Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
You would think so, but those guys are a bit off, and don't mind dropping a rider while I'm at 24+ mph, barely holding onto the paceline back wheel!
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McLaren replica build base on a Manta
- Thread starter blueovalz
- Start date
You would think so, but those guys are a bit off, and don't mind dropping a rider while I'm at 24+ mph, barely holding onto the paceline back wheel!
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Six years of working on this car at every free opportunity I've had, finally appears to wrapping up. Started the detailing work tonight, but about to finish this string soon. During the last year and a half, my passion and perfectionism waned, and I wondered if I'd ever "get off the couch" to get it painted. That's when Debbie pretty much kicked me in the back-side, and said "get 'er done!". She absolutely jazzed about how the car has transformed in the past month...I'm still trying to take it all in. Anyway, here's some end-game photos, with only a very little bit of detailing left to complete.
I was "convinced" that I should use my wife's lucky number of "14" rather than the single number "4". Being she is my largest co-sponsor of the car, and made working on this project a pleasure.
I was "convinced" that I should use my wife's lucky number of "14" rather than the single number "4". Being she is my largest co-sponsor of the car, and made working on this project a pleasure.
What Randy said!!
Enjoyed the track video. Was that Motorsports Ranch?
I'd love to come out and see it in person if you take it there again.
Terrry,
Glad to see you hung in there and are about to see what it was all worth. All the work and hours spent will disappear and be a fleeting memory. I know that the first time I took mine on the street, I was grinning from ear to ear. Try and get it to at least one car show and get ready for a mob to surround it with more questions than you can imagine.
Bill
Glad to see you hung in there and are about to see what it was all worth. All the work and hours spent will disappear and be a fleeting memory. I know that the first time I took mine on the street, I was grinning from ear to ear. Try and get it to at least one car show and get ready for a mob to surround it with more questions than you can imagine.
Bill
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
I was up until 3 a.m. last night preparing the car for one the largest car shows of the year in Little Rock, putting numbers on the other side of the car and other graphics. As you (Bill) said, it drew a consistent crowd of folks that loved the car. I'd guess that only about 10% (or less), had any idea what it is supposed to represent, but I loved talking to the guys that had actually watched a Can Am event (showing my age now) back then, and knew what the car was.
One of the rare periods in which I could sneak away from the questions, and take a photo:
One of the rare periods in which I could sneak away from the questions, and take a photo:
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Thanks Russell! Looking forward to seeing your 2nd edition get finished.
External dimensions wise, it is very close, sans the additional two inches at the rear of body behind the rear wheels to cover the rear of the transaxle. Proportionally, it is very close on the panel sizes. Shape-wise, I utilized more double curves on the front where the McLaren was pretty simple with mostly single curve surfaces. I used a detailed mechanical drawing of the McLaren, and then scaled it up (1mm=1.73"), and went from there on every major dimension that I could. In a couple of areas I was unable to match it perfectly (so practicality won out), but overall it is very close to the external dimensions.
Less than 10% of the Manta still exists in this car's body and structure/chassis. This car's nose is 5" shorter and 4" wider, and the Manta had a hard-top. In my opinion, the Manta more represented the Lola T163 than anything else. I'm not sure how the McLaren link was formed when folks make reference to the Manta.
The front and rear panel profile curves were considerably softened to match the McLaren. The rear panels and doors were scratch-built, and the nose panel only utilizes the first 5" or so of the original Manta nose. I also took measurements of a McLaren at Can Am cars in St. Louis for the details not provided in the attached diagram. I chose to keep the tubed box immediately surrounding the seat tub. Everything beyond that box was fabricated outward to ensure the McLaren suspension configuration was used in this car. Obviously I didn't monocoque the chassis as others have, but that was a challenge I chose to avoid due to may lack of knowledge and confidence in making a robust and safe monocoque chassis for a street car. All the "street" considerations made the car considerably heavier than the McLaren (and even the Manta), but I'm very confident nothing will fail unexpectedly due to insufficient design. Until one can see a Manta and then look at a McLaren, it harder to see all the huge differences in the two, and focus on the similarities, which is the front or nose of the car, and lower side pod covers.
Now I actually have an "orange car".
External dimensions wise, it is very close, sans the additional two inches at the rear of body behind the rear wheels to cover the rear of the transaxle. Proportionally, it is very close on the panel sizes. Shape-wise, I utilized more double curves on the front where the McLaren was pretty simple with mostly single curve surfaces. I used a detailed mechanical drawing of the McLaren, and then scaled it up (1mm=1.73"), and went from there on every major dimension that I could. In a couple of areas I was unable to match it perfectly (so practicality won out), but overall it is very close to the external dimensions.
Less than 10% of the Manta still exists in this car's body and structure/chassis. This car's nose is 5" shorter and 4" wider, and the Manta had a hard-top. In my opinion, the Manta more represented the Lola T163 than anything else. I'm not sure how the McLaren link was formed when folks make reference to the Manta.
The front and rear panel profile curves were considerably softened to match the McLaren. The rear panels and doors were scratch-built, and the nose panel only utilizes the first 5" or so of the original Manta nose. I also took measurements of a McLaren at Can Am cars in St. Louis for the details not provided in the attached diagram. I chose to keep the tubed box immediately surrounding the seat tub. Everything beyond that box was fabricated outward to ensure the McLaren suspension configuration was used in this car. Obviously I didn't monocoque the chassis as others have, but that was a challenge I chose to avoid due to may lack of knowledge and confidence in making a robust and safe monocoque chassis for a street car. All the "street" considerations made the car considerably heavier than the McLaren (and even the Manta), but I'm very confident nothing will fail unexpectedly due to insufficient design. Until one can see a Manta and then look at a McLaren, it harder to see all the huge differences in the two, and focus on the similarities, which is the front or nose of the car, and lower side pod covers.
Now I actually have an "orange car".
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Well Well, all but finished and everything they have said I echo ten fold. Now with you and Russell coming in a close second I will be the last man standing in this section so I hope someone new will come along with another build to support the "Orange car" clan. I hope you will post vids of the car running to keep us glued like you have for the past 6 great years. I feel like its waving a friends kid off to Colledge.
BUT there is one detail you have to add for it to be truely finished and you know what that is.
Cheers Leon.
BUT there is one detail you have to add for it to be truely finished and you know what that is.
Cheers Leon.
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Yeah, I know. But the "B" wing is just too much for what I'm using the car for. I am fabricating the "A" spoiler though, so I'll meet you halfway on that.
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Leon, I'll do that. So...any progress on your bodywork?
Absolutely superb result Terry ! No doubt that you would achieve this quality level, but when we look at your last pictures : "chapeau bas " !
René
René
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Before I pipe down, these are the final shots after the dash was Plasti-diped and all pieces put back together:
