# Building a paper Dirt Modified body



## SwamperGene

_As promised, and again thanks to all! _

Making a paper dirt modified body is fairly simple, though after making hundreds of these I think I got it down pretty good. Here's how I do it.
First off, here's a list of what you'll need: 

1. A sharp exact knife. 
2. A good straight edge or two. I use one clear ruler and a 6" steel rule. 
3. (Optional) Some laminating film or clear packaging tape. 
4. Super Glue

I've tried many designs and ideas to make a decent looking and durable body. The templates were designed specifically for certain chassis using the chassis dimension to make a software template as a guide, the "Gremlin-looking" body remniscent of sportsman classes was made for T-Jets while a more traditional late-model template was made to fit Tyco/Super G+ narrow cars. This worked out great, allowing me to even make the rear wheel openings as part of the design.

The first step, which is optional, is to laminate the body. Lay a piece of laminating film or packaging tape, sticky side up, on a flat surface. Then "roll" the body sheet, face down of course, onto the tape or sheet. The object here is to try to avoid bubbles.

Now it's time to cut. The first thing I do is cut a line for the roof corners and post. This makes for much more precise corners and also helps to avoid cutting into the body when cutting out the roof area. Start with the tip of your blade in the corner and pull away from the body, a 1/4" or so is plenty. 









Now using your straight edge, cut out the body pieces. I use the clear ruler here, keeping the ruler on the printed side of the cut for less "fraying" of the edge you want (the body). In the roof area I usually join the "dumb" ends of the pre-cut slices from the previous step, this way each piece falls away as you cut each body line. 









Almost done.







You should now have this laying in front of you. 









Here's a tricky part I learned from various card paper building resourses. On the *back side* of the body, you need to score a crease on the fold lines. This gives you a sharper corner and also prevent the printed ink from splitting over the fold. To do this ,again on the back (white) side of the body, score a line at the top and bottom folds (Light Blue Line below) using the dull tip of your Exacto knife (sharp side UP). Light pressure will "scratch" away a nice line. If you've never done this, practice on a cut-off piece. You do not want to go through the paper here. Also, if you have a T-Jet body and the hood panel has a tail extension, you want to lightly cut through the tape and ink as indicated by the green line. This tab gets folded downwards as a sort of rear body filler. 









Now, simply use your ruler to make the folds. If your crease were done right, you should just be able to make them out from the printed side. The idea here is not to fold completely, but to imagine the completed angles and over-fold by about half again. Also, on the T-Jet body, fold any rear overhang on the hood panel downwards. 










Now take the body and holding it in shape, line up the hood panel inside of it, it should almost "snap" into the creases. Holding it squarely together, flip it upsdie down and if it all looks good, put a drop of Super Glue on one seam in a front or rear corner. Hold the body at an angle so the drop seeps along the joint, if it stops, add a little from the opposite corner and repeat. Let it dry, then recheck the alignment and do the other seam. On the T-Jet body, the folded-down rear panel (which should now join with the lower body sections) should see some of that glue too. 

Let the assembled body sit for 10 minutes of so, then using the steel rule put a little fold in the hood to give it a downward rake. On the inline bodies, also use the straight edge to fold any rear overhang "up" to make a spoiler. 

The last step if you laminated the body is the key to a good-looking, long lasting body. Once the body is assembled, use a lighter or candle to carefully heat the tape of laminate. Just get it close to the heat for a few secs without burning anything. This stretches the tape or laminate to conform with the folds. If you don't do this, and I've seen others bodies that haven't, the body will curl and distort over time as the tape or laminate naturally tries to straighten itself out. 

For mounting, simply use a couple "blobs" of picture-hanging putty...this allows for easy removal for chassis service. On a T-Jet, I use little cut-off pieces of RC antenna tube as a "post" for the guide pin screw. 

When done, you should have something that resembles these:


----------



## bobhch

*Dukes of Hazard car ROCKS!*

I have one of you bodies SwamperGene and they are very Kewl. Great how to...thanks for posting this information!

Bob...That Dukes car is sooo sweeet...zilla


----------



## noddaz

*Neat...*

Thanks Gene!
These are slick...
But I wonder if the paper body can be used as a pattern with thin sheet styrene...?


----------



## roadrner

noddaz said:


> Thanks Gene!
> These are slick...
> But I wonder if the paper body can be used as a pattern with thin sheet styrene...?


 
Why not? When the holidays are over, I might give it a go. :thumbsup: rr


----------



## noddaz

*of course...*

of course then it would no longer be a paper dirt modified, would it? :lol:


----------



## Bill Hall

noddaz said:


> Thanks Gene!
> These are slick...
> But I wonder if the paper body can be used as a pattern with thin sheet styrene...?


Funny! I just got a care package from Gene with some cardboard ultralights.
I was wantin' to get out my saftey skizzers but Robin wouldnt let me cuz I always run with them. 

Good idea Nodz, I'm gonna try and remember to scratch one out and give it a whirl.


----------



## slingshot392

Great little car body, these paper models are really neat. It’s amazing what some modelers can do with paper, I have seen some burnished into compound curves and it looked just like a plastic part.


----------



## gear buster

I got one of those from the bay. It is sweet. Just like running a chassis and nothing else..
Thanks for the inside on the bodies gene..


----------



## Ken's Slots

Hi Gene, I really like the bodies. If you make more I'd like to purchase some so we can run them at our track. Just about every month we do a warm-up race with paper dirt modified bodies and the Tyco 440x2 thin chassis. The guys consider this one of their favorite races of the night because of the appearance of the bodies and the way the chassis handle.


----------



## 1scalevolvo

:thumbsup:Great Idea but I would prefer to use thin plastruct sheets. I tried a few paper bodies but I do not like the results & I find them fragile. I used to do clear bodies but they are too diffucult to do right & hard plastic bodies are just more durable.


Neal:dude:


----------



## noddaz

*Sooo...*

So who is going to go to Kinkos and see if they can print these on plastic?


----------

