# What goes into your build before you start?



## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Custom slot car builders of the entire World,

Is there any planning before a slot car build? Do you draw pics before a build, buy certain parts and pieces for a certain car or do you just go for it?











For me sometimes /sometimes not. An idea just pops into my brain about a body I have or would like to have and then boom it gets stored in that complex thing inside my Skull. 










But, sometimes I really plan out a build. I draw up a picture, order parts, and changes come and go during the build. With my drawings I can make changes before starting....like this Mullet Beer Semi trailer for instance. I am now moving "Mullet Beer over to the left and adding "Making fine beer since the 80's" over a stripe.

I try to keep as many rims, decals and paints in stock as possible to help generate ideas. My work areas are messy but, that is the way it must be. 

So if you have a favorite rims, bodies or any slot car parts you like to use...go ahead and post up pics Please!

Hopefully this thread can become a place to show off the before the build and during the build. Yeah you don't have to be done with the slot car to post pics here!!!!!!!!!!! 

Plan on sharing my builds here and will gladly answer any "How did they do that" Questions & hope others will share there pics and secrets also.

Tip one: (just to get the ball rolling...:roll Just watch Hilltops builds and copy his cars...har

Bob...zilla


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Petty Larceny*

I just pick out a body and stab it hard with my zacto knife.

I tend to work from the third eye which is always some idea stolen from elsewhere. Occasionally I'll work from a photo if I lose my way, but for the most part I just wing the styling cuz I cant draw fer beans so what I imagine actually has to be built and adjusted as I muddle along. That said I'm pretty regimental about the actual build process. All but a very few isolated builds share something from a previous build. One begets another in a progression that outwardly may not seem orderly but makes perfect sense to me. 

Parts are collected until it starts to add up to a car. Mock ups and their it's and bitties are stored in kitty litter lids for easy access, containment of lose-ables, and the easy shuffling of different projects as they wax and wane towards completion. Some times things sit quite a while until it gets sorted out. It takes as long as it takes and I often just walk away rather than press the issue when things are breached or I'm not in the mood. 

Everything begins on a burned out chassis build buck that has what ever mods are required to execute the build. I've got a pile of various mods ready to go for different applications. I also use spent tires and boogered wheels during this phase. All mockups are knocked around with parts exclusively from the build box until the rough stuff is over. Axle heights, wheel base, sectioning, chops, drops, fills, deletes, and lowering are all completed on the buck. Body to chassis clearance is checked periodically with silly putty to ensure proper fit. Once I've got a viable roller with the bodywork roughed out and the power tools and sharp implements are put away; a proper chassis is built in stock powered form. Glass and chrome bitties are rough fit at this time, so when the final fit comes all that is required is a light touch with the file at most. Nuthin worse than fudging up a finished body when fitting the nick nacks. I like to have a good idea of what's coming and how it will be accomplished. 

The running chassis is set up with new wheels and tires based on what fit during the mock up stage. Gears are lapped, and rough shoe tuning are completed so I've got a smooth reliable base. The body is then refit and the wheel wells are radiused using a no go line. The final well cuts are finished carefully with a sanding pencil so clearance is minimal...just enough for tire expansion under hard acceleration. Occasionally tires are ground to fit if I cant pull the well up any farther. The car is then tracked and evaluated for performance and handling. Might need more armature, or a magnet upgrade, shoe style change and spring adjustments.

At some point it all comes together...the minimum requirement is a good 50 to a 100 laps with only idiot driver deslots allowed...any random deslots are sorted out and fixed.

Once the R&D is over I take the prototype apart and complete the body work and finish/topcoat. Doo-Dads are carefully installed and I run the wheels off it for a couple days! Then I move on to the next victim.


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

I will think about it for a few days and then start collecting parts. 
I have these little project bags that I keep all the parts of each project in ... all those bags go into a box at my work station.

I like to have a few things going at once so if I hit a snag on one, I can jump to the other. Some get started and linger for a while as I collect more parts, or while I'm waiting for inspiration to finish. 

I will think some projects through before I start them, others... I find my way through along the way.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Sometimes I think them out, get the parts together and then start. Others, just jump into them Like Bill and see what comes of it. :freak:
rr


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

*buildin*

Custom Building..HHmmmm Lets see..
Go to ebay, buy a custom and presto..Lookie what I did..LOL

No really I'm like Bill in a way. Pick a Body and just start cuttin.
If it is going to come together it will just say."thats it":woohoo:
I will look at the body and try to imagine what it will look like before I actually start whackin. If the Body don't say I will look great as a custom then in the box of Doom it goes. Till I need a peice from it anyhow..
It all goes back to me and 1:1 cars. I don't have the oppertunity to loosin the glue and reglue another place with metal. I tend to find myself staring at the bodies before I do anything.
Hold the body over the chassis to see if it will fit. Dig in the motor box to see if it is the right lookin era of engine. Chop the tops 90% of the time and not go to far. 
I know Bill.. Gun Slit winders..LOL I have a reason for that. Believe Me. 
Finish the body work and paint to look cool.Run a little bit and down the road it goes. I don't have keep them around long. I like to build them and then let someone else enjoy it. I only have 1 of my customs on the shelf.
The wildest one I did was the Sethdaddy Pirate ship car. 80% of the car was all did from sheet styrene and tubing. That 1 I did 3 times. 
boat to long.Redo.. Boat to small..Redo.. No wonder Im going BALD..
All the customizer here all have there own little secret for coming up with something. That is what makes this Hobby so cool.Learnin tricks from others and others using yours to make a wild creation come alive.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*Plastic Jeep Big Lots find...*

Sometimes fate just comes into play also...

Found this Jeep at Big Lots. It is a plastic body that was on a plastic bottom rolling toy chassis with huge monster tires. I was looking for some Maisto cars Hilltop uses for Engines.

Well I couldn't stop from getting a few of these and then putting one of those Engines from Hilltop recieved in a trade. The donor Diecast Maisto White Camaro had a plastic hood on it so, Bill Hall gooped this on and still have a long ways to go...someday. 






































Never really did much with T-Jets till I came to Hobbytalk but, discovered that screw on bodies make for great custom slot cars and even a little rear slide out fun.

Will keep posting pics of someday cars here...great post so far everyone. :wave:

Bob...zilla


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*This is going up for HOHT Auction...*

HTERS inspire my builds also....this one is going in the HOHT Auction!










Rims by HOModels, Headlights and VW emblem from a VW van diecast, Hooters decals by HO-Custom (pay bay seller), Awesum Dash VW Van body painted (spray can paint) Krylon Popsicle (safety) Orange with tan painted interior, AW chassis and Weird Jacks white walls to finish it off.





































I gooped the bumpers on and dipped the body in Future. It is silently sitting and drying now.

Bob...zilla


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

oh man!! i love what you did to hooters vw van!!! awesome!! maybe you should make red baron vw van?? just like what you did with your bug!! hmmmm... :thumbsup:

Wes


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## rudykizuty (Aug 16, 2007)

I start by going in the direction demonstrated in your first pic. Once I've secured the beer and have a few in me, I login to ebay and use gear buster method #1. 

Bob, it looks like I should be getting my modeling tips and tricks from you instead of the other way around. Nice work, man!! :thumbsup:


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

rudykizuty said:


> I start by going in the direction demonstrated in your first pic. Once I've secured the beer and have a few in me, I login to ebay and use gear buster method #1.
> 
> Bob, it looks like I should be getting my modeling tips and tricks from you instead of the other way around. Nice work, man!! :thumbsup:


rudy,

Thanks for the complement.

#2 Go to Hooters and drink beers, look around and Eat...hey that works for me. LOL Yeah Baby!

I check out E-Pay all the time for Custom Slot Cars and Resin slot car bodies. There is some nice stuff out there & a bunch of those guys are Cool cool Hobby Talkers. 

Keep and eye out and remember to check out the HOHT Auctions coming up in a few months! It's for Charity and always nice stuff up for bid! 

Bob...don't drink much anymore (hic) ...zilla


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

*Gravity Timer and Starting Gate*

Didn't know if the topic was limited to car builds, but here's a whacky project I took on about 12 years ago before my group had timing software. :freak: This was the prelude to the Trakmate driven LED starting light tower I built in '98. It was one of the most elaborate mini structures I ever built and it actually worked but was full of design flaws. The goofy marble rack now sits in the 'mini museum' in my race room. 

http://www.supervipersystems.com/VargoSpeedway/HO_Tech/gravitytimer/gravitytimer.html


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Dang I got a headache just looking at that. :freak:

Thank God for technology.


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Holy Hannah, That is a nice piece of work! :thumbsup:


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

*Mouse Trap*

I thinking Mouse Trap, "the game" Slott V!!! That brings back some memories that I too had. I was trying to build a Christmas tree for drag racing. The rolling ball seemed like a good choice to use for making a contact connection. I had thought of using a ramp type setup. I was going to make a ramp out of 2 rails, one plastic rail and a metal rail. I was going to put metal contact strips in the middle of the ramp. As the ball rolled, contact between the metal rail, the ball, and the middle metal contact strips, would activate a light or switch. Thanks for sharing your ideas!!! RM


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*That is something man....*

Slot V,

Yeah the topic can be about anything...NOW...LOL I made a Carbon Fiber Air Freshener tree once...it didn't freshen at all...Carbon Fiber is oderless but, it sure matche my dash kit...Har.

Yeah just looking at that wore me out also...Very Kewl. Kinda like a Water Pick or Electric Toodthbrush....I guess? 

Bob...Gravity Sucks...zilla


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Holy crapola SlotV, your lettering/drawings/numbers/arrows are IDENTICAL to my writing.........did you have drafting in school too? lol

On the subject more, I never draw out ideas, I look at a body, hate the color, strip off bumpers and windows and throw in the ****-n-span for a few days, color/monster/decals come later as I see fit.

All my nonsense and no rhyme to my reason, probably is why my cars look like little turds in comparison to some of the work that comes from this board. But its inspirational and fun.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

LOL Scott!

Like Randy I immediatly screamed "Mouse Trap"!...cuz that's what the boobtube programed me to do 40 years ago.

Upon closer observation I then realized that it is an old world siege engine for storming the battlements. How many Roman centurions does it take to operate that thing?


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## f1nutz (Mar 26, 2007)

You guys may have just saved my marriage. I just showed my wife this page now she thinks I'm normal ;^)


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

f1nutz said:


> You guys may have just saved my marriage. I just showed my wife this page now she thinks I'm normal ;^)


LOL....to funny from a guy who goes by f1nutz. None of us are normal so, keep showing her this page...har





























Drawing this VW Van up helped me figure out where to put the roll bars...beind the seats...duh

Bob...I'm not normal...zilla


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

I like where you placed the wheels!!! Great thinking!!! That idler gear should get some traction for you Bob...Rembrandt...zilla. RM


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Hahahahahaha! You funny Randy.

Looks just like what they used to run down on the Oregon dunes Bob...probably still do...I better go look and see this summer!


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

Lots of funny replies!  Ya I guess that thing does resemble Mouse Trap. I loved that game. Though I never played it- I just set up the mouse trap thing and watched it work. I used to make mini roller coasters out of tooth picks and marbles too. :freak:

And yep I took Mechanical Drawing and Architectural Drawing in High School. Turn that pencil! Downward strokes! Today I use CAD but every so often I grab the pencils for concept work. I still have my dad's slide rule and drawing set. 

That whacked marble tower actually worked, although the contact with the marble was poor due to dust and the lights flickered. I still can't believe I built the thing. I love the technical stuff. Sometimes more than racing the cars.


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

Oh ya- love the Hooters micro bus. :thumbsup:


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## Dragula (Jun 27, 2003)

My builds are simple,I just do Drano shots until it looks right.
DRAGjet


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## noir (Jul 25, 2005)

I think it is good to have a plan in terms of color schemes, decals, accents, etc. 
I have taken weeks to prepare for a build only to sit down at the work table and go in a completely different direction. Sometimes, i like to just go where the creative juices lead. I think it helps to broaden you creatively to do this on occassion.


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## Dragula (Jun 27, 2003)

Actually I usually sit down before a Paint job,and think of the cars I have owned or cars I raced against on the local dragstrip<edgewater>then I size up the car in my minds eye and then start.
DRAGjet


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

*My Builds*

What goes into my builds??? Let me think, If we get a custom build, and the customer doesn't know what he really wants, me and the boys sit down and have a group discussion. We toss out a few options and ideas as what will work as for engines, wheels, tires, etc. Most of our builds are just mental cases. A lot of the build ideas come from TV, car shows, magazines, even some of the diecast guys. There is fantastic place on the internet we get a lot of ideas from, check out HobbyTalk.com, has a lot customs and great cars we get ideas from. Finally we check with AC in the parts dept and see whats available. After the style is chosen, we cut and carve, get the body smoothed out, then go to color selection. Sometimes the first color choice just doesn't work as planned, so it's back to the paint booth. Color selection is choosing the right color or combo for the vehicle. Sometimes you need to match the sponsor stickers or company logo's. You want the paint scheme to say "Hey, Look at Me", whether it be loud, mild, or wild. Sometimes it just doens't work, so you start over, or live with it and go on to the next!!! . That's about it for me and the boys...RM


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

What goes into a build??? MMMMmmm ..Let's see. I sit down at my desk, rummage through bodies, pieces of bodies, scraps, and various other junk. OH LOOK!! I bet Bill can use this (throws it in a box). Then I look to see what decals I have. Then check the tires (kick them a few times) and wheels. Now I gotta see if I have any spray cans of paint that are to my liking (at the moment):dude:. Now that I have a scheme in my mind.....I say......" Oh well, I'll just wait for the HOHT auction".......and go cut the grass. :lol::woohoo::lol:


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