Think I will dub this one the ‘pocket money’ version.
Now available by contacting ‘DNQ’ on this forum.
![Image]()
Ligier JS17 – late season shell with Policar compatible 3d printed chassis.
Styrene cut optional elements for side pod profile and wing endplates as well as rear wing mount frame.
Mirror chrome self adhesive sheet included for the adventurous amongst any potential builder.
Decals are available from Kevin Oz to produce the Austrian GP winning version. These decals will also allow a builder to do any versions of the cars that ran from Imola to Las Vegas with minimal additional work.
![Image]()
I have always wanted a slot car of the Ligier JS17 from 1981, or to be precise, the end of season version of the car. This is the car that won at the 1981 Austrian and Canadian GPs and made a title challenger of Jacques Laffitte up to the final race. There is the model produced and built to such an amazing standard by Kostas Djingovic of Golden Era Slot cars. My opening line is in no way meant as a dig or criticism of his products. I was seriously tempted to buy one but it was not the version I wanted. They are too beautiful as RTRs to start hacking about to have the version I wanted.
![Image]()
I set about cutting and butting styrene and came up with something that I thought was pretty decent and sent it off to Simon ‘DNQ’ Brereton to check its viability for casting.
Simon is amazing in that he checked over this ‘master’ and found I was half a mil off here and there and not quite symmetrical in some aspects of the profile. I did consider starting again.
![Image]()
Then something of a step change on the production of these F1 car shells happened whereby Simon, who was now well into his stride with CAD designed models, sent me images of the model drawn up in CAD. His process is now to 3D print a master from his renders and then cast from that. Of late you will have probably seen how prolific he has become with the announcement of his 1978 Theodore TR1 and 1978 ATS HS1 resin shells and 3d printed chassis.
![Image]()
This Ligier has the need for an 87mm wheelbase. Simon then produced a bespoke chassis for this model just like the ATS and Theodore. Don’t tell him but two of these chassis have already since found their way under two other shells I was building/adjusting. It has the guide pivot point just ahead of the front axle and is quite long for a F1 slot car wheelbase, but it does handle smoothly and predictably.
![Image]()
Before I knew it I had a couple of shells and got on with designing the decals for a prototype build which I think was the hardest part of this car’s modelling process, although Simon might disagree! LOL. This build was going nicely until I sprayed on the clear coat and then the decal paper decided to bubble and bump and blemish like nothing I had experienced before using the same product on other models. There was some corrective work done and whilst not the best finish to a model, it is completed to a standard that is acceptable for posting on here.
![Image]()
And whilst I may have been the initiator of something Simon may not have considered for his inventory of excellent resin shells, I will not claim it in any way as my work. He picked it up and ran with it for which I am so very grateful. My input is to simply present the possibilities of building one of four versions of the car with the elements supplied.
I have included build notes on this prototype of the model not to clog up this one post. I will be talking this model, lumps and bumps and all, to the UK slot festival’s Policar GP event if anyone wants to come and have a poke around it.
![Image]()
And I am not suggesting you come over just because one of my models is there. There will be plenty of other models there, including other ‘DNQ’ and ‘Conti Rowland’ produced models and hopefully the new Williams FW08E as well as a couple of surprises. Anyone with an interest in models of cars from this era of F1 should get over to the Policar area and have a good look at the cars that will be on show. These will have been built by so many of the forum’s scratching luminaries, whose posts and builds you have likely seen over the years.
These will be, for the most part, displayed in Conti’s Concours Compound adjacent to the Gaydon -not so- Flats Policar Raceway, on which so many Standard and scratch built models will negotiate treacherous features such as Mitcham’s Mount, Farrow’s FlugPlatz, Underwood’s Underpass, Crane’s Curves, Pete’s Peril, Rowland’s Roller, Lawson’s Loop and The Prestage Parabolica.
Hope you like the model and hope to see you there!
Now available by contacting ‘DNQ’ on this forum.
Ligier JS17 – late season shell with Policar compatible 3d printed chassis.
Styrene cut optional elements for side pod profile and wing endplates as well as rear wing mount frame.
Mirror chrome self adhesive sheet included for the adventurous amongst any potential builder.
Decals are available from Kevin Oz to produce the Austrian GP winning version. These decals will also allow a builder to do any versions of the cars that ran from Imola to Las Vegas with minimal additional work.
I have always wanted a slot car of the Ligier JS17 from 1981, or to be precise, the end of season version of the car. This is the car that won at the 1981 Austrian and Canadian GPs and made a title challenger of Jacques Laffitte up to the final race. There is the model produced and built to such an amazing standard by Kostas Djingovic of Golden Era Slot cars. My opening line is in no way meant as a dig or criticism of his products. I was seriously tempted to buy one but it was not the version I wanted. They are too beautiful as RTRs to start hacking about to have the version I wanted.
I set about cutting and butting styrene and came up with something that I thought was pretty decent and sent it off to Simon ‘DNQ’ Brereton to check its viability for casting.
Simon is amazing in that he checked over this ‘master’ and found I was half a mil off here and there and not quite symmetrical in some aspects of the profile. I did consider starting again.
Then something of a step change on the production of these F1 car shells happened whereby Simon, who was now well into his stride with CAD designed models, sent me images of the model drawn up in CAD. His process is now to 3D print a master from his renders and then cast from that. Of late you will have probably seen how prolific he has become with the announcement of his 1978 Theodore TR1 and 1978 ATS HS1 resin shells and 3d printed chassis.
This Ligier has the need for an 87mm wheelbase. Simon then produced a bespoke chassis for this model just like the ATS and Theodore. Don’t tell him but two of these chassis have already since found their way under two other shells I was building/adjusting. It has the guide pivot point just ahead of the front axle and is quite long for a F1 slot car wheelbase, but it does handle smoothly and predictably.
Before I knew it I had a couple of shells and got on with designing the decals for a prototype build which I think was the hardest part of this car’s modelling process, although Simon might disagree! LOL. This build was going nicely until I sprayed on the clear coat and then the decal paper decided to bubble and bump and blemish like nothing I had experienced before using the same product on other models. There was some corrective work done and whilst not the best finish to a model, it is completed to a standard that is acceptable for posting on here.
And whilst I may have been the initiator of something Simon may not have considered for his inventory of excellent resin shells, I will not claim it in any way as my work. He picked it up and ran with it for which I am so very grateful. My input is to simply present the possibilities of building one of four versions of the car with the elements supplied.
I have included build notes on this prototype of the model not to clog up this one post. I will be talking this model, lumps and bumps and all, to the UK slot festival’s Policar GP event if anyone wants to come and have a poke around it.
And I am not suggesting you come over just because one of my models is there. There will be plenty of other models there, including other ‘DNQ’ and ‘Conti Rowland’ produced models and hopefully the new Williams FW08E as well as a couple of surprises. Anyone with an interest in models of cars from this era of F1 should get over to the Policar area and have a good look at the cars that will be on show. These will have been built by so many of the forum’s scratching luminaries, whose posts and builds you have likely seen over the years.
These will be, for the most part, displayed in Conti’s Concours Compound adjacent to the Gaydon -not so- Flats Policar Raceway, on which so many Standard and scratch built models will negotiate treacherous features such as Mitcham’s Mount, Farrow’s FlugPlatz, Underwood’s Underpass, Crane’s Curves, Pete’s Peril, Rowland’s Roller, Lawson’s Loop and The Prestage Parabolica.
Hope you like the model and hope to see you there!
