Sorce for 1/24 race slicks?

[Ben Brown]

Anyone know of a source for some 1/24 race slicks? I need a couple of 15x9s and a couple of 15x12s for a Lola T70 Spyder. I've looked around the slot car world, but never found anything.

Thanks!

Ben

EDIT: "Sorce"????? Yes, I really is a writer!

Edited March 24, 2012 by Ben Brown

[Iron Man]

Anyone know of a source for some 1/24 race slicks? I need a couple of 15x9s and a couple of 15x12s for a Lola T70 Spyder. I've looked around the slot car world, but never found anything.

Thanks!

Ben

EDIT: "Sorce"????? Yes, I really is a writer!

Try Hobby Link Japan. They sell tons of aftermarket car stuff.

http://www.hlj.com/

Edited March 24, 2012 by Iron Man

[MoFo]

Slightly tricky.

Fujimi do a bunch of wheel sets, some of which have slicks. Some are listed as 15" rims. I don't know about exact dimensions though - it's probably the kind of thing you'd have to examine in person, which is tough when you're ordering from Asia. :( At the very least, you may have to build up your rims slightly to fit (and if the rims are ridged, you'll have to modify them for the Fujimi rubber to fit at all).

There are a few aftermarket companies that have wheel sets which include slicks. Le Mans Miniatures, Rennaissance Models, etc. Rennaissance are really great to work with, so you could try dropping them a line - let them know what you're looking for, what the dimensions are - to see if they've got something that will work. Not a cheap option, though. http://www.renaissance-models.com/contacts.htm

Otherwise, you might have some luck with the wheels from another 1/24 race car. A Le Mans racer from Tamiya, Hasegawa, Italeri or the like. Same problems as the Fujimi wheel sets though - could be tough finding something with the right diameter, and depth, not to mention getting the section height you want, and manufacturer (are you going for historical accuracy? Were they Goodyears? Dunlops? Pirellis?). I'll do some quick measurements to see if I have anything close, but I wouldn't hold much hope.

[Ben Brown]

Thanks for the replies! I've seen the Fujimi tires. They're not quite what I was looking for. Manufacturer varied between Hoosier, Goodyear, Dunlop, etc.

I forgot I had taken pics of the tires the last time I went to a vintage race. The data plates on the fronts have "9*1/23*5-15" and the rears have "12*5/27*0-15" on the sidewalls. I'm not sure how to interpret race car tire sizes, but I'm sure the first # is width, & the last is the rim diameter. Not sure if the fronts would be 23" outside dia. and the rears would be 27" or if that's something else. I'm hoping to find something releatively close, but not necessarily exact, so my model doesn't have the bicycle tire look.

Thanks!

Ben

[MoFo]

Hmmmm... this isn't going well. :(

Pretty much all of the Tasmiya/Hasegawa/whatever slicks are going to be a no-go. They're mostly 80's and later, which means bigger rims and thinner rubber. Fujimi do some 60's racers that would have broadly similar tyre specs... but they have treads. GT40, 330, 917... none will work. Model Factory Hiro do a variety of LMPs of that vintage, but it looks like most of them have treads, too.

More's the point, slicks weren't sanctioned until '70/71, so (if you're going for a period look), you may not actually need them at all.

Now, all that being said, there are a couple of possibilities. Historic Racing Miniatures do a set of resin slicks for the Ferrari 512. The rims will be wrong (standard Ferrari pentagram), but you may be able to grind them out and make it work. See here, about halfway down the page: http://www.stradasportsstore.com/page8.html

Also, Fisher models have some LMP kits of that vintage. Their tyres are cast resin, which would save you from grinding out the rim. Unfortunately, most also seem to be treaded... though, since they're resin, it's easy to fill the tread pattern to make your own slicks. It might be worth dropping him a line to see if you can get a set of tyres (and pick his brain on the project).

Otherwise, I'd hit up the slot car sites again. Maybe find an ARC equivalent and ask there. Googling around, it looks like there should be a few possibilities, but I know nothing about the subject, so can't really say how any would work for you. http://www.rsslotracing.com/tyres_modernRacing.htm

[Ben Brown]

I'd thought of Fisher, but like you say, their tires are all correct for the period. I'm hoping to build mine as a current car, with the wider (better-looking) tires. I may just have to go ahead and build it with the period correct kit tires.

Thanks for your help!

Ben