An unusual one. A Mallock U2 Mk18 by M.R.Field

A while back I wondered about doing a model of a Clubmans' Formula car. I love the idea of a front engined racing car and I'm a complete "clubby" racing fan.

I phoned Mallock asking for leading dimensions of a Mk 18, the most numerous Mk. of U2 and was immediately asked if I'd make a model for Ray Mallock's 60th birthday. I was delighted to help them out.

I made the majority of the master from 60 thou. plasticard given to me by a customer as offcuts.

I then did the usual mouldmaking and moulding in resin, just slush moulding.

The model needed to be a working one so I made a brass chassis for it and used an HO type motor.

I used a Scalextric guide as Ray's track is Scalex in his loft. It seems he's a real slot car nut! Not bad for a Le Mans winner and famed preparer of racing teams.

The final model with special bits added to make it a model of Ray's actual car was collected by Richard Mallock and his wife on two Triumph motorcycles. Now that's style!

I hope this model should encourage people to make unusual stuff. At least it can be run on your home track with nobody telling you otherwise.

Hurg with the right wheels

With the louvres being cut out and refitted four or five times, i'm reasonably happy with them now and the few bubbles that appeared in the first cast have been sorted. So it's ready to go to be vacuum cast.Some weeks ago I was contacted by the editor of the HRG Society gazette who asked me if I could do a little write up on the development of the model. I duly obliged and a copy of the gazette arrived yesterday. They have been most helpful as far as history and detail of the car and one of the questions I asked was the size of the wheels. As i've mentioned in previous posts the wheels fitted were totally incorrect as far as pattern and size went. So just before it goes off to have the two part mould made, I thought i'd fit a set of 18 inchers made by Peter Seager-Thomas.
Apparently both 16 and 18 inch wheels were fitted to the Aero and I must say that the difference in having the right wheels on any model can make a huge difference. Very vintage in appearance and very skinny. Just how they should be.
I hope the next time I show it will be the final version and ready to go on sale. It's certainly looking very much the part. Form an orderly queue here! As ever, by clicking on the photo, you'll get a bigger image. Well worth it.

Graham.

More on the GT

Well i've been offline for around three weeks due to a malware attack on my PC. Twice in seven days! I managed to sort it the first time around but the second attack pretty much wiped out everything. Photographs, artwork for the photo etched parts, documents, the lot. So I had no alternative than to let a specialist have the machine and sort it all out. Luckily he managed to retrieve everything I thought i'd lost which is a huge relief.

The GT is now more or less as I want it although the PC problem has causes a little setback. One more cast part to make then everything can go off to be produced. The bumpers have been re-profiled as the constant polishing had thinned out the lobes at each end. The glazing formers are all done and each window fits very snugly apart from the rear screen. This for some strange reason is coming out with too much of a curve which at the moment i'm struggling to understand why. The dreaded headlamp covers turned out to be fairly easy to make this time round and fitted at the first attempt.

Decals for this one are also proving to be a problem as the guy who's been making them for me up till now has decided he does'nt want to carry on and he's not even answering emails. Oh well

The plan is to produce the kit in two versions. The 1959 Le Mans car which had scoops around the brake cooling ducts and an air inlet on the front offside wing just forward of the door. The other veriosn will be a road/race car with decals for the two Essex Racing Stable cars, 17 and 18 TVX. The colours for all of them of course are a source of mystery as ever, but they will all be varying shades of green. What esle did you expect?

Graham.