1972 CAN-AM Turbocharged Shadow MKIII and Jackie Oliver
A build article by Adrian S. Bruce
Jackie Oliver is a white metal figure by Denizen. Reference photos used were from 3 recent books. Pete Lyons' Can-Am , Can-Am Photo History, and a turbo engine shot close up in Pro Sport Cars 1958 to 1974. Various turbo car parts changed, going from outboard to inboard brakes, transaxle make, and the photos and text of the development don't appear to correspond or aren't dated. Exactly what went into the engine also isn't in any of the reference material I have now, so things like lower rear suspension geometry are educated guess work. From the various photos, sketches of the various components were drawn up, then the closest, easiest to make equivalent made. Very little is really visible in the final car anyway.
Body
To start, the body rear deck between rear fenders from behind the cockpit area was cut out, removing wing supports and rear oil coolers. Carved away inner fender material to clear exhaust and suspension arms, leaving engine area open to view. Cut down tire diameters to be closer to 1/43 scale and changed side wall profile, then removed 2mm section from top of each rear fender to shorten rear body work/wheel opening to more correct shape. Built-up inside of rear wheel openings and top of fenders to better fit tires with polyester putty and match profile photo. Built-up front fender shape and changed curve. The MkIIII seems to have had at least 3 nose shapes in the year, with the turbo being most shovel like . Embedded 1mm brass rod between front fenders. primed, sanded, filled loop a dozen or so times. Carved vents in upper body sides behind front wheel openings. Primed in gray car primer, and painted with Tamiya mini spray gloss black.
Chassis
All ESDO V8 Can-Am kits have the same vague engine transaxle block as part of the resin chassis which isn't supposed to be seen. So, cut away chassis resin floor around transaxle, removing the kit's intended rear axle supports in the process. Built-up transaxle and engine bell housing in polyester and epoxy putty and styrene. Epoxy glued axles to chassis in proper locations and set foundation for building up rear suspension and wing supports. Turbochargers turned in slow speed drill from 3mm styrene rod, then carved, sanded to shape and styrene rod used to form inlets. Detail bits from plastic kit bits, 1mm styrene and bolt head detail parts. Rear exhaust cut from aluminum tube. Side pressure relief exhaust tubes in 1.6mm solder.
Engine, transaxle and suspension
Cut off and reshaped distributor. Carved rear suspension uprights from sheet plastic and epoxy. Transaxle rib reinforcements on outer casings made with evergreen strip, then sanded down. carved out existing injection trumpet fittings on top of block. Exhaust formed from 1.6mm solder. 1.6mm holes drilled in block for attaching exhaust pipes. exhaust headers then formed to basic shape and where they come together covered in 5min epoxy. The epoxy and solder then carved to proper shape to simulate 2 sets of 2 tubes coming together . Insulation foil is crumpled aluminum foil. Fuel injection plumbing in 1.2mm solder and 3mm styrene rod. Where styrene and solder come together short lengths of 0.5mm brass used for reinforcement. Suspension rods in 1.0 and 0.5 mm brass. Wing support in 1.5mm brass, firmly epoxied into top of transaxle and joined to sway bar in 1mm brass.
Coil springs are 1mm brass and spring section from a 1/35 tank kit suspension, cut and shaped. A vague approximation of inboard brakes was produced with sheet styrene, as it is pretty much invisible under the turbo plumbing. Some small bands around pipe work and fittings make from lead foil from wine bottles. Most parts held together with and weld joints made from 5 minute epoxy glue. In some cases with the parts first tacked together with super glue. Engine and chassis mostly satin black and aluminum. exhaust and some of turbo parts in flat black enamel. Some heat stains on the aluminum injection arrangement is Tamiya smoke enamel.
Cockpit
Seat belt is a p-e Tameo 6-point harness cut to make 5-point. Dash is 0.3mm brass, with instruments from the decal sheet. The existing dash had sunken instrumentation, and covering it over makes for instruments you can actually see. New roll bar from sheet and brass rod . 1.5mm brass first heated red hot over gas stove and let to cool to soften it, before bending to shape. Turbo car had plate and support behind seat in roll bar, and an extra tube extending back to right rear suspension support, the same place the upper end of the right rear shock absorber connects to. Steering wheel column cut off dash and brass rod used instead. Finished in Flat Black and flat aluminum.
Wheels and Details
The white metal rims were polished and primed. Sprayed with Tamiya silver Lacquer. The Inner spoke section then painted in satin black enamel. Rear brake light panel aluminum sheet, and lights cut from stretched spruce.
Decals
Decals applied and those going over tight curves hit with some decal solvent. Tire Goodyear markings from an aftermarket tire decal set.
Figure
The Denizen figure required minimum cleanup and the addition of the shade on Jackie Olivers helmet built up. 1mm styrene sheet was heated over a candel and pressed to the visor to conform to the curve required. A section was then cut out and super glued in the correct location. Final shaping being done with wet and dry paper and files. Figure was primed in white. The position of the right shoulder patch and the placing of the lines on the side of the suit were marked in 2B pencil. The helmet with visor masked was sprayed in red lacquer, and other details painted in enamels, then over that acrylic washes.
Base
12mm plywood cut with a jig saw. Edges sanded then treated with wood putty to create a textured edge. road is 800 wet and dry sprayed a dark gray. Oil spill is a mixture of clear acrylics. Road markings in Liquitex artists acrylics, using drafting tape as a mask and dry brushing the paint on to get a worn look. Ground work built up with Liquitex medium, grass and dirt being the stuff intended for use in small scale model railway layouts.
The project took about 4 months to complete.