Jump to content

NjB's Belkits Ford Escort RS1600


Recommended Posts

Thank you, griffsrw, I look forward to seeing some images. And welcome aboard Colin.

I really hope that this isn't putting anybody off purchasing the kit. As we've said earlier, Belkits are to be thanked for producing this long overdue kit. I think inaccuracies might be too strong a word and that a lot of detail is missing due to the compromises in the design/manufacture - I think I'd rather have detail missing (that a modeller could add) rather than detail that might be there but is wrong - but that's a personal thing. I'm sure that there will be some wonderful models built straight from the box and I'm looking forward to seeing some.

But back to some more sanding for now.

Nick

Nick,

I agree with you saying Belkits should be applauded for producing the kit, and here's hoping more will follow. I think it's subject knowledge/references and willingness to add detail that has highlighted 'issues' to what most would find more than acceptable. I've got one that will definitely have bits and bobs cut out, added and generally messed about with to a level I'll be happy with. But probably no where near as detailed as yours.

Thanks for adding the photos back to your thread.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you griffsrw and Radleigh.

Keith, that's a good point. No, I haven't tried but will have a look this evening. I suspect that it will with more work because the rear inner arches (of the Belkits version) might foul the PfR shell which is a considerably 'chunkier' piece of resin with all the interior doors and such like moulded as one - it won't be as flexible as the thinner plastic shell.

Now, what I could do with is some interior reference for the interior. Looking at the link given in post 34, the Safari Twink has very little in the way of lines running through it - but if it was rebuilt to RS1600 spec, this might well have changed as the cars became more (relatively) sophisticated.

I need to get hold of that Robson 'Works Escorts in detail' book methinks!

Nick

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking the same about the thickness of the resin in the PfR kit Nick, but if a resin copy could be made of the Belkits chassis & with a bit of trimming...

Having said that, I'd long planned to try & take a resin copy off a revell Mk2 for the same purpose, but couldn't work out how to actually make a mould.

And a thought literally just struck me as I typed that - the PfR kit was based on the quatrroroute diecast, so if I could work out how to make a mould, I could use one of those! What a plank, why didn't I think of that before...?!

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that the instructions in the PfR kit say that it is/was based on the diecast and that some parts could be used from the PfR kit on the diecast. I must look in to this moulding lark!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I may have mentioned before Nick that i was at the time a member of the GPMA e-mail list where the guy who was (is?) PfR was developing his kit - he stated on there that he was modifying the QR diecast - so if we could find a way of moulding that models floorpan...!!

I've done a fair bit of resin moulding but just can't get a plan in my head of how to design a mould that will keep the thinness (is that a word?!) of the floor & not lead to a solid transmission tunnel etc..

K

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nick until you get your hands on the Escorts in detail book. I'd be more than happy to post info from it if you provide the reg number. Same does for anyone else wanting to know info about a specific car and don't have the book yet.

I really think casting your modified flooring suspension would be a great idea. I'd defo by at least one set. Or you could contact scaleproduction in Germany. I know they are working on an engine transkit. They might be interested in adding your fixes to their transkit. Plus a little known fact is that the scaleproduction alpine transkit was made and cast by modellingmasters of Russia. Another company that might be interested. Of course it would probably be easier to find a company in the UK lol.

Ashley

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the works car book shows very little in the way of details, it has a section for every works car, some fleeting comments, others contain much more known information, but little of the way they were built or how, the sister car of clarks was OOO 96M, that is photographed in the book with fitted carpets ! they are modern photo's, so your guess is as good as anyones. roger clark also demanded 13 inch wheels but the Scandinavians wanted 15 inch.

PfR kit was indeed based on the quattroroute (also available as whitebox ) model, and the mk 2 kit was the intended donor. it was unfortunate that the mk 2 prices went daft. the die cast floor has certain details, but the suspension area is very toy like, but the engine bay is a very good starting point for opening up your bonnet, as scale productions have discovered.

Edited by griffsrw
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't call OOO 96M a sister car to LVX 942J. The latter was reborn into its RS1600 iteration in May of 1972, whereas 96M was built around October '73 as a batch of 3 Group 2 spec cars especially for the RAC rally.

942J was built to Group 6 spec and changed back and forth to Group 2 if required for the event.

The book if read from start to finish does state whether a car was the first to feature a certain development. So one assumes that all cars built later featured the same. It is a confusing book but does provide a good history on all the cars. Some had a shorter life than others so of course would have a shorter write up.

And the walkaround pictures featuring 96M are obviously modern compared to the other ones in the book, and as I've mentioned in a previous reply. I wouldn't trust pics of any car as it is now considering the amount of reshells and rebuilds most cars were subjected to.

I now have both the Works Escort and Works Escorts in Detail books and together they tell the story of the Escort and the history of each one. I can't see what more could be wanted from them.

Ashley

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that is photographed in the book with fitted carpets !

Many, if not most, of the works Escorts I had chance to look in back in the day had carpets fitted, including Roger's 1976 RAC Rally winnning Cossack Mk2!

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the last few posts chaps.

I've just been adding some plastic and filler here and there so not much to see at the moment. I've also done a bit of reading and looking at interiors. The Historic Motorsports site shows some pics, as we know, showing the TC with carpets fitted, and using Keith's memory(!), and this evidence, I think that's the way to go. So, as some people will have already realised, the work done on the floorpan could be regarded as a waste of time on this particular version since it won't be seen under carpet!

Having given this some further thought, I won't use this floorpan for the Roger Clark car. But I'm sure I could use it in the Alan Mann Racing TC - it won't be wasted. Now I'm unsure whether to continue this model as Roger Clarks' car by using the floor from the second kit I have. Or because I've gone this far to continue as the Alan Mann car, which I think is my preferred route using decals and details from the PfR kit. I would then build the Roger Clark MkI and MkII Escorts in tandem.

My brain hurts!!!

Nick

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

nick, i have some poor photos of an alan mann car, that has no carpets, so it could be used for that project. i will post them later for you. its getting to be a bit of a minefield here.

link now includes (poor) alan mann photos

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77461910@N03/26805933536/in/album-72157665614838424/

Edited by griffsrw
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Come on, Keith, give yourself some credit!

The diecasts and a PfR resin transkit are earmarked for making models of my own former cars so it might be that I use the Revell chassis for those, Ashley, or just use the diecasts chassis (that will entail a lot of work).

Griffsrw, that'd be really useful. I have quite a selection of books but haven't bought any for a few years now - 'Works Escorts in detail' and the Alan Mann books are now top of my list to get.

Nick

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 'in Detail' book has a comprehensive write up of 3 of the 4 Alan Mann Twin cams. The 4th was never seen in public and written off in a testing accident.

Boreham supplied AMR with basic bodyshells with all development carried out in house at AMR. So their strengthening and suspension modifications to the shell could be different to that if Boreham.

Ashley

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
×
×
  • Create New...