# 2003 Le Mans TVR T400R - Dewalt Tools



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I got word a little while ago that I won an auction for two Scalextric Synergy TVR T400R's, a small and very well handling 1/32 scale car. When I first considered going into 1/32nd scale from HO last spring one of the cars on my "had to have" list was the DeWALT Tools #91. Unfortunately that car has been out of production by Scalextric for more than a year, and while they can be found on the 'bay, they fetch a premium price for even used cars. The two I got, one new and one used, costs the same as a single new DeWalt car did when available.

Patto's fortunately makes the decal sheet for both the 2003 cars that ran at Le Mans and other endurance races. I've spent many hours going though the entry list shots at www.racingsportscars.com looking at paint, decal placement and how the cars looked from race to race. Essentially it comes down to the black over yellow scheme shown here:



















However at Nurburgring a yellow over black scheme was campaigned for the #91 car:










Since the Nurbergring race was a one off scheme as far as my research has been able to discover I'll do both cars in the standard black over yellow scheme...also this is the only option that Patto's decals allows for. Ford makes a close match for the yellow as a Mustang color, and the black is simple gloss black. The mostly white Synergy cars will be sanded and primed and painted yellow first, the black added in a day or two when the yellow dries.

The decals and cars are on their way now and should be here next week. Once they arrive I'll document the project further. I have a digital camera now and will show the steps I make to complete my first team cars. I'm pretty jazzed about this after the disappointment of the Dallara project being delayed, everything is already falling into place.


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## Martin Simone (Feb 21, 2007)

I looked at that website, man there's some interesting race cars there. Some would be cool to do in HO scale too, like that Morgan. I did notice that the TVR's were not around much after 2004, and that the DeWalt cars used different numbers in 2004. Can't wait to see this one. Your cell is off again, call mine when you get a chance.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Martin I gave the Ford cell up, and home number is changed again too. I don't have LD so call me at the center. 

I think the TVR's ran their course by 2005, there's a lot in 2003 and then it tapers off in 2004. If you look at the results though you'll see why: they didn't do so well. I've seen #91, #92, #191, #192, #41, #42 and #56 so far. And just the two schemes with the black over yellow being the most shown. The rules we're writing for the series these cars will race in will focus on sports cars from the 2003-2005 seasons.

With the selling of some of my no longer used cars I'm planning on getting the SCX race starter and lap counter bridge, the electronic timer and possibly the speedometer. I have a buddy that builds R/C airplanes and I'm getting all his scrap balsa to build my own garages and grandstands. The track will break ground (so to speak) November 3rd and should be ready for racing by early December. But these are the last two cars I'm planning on getting until the track is laid down. I gotta get some racing done.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Those will be some awesome cars Pete! Can't wait to see the pics of them when you are done! Good luck on the fun project!

PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

This is a sort of good news/bad news development of Team Dewalt. 

The two TVR's that I won on the 'bay arrived today, both were the white Synergy Racing cars, one was new (as advertised) and one was well raced (also as advertised). Both had pictures on the ad's and both looked well. Looks may be deceiving though, and the proof came after delivery.

The one that was NIB was indeed NIB, a cherry example of the #27 Synergy TVR that raced in 2003 and 2004. But the well raced one, well, the picture from his ad obviously was NOT the car I got. It was indeed a white Synergy TVR, but the top had been crushed and reglued, the supports were gone and the car was missing the mirrors and wipers. The only thing good about it was the Indy Grips it came with. I checked it out, it does run, the lights work, etc, but the body is toast. This left me with one car for my project.

The second whammy came when I got to work and my racing co-worker decided that we should run the Synergy livery on the cars, stock. His reasoning was sound; If we have more team mates we won't need to paint every car, just order new cars and change the numbers. Since I still want my DeWalt car (and I have found one NIB from a dealer) I'll just go that route and save my Patto's decals for a later conversion. 

So what was to be DeWalt Tools Racing has now become TVR/Synergy Racing. I have two great running TVR's, a parts car and I'm good to go.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Ya know, I got a rep here of being a "plastic surgeon" of a sort. I went and fished the dead TVR body out of the garbage, washed off the cantelope guts and starting looking at a way to fix it. The windows had a scratch on the right/drivers side of the windscreen and a small crack where the B pillar is. The top had 3 of the 4 supports pretty much gone. I entertained the though of a TVR Spyder but figured I'd try to salvage it as a coupe first. 

I started by attaching what was left of the roof to the top of the glass and then attached that glass to the correct location to the rest of the body. The glass has recesses for the support posts so I used those to fabricate new ones from .030 plastic strips. I masked off all of the glass with two layers of tape and then went to setting the new posts into place. When it's time to paint it the windows will stay in place, I'll have to mask them inside and out. 



















After gluing the new supports I went and began contouring them with 5 minute epoxy, filling in any imperfections and getting the shape back. Once dried I'll sand them smooth and even with the level of the tape, which when removed will hopefully have the windows slightly recessed as before. The scratch on the windshild will be polished out and then futured back clear.

Rebuilding the wing won't be as hard, making the supports from .030 sheeting will be pretty straight forward. The mirrors I'm going to have to scratch build, and I have a photoetched 1/24th scale wiper I'll modify when I get to that point. 

If all this don't work I'll just rip the top and windows back out, finish out the interior with some super detailing and have a topless TVR.....


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

I hate it when e-bayer's do that kind of stuff! Its pure deception! And most have that attitude of, well, you really got a great deal, even if only one of the cars is good. They never think about the fact that they just pawned off a lie to someone. Any way, at least you are a wiz with the plastic and rebuilding. If that car would have came to me, the liver would have stayed with the canteloupe guts.


Post up the final product as a compare when your done Pete!

PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

PD, except that the cars came from two different sources. The NIB was a hobby shop, the other was a private seller. But the used one was only $4, so even if this don't work I'm sure I got at least that in parts.

OK, this thing won't be a councourse winner but I have the top on it and the supports are starting to look like it may work. 



















I have a ways to go but in a week or so I think it'll be ready for paint.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Check out the picture of the program cover on the top left corner of this page. 

http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Watkins_Glen-1971-07-25c-photo.html


Saw this on the site and thought it would make a pretty good ad for AFX Slot Cars. Those cars sure look familar. :devil: rr


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Man those were the days. I love that site and find it pretty useful as a research tool. I did find the purple #89 Synergy car at Le Mans in 2004 but I have yet to find the #27 car yet. I'll look once I get to work. 

I got a PM from Martin saying I should go ahead and do some aero work to the TVR, and since there is a noticable gap between the bottom of the glass and the lower body on the right side I might. What this would involve is filling all of the gaps between the supports with clear 2 hour epoxy, and sanding the top and the window area flush with each other. I would then go back with my LMG polishing kit and repolish out all of the glass. What this would give would be a surface smoothness similar to a vacu-formed body. I don't know if it would be "class legal" but it would be cool none-the-less. I am considering it since the car was written off once already what do I have to lose now.


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## Martin Simone (Feb 21, 2007)

If you haven't already try making some glass filler using glass sprue and model glue. It takes a week or soto melt it all but it would harden clear and be just like the original glass. But the epoxy is just as good. I don't think the rules will really apply here because you're not really removing any part of the body, just reinforcing it. And since you mentioned vacuforming why not just make it a 1/32nd scale buck? 

Another suggestion I have is if you're going to do this in DeWalt colors still do the #92 car and buy the #91 car from the dealer. That way you have both and only have to paint one, and JD can run the Synergy cars. If you're not doing the DeWalt tools do the red, white and blue Castrol car you designed, that would be great.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I've already laid in the epoxy. I talked to the guys and they all said there's no problem with doing what I'm doing since aerodynamics play little to no part in these cars, and I'm not necessarily making the body lighter or altering it's center of gravity. If I do a 1/32 scale vacuform it will be of a prototype car like the R8, but don't expect anything like that soon. I was already planning on doing this one as the #92 car just in case I mess up the paint too.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Pete McKay said:


> PD, except that the cars came from two different sources. The NIB was a hobby shop, the other was a private seller. But the used one was only $4, so even if this don't work I'm sure I got at least that in parts.


Ah! OK - I misunderstood and thought that they came together from the same seller. As you said, hopefully with some elbow grease and your mad plastic skillz you can pull that body back together! Looks like you are off to a great start too.

Good luck with the project!
PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

OK, I got some time to work on the TVR today before work, here's how the windows looked before polishing. They are still roughed out to 400 grit stage, the windows and all support pillars are dead smooth.



















I brought out the LMG polishing kit. For those of you who aren't familiar with these kits they consist of a number of 3"X3" sanding sheets with finer grits on a sort of rubberized backing. Mine starts with 1500 grit and goes all the way to 15,000 grit. Then there is a small bottle of polishing compound the get the windows perfectly clear. I've done windows and paint jobs with this kit, when you're done there's no need for a clear coat.

Here's the windows all the way through 5000 grit so far.



















As you can see in the second picture the windows have already cleared up considerably, to the point to can actually see through them again. I'll continue all the way to 8000 grit and then stop, because I do plan to clear wax coat the car after the decals are done the windows don't need that perfect smoothness just yet. 

The body will be paint ready tomorrow. As you can see the side windows have a frosted area where the B pillar is, that's fine and will be painted over. Other areas where I had to epoxy the windows to the body will be hidden by flat black window frames. The effect right now is that you can close your eyes and run your fingers all over the top and cannot feel where window ends and top or support posts begin. It is that smooth.

The first coat will be a flat white followed by two coats of Ford Focus Screaming Yellow. That paint will be dried and cured with 24 hours in my food dehydrator, and then the body will be masked and the gloss black applied. Another 24 hours in my dehydrator and the decals will follow. Hopefully by the end of the week #92 will be debuted here.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Awesome work Pete! Looking good! As I have said before, just wish I had the madd paint and body skillz like that. Can't wait to see the finished product compared to what you received.

I'd even snap some pics of the finished product and e-mail the guy that sold you that car that thought you got the wrong end of the stick - that ought to put a nice sour grape in his stomach! HA!

Awesome job!
PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I applied the yellow this morning, and the supports are a bit rough still. This isn't going to be a show car but it will be a good practice car. The black will go on this evening and I'll shot some pics before the decals.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I feel like banging my head on my workshop desk. 

I removed some of the masking tonight when I got home from work and the tape took both rear supports with it. The paint looks nice but now I basically have to start over with the back supports for the top. Which means I have to really start with a complete sand-down and almost back to square one. This time I'll use expoxy to fill that area but I have a feeling it's going to be more trouble than it's worth. Anyway, this is an on-going project and I'll repost once I start making progress again.


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## jph49 (Nov 20, 2003)

Pete,

I've been watching this thread with interest. Hate to hear of the troubles with this project. I feel your pain! Hope you don't give up.

Patrick


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Ah! Darn it! Sorry to hear about that Pete! That does suck. As Patrick said, don't give up.....you were almost there....just a minor set back.....you can recover from this. GIT R DUN!!!!

PD2:thumbsup:


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