Drag Cab AKA Stoopid Taxi: Finished pics page 4.

zenrat · October 30, 2018, 11:44:31 PM

For my Racing GB "big job" I shall be taking a Revell London Taxi (which looks suspiciously like a reboxed Japanese kit) and building a dragster with it.

London Taxi 31-10-18 01 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

London Taxi 31-10-18 02 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

PR19_Kit · October 31, 2018, 12:17:02 AM

Hmmm, you could get a BIG engine in the back too.............

zenrat · October 31, 2018, 12:21:57 AM

Yes. If only there was somewhere I could get a resin ZF transaxle...

PR19_Kit · October 31, 2018, 12:56:52 AM

Quote from: zenrat on October 31, 2018, 12:21:57 AM

Yes. If only there was somewhere I could get a resin ZF transaxle...

There's a good chance that you're the ONLY person on who knows what a ZF transaxle looks like, so you could use any old lump of styrene or resin, greeble it up a bit, and then SAY it's a ZF transaxle........

I know what a ZF gearbox looks like, in fact I've got one (RW), but not a transaxle BTW.

And I've got a Getrag transaxle too, but it's a flimsy looking thing, not suited to OODLES of bhp.....

zenrat · October 31, 2018, 01:19:15 AM

It would look like this.

https://www.clearlyscale.com/product/zf-transaxle-5speed-manual-universal-adaptor-clutch-housing-set
I'm going to have to buy one of these now.

PR19_Kit · October 31, 2018, 03:14:13 AM

We've only got your word for that Fred, you could have PhotoShopped that advert..........

Actually it does look remarkably like my ZF gearbox, I wonder if they have a 'house style' to the ribbing etc.

zenrat · November 02, 2018, 01:24:17 AM

I have begun this build by carrying out the traditional task which (in my mind anyway) marks a car kit as started - I have glued the engine halves together.
The engine in this case is a 392 Hemi taken from an AMT '53 Studebaker.

PR19_Kit · November 02, 2018, 03:23:41 AM

Ahah, Old School then?

zenrat · November 02, 2018, 09:29:05 PM

Yep. Cubic inches and forced induction.

McColm · November 02, 2018, 10:02:00 PM

Are you going to chop the roof to lower it?
I have the same Revell kit, I started a Rat-Rod by deleting the rear passenger compartment and moving the front windscreen back to create a longer engine bay. I filled in the front door sills.
Thin tyres at the front and wide tyres at the back. I think I can drop the body but I lost my mojo on this build.

zenrat · November 03, 2018, 02:42:58 AM

No. It's going to have a completely stock roof. I want it to look, at first glance, like an ordinary taxi.
I may move the rear wheel arches forwards A/FX style.

Today the engine gained it's sump, heads and valley cover.

zenrat · November 11, 2018, 12:50:08 AM

A change in chassis choice. I had a rummage in my Hot Rod parts box and found a chassis I think is from an AMT Ala Kart. It's probably vaguely based on a late twenties Ford model T chassis. Perfect.
I've chopped it about a bit and built some engine mounts. As you can see i've got a fair bit of engine setback.

Drag Cab WIP 11-11-18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

PR19_Kit · November 11, 2018, 10:00:14 AM

A fair bit? It's almost rear engined!

zenrat · November 12, 2018, 02:03:46 AM

Fifties/Sixties dragster technology. Having more weight towards the rear gave extra traction on launch. The tyres of the day needed all the help they could get.

PR19_Kit · November 12, 2018, 07:16:10 AM

Indeed so.

The engine on my drag racing Imp was so far to the rear that it was almost outside the car.

And the Mini drivers wondered why we ALWAYS out-dragged them at the start!