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#1 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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Hi All,
Not sure how many of you out there are aware of the concept of Rocker Cover Racecars? It seems like its a world wide thing as a google search brings up similar events in the U.S and U.K etc. So what are they? They are racecars based on Engine Rocker/Valve covers and run down sloping tracks for a bit of fun with the kids. I built this one a couple of years back for the Hanging Rock car show for my son.There are various rules regarding weight, dimmensions etc that need to be followed but wheels on a cover will just about do it, and then dress it up whatever way you please. ![]() Anyway it looks pretty cool, but it aint fast! So I decided to knock up another one for my boy a couple of weeks ago based on "Mater" the Tow Truck from the Cars Movie. It cost us $48 total. $20 for the Rocker Cover, $20 for the wheels and $8 for the blue spray paint. Everything else was what I found around the garage. Armed with a Matchbox Car size model of Mater I hit the local wreckers and found the perfect cover. It was on a straight 6 in what I think was a early 70s Dodge light truck. Perfect petina and shape and had a round buldge right were the air cleaner on Mater would be. ![]() Next we took out the scale rule and took the dimmensions of the model and transferred them to paper at a 1:6 scale. ![]() Then it was time to let it rip with a 5" Grinder and Jigsaw with a metal blade. We did a bit of planning to make sure we could cut a shut it allowing for folds and tabs to make it easy to join together using pop rivetts and screws only. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
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#2 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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The light assemblies/top guard sections are some 25mm chrome wardrobe rail offcuts that were shaped with the grinder
![]() By the end of the afternoon we had the body pretty much knocked together along with a bit of Aluminium angle for the tow rig and it was now time for some paint. The windows wre nade from the lid of a broken plastic tub. The light on the top of the tow rig was the breather from the rocker cover. ![]() I found some pretty good 90mm wheels that suited it at the hardware store and my Bro in Law did a little bit of welding together some steel angle to hold the wheels under the body, a chassis you could say whivh was then rivetted to the body.
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#3 | |||
I am Groot
![]() Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Burnett Heads, Qld
Posts: 6,840
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Great stuff! this pic reminded me of Mater straight away.....
![]() Quote:
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.. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "Those were the days when the cars were cars, they weren't built out of an Ikea pack like they are now and clothed in plastic; they were real cars." John Bowe |
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#4 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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Tom's to young to wield an angle grinder(or drink beers!) so painting was his thing
![]() A bit of brown on the rims. ![]() A couple of game counters for eyes ,screwed on and painted black. The towing arm/crane bit was an old fuel sender unit from my XY tank and some old plumbing parts made up the cable winch. The hook came from a toy boat we had.
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#5 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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A bit of sign writting with a permament marker and some model paint highlights to age it.
![]() The mouth section is some three quarter inch copper pipe cut and beaten and left raw and the teeth are some sheet metal. The mirrors also came from the cover. So here it is finished today. Build time was about 10 or so hours and was a hoot. Were pretty happy with it and will bring it to race at the"Early Ford Nationals" in Melbourne in a few weeks. Again, not fast but cool! Cheers, Dave & Tom ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
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#6 | ||
64 Deluxe 4 door
![]() Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Raxacoricofallapatorius
Posts: 10,328
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Sweet. I have 4 rocker covers in the shed, along with some 6 inch wheels & some scooter wheels ready to build some with the kids as soon as I find something to use as axles
Not sure my talent level is as high as yours but.. well done
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XM Deluxe FG XR50 BA Pursuit Ute |
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#7 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 590
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#8 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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Quote:
Cheers, Dave
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#9 | ||||
Captain Malcolm Reynolds
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 3,830
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That is extremely well done. I love it!!!
So cool what you can make out of old stuff if you've got time & talent (both severely lacking in my life!)
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Currently: 2014 Mazda6 GT (Daily) and 1999 Mazda MX5 (Fun Car) Previously: 2001 Ford Escape XLT; 2010 MC Mondeo; 1984 FD LTD; 2001 AU2 Falcon Forte; 2005 LS Focus Zetec; 1988 RE Colt; 1982 RB Colt; 1974 KE20 Corolla Quote:
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#10 | ||
Call me Spud
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,995
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Mater is awesome. Complete with authentic rust hahaha. You make a good team.
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#11 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,167
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Tow - Mater average inteligence. But your racer is AWESOME
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igodabigblackshinycar and I relented and allowed a BMW into the garage. ![]() |
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#12 | ||
playing in my big shed
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: miriam vale , qld
Posts: 3,302
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cool as....
very well done.
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`75 XB FAIRMONT sedan . mushroom beige, injected 351, toploader, 9inch `10 FG XR50 Turbo ute. Nitro blue, 6 sp Auto, Leather trim. `04 BA RTV tray back, Red, V8 auto, `04 BA XR6 Turbo sedan. Blueprint. auto, Leather trim. `03 BA XLS ute . Acid Rush, factory lpg, auto, `48 TEA20 Grey Ferguson, `62 Willys 6-230 , 4x4 light truck `04 Yamaha TTR 250 |
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#13 | ||
Ich bin ein auslander
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Loving the Endorphine Machine
Posts: 7,453
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Very nice work, who cares if it is not fast when it is the coolest on the start line.
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Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional! |
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#14 | ||
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 6,197
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Mate, that looks great
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#15 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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Decided to knock up another one. This time I wanted something that looked like a 1920s/1930s Racecar. Aluminium body, side pipes and all that.
This one came off a Morris 1100. ![]() Thanks to the hard rubbish collection we found some in line skate wheels with bearings. I knocked up some chassis rails from some aluminium channel. ![]() Cut the body up for the drivers compartment. The front of it was the perfect shape for a radiator ![]() Wheels on the Chassis rails and dummied up. ![]() Got some heavy duty flywire mesh and put some copper pipe on it for a surround.Also carved up some copper for a fancy radiator cap. Pulled out my leadlighting gear from 20 years ago and made a windscreen. Cut in some aluminium race seats. Next thing is to get a plumber at work to braise together the copper pipes I've bent up to use as headers to run out each side of the body. Then its a dash, some racing stripes and numbers before clear coating it and screwing it all together. Will clean up the writing off the wheels and maybe treat them to some whitewalls! Oh, some headlights too. Cheers, Dave ![]()
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#16 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, circa 1971
Posts: 1,439
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I got this one finished a couple of weeks ago and I think it came out really well. Total cost, $25!
![]() My Bro in Law braised the headers together for me, The headlights I made from cut down wardrobe hanging rod brackets. ![]() A Couple of stripes, Fire Flash was reapplied using a stencil from the original sticker. Number 8 chosen because of my boys age.The whole thing was given a coat of clear. Writting also buffed off the wheels ![]() We raced it at the Vic Early Falcon Nations and it ran really well, not the fastest, but Tom picked up the prize for Best in Show. He was pretty happy. Cheers, Dave ![]()
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#17 | ||
Off smelting
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: boyne island
Posts: 1,035
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Wow that looks really great well done.
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#18 | ||
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 9,292
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Awesome work.
Wouldnt mind checking out some race footage. |
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#19 | ||
Bseries
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Albury NSW
Posts: 376
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That's really awesome! Makes me want to try making one.
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His: 2003 BA Fairmont in Arctic White/Mercury Silver Hers: 1999 AU Forte in Amaretto Check it out: http://fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11336211 |
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