Jump to content

For Max.....the Lotus 49


Nate

Recommended Posts

I uploaded some pics of the Lotus 49 model while it was in the process of being built. I sent these to my dad while I was working on it. I figured you would get a kick out of them

Here are some of the front end. I painted everything that wasn't chrome. The body panels I took out to my shed and hung them up and sprayed them like a paint booth. I laid down the yellow, then the green, then the white circles, then the numbers. The decals were as old as my sister and had yellowed, so I had to paint everything. I also had a book about the Lotus 49, and there was a picture of the car with the nose off and I saw that the oil tank was supported by a bungee cord, so I took a piece of twine and painted it to look like  a bungee and put it on the car.

metalColors.jpgfullfront.jpgoiltank_1.jpg

Then when I did the cockpit, I decided that I was going to be modeling the car that Jim Clark drove at the 49s debut at Zandvort in the 1967 season. If you ever look close at pictures of the 49 in action, you'll notice that the car is painted a little differently at each race, and also that Jimmy didn't use the same color of gloves every race, So I picked one particular race to model, and the premier was by far the simplest to paint because they only finished the car in time to get the numbers painted on....they didn't even paint the driver's names on the car. So anyway, all this was hand painted from pictures of the 1967 Grand Prix at Zandvort

jimmy.jpgcockpitFinished.jpgfullSide_1.jpg

The engine was the best part of this kit. There is actually a battery powered electric motor built inside of it and this model could actually drive across the floor under its own power. In the kit, however, they didn't have any screens over the value intakes, and all the pictures of the car had them, so I got a piece of brass mesh and formed some little valve screens and attached them tot he chromed value intakes with a modeling putty that was sort of like building  caulk. Also, to make the fuel lines look like they had fuel in them, I took the clear plastic tube, mixed up a thin brownish paint, and blew it through the tubes to paint the inside of them with a translucent color to look like racing fuel. also, every single nut and bolt on the motor is painted to look like the pictures I had of the engine being built up in the book I had.

here are the tools I used to make the intake screens

tools_1.jpg

and here are the screens being installed

Values.jpg

and finally the completed engine

rearQuarter.jpg

anyway, this was a once in a lifetime build for me. My favorite race car, my favorite race driver, and a model kit that I would have killed for when I was a kid. All the way around with kit and materials, I spent an embarrassing amount on a plastic model...over $250...but I never would have taken the time like I did for this one when I was a kid. I worked on this one off and on for over a year, there was just so much detail in the kit.

  • Heart 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nate said:

I uploaded some pics of the Lotus 49 model while it was in the process of being built. I sent these to my dad while I was working on it. I figured you would get a kick out of them

Here are some of the front end. I painted everything that wasn't chrome. The body panels I took out to my shed and hung them up and sprayed them like a paint booth. I laid down the yellow, then the green, then the white circles, then the numbers. The decals were as old as my sister and had yellowed, so I had to paint everything. I also had a book about the Lotus 49, and there was a picture of the car with the nose off and I saw that the oil tank was supported by a bungee cord, so I took a piece of twine and painted it to look like  a bungee and put it on the car.

metalColors.jpgfullfront.jpgoiltank_1.jpg

Then when I did the cockpit, I decided that I was going to be modeling the car that Jim Clark drove at the 49s debut at Zandvort in the 1967 season. If you ever look close at pictures of the 49 in action, you'll notice that the car is painted a little differently at each race, and also that Jimmy didn't use the same color of gloves every race, So I picked one particular race to model, and the premier was by far the simplest to paint because they only finished the car in time to get the numbers painted on....they didn't even paint the driver's names on the car. So anyway, all this was hand painted from pictures of the 1967 Grand Prix at Zandvort

jimmy.jpgcockpitFinished.jpgfullSide_1.jpg

The engine was the best part of this kit. There is actually a battery powered electric motor built inside of it and this model could actually drive across the floor under its own power. In the kit, however, they didn't have any screens over the value intakes, and all the pictures of the car had them, so I got a piece of brass mesh and formed some little valve screens and attached them tot he chromed value intakes with a modeling putty that was sort of like building  caulk. Also, to make the fuel lines look like they had fuel in them, I took the clear plastic tube, mixed up a thin brownish paint, and blew it through the tubes to paint the inside of them with a translucent color to look like racing fuel. also, every single nut and bolt on the motor is painted to look like the pictures I had of the engine being built up in the book I had.

here are the tools I used to make the intake screens

tools_1.jpg

and here are the screens being installed

Values.jpg

and finally the completed engine

rearQuarter.jpg

anyway, this was a once in a lifetime build for me. My favorite race car, my favorite race driver, and a model kit that I would have killed for when I was a kid. All the way around with kit and materials, I spent an embarrassing amount on a plastic model...over $250...but I never would have taken the time like I did for this one when I was a kid. I worked on this one off and on for over a year, there was just so much detail in the kit.

I love those large scale Tamiya kits.  That's like a whole winter's work in the secret lab.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Did you put summer or winter air in the tyres? (note proper misspelling of tires please)

I see no tyres.  I don't think he ever completed this build.  I think he's pulling a "Trump" on us......  (those are air quotes for SW)

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

and this kit was over the top even for a Tamiya. The electric motor inside the engine...you built the engine around this thing and ran wires and everything ( I even used a soldering iron for this one :nodhead:) there is a battery compartment under the cockpit and an access panel underneath the car to change the batteries...the rear wheels are actually mounted on the metal shafts from the electric motor....just unbelievable

and JSharr, I used helium to inflate the tyres so that we could save weight

and Kzoo is right (funny, I don't think I've ever seen those words put in that order before) at this stage, the car was not finished.

I didn't find any pics of the finished car and I didn't bother to take any. I have the car on display on top of my computer desk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

I see no tyres.  I don't think he ever completed this build.  I think he's pulling a "Trump" on us......  (those are air quotes for SW)

By Jove, old boy, I believe you are onto something!  After review of the pictures, you are correct with out a doubt.  The car is sitting on a large block of wood!  So it has square wheels, as it were!  Jolly Good!  Smashing even!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I said I was "building"

that is the present tense, implying that the process of building the car was still going on at the time these pictures were taken

geese, no wonder you clowns believe the Russians hacked our election :whistle:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Nate said:

I said I was "building"

that is the present tense, implying that the process of building the car was still going on at the time these pictures were taken

geese, no wonder you clowns believe the Russians hacked our election :whistle:

Bloody Scoundrels!  Shameful business that, eh what, Squire?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Nate said:

I said I was "building"

that is the present tense, implying that the process of building the car was still going on at the time these pictures were taken

geese, no wonder you clowns believe the Russians hacked our election :whistle:

OK, so if you ever get air in the tyres and actually finish the build, please send more pictures so Jsharr and I can find something else to pick apart.  Thanks.

  • Heart 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, jsharr said:

that's pretty close to the one I have. It is the paint job for the 67 Zandvort race, too.

this is the very kit I bought. There can't be too many left that haven't been built.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Tamiya-1-12-Lotus-49-Ford-F-1-Motorized-Original-Release-BS1202-/351952412310?hash=item51f1ff9e96:g:uiQAAOSwpLNX8BzB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

That's what he wants it to look like when he finishes his model.

so what are you going to do when I post pictures of a DUSTY finished car in a couple days? (I have rehearsal tonight, so you have to wait for me to get around to it)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...