The Lotus 23 hardly needs any introduction. As close as you can get to a magic carpet in 1962!
This small and incredible low car is not often seen as a 1/32 scale slot car.
Actually, when I started this, I had never seen one. Nowadays there is of course the GTM version.

This started a year and a half ago as a cooperation with a US chassis builder.
I was to build two wooden bodies and he was to make two metal chassis. Then swap, so each one of us would get one complete car.
Sadly, due to health problems, my partner has not been able to finish the chassis.

After a long time in a box I've decided to make one of my own low-tech wooden chassis, I can't wait anymore to see a Lotus 23 on my track!

First some pics from the body factory last year, I try to keep the story short...

Starting, as always, with the usual block of lime tree and rough shaping.



Since the windscreen is an integrated part of the form I include it with the body shape for a start to get a total view.
I like to get the headlight of perplex installed early, they are also part of the shape. This is a very early phase, it is still far too tall...



A bit further! I thought I'd try making the windscreen out of 5mm perplex.



I did not get things right on #1 (yellow), so I started with the second one! Improvements?
Look for example at the connection between glazing and plate work, a lowered front, and more correct shut lines.



When I knew how I wanted it to be, I was able to correct #1 as well.







Finally, I did the third one to be on the safe side! After all the work with the first two shells, this one came out more easily...
Actually, it suits me well to work with 2 or 3 at the same time. #2 went to the USA, but I still have two to play with!
One of them has to be green!



Some detailing work, clear plastic sprue and piano wire for mirrors, and brass nails for taillights. I have tested a number of colors for the other car.

After this background summary, let's go back to the future!



Underneath I was hoping to make something similar to this Porsche chassis, my best wooden chassis so far.
I could not work that out, the 23 is a bit smaller than the large 550!

With a stolen idea from Claus' Karmann Ghia I decided to try with a 1/43 scale motor.
After making a styrene sidewinder pod, the very simple chassis turned out like this.









While test driving, I can't say I'm missing the s-cans and slim-cans I normally use for small cars, this motor is better than I thought it would be!
It is said to be 24k, Geared 10/29, and with 13“ wheels, it runs quickly and nicely.
The car as in pics, complete chassis, body without a screen, interior, or driver, weighs slightly more than 40g. This will not be a lead sled!

The tricky part was to find space for the guide and wires, the front is very low and short. I am still waiting for some smaller front tires.

For me, this opens up for making very small open cars with a full interior.

Cheers
Schnitzer/Carver

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Hello Carver,
I like your work with the wooden bodies and I can image how demanding this is.
There is no room for correction of mistakes. With resin it is much easier to add some putty and restart the work. Additionally wall thickness is critical with wood. Regarding the front screen. Do I understand it correctly. The screen is carved out of 5mm thick material? Why didn't you use a thermoformed film material?
Best regards,
Thomas

Hello, Thomas,
Actually, when I first started making wooden shells I used very much putty! Nowadays I try to avoid it, working my way slowly to the desired shape...
There is an old-fashioned saying: „Übung macht der Meister“ (we have it in Swedish too). Now, I don't claim to be a master, but practicing certainly improves your skills.

You got it right about the screen!
I quite agree with you, vac-formed screens may be the best, and definitely the lightest solution in most cases, especially for covered cars where they are protected by the roof.

However, I never got around to building myself a vac-former... I normally make screens out of bent sheets, impossible in this case. I also wanted something more crash-proof.
Last, but not least: I have never done it before! I wanted to see how it would turn out...

Some pics to clarify the screen process.
This is from work in progress, the body shape was changed again later. Especially the front wings.




The screen is, of course, carved from the inside as well...
„Plexiglas“ can be easily shaped with the same tools I use for wood; the sanding machine seen at the beginning of the thread and a Dremel. Then sanded by hand and polished.

Btw, the last photo shows that I am still using putty!

I hope this is understandable...

Kind Regards
Carver

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Ich wünsche, Ich könnte besser Deutsch schreiben!

Servus Carver,

The Lotus 23. A really cool car.
Unfortunately, the plastic kits are very rarely available and are then traded at unbelievable collector prices.

Your work with the wood is really remarkable. Respect and bravo!
The bolides are certainly very robust and almost completely organic. )

However, something could still be done about the detailing. Or is that reduced because of the planned races?

Have you ever thought about or even tried to assemble the vehicles from carved wooden panels? This principle has been around for a long time. Personally, I only saw it consciously during a recent research. Maybe this could be an easier and quicker way.

Best regards.

Hi Carver,

... you have stolen my idea......, bravo ! I think that´s the reason for this meeting-point ......
(....using a X-slot motor for a sidewinder-position isn´t a great invention......)
To see your -story-board- is always a pleasure !
May be a proposal for work: I started my -Maserati 3500 GT- working with -balsa wood- ;
when design work is finshed and the body looks right I did a type of -covering- (fine layer of 2 component putty).
Next step continues with sanding. This way I got a perfect surface, smooth and resistant for further steps of -production- .
(I would say this surface is nearly perfect for paintwork also......)

Have a nice day
Merry christmas and a happy new year

vbr, claus

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- copy by c -

Thanks for your comments!

Don't worry, Gniebel, details will come.
Full interior, driver, mirrors, etc, once I have mounted the shell to the chassis.

I sometimes use panels when doing more box-like cars like this!



But that is another story...

I don't mind if making bodies take some time. I think it is just as fun as driving the finished cars.
When a homemade car is ready, I get some sort of abstinence...

@Claus: Pleased to know there are more ideas to steal!
Since I am rather new here, I realize there are hundreds of threads to go through looking for ideas!

Kind Regards
Carver

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dear carver

thank you very much for presenting your outstanding work.

best regards s.

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Am Anfang war der Slot ...

Thank You, Slotshark!
For me, it is a pleasure to show up what I do. And to see what others are doing! I live far away from everything...
Some people in my surroundings don't quite understand the importance of making wooden toy cars!

I finally got it together.

















Despite imperfections, brutally revealed by the camera, I am pleased with the form and character.
I wanted it to look low and small, and I think it does.
I have not yet decided what to think about the experimental carved screen. It is very robust but looks a bit thick. On the other hand, vac-formed screens don't always look great...
What do you experts think?

I prefer racers from the '50s and '60s not to be too shiny. So I gave it a semi-gloss finish.

The background figures are there to give an idea of the size, but is, of course, also a cheap trick to draw attention from shortcomings...

It is made to represent Jim Clark's car as it was raced at Oulton park in1962.
I have to post one black and white photo too...



Best Regards
Carver/Schnitzer

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Hello Carver,

What a beautiful tiny racing-sportscar. The result is a model which reflects -nature- and spirit of the -Lotus-design.
Some -imperfections- ...... what the hey ; these are part of your way to develop such a slot-car-model.

But don´t ask me how to make screens so they look perfect. Since I my first steps when starting to assemble kits questions
about production and mounting are always part of my interest in scratchbuilt work. How to get them right so the look is similar to the original car design.
(....you did fine coachwork, fine paintwork and in the end bad glazing spoils it..... )
For small quantities vac-form solutions seems be the only way for us. But badly manufactured you are at the beginning .........
Your attempt to produce a windscreen by -acrylic glass-mould could be an alternative. But how can you avoid the impression
the screen looks like ice not glass?

By the way: figures added the model are very helpful to show - scale -.

Greets from Munich

claus

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- copy by c -

Hi Claus,
I have one more 23 to do. I will give Plexiglas another try. There are some ideas I must test...
Life would have been much more simple if they had never invented curved screens!

Best Regards
Carver

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Ich wünsche, Ich könnte besser Deutsch schreiben!

Hello Carver,



....but sometimes curved -objects- are so beautiful....!

cheers, claus

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- copy by c -