferrari V8 as i found a revell 360 one that i can butcher.
gonna turn the engine back around so that the gearbox is to the front again, lp400 style.
gonna have to build a little extra on the transmission for the rear axle.
also, needed to make my own exhausts parts....

latest pic.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486exhausts1.JPG

y'know, i think i have bruises on my fingertips from all of the cutting and bending....

very cool. May I guess ??? I d say renault Clio sport V12?

Looks very, very promising, I ll keep both eyes open

Olivier

hehe, nope.
not a clio V8/V12, though that was/is a major inspiration...
i've been playing with the engine all night.
it doesn't look like the 360 V8 anymore except for the inlet/cam covers....
waiting for putty to cure before i can get on with the transmission/suspension (which i think i'll just lift from somewhere...).
guess that means i'll have to start on the body.
been trying to put that off...

in anycase, last photo of the night.
engine practically all done with regards to building (or should that be "taking apart"?).
just need to sort out the rest of the guts then i can see about attaching it to the frame.
tempted to do a multi-purpose, multi-engine fitting frame just in case i have another change of mind!

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486engine_mk2_1.JPG

the long grey lump is where the suspension parts is going to go/join.
and err... ignore the bits of wood.
they're just there to hold the exhausts together until i can fix them onto the engine.

I never would have guessed you had these skills from other places I have seen you. Great job man!

Nice job on the whole thing so far, Good to see you with constant updates. I WILL keep my eyes peeled on this project.

other places?
i think i've only post my Gt3 and some pics of the other un-finished red cars.....

anyway.
i am really new at this.
i've only been buying and build these since about two months ago.
before that i used to paint the little warhammer 40k figures.
but um, well, i'm an architect (in training).
model making (not cars) is more or less my life!

maybe i'll post some of the other things i do somewhere here....

edit. might as well post them here
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486little_men1-med.JPG
these were done maybe five-ten years ago.
anyway.
my fingers really are hurting.
got to give that scalpel a rest.

laters.

other places?
i think i've only post my Gt3 and some pics of the other un-finished red cars.....


Username looks very familiar to a guy on a 1/43 scale die cast forum. I could be mistaken.

Username looks very familiar to a guy on a 1/43 scale die cast forum. I could be mistaken.

Yes i agree he might be the same person if he is hes much better with model hehe. nice frame so far. I really like theway it is looking. Good luck with the rest of it :)

um, nope.
never touched a die-cast before in my life....
well apart from when i was a wee bairn.

there's another drunken monkey?

anyway.
woke up this morning and my fingers are really sore.
the tips are kinda numb and pressing on them actually hurts so only gentle work today.
guess that means i can finally get down to figuring out how to squeeze all of this into my little car!
that means more drawing.

or perhaps i should get back to my autocad and real work....

edit.
just found some left-over bits from an old 308 kit i have.
i've just cannabilised the cam covers and end part so now my engine looks much better.
should be all done and painted tonight.
pics later.

***latest report***

i've just realised that the frame i built was based around the unmolested body shell...
i'm going to have to build a new one to accommodate the widened wheelbase.

on the other hand, i have now chopped off and repositioned the sills of the body.
all doors are now open.
got to wait for a parcel tomorrow so i guess i should have that all done by tomorrow night when i will get to post more pics.

unless of course you want to see a body shell in pieces....

laters.
monkey.

I know how you feel having to restart something this big. With my hot rod project I had to start all over at one point because of bad measurements.

We want to see a body shell in pieces!!!! :lol:
:eek: for the engine work!

well, here i am soldering bits of metal again...

had to bend a new set of exhausts cos the first set didn't fit properly after the extra playing with the engine.
i'm going to say that building of engine is now done except for some minor details.
gonna have to find some good pics of real engines to see how things are wired.
which brings me to a question:
where do you get your engine reference pics from?
or
can you guys let me know what gets wired into where for example?
i need help with that....

***edit***

just put on the first part of my front arches.
also been playing around with some intakes to feed the engine
(see engine pics earlier for reference....).

have to say that it is looking very much like the clio V6...
but then i guess any small car with an engine where there are normally two small children and a wheelbase that is almost square is going to look like a clio V6.
at least i'm having fun, despite the ever increasing flux fumes!

ta-ta for now.

***update***

nothing too exciting for you guys to see cos i've been busy with work....
anyway.
exhausts have been fitted to engine block and the whole thing is in the process of being painted.
pics when it's done.

body.
arches have been fitted but not much else has been done.
gonna have more time this week to do some more building.
here's some sneak previews of what's going on...

front arch
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486front_arch.JPG
the big hole will be meshed,
kinda like the hole behind the wheel of the elise GT1.

rear arch+vent/scoop
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/158486rear_arch.JPG
you can kinda see two scoops.
the big one at the front is designed to feed the engine (see earlier) they're a little big but i'm still wondering about fitting in a turbo V8 for which i would need two big scoops to feed intercoolers....
the smaller vent at the rear would be the ones that feed air to cool the brakes.

update on the chassis.
i've been looking at different types of suspension and am considering making 'almost' working springs and arms....
i'm gona try and put together some bits.
pics tomorrow if it goes well.

monkey

That is very...um, intresting looking.

well.....gotta putty some bits....
just sorting out the shapes first....

it'll make more sense when you see the whole car.

it'll make more sense when you see the whole car.

It probably does look better viewing the whole car.

The intake toobs should not get that close to the ex. it will heat up the air and make the engine run bad.

The intake toobs should not get that close to the ex. it will heat up the air and make the engine run bad.

What the hell are you trying to say? That is really confusing. Can you not spell either? Tubes="toobs" and in another post you spelled Keep "ceep".

Well besides mikes yelling i think this project looks good so far. Keep it up.

That is one sweet project. Will follow this one closely :biggrin:

hay I was up for 72 hours so back off. and who gives is I say keep or ceep you get the friggin idea.

ok.
i've changed my mind again.....

the modded body will now not go with the chassis.
i've decided to build a totally new car around the chassis.
i've stocked up on wire and tubes and am attempting to build a fully suspension system.
then i'll build a wire frame body and skin it '55 mondial stylee.

as for the modded body.
well part of the problem was that i couldn't think of a way to mate the chassis to the interior floor+body.

it kinda made sense to treat the two as separate projects as it was kinda going that way already.
i'll have to cannabilise more parts to build a traditional model kit chassis to go with the body but the idea will be the same.

well, this was a learning project....
will get some pics when i've got some drawings and modelling done.

laters.
monkey.

Damn. Sounds like my Hot Rod project...something always going wrong. Good Luck!

Nice idea. Good luck with it.

or maybe i'll go backwards.
i think i can do a makeshift body shape over wire with paper and card (years of architecture and i end up making little cars....)
and then see how that translates into metal.
THEN i'll see about making a chassis to fit the body properly.

hell yeah!
that's it.
i'm going to make my own 1/24 car!
grrrrrrr, it WILLwill be done.

Heres an idea about your body. Make it out of wire and paper mache. Then make a mold of that and resin cast one. Just a thought.

by resin, do you mean the two part clear cast, or is there something else?
wouldn't that (assuming the clear cast) be a bit brittle?
i'm not very good with the clear cast.
the last thing i made i didn't allow enough time for curing before applying the next layer and it all started to crack after a few days.
(i'm not very patient and totally not suited to model making...)

i was thinking i could just bond little bits of plastic cut+bent into body panel shapes.
i've just been replicating a ferrari 308 nose section.
not too difficult.
but then, the 308 isn't the hardest shape to make.
i keep getting urges to try and make an elise.
the chassis tub wouldn't be too difficult but the body shell with it's curves, well, i'm not sure where to begin.
if i do that i would need to make molds, not to mention source some plans from somewhere (hint hint).

or just a basic triangulated form on which i add copious amounts of putty.

so many options.

AND i'm still a bit lost about how they join the body of real cars to the chassis.
how would i translate that onto my model?

so many questions....

i've also been sketching some layout options and body shapes.
it always seems to end up like some mutant offspring of a gt40, 246 dino, 360 (itself a 246 derivative) and the vauxhall/opel vx220.

maybe i should just break out the clay and see what i can do with my hands....

hmm, maybe i'm taking this too seriously?