Old Busted Hotness
07-27-06, 10:53 PM
I've always been a BMC Mini fanatic. I owned a Mk I project car, but it went away in the divorce, and it is sorely missed. So today I content myself with RC projects, and being a Mini freak, I thought a Moke would be a fun and unusual project.
I started with a Tamiya RC Mini Cooper kit (front-wheel-drive, like the 1:1) and a stack of sheet styrene.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/34.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
After the first night, I had this. A chopped-up chassis and the beginnings of a front end.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/35.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I designed a rear suspension that would fit under the rear floor. Mokes don't have any enclosed areas outside the engine bay, so finding room for the electronics, batteries, etc was going to be a major challenge, but I didn't want to spoil the model with non-scale parts. To that end, I hid the batteries in the rocker panels and fitted a charge lead under the bonnet, which is hinged.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/36.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
As there are no compound curves on a Moke (only two curves of any kind) the build went together pretty smoothly. The steering wheel is a modified Jag wheel.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/37.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The grille was the most challenging part of the build. I had to do it twice, as I got it all wrong on the first go. Styrene strips glued together, layered to produce a seamless grille. Lots of filling and sanding. I came to hate that grille he1he
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/38.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
After paint and a top made from brass tubes and Silkspan paper, with a clear plastic window (the top is quite fragile, despite the liberal use of dope), I had this. A fair-quality scratchbuilt model that I can motor about whenever I get the urge. It doesn't get much better than that :)
Don't mind the crooked number plate; the glue was still drying when I took this pic.
I started with a Tamiya RC Mini Cooper kit (front-wheel-drive, like the 1:1) and a stack of sheet styrene.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/34.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
After the first night, I had this. A chopped-up chassis and the beginnings of a front end.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/35.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I designed a rear suspension that would fit under the rear floor. Mokes don't have any enclosed areas outside the engine bay, so finding room for the electronics, batteries, etc was going to be a major challenge, but I didn't want to spoil the model with non-scale parts. To that end, I hid the batteries in the rocker panels and fitted a charge lead under the bonnet, which is hinged.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/36.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
As there are no compound curves on a Moke (only two curves of any kind) the build went together pretty smoothly. The steering wheel is a modified Jag wheel.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/37.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The grille was the most challenging part of the build. I had to do it twice, as I got it all wrong on the first go. Styrene strips glued together, layered to produce a seamless grille. Lots of filling and sanding. I came to hate that grille he1he
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/forum/images/imported/2006/07/38.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
After paint and a top made from brass tubes and Silkspan paper, with a clear plastic window (the top is quite fragile, despite the liberal use of dope), I had this. A fair-quality scratchbuilt model that I can motor about whenever I get the urge. It doesn't get much better than that :)
Don't mind the crooked number plate; the glue was still drying when I took this pic.