Dry Lakes Racers Australia

G'day all,

I am about to kick of my lakester build and rather than work off a drawing (I'm not much of an artist) I have put together a 1/18 scale model. Now before everyone jumps on and tells me it's not a lakester because the wheels are streamlined, the wheel fairings are not actually intended for the real life build. I struck some difficulty cutting out the wheels with a hole saw and found that these little tapered characters were easier to carve out by hand than a perfect circle. The real one will have the wheels exposed in proper lakester style.....although the more I look at it........

Anyway, I am going for a WWII fighter aircraft theme, complete with nose art and a functioning 1943 air speed indicator along with some other cool guages and things poached from early warbirds (pics of these bits will follow soon).





Engine is Holden 253 bored out .040 which I intend to run on methanol. Gearbox is aussie 4 speed which will run through a chain drive quick change to a Salisbury diff. Front end is cast iron I beam off a '28 Essex super six. The one thing I will likely change from the model is to move the front axle forward slightly. This will give me a bit more room for the cabin and allow me to lay the drivers seat back a bit more. Also, I know a head fairing will assist with aerodynamics and I did try one on the model but it just didn't look right. Total length of the car should be about 4m.

PS I apologise in advance if the pictures don't work. As you might appreciate from the historically themed build, technology is not my thing.

Cheers

Wow! Great design, great model.
Definitely has that old Timey look, but with an aero twist.
What will the body skin be made from?

I had planned on using aluminium for the skin however I don't have a TIG and I'd like to avoid inserting several thousand rivets so that may end up being impractical. My experience is all with steel and that better suits my tools so that looks like the route I'll take. If I do end up building the wheel fairings I will most likely make them in fibreglass from a single mold to ensure consistency.

Yeah! Looks great. Where are you up to with it?
GAZ

Thanks Gaz

At this stage it's a collection of parts and steel tubing. I'm moving house (and workshop) this week then work will commence putting the chassis together.

Nice bit of whittling.

Yeah welcome aboard,

I hope you possess emmence patients as that is the 1 thing that this sport has tried to teach me on so many levels.

I am suffering at the moment and wondering why I persist but seeing your simple model this takes me back to why I started to do "what we do".

Each time I'm suffering like this I drag out "Burt" on the hard drive and sit down and watch it begining to end.

Good luck, don't give up. The very unique experience that we share is truly worth the pain.

Chris

btw, not many of us can spielll

We can weld good but!

Speak for yourself, mine just has'nt fallen in half yet.
Can you weld Balsa?

I was going down the same path for a lakester, changed my mind and going to stick the motor in the back simpler build,it looks good though. Chris ,use Pinex welding rods. Cheers F.G

Should that be "Phoenix" welding rods?

No Zork ,PINEX welding rods made for wood,the kiwi boys would have heard of them. Cheers F.G

Lol.....funny

nice woodwork
Although...
with streamlined covers on the wheels, wouldn't it become a streamliner 5.A.2
G

Ah yes,,,the ol' Pinex Welding rods !!

Not as easy as to use as some may think , even though they are readily available at any corner store.
Only a few master tradesmen can truly master them and produce quality work.

The few "tricks of the trade",, Rods must be kept in a Chilly Bin , along with the Mutton Fat Flux (without the flux,the weld will look like Pukeko shit).We have also found that having a dozen or so cans of Lion Red stored in the chilly bin helps!

Most Important !!! The safety equipment (Using Pinex can be dangerous)
Make sure you have good woollen socks on your hands and you must wear size 10 Jandals to protect your feet.