Scale Model Challenge Cars

Opening thread for October's model car building series. Restore a beater, or build a model of something GRM Challenge appropriate. No "Challenge math" needed, but if you want to that is cool too.

I'll bet you could build one hell of a scale model for $2020.

Appleseed said:

I'll bet you could build one hell of a scale model for $2020.

It's a $20.00 model challenge.

So the way I see it is there are three ways to attack this.

1. Build under $20, whatever you want.

2. Build a replica of some past challenge car.

3. Build something that could reasonably be built in a real car under the $2000.

Thoughts? Your plans?

In reply to solfly :

#3 and #1 was what I was going to go with, and try make it easy you didn't have to actually buy a kit if it was in your collection. Just find a recently sold one on eBay to use as your "accounting". So I'm going to attempt to build a challenge car for under $20 shipped.

i had my eye on a Camaro/Viper mash up i think would be under $20 but I'm not sure it fits.

I think you guys should go look for some of Ojai's sketches in some of the challenge build threads. Then try to make a model that matches the sketch. 

In reply to solfly :

Fits enough

I paid approx $ 5.00 for my kit 30 years ago when I bought a whole shelf load at 75% 0ff from a closing hobby shop in Longwood FL. Not the Datsun I posted in the previous thread, I have better plans for that, although it was from the same buy. I never thought I would build this. Forgot I had it too, found it while digging for the Datsun. Second photo shows some parts box pieces that will go on, Ford V8 and some Nascar Bassets with Hoosiers. Primed the body parts yesterday.

I'm keeping that option open but I think I'm really shooting for a 1 and 3 combo too.

Yup, I'm thinking the same thing: a realistic GRM challenge car built for less than 20 bucks. And also what feels like it's in the spirit of the challenge, I'm going to start with something that was kinda busted. The windshield is fogged, the roof is kinda bent, and various parts have fallen off.

I'm going to try to keep a budget, just for my own amusement. The starting point is $10.54 for the purchase of the car.

The plan? Swap what looks like "racing tires" and wheels onto it, maybe do something with the engine somehow, and either fix the nasty windshield or mayyyyyyyyybe a roof removal? And some GRM-esque number decals.

Step one: find cool wheels. I was looking for the BBS wheels from the other Ford Probe kit, but I can't find them even though I swear I saw them not too long ago. Anyway, I found two Nascar-style wheels in chrome and two Centerline-style wheels in chrome. Mismatched wheels seem appropriate. These happen to fit the existing tires, which is good because I can't find any other tires that will work. I mean, not without spending more money anyway. I'm going to sand these tires down to slicks if I can figure out a way to hold them in the Dremel.

Okay so the front wheels don't fit exactly, they are the right diameter but I have to cut up the backing plates to make them thinner so they'll fit with those deeper-dish wheels.

Just saw this. I'm going for #2. I'm a big fan of one car in particular.

I think I'll post a few options here and take some suggestions.

I was hoping to do a under $20 build but I have nothing and nothing on Ebay I could get excited me.  I'm also going to be gone for a week and a half this month so looks like I'll pass this time around.

I'm going to have to sit this one out. Looks like my spare time is going to be pretty limited this month. 

I'm keeping the one close to the vest. Sorry no updates until done. Fingers crossed I pull this off.

Where can I get 1:25 scale Hoosiers in 17 inch diameter?

Too specific?

I might have to build an SVX...

In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :

The C7R kit has Michelins that are 17ish and look like Hoosiers.

In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :

I have a photo etched stencil to make 15" Hoosiers from anything else. I have never seen kit Hoosiers. I think I bought the stencil from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland, but it was over 30 years ago and the memory is vague. I know I have seen the masks available in multiple diameters from several vendors at shows. They come with a centering plug too.

Look close at my photos of the Volvo and you see a genuine Volvo paint bottle. It was in the glove box of my gold 240 when it arrived in my care in 1997. It was still fluid, and I committed to the color early in the build....Well damn, it won't mix well enough to spray out without sliver blobs no matter how much I mix it....Photo below of.  .  the beginnings of the tire trailer that will pull behind the Volvo. Cut down from the trailer in the Revell Kurtis Midget.

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :

The C7R kit has Michelins that are 17ish and look like Hoosiers.

And I have that kit, but the inner diameter is too big for the rims I'm using. Damn. Might have to sand down the Goodyears.

As most all of you probably know, I built a scale Challenge car years ago out of a Shelby Charger:

Which had intentionally crappy paint and a wild RWD swap with a huge turbo:

While I personally like it, I don't think it represents the Challenge well. Simply put, it wouldn't place out of the bottom five at a real Challenge. The real cars are fantastically well built, tuned, and polished and I want to reflect that in my new build.

I was looking at the theme for this year's event and really dug "Radwood" and happened to have the perfect kit in my stash:

It even satisfies the "build for $20" guideline because I legitimately paid $10 fit it at J&S Hobbies in Vancouver, WA last year:

I immediately opened it and glued the body kit on:

Then I assembled the F2T motor:

This is going to be rad!

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

Sweet! Mine won't have the body kit, but I cut off the stock exhaust and put a big straight pipe on it 

Oh yeah, don't remove those big "REMOVE" panels holding the roof up until the last possible moment. It's easy to bust the roof off accidentally.