Leopard's Cars

[leopard]

Thread to showcase a car collection.

This beautiful blast from the past arrived today



6 Wheel March Ford, design from 1976/77, never actually raced as they never really got it working. I wanted this as it was one of the two cars from the very first set I had far too many years ago, early 1980's probably.

This one runs, and runs nicely, motor is sound. could do with new tyres though as these ones are a touch.. old..

model pre-dates the current "sport" track so is used to one with a rougher and grippier surface which meant on test it got as far as the first corner before I got used to it. also pre-dates fitting magnets so very slippery, loads of wheel spin and a lot of sliding, great fun though.

amazed how high the font wheels sit, more modern cars have them (just) touching the track, these are well clear.

just need to work out how and where to fit a digital chip to it and touch up a bit of paint hee and there, wheel rims mostly after swapping the tyres.

if anyone fancies a 'classic' race series with older models and no magnets I have my entry

[leopard]

Have gotten hold of, and then installed, some lighting kits

McLaren MP4-12C GT-3, I have two of these from the digital set I got a few years back, both now have lights installed, should be a straightforwards job as Hornby make a lighting kit... rear lights nearly work, front ones are glow worms, well that won't do, so a bit of knife work and superglue later...









inside the orange one



seemed to cause a bit of surprise that you can add paint otherwise the bodywork glows, seemed a few who drive these things have never made an airfix kit but what ho.

lights seem to be on the motor output so only on when they move, may look at changing that to be on all the time

can also see where I have sorted the wheels and tyres to actually be round and smooth, on my little test track it knocked about a second a lap off as they can now go round corners a bit faster. (its just powering the tyres on a bit of sand paper to get rid of high spots)

[leopard]

New addition



1984 Ford Thunderbird stock car, out of the box very squirrely, possibly even badgery too. Sorting the font and especially rear tyres out made a huge difference, fixing the motor in place, ditto bearings and lubricating it all and its a lot more drivable.

typical American car, fast in a straight line, not so much in corners, though its a lot better than it was, picking up about a second and a half over what was a 6+ second lap

[leopard]

Today the poastie delivered this beauty, shown here after new tyres and wheel rims repainted



Lotus 77, graphics need a bit of work, but seems to run ok, also no magnet...

[leopard]

Decals on order for the Lotus, will re-livery it to the JPS version

[Baldie]

I always thought I was a geek but now realise I am one of the cool kids.

[leopard]

I always thought I was a geek but now realise I am one of the cool kids.

sounds about right does that, something about these older cars, the smell of an ancient electric motor fired up and brought to speed, the gentle scent of ancient lubricants forced back to being liquids, the realisation that there is no way on this earth I can repaint the lining without it looking like a blind epileptic was involved

[leopard]

old decals now removed, discovered just how easily polycarbonate scratches compared to the hard styrene stuff, have some fine sandpaper on order to smooth it all out before adding the new decals. Couldn't get the actual kit with all the gold lining (the actual model never had that either though), I do have a few lengths of gold lining to do a bit though.

tyres need more work though, have superglued the wheels back on the axles a few times which I can see being a common pass time with these older cars

given the bodywork is pretty scratched anyway even before I got my paws on it a bit of polishing will be needed to get it smooth and some nice clear coat over the lot in the end as well.

[leopard]

New arrivals.. from the early 1990's, Ford Cosworth Sierra XR4i...

This one actually runs, bright headlights and quirky tail lights meant to come on only when you brake.. I suspect the capacitors are shot, they work but a dim glow only



this one has a lose wire that needs fixing



both need a bit of work, new head & tail lights, probably new guides and pick ups, likely a bit of paint on the drivers as they are a bit "plastic toy", likely a bit of paint touch up here and there as well.

look nice.. can see getting the current Ford Sierra model to see how they stack up