Sabrejet

Many thanks Rob: I need a fairly simple 1/43 sheet doing for now. No major hurry and I can scan the existing sheet - it's an ancient kit with yellowed/cracked decals and it's not a scheme/sponsor that's been done by the aftermarket. I'll send you a message!

That's one from my "Observer's Book" days!!! To be followed by a Guaraní series, and a Querandi maybe?

Oh lordy! I think this is the guy that posted on here when he was doing the Zakspeed Capri and Ford C.100 etc. I'd love to have a Jagermeister 956 on my wall!

It's fine Arctic/artic has become a bit of an in-joke in the family (dad was a truck driver): he used to have a minor fit when someone said they "...drove an Arctic". I'd imagine it would be the same if he'd been a polar explorer.

Funnily enough I've used Arctic ("Artic" is a truck type) in the past and they were very good. Will see how it goes. Thanks!

I tried sending a message but it said the recipient was unable to receive messages. Is there a contact for him?

The Agora 917 is really a toy and IIRC the resin 956 doesn't have engine/lift-off bodywork.

Can anyone recommend a UK-based manufacturer of custom decals? I need someone who can create the graphics as well as printing decals. I have a regular contact in the USA but lately the service has been really poor.

It might be nice to see a decent race car: maybe a 917K or a 956? I like the idea of building one of these and trying to refine some of the blobby detail, visible screws etc. A 6R4 would be awesome but probably too niche for the business case to stack up. Sadly.

Not sure if the Luftwaffe did RH/LH or starboard/port, so I usually adopt whichever feels right for the aircraft concerned. Having spent decades working on British, European and American types it has become an obsession!

...and the snake only on the LH fuselage side? I seem to recall a modelling magazine special back in the 1970s showing it thus. Is there any proof that a snake was ever painted on the RH side of any of these aircraft? On the basis that it would be worthy of a photo if it had been painted, I'd assume absence of photos would indicate no snake on the LH side.

I'm OK with the continuation/recreation thing. So long as the cars are mechanically and structurally correct it appears to be the only way we'll get to see these incredible racers genuinely racing in future. Goodwood used to be a bit sniffy about it but most of the GT40 field at Revival are recreations now, and we even had a GTO replica at last year's Revival, though that was admittedly based on a 250 chassis/number.

This is often the case: faced with fields of exotics and awesome race cars, my response is usually "I'll have the Chevron". There is something about that marque that just does it for me: Derek Bennett was a very clever man.

It's not a genuine Daytona Cobra: the six originals were chassis # CSX 2286, CSX 2287, CSX 2299, CSX 2300, CSX 2601 and CSX 2602; nowadays they are all blue. This one was chassis # CSX 2604, a very nice continuation car by Mike McCluskey/Plan B Motorsport. Some of the originals have been raced in recent (ish) years but I'd imagine they'd be too valuable to risk now.

I knew someone would say that Even as I was watching the car, I was thinking "people [for some unknown reason] love these". Here you go then...

Another Goodwood test today and thankfully better weather for it. It was a real Mustang day (there's a one-make race at the Members Meeting), with most using Mathwall V8s. For some reason No.7 (blue) sounded very different, possibly because it was being driven by Steve Soper. My "I'd take that home" car: Chevron B.8: Spitfire and Mustang!!! (well I liked it):

I do like these JSPC cars: there was also a Cosworth-engined Toyota around this time - the British Barn. Lovely finish and build. Note that this is the 767B, not the LM-winning 787B; similar but not the same. There was a single 767B at Le Mans in 1990, but not '91.

Not sure but I'd also like to know of a source for 1/43 headlights: many of the aftermarket lenses are simple clear blobs on reflective backing but there used to be a really nice range of lenses with correct Fresnel-type patterning.

But what's its status? Is that the one which was repainted in USN colours? And where is it going?

What's the status of the other one?

Pat! I'd forgotten that. There was a real identity to those cars only really seen recently with the 'grello' and 'Rexy' 911s.

I've seen the SWB homage up-close and didn't like it; it was very well made but too much of a pastiche for me. But for those of us of a certain age, Ray Mallock will always be associated with those wonderful Aston Nimrods and the Ecosse C2 cars "Reggie" and "Henry". He'd also have been responsible for the 1990 Aston "AMR-2", which supposedly instead inspired that year's Nissan Group C car. Ray was a very active racer at one point and drove the awesome Aston AMR-1 in 1989. More recently I've seen him at Revival (in father Arthur's U2) so he obviously keeps busy! In fact I'd say he's a bit of an unsung hero, being a very competent designer as well as driver. And RML cars have not only competed in Groups C1 and C2, but also in BTCC, WTCC and even the heady heights of hill climbing. Quite a legacy.

Yes Steve: a lightweight-spec E-type. It had a bit of a moment at the first corner early on then loads of grass removal!

This Bizza badged as an Iso A3/C. IIRC they were making a short run of continuation cars which if so could be badged as all sorts of Iso/Bizzarini permutations. But yes, of all the cars there, that's the one I'd like to take home.

As far as I know there aren't any Gardner Douglas T70s racing. The red car was John Surtees' original car and had various parts of the chassis autographed by John, Jackie Stewart and Tony Sinclair. I've seen the blue car many times and it's original too (or as far as can be). I don't think the T70 is subject to replication in historics in the same way as the GT40 (Gelscoe) is.