La Carrera Panamericana build - done, run, and so much fun

[markbt73]

I've been wanting to build this project for ages, and now, the time has come. If you don't know what La Carrera Panamericana is, here are the basics:
http://www.panamrace.com/overview.html. I love thie idea of long rally races, beat the stuffing out your car for days on end, but doing it with big heavy old '50s American cars... well, that's just nuts.



The original race was run from 1950-54. The modern race lates anything pre-1965 run, but I wanted to do one of the oldies. I wanted ither a '54 Lincoln, as pictured above, or a Hudson Hornet. Closest I could find was a McAllister 1951 Mercury.



I couldn't actually find a photo of a '51 Merc in the LCP, but there must have been one at some point. Yeah, we'll go with that.

Building it on my old scruffy built-from-spare-parts RC10CE, lowered a bit on shorter shocks. On-road, but capable of handling a gravel parking lot, and with squishy springs so it leans into the turns. So far, the jellybeans are the only wheels I have that fit inside the fender skirts completely, but I'm going to keep looking.

[GoMachV]

That's going to be cool!

With northwest ties it's too bad they never made an olds 88 body so you could do a replica of Hershal Mcgriffs 1950 winner.

[Kmmac1705]

That's gonna look awesome.

[markbt73]

That's going to be cool!

With northwest ties it's too bad they never made an olds 88 body so you could do a replica of Hershal Mcgriffs 1950 winner.

Huh. I had no idea a local won the first one. Cool.

It was really hard to choose a body for it. There is a real shortage of '50s cars to choose from in the RC world. I nearly got a '55 Chevy with the intention of making a Pontiac or Olds grille and bumper for it, but my styrene skills aren't that good, so I chickened out.

Wheels and tires are sorted; Tamiya Buggy Champ fronts and Boys 4WD "Wild Ceptor" rears...



No one will ever see the rear wheels so it doesn't matter if the rims match. Now I have to fab up some body mounts...

[markbt73]

Tried a different stance with this one... would have to cut the arches. But I'm kinda digging it:



It would sit lower than this once the arches are cut, of course. Front tires would stick out about a half inch; rears about a quarter. Trying to decide if that's too much.

[Mike DeLaney]

I would go with the first set of wheels and tires. Mainly so you don't have to cut wheel openings as much.

[markbt73]

OK. Trimmed, drilled, and mounted:



Went back to the black jellybeans because they're the only wheels that fit under the skirts without rubbing. Besides, they give it a nice old-school feel. Vintage-style race car with vintage parts; why not?

Guess I have to decide on a color now. And design some decals.

[Hcp22]

I found some nice decals for you

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RC-Vintage-style-Carrera-Panamericana-Road-Race-10th-scale-Decals-stickers-/151000232143?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item232850b0cf

$(KGrHqF,!jMFD2YjsmITBRJh78Ddcg~~60_12.gif (181.49 KiB) Viewed 2590 times

$(KGrHqF,!jMFD2YjsmITBRJh78Ddcg~~60_12.gif (181.49 KiB) Viewed 2590 times

[markbt73]

Well, that will save me having to beg my boss to let me print some at work... thanks!

Still not happy with how the car is sitting, but I have some ideas. Another update coming when I get it figured out.

[farmer]

Well, that will save me having to beg my boss to let me print some at work... thanks!

Still not happy with how the car is sitting, but I have some ideas. Another update coming when I get it figured out.

OK. Trimmed, drilled, and mounted:



Went back to the black jellybeans because they're the only wheels that fit under the skirts without rubbing. Besides, they give it a nice old-school feel. Vintage-style race car with vintage parts; why not?

Guess I have to decide on a color now. And design some decals.

its coming together
why dont you try using a lowered oval rear shock tower and some front shocks on the rear to get the body down lower
and cut you a smaller shock tower for the front to get that lower also, than that body should fit nice and low
looks good
farmer

That's going to be cool!
and those front tires would be bad a$$ all the way around would give it that even look
farmer

With northwest ties it's too bad they never made an olds 88 body so you could do a replica of Hershal Mcgriffs 1950 winner.

Huh. I had no idea a local won the first one. Cool.

It was really hard to choose a body for it. There is a real shortage of '50s cars to choose from in the RC world. I nearly got a '55 Chevy with the intention of making a Pontiac or Olds grille and bumper for it, but my styrene skills aren't that good, so I chickened out.

Wheels and tires are sorted; Tamiya Buggy Champ fronts and Boys 4WD "Wild Ceptor" rears...



No one will ever see the rear wheels so it doesn't matter if the rims match. Now I have to fab up some body mounts...

[farmer]

dont know why it didnt post this
but use those front tires all the way around and it will give it that nice level look
farmer

[markbt73]

Actually, I have something a bit more drastic in mind for lowering it.



Amazing what you can do when you start digging through grubby plastic bags of old parts. Now I need to make some measurements and cut a plate to mount the front suspension.

[GoMachV]

Well, that would give you some flexibility I suppose! Is that going to be an aluminum nose?

[markbt73]

I think it will be aluminum, yeah. I think I have a piece of .063 or .080 sheet out in the garage. Just have to come up with a shape that uses existing holes. I need to still use the stock nose plate, because that's what the front bumper/body mount attaches to, and I don't want to have to change all that again, now that the holes are already poked in the body.

Kinda this shape, or as close as I can get to it with a drill press and a Harbor Freight scroll saw:

[markbt73]

OK, yeah, forget that other chassis idea... back on a standard RC10CE with Custom Works tires. No more screwing around.

Found a fantastic reference pic of a 51 Mercury coupe that hasn't been all lead-sledded, so I've been going off of that:



and so here's where I am now, painted and adding details:



Trying to get this project finished before I disappear into Optima-land for a while. I'm thinking this will be my summertime after-work fun runner.