Jo NZ

Brian was actually Tim's uncle. The Shop is currently run by his daughter Justina and her partner Andre. I worked "with" GPM (Saturday boy, builder and FSW sub-editor) for about 15 years. Lots of fun, especially Saturdays (and a break from the insanity of my day job). One memory that sticks in the mind was a Christmas opening when four Ferraris turned up (including Nick Masons GTO) and the police moved them on from the dotted yellow line outside the Radlett shop. They all managed to squeeze onto the pavement outside the synagogue that was opposite the shop. Imagine four V12s reversing up a kerb at the same time... One of the customers, I'm not sure where he'd been hiding when this was going on, was looking at the 1/24 Western Models GTO and asked me if I thought that the bodyshape was correct. I suggested that he compare it to a real one. "Where am I going to find a real one? that ridiculous!" he said. "There's one over the road"... The shop was full and the windows well steamed up - he went over the the window and wiped a hole in the condensation. I think that I heard his jaw hit the floor...

A milestone! Only a year on from when I started to create the sprockets, they are all fitted. Three chains! Along the way, of course, I had to make the gearbox, gearbox bracket and axle clamps/spring mounts (and the springs) but that doesn't matter because it all fits, the axle sprocket just misses the rear chassis rail (as it should) and the axle fits snugly behind the back of the seat back. Whoopee! And here is the gearbox support...

That's extremely nice, Renek, and it looks a lot less labour intensive than my build. Congratulations! How did you make the body?

Thanks! For me it's a journey into the unknown....

The remodelled axle clamp. The tongue needs to be 3mm, the spring leaf is 5mm, so I'll thin down the end that fits in the slot.

Thanks for the praise! Continuing the resinmodeller theme... I have few pictures of the gearbox bracket as it's well hidden. Here's the best view... The bracket is the black bit in the middle of the picture. Supported by 1'' by 1/4" steel bar, as is everything else! I positioned the gearbox at what I hope is the correct position (measuring from photos) in Fusion360. This is how I interpreted the bracket For trial purposes I've printed the bracket and gearbox as one piece - for the final version I'll print them separately to make painting easier. The spring and suspension arm mount to the back axle looks like this... I drew it up to match the width of my rear spring, which is the same width as the chassis. It's obviously too wide. I'm wondering if the spring tongue that slots into the bracket has been narrowed. Something to try next... I also had a go at the steering wheel It needs some more work in terms of detail. More importantly, it won't print. I had drawn the spokes at 4mm thick (which seemed reasonable) but printed in 1/8 scale they are only 0.5mm thick, and can't support the rim. I'll try double the thickness....

That's looking very good! What CAD program are you using? I don't think that it's Fusion360, as you have raised script on a double curvature surface - something that Fusion has yet to master.

Now I have the engines and carbs printed, it's time to start on fitting the engines into the chassis. The engines have plates bolted to each side to allow for fixing, like this... Except, of course, for the rear right hand mount which supports the handbrake and gear-change cross shafts and is like this The engines have a variety of supports. The rear of the rear engine is supported on hangars to the top of the chassis, and in my ignorance I supposed that all the supports were like that... no chance! There's an angle across the chassis between the engines that the front engine hangs off. Added to that the front of the rear engine hangs off the front engine by a couple of steel straps. The front engine is offset from the rear, presumably to align the chain. With me so far? more pics,,, Making the carbs was important to align the front engine as the inlet protrudes through the bodywork, so it needs to be outside the chassis. Bolster had a problem with keeping the engines in sync, and originally used a jockey wheel to keep the chain taut between the two motors. A friend of his came up with an ingenious way of adjusting the front engine to keep the chain tight without the power sapping jockey wheel. There are no details... From the photos I have, I think it works like this. There are two adjustable rods from the front engine to the front chassis rail. When these are tightened up, the front engine pivots on it's rear mount and tightens the chain, as the sprocket moves forward. The chain. I found that the easiest way to join a short chain was to cut down a spare jig (you get heaps) otherwise the chain has a mind of it's own I think that the chain is about right in pitch, but it's way too wide. I'm happy to live with that, when the body is on it will be difficult to see. A couple more views from underneath Next will be to sort out the gearbox mount and rear axle swing arm. Another voyage of discovery....

Grand Prix Models made a 1/43 version. This is the first one built of the Totip car...

Agreed. Irony seems to have dropped off the collective psyche. (Not to mention satire....)

If you have updated Chitubox you need to reset the default printer in settings. When you set it to a Mars 3 the file format will change to .ctb HTH

There is a raised script on top of the SU float chamber - It says "S.U. Adderley Park Birmingham" and it's curved to fit the top. Like this Fusion 360 has recently been upgraded to easily etch or raise lettering on curved surfaces. Unfortunately only on single curves, and the float chamber lid is part of a sphere. I tried a 2d engrave of the lettering but it didn't look right. I was discussing this with the guy who gave me the original 3d model and he offered to do it for me! Said - it's my job, I do this sort of thing every day. I sent off the 3d model of the lid and it came back with the script on it - marvellous! Then I discovered that there are two different lids - they are handed with fuel inlet being effectively mirror imaged. That isn't a problem, however the script won't mirror... I solved it by taking a spherical cut of the lid, leaving only the script, and then joined it to the mirrored lid. It seems to work - and - it is just readable in 1/8 scale. I have been printing parts as I go along, and because I've got big fingers and the parts in 1/8 scale are small, I've printed them in 1/4 scale as well. It's much easier to see where any fit problems are, and also how to split the parts for assembly and painting. I've started to model the rocker gear, but I have a feeling I'm going to be making four different rockers... The model so far - this a test piece, so I've only painted it for a quick look.... Drive side Timing side Carbs and inlet manifold (a deep breath when I fitted the manifolds - there is a gap between them - just). And the first valve rocker. The whole thing is split into 3 components so that it can be assembled. I still have no idea how the full size ones are fitted.... As you can see, there are castellated nuts! I had no idea they were standard in Fusion so I started to make my own - see the timing gear on the back of the crankcase. Then I did a search and found them - and in Imperial sizes too. Jo PS - looking at the pictures I realise that I have the SU script upside down. Ho hum....

I don't know if it's still relevant, but a very long time ago I laid out the positions for the fuel pits at Christchurch airport in NZ. The refueller has a finite hose length, so the distance from the pit to the refuelling nozzles under the wing must be within this length... bear in mind the restrictions on aircraft position to access skybridges , not hit the terminal etc. I spent a while with scale cutouts of aircraft, circles from fuel ports and possible positions for the pits. Air NZ was running DC10s at the time, and told us that the parking layout would allow for Jumbos and DC10s to alternate. No reason to have a row of 747s, in other words. We dug up the tarmac, installed the pits... and then AirNZ announced they were changing their international fleet to 100% 747. Sigh...

The original film was made at MGM studios, Borehamwood (Elstree). Model Lancasters ran down a wire to drop their bombs into a water tank. I'm told that this rig was right beside Elstree Way, so easy to see. Peter Jackson, AFAIK, won't make the movie if the name of the dog is changed...