[Inside_Info]

I have taken the 1st steps towards creating a Vac-formed Nissan R391 bodyshell which if the interest is there I may make generally available.

The pattern has thus far been modelled on CAD in order for the pattern to be CNC milled from aluminium. I have had to make a few compromises in places in order to provide draft angles etc and have had to maintain constant fillet radii on internal and external corners (this makes modelling easier and will hopefully make machining easier too). There are a few areas that will need a small amount of re-modelling prior to machining or failing that dressing with a file in order to produce a more correct shape, particularly around the headlights and the brake duct inlet, but otherwise I don't feel its a million miles away from looking like the real thing! I still have to decide on how to approach the rear wing, some people mould it in with the body, but personally I prefer a separate item which may be replaced due to accident damage.

In any case, I hope this will still look more realistic than a lot of the 'blobs' available.

(Image coutesy of www.automotivearticles.com and of course Nismo)

Any comments and questions would be more than welcome.... I can already see a few areas I need to re-work such as the engine cover....

 

[fast lucky]

Maybe I'm wrong, just an impression .. but shouldn't the center of the front bonnet be higher and narrower ?

(BTW, an excellent model choice

)

 

[Inside_Info]

Yes, as i mentioned this is the brake duct intake and needs some work I think it is too narrow and should taper more towards the top, that will probably be addressed with a file!!! (I have tried modelling it correctly, but I hate the CAD system i'm using... now if only I had one I'm used to such as Unigraphics.......) Height wise it is about the right height, the photo of the actual car has a very pronounced perspective effect which makes it look worse, and of course any narrowing of the nose on the pattern will also make it appear higher...

This image might prove to show it a bit better...

Thanks for the comments, they are duly noted and action will be taken....

 

[BEEJAY7]

Very nice and an excellent choice.

A TSRF chassis would fit in very well. Count me in for one if you are going to produce them.

Regards

Alan

 

[howmet tx]

Hi

Good of you to ask for comments... Could I just raise one issue that irks me a little? Roll bars present a big problem for me on vaccies. If it's moulded in, you either have to cut away the space underneath which leaves an unsightly void, or just paint it black, which never looks that great. Would it be possible to mould it separately, like the wing, or leave it off entirely so that it can be added by the purchaser/modeller? At least that way you get the clean lines of the bodyshell itself. That may not be very relevant in this case-it's not a prototype I know that well. Just a thought. best of luck with the project!

 

[Inside_Info]

Good point about the roll bar... On the first model, I left it off, but it just wouldn't look right in photos without it... I'm still thinking of a satisfactory way to produce it as I too feel its vulnerable if moulded as part of the body and cutout or just plain ugly if left painted (and it is a relatively large flat vertical surface that goes against the laws of aerodynamics, thats if they work at this scale!!!) Thick plasticard (2-3mm), carefully profiled and bent would work, as would brass sheet (but that would raise the C of G too much) or aluminium that was fitted right thro' to the chassis.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

 

[JoeAngelicchio]

I sure hope some company would produce a hard plastic model of this car. I'd be all over it.

 

[Intergrali]

inside, no chance of it being made in resin? I would have thought more people would go for it then?

Rob.

 

[Inside_Info]

If I decide to go ahead with getting the tooling made, there is a chance I could do both vac-forms and resin shells with a little bit of work... At least with resin shells some of the details such as the vents behind the front wheel could be (at least partially) moulded. Having said that I would prefer to keep the rear wing a vac-form regardless, since the resin ones I have seen resemble bananas and are sometimes quite out of scale...

What would you say is the best way of mounting a resin shell? Some of the resin shells available have no provision for mounting, I suppose at least that way they can be made to fit any chassis. I don't want tooling to get too complicated and time consuming to make as I do have a full time job in motor racing as well as being nuts about slot cars!!!

 

[Robert Davies]

QUOTE What would you say is the best way of mounting a resin shell?

From my somewhat limited experience, the slot.it HRS chassis has a very straight forward mounting system, with a multitude of wheel, axle, gear, motor and magnet options http://www.slot.it/eng/chassis.html

-Rob

 

[JoeAngelicchio]

QUOTE (Inside_Info @ 28 Dec 2003, 03:36 PM)

If I decide to go ahead with getting the tooling made, there is a chance I could do both vac-forms and resin shells with a little bit of work.
Resin would be great too. At least it'll look like a good scale replica of the real one.

 

[AdrianG]

I always loved the Nissan R391, dissapointed when Nissan canned the car after it beat the Toyota GT-one at the Suzuka 1000.

I must have one of these when you have completed it, preferably in resin.

 

[AdrianG]

Was just wondering what the latest was on this project?

 

[Inside_Info]

The latest news is that after e-mailing it to a friendly machine shop in early February, he had great difficulty in reading the file. Eventually we tried exporting it via another CAD system, almost managed it, but some of the surface data was corrupted...

Since then, I've been too busy at work and on other projects(**) to sort it out...

Once these are finished, I'll get back on the Nissan... hoping to have them all finished at about the same time...

I WILL finish it one day!!!

** Other projects that are progressing nicely are a BTCC Civic Type R and a Mini Pickup... Am aiming to get these to the moulding stage by the end of next week...

 

[Maltese]

Inside...

Can you check my PM, email?

Thanks

Maltese

 

[Inside_Info]

Have tried again with the CAD translation... will let you know how it went next week..... keep your fingers crossed....

 

[Inside_Info]

Apparently the latest version of the file was readable at last!!!! Will wait until the m/c shop is a little less busy tho'....