U2 can have a body like this...

Way back when we were allowed to build, register and drive what we liked without Nanny having a say in the matter and holding their palm out to be crossed with unjustifiable silver, a chap called Major Arthur Mallock built a little competition car, but used it on the road too. Thinking he could capitalise on this he offered the frames for £48-10 shillings. It cost 48 1/2 pounds and weighed 48 1/2 pounds. He lifted the Charles Atlas advertising slogan, by showing a feel for "text speak", advertising his little chassis in the 750 MC Bulletin...."U2 can have a body and chassis like mine". Thus began a series of Clubman's cars, all called U2 and now up to Mk.35. His cars and those developed by his sons, STILL dominate that specialised field of competition known as Clubman's Formula. Front engined Sports Racers, my favourite kind.

I decided that it was time a nice model was made. I made a

pattern many years ago in brass for a white metal kit in 1/43rd scale, but it never got produced.

So now, I'm doing a pattern in 1/32nd scale for a slot racer and have chosen the Mk 18 version as the most typical shape of a mid-era Clubman's car.

Help from Mallock Sports, who make the cars to this day has allowed me to do some drawings and I shall be cutting material very soon.

Patterns everywhere

It takes an age to put pictures on slot forum, so I thought I might as well use this blog to show some of my builds, mainly patterns for various ranges of cars.

The latest is a Clan Crusader in 1/32nd scale. It's made of wood with a little detailing in styrene where appropriate. The wood is pear, the only wood in my opinion to come close to modelling board which is great stuff, but has nasty dust and is expensive.

I did a Speedwell Sprite recently. I love all the different versions of these little cars. I had one once. It never let me down and was fun the whole time. Not that fast, but like a Kart on the bends.

This one was done using Milliput epoxy putty. marvellous stuff, made in Dolgellau.

I mentioned modelling board earlier. that would be Ebalta in Europe, CIBATool in Britain and Renshape in America. All much the same, just slightly different grades. These master patterns are made of it.

A Delahaye 135

A Maserati 6CL, also pre-War.

A Standard 8/10, unfinished at this stage.

Another material I certainly WON'T be working in again is wax. Ghastly stuff that gets everywhere and is a pig to smooth. I got this far with it, but then cast the model in resin and finished the pattern off in that.

It is a Labourdette Delage with the strange all glass window section. No pillars. Love that fin.

This Rover P6 racer was made the hard way. Balsa core, covered in car body filler, then carved.

This is just a very small selection of patterns I've made for slot racing, all 1/32nd scale.

The next stage

As you can see, I have removed FPF Models link from the home page as it will soon be all change on that front.

Dave Capelen of Slotcarmann will producing most, if not all of the models in the old range, possibly with some upgraded and with more bits. They will obviously be more expensive, but should be worthy of the increase.

Because I'd had some models planned for FPF which won't necessarily be on Dave's priority list, I shall endeavour to produce them myself when I can.

The first will be the S-type Invicta Low chassis. I have received so much help from Mike Hyatt, a man who virtually grew up with Invictas as run by his family friend, Donald Munro, that it's only fair that I do that one first.

It will be a big job as Invictas have so many individual louvres and these will all have to be put on the pattern individually. There's no way to cheat.

The next one will be the Trident Venturer, only because I used to have one and think it's about time there was a nice slot racing shell of that most beautiful of cars.

Then there will be a Piper, possibly two. On Tuesday, I will be visiting an old friend who used to have one of the three Le Mans GTRs. He still produces a track-day car made in the original's moulds, so I'll be measuring up for a model of that. But I also had a Piper GTA many years ago. The Piper road car, GTT and P2, is so under-known, that I think it should be done. Mine was a tarmac rally one, built from a very early car with the rare A-Series running gear, but the bodies were very similar on all of them.

And after these, the gorgeous Rejo. A car that makes even the lovely Lola Mk1 look a little ungainly.