1950 Jaguar XK120, Monogram. One of my all time favorite kits.
The detailed engraving was great even down to the stitching on the leaf spring gaiters.
Only had to add the wheel centers from a Johan kit to make this LeMans warrior.
It appeared in a SAE article but with a misplaced byline.
Stars of Le Mans in 1/24 Scale
by Gary McNutt
Here are some less-often seen models of Le Mans entries over the years. In the midst (or was it mists) of the slot car craze over 30 years ago, Monogram, AMT, Revell, Strombecker, K&B (Aurora) and others made injection molded sports car bodies with reasonable detail and accuracy, though admittedly not of today's "Tamiya quality." I thought it might be fun to share what was possible back in the old days scrounging around the hobby shop slot car counters for hard plastic bodies. These LeMans selections include some of those finds.
1955 MGA, Stombecker. Made in a very large scale, at least 1/23rd.
Until Southeastern Finecast produced their MGA, this was the only game in town.
Used Herb Deeks wire wheels and tires for added realism.
1957 Porsche 550, Teapot Graphics.
This was a cute resin casting from the imaginative John Johnson.
Origins of the master were rumored to be a Japanese toy.
1959 AC ACE, AMT. Back dating the 260 Cobra kit to its progenitor was easy.
This only required removing the fender flares and adding the mustache
astride the shortened grille opening. The Heller BMW 328 kit provided the tires
and the twin to the Bristol engine that slips right in.
The steering wheel also slid to the right in the conversion.
1962 Ferrari GTO, Revell/Aurora.
Before there were Protar, Italeri, GS, and BBurago GTOs,
there was only a 1/25th scale Aurora kit and a 1/24th scale Revell slot car body.
The Aurora kit was very detailed, but the shape and size left something to be desired.
The solution: slip the Revell body over a lengthened Aurora chassis
and add some Monogram wires for a decent (for the time) GTO.
1963 Ferrari GTO, Gunze Sangyo. A nice curbside kit with a beautiful body,
but the skinny tires had to be replaced with Academy Dunlops.
The wheels really need to be painted for accuracy, but I could not bring
myself to do it yet. This model was originally built by Wayne Moyer as a
magazine review model and then modified to race specification.
1963 Ferrari GTO, BBurago.
Diecasts are such a temptation, because they seem like all the hard work
has already been done. This GTO was done just for fun
and incorporates Herb Deeks wires and new tires.
1963 Ferrari 250P, Monogram. A mostly accurate representation of the 1963 LeMans winner. Adding
a few details really helps, like photoetched wire wheels and Academy tires. The interior needs
updating to the Dale King researched specification. One of these days . . .
1963 Jaguar XKE LW, Revell.
Before Heller came out with their excellent 1/24th scale XKE,
there was a choice between Aurora and Revell XKEs in the 1/25th scale.
Followed the factory approach and modified the stock
specification to a Cunningham Lightweight with D Jag wheels.
1964 Ferrari 275P, Monogram. Ferrari did not mean the 1964 LeMans winner to be the slightly updated,
1963 LeMans car, but would have preferred the swoopier '64 version. Just a few changes to the 1963
front end and the tail pipes brings the 1963 car up to date. Modified Herb Deeks wires were used
again with Academy tires.
1964 Ferrari GTO, K&B/Protar. Two companies made GTO64 bodies, K&B and IPC (Japan)
and they are close but different moldings. Slipping one of these bodies on a Protar GTO
chassis made a great looking Ferrari. The GTO64 body is now available in resin
from MiniExotics (R&D Unique)
1964 Ford GT, K&B. This is the 1963 LeMans test days Ford GT prototype.
The K&B slot car body but can be slipped onto an IMC Ford GT chassis and interior,
after swapping the rear tail light panels, to lead off your GT-40 collection.
The wheels are modified Herb Deeks with Dunlops fitted.
1964 Cobra Daytona, Gunze Sangyo. God bless GS for modeling this car, chassis CSX2299.
It is a curbside only and a little short in the wheelbase and the nose is a little flat, but it is a treasure
anyway. IMO, the model was scaled and mastered from a set of photographs taken with a wide-angle
lens, which accounts for the wheelbase snafu. The nose had been damaged several times and the
kit accurately reflects its "as restored" shape. This model has an extended wheelbase and reprofiled
nose along with backdating to '64 Le Mans specification.
1965 Ferrari 330P2, Strombecker. Both K&B and Strombecker made versions of this
Ferrari body style. The Strombecker version of this body was just a little deeper
through the waist than the K&B but otherwise they are almost identical.
An Academy 250 LM chassis and interior slips pretty neatly underneath.
Dunlop wheels are available from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland
and the tires are the Academy Dunlops.
1965 Ferrari 330P2, K&B. Same as above, second verse.
1965 Cobra Daytona, Gunze Sangyo. Do it again as in 1964 version. Note that the white stripes are
wider in the middle than at the ends. This was a Pete Brock trick to add visual length.
Expect to remove material from both the sides of the seats and the inner wheel wells
to get them to fit. Recommend replacing the kit wheels with Halibrands from R&MoM.
1965 Ferrari 250LM, BBurago. This famous NART warhorse had not been modeled at
the time of this BBurago release of a short nose 250LM. So out came the Bondo
body filler and the nose grew like Pinocchio's. Modified Herb Deeks wheels
and some Goodyear Blue Steaks completed the transformation.
Renaissance now makes a transkit for this conversion.
1965 Ferrari 166 Dino, Hasagawa. Never saw many of these Hasegawa bodies
on this side of the Pacific, though Cox did a similar version. They were offered
with double kit options, spider (European hill climb) or coupe (endurance) versions.
Since it was strictly a curbside, a 308 chassis was slipped under the body
and Cox cast mag wheels and rubber tires were used.
See more of Gary McNutt's Le Mans Masterpieces in the Archive
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