[Pete McKay]

New AMG Racing Formula Focus (edited) Open Wheel

OK, now that I'm re-inspired to get back into developing new cars I've decided to work on the next project. Between 50 hour work weeks and race weekends out here I should have time to get this done over the course of about 2 weeks or so. Progess pictures will be posted here.

The new car will be an open wheel mini-formula based car, and like my Outlaw Sprinters it will be a dedicated fit to the Magna-Traction/X-Traction Chassis. This is where you guys (some of you guys at least) come in. I need a couple of rolling chassis, broken p/u tabs are OK, but I need them with a bare gear plate and clamp so the body can be built up on that chassis. I don't have any broken one's of my own, so the first couple of guys wanting to contribute gets first test rights to 5 bodies when production begins.

The car will be low slung, open cockpit and have an intake scoop that can be opened for cooling. The rear wing will be molded in and the side plates will have optional scribed cut lines. I can promise an extra ordinary amount of attention to detail here. And like Bill wants, lots of compound curves.

Interested parties with a few chassis to donate contact me at [email protected]. Once the chassis are in hand I'll start "sculpting" this one.

 

[Bill Hall]

No sweat Pete! I'll hook you up. Send your address via Email and you'll have them pronto!

OT: When you gettin that rim (ankle) straightened? BH

 

[Pete McKay]

OK, been looking through Wikipedia for different junior forumla type cars, and there's a few that would lend well to a slot car body application. Remember, this is a smaller size than the Formula One cars, so the scale may be different (like the go-kart bodies are a different perspective scale). Here's what I've found so far...

Formula Ford (1985)

Formula 3 (early 1990's)

Formula BMW (2006) which I really like.

And Formula Renault Brazil.

 

[Pete McKay]

No sweat Pete! I'll hook you up. Send your address via Email and you'll have them pronto!

OT: When you gettin that rim (ankle) straightened? BH

Bill, I think I misplaced your e-mail address....my new one is [email protected], drop me a quick note and I'dd send off my addy.

I have a surgery consult on March 23rd after one more MRI a week before that. If everything looks the same they'll do the reconstruction the first Thursday in April, and I'll be off my feet for 8 weeks after ward. I think I'm beginning to understand how Johnny Rutherford felt after he broke both his at Phoenix years ago. If only my injury results from something so glamorous...

 

[Bill Hall]

Hi Pete, Got a no can do on the space in your new email addy. Took the space out and got another mailer deamon. Please dispatch a priest to excorcise my deamons.

 

[SplitPoster]

Hey Pete, top car would be a 2 liter Ford, called a formula continental or formula ford 2000 by most amateur sanctioning bodies in U.S., maybe super fords in other places. If you look up formula ford in U.S. you'll find no wings, 1600cc. Google Formula Atlantic - generally one step below Champ cars. SCCA does a new race car issue in Sportscar for club/pro series cars, maybe April issue. There are also club/driving school series/marque cars. Check out formula Russell, formula/Pro Mazda too.

If you look at current lower echelon construction you'll see aerodynamics often mirror F1 or champ car - ie high nose....

 

[Pete McKay]

Split, good eye. I just did a search on Wikipedia and started going through the links. I really like the second offering though and may work the BMW's scoop into the design somehow. The thing I have to keep in mind is using the chassis tabs to mount the body, so the narrower the car the better my design would work.

I debated the wing idea with my race guys, and it took a 6-pack to decide a wing wouldn't hurt, and it may even help. I saw the Formula Fords didn't have any sort of "aerodynamic fixtures" and shyed away from that for now.

Bill, just send the chassis to my shop at:

P. McKay
Armadillo Motorworks and Graphics (AMG)
555 South Argyle #219
Fresno, CA. 93727

 

[SplitPoster]

Pete, they're all good. Wings have the same benefits & drawbacks on 1:1, except there are a lot more dollars involved in repairing/replacing them.

A few interesting links for winged club/pro cars in U.S.:
www.swiftengineering.com
www.starmazda.com
www.sccaenterprises.com
www.cooperseries.com

 

[Pete McKay]

One of the guys made the remark of making a sort of vintage open wheeler with an open engine bay and a nice inline 4 being exposed. That's easy enough to model using sheet plastic and thick solder for the exhaust. But we race long races out here and an functional intake is really appealing. The design I have is pretty close to the BMW design now even though it HAS to be Ford powered. Hey, what about a Formula Focus??

 

[SplitPoster]

Ford pictures

Formula Ford 2000 (cooper/Avon tire series, link above) is Zetec powered, note spec air intake is off to the side.

1600cc Formula Fords (pushrod engines) differ greatly with aerodynamics, intake style and location, rear tray, but body style would adapt to slim slot chassis well.

Hope you get that Ford thing worked out

 

[Pete McKay]

The air intake would be tricky to vacuform since you have to pull the mold straight out of the body. Also anytime you roll hot plastic under itself like that it tends to fold. Still, I like that FF2000 shape and might be able to simulate something close. The bi-level wing would be the problem unless I did something like I did with the Odyssey, have the lower foil and supports molded in the body buck and you just add the top foil to those supports. Once I get the chassis that they'll be built up on and get them boxed in I'll look and see if that's possible, or maybe just go 1600 Formula style. I have to admit, the middle body style is growing on me a little.

 

[SplitPoster]

Pete, I like the high nose too, lots of variety in body styles chassis to chassis. There is a gallery on SCCA.com, under multmedia - club (racing), with several FFord pictures. Nice thing about FF, there is no spec body or wing, so anything you do is accurate! Jeff

 

[coach61]

Pete I sent you a package of chassis this morning, looking forward to seeing the new car built. If you have one with snapped front wings and tire hanging off I can recreate my Spinard/David Driving school experiance lol...


Dave

 

[Pete McKay]

Coach, thanks. I have a regatta to ready for the first weekend in March but I'll get working on it as soon as spare time allows during this coming week.

I've really looked at both the 1600 and 2000's and can see an application towards both if I work the design right. With the 1600 pointed nose and tail there's no place really to have a wing, but what, pray tell, if there was a small mounting area for a wing optionally (ala Odyssey)? With the front wings dropped in the 2000 you could simply snip them off the the 1600 application, leave them on for the 2000 application. In the first and second pic's Split posed the body shape is essentially the same, so a dual class application may be possible.

What would be really cool is to see a set of skinny T-jet wheels and silicone tires on an XT with the 1600 body, and some wider meats on the 2000.

 

[SplitPoster]

2 Formula Fords for the Price of one...

What would be really cool is to see a set of skinny T-jet wheels and silicone tires on an XT with the 1600 body, and some wider meats on the 2000.

Very cool idea, two different classes from the same basic mold! Could a separate attachable F/C rear wing be far behind? :thumbsup:

 

[Pete McKay]

OK then, I'll revise my drawings once more and include the wing option. All I need is the chassis and a few days to hack one out.

 

[Bill Hall]

Should be there monday!

 

[Pete McKay]

Thanks Bill.

Looks like my regatta may be rained out this weekend, I may be remodeling my sprinter earlier than expected. So I basically drilled a hole in my finger for nothing. Well, it's never a good project unless blood gets spilled.

 

[Bill Hall]

Ouch! I hate that. Lemme guess, drillin' some plastic, you broke through the other side, and the plastic climbed the drill flutes faster than you could move your "fingie" outta' the way.

I just did my drivin finger a while ago. Not my slot finger. You know the one that goes out the window! :thumbsup:

 

[Pete McKay]

I was drilling a hole for a threaded 2-56 bilge drain in the bow of Southern Cross and yes, broke through the ABS and into my finger. Thank God it was only a pin vise and not a power drill.