Everyone of a certain age has a soft spot for the Morris Minor and it's cheeky character. There can't be many of us that haven't owned one or known someone who had one at some time or another. From the 1950's to the 1970's the car was produced in millions and was Britain's "People Car"

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How can you have a slot car version in your collection?

First buy a cheap 1/32 die cast toy for a couple of pounds from a toy fair and take it apart. You will have a fairly accurate body and other detail parts that will come in handy as well such as the dashboard and seats.Check what available chassis and wheels might fit and by luck you'll find the currently available Reprotec Fiat 600 proves to be an absolutely perfect match.

All you do now is simply copy the metal body in resin to obtain a lightweight slot car model. Don't think this is difficult to do - believe me it's very very easy.

To prepare the master you take the original die cast body, remove all the components except the window glazing. Fill it with plasticine so that it forms a solid mass and push this onto a flat sheet of plastic card so that it is firmly attached and raised off the ground on a plinth of plasticine. Run a piece of dowel around the wheelarches and all the body edges to form a lip around the master, this will give your finished mould a crisp distinct edge.

Build a wall around the master with childrens building bricks leaving a gap about half an inch all the way round and clearing the roof of the master again by about half an inch. Mix the silicone as per the instructions on the box and gently pour the mix into the mould box until it covers the master by at least half an inch.When the silicone has cured dismantle the building bricks to reveal your mould and gently prise your original out.

To cast a body, simply use the casting plastic/resin. Mix a small amount of material as per the instructions on the box and pour into the mould. You now have a puddle at the bottom of the mould which needs to be slowly swilled around the entire surface leaving a thin coating of resin. Do this slowly and gradually in repeated small amounts to build up the thickness of the whole bodyshell. You will have to do this anything up to half a dozen times but it's worth going slowly as you are more likely to end up with a thin even thickness body. Leave the cast in the mould overnight to fully cure. Gently prise the resin body out of the mould working from any rounded end of the car first, the body will pop out easily and this will automatically release the pressure on any projecting body panels/bumpers/tail fins at the opposite end of the car.

You can then sit and admire your finished work, you have before you a perfect copy of the original for a total cost of about £20. This might seem pricey but consider that you still have the original die cast, which has retained it's value by remaining undamaged. You are now free to do as you please with the resin copy and not have to worry about racing damage. To recoup some of the costs you normally find you can sell some extra bodyshells to friends. Cut out the windows with a mini drill and sanding sticks and files then rub down and paint as you usually would with a plastic kit. Find some thin clear plastic sheet - vac formed packaging is a good source - cut into panes and glue inside the window openings.

A couple of Airfix grandstand figures to represent Grandpa and Grandma are attached to a sheet interior platform and a couple of plastic tubing body mounts posts to attach to the chassis gives you a cute and cuddly Moggie.This really is quite easy to do and I would encourage everyone to have a go. You too can have the satisfaction of racing your own unique slot car. I will be more than pleased to explain in detail any stage of the process that you're not sure about, just e-mail the site and I'll get straight back to you.