McLaren step by step so far

[HectorBell]

Hi all, Here's my step-by-step article on the M8F Can-Am racer, which I'm now starting to get back into.  http://public.fotki.com/cafox513/m8f_112th_step-by-step/
I hope that'll get you there.  Some of the pictures are of the real car and all of the pics have a section of text explaining how I did it.  Maybe it ain't railways and scenery, but a model's a model and the techniques are all relevant somewhere!
Cheers, Hector

[Chuck Doan]

Thanks for that Hector. You are right, all modelling is good, whatever the subject. Glad you are back at this one. Bruce and Denny and Pete and Dan and the rest would be happy too (geez only Dan is still with us) The "B" is my favorite, but they are all related!

Chuck

[HectorBell]

Hi Chuck, unfortunately I could only find an F to measure.  I guess we're lucky in this country, we're never far froma restorer/seller of interesting cars.  I too, like the B as well as the Lola T70, early Chaparral, Scarab, old Yeller, Zerex Special, Lotus 30, but life's too damned short, eh?
Hector

[Chuck Doan]

The early Chaparrals were beautiful cars for sure. My favorite was, I think the 2J, the 'vacuum cleaner". Not that pretty, but dammed audacious. When it worked, nobody was faster. Ive read some funny stories on the web regarding its exploits.

CD

[HectorBell]

Chuck, many moons ago I made a 2J Chap.  Fascinating car and Hall was a real rule bender, like Colin Chapman.  I take my hat off to them all
Hector.

[John McGuyer]

The Chaparral 2J (They called it the 'Hoover') was a very interesting idea. It was a pretty good car even without the fans. When I had MAC Mfg., they let us have it for a couple of days so I got to go over it pretty well. Actually Jim Hall didn't design it. It was designed by an engineer at General Motors named Gates. His philosophy was to spend the most time working on the car where it spent the most time. That's why he didn't try to make things go fast. He tried to make them go around corners. He later on did some Indy car stuff for Hall. While he was doing that, Hall and crew designed the 'Great White Whale'. That was the thing that looked like a slot car. It was so bad, they finally gave up on it and ordered a M12 McLaren. You might remember pictures of it with a wing that looked like an outlaw sprinter.

John

[John McGuyer]

I'm going to try to post a picture of the Hoover with the Great White Whale behind it.

John

[John McGuyer]

Hmmmm. I guess this thing will only accept one picture at a time since when I tried several at once, it rejected them. So here's another:

[HectorBell]

Oh, that takes me back!  To the days when whitemetal wasn't thought of as a kit business and several of us were knocking out one-offs in lime and body filler, including those two.  No way there was a living in it.  I wonder where they went.  Little white wooden blobs in 1/43rd scale.
Hector

[Chuck Doan]

Thanks for those, John! Nice to see them still around.

[John McGuyer]

What the deal was, Jim Hall had stuck them in a barn there in Midland. They were in a state of disrepair as they had pirated parts off them. Jim came to the Monterey Historics when Chevrolet was the honored marque and Steve Earle told him that if he would restore them, Steve would make Chaparral the honored make. Jim did just that and these were taken at that meet.

Here is another shot of the Great White Whale.

John

[John McGuyer]

Thought I might give you another picture of the Hoover (named for the vacuum cleaner). If you guys are interested, I'll tell you the story of 'Charlie'. I wish I still had the photos I took of the Hoover when we had it. I did many detail shots with a yardstick taped to the car. That was 35 years ago and last I knew, Lloyd Asbury had the pictures.

John

[John McGuyer]

Here's my favorite Chaparral

John

[Chuck Doan]

Nice pic, John! Hey Hector, I caught some coverage of the Montery Can-Am segment from this year...an M8F won! (not REAL racing of course). Still, it was nice to see some orange Kiwi's in motion.

CHuck

[HectorBell]

Chuck, my pal in Cal. has just sent me a video of that meeting, but I haven't got my granddaughter to give me a spare 10 minutes on her VCR!!  She's got the only one left that works.
Hector