D Lawson Lotus 33

Scratchbuild Lotus 33 by David Lawson.

Words and pictures by David Lawson.

This is the 1964 British Grand Prix winning car of Jim Clark, I know I could buy an original £120 Monogram but for about £35 I thought I would build my own.

To start I assembled the various components I needed and bought a motor/axle bracket from SCD, a Mabuchi motor, MRRC guide blade, Slot it axles and gears, BWA wheels and MRRC tyres. The body is a Nostalgia resin copy of the Monogram Lotus 33.

I measured the wheelbase of the bodyshell and cut and bent the piano wire chassis rails to the correct length. I cut two pieces of brass sheet to make the guide mounting post and front part of the chassis. A strip of brass was cut, drilled and bent to form a front axle bracket. A piece of brass tubing was cut to the correct length for the front axle tube. The front wishbones were shaped from a piece of brass sheet and bent to the correct angle.

I soldered the chassis components and then made up some rear suspension from brass tube and rod. This was done by cutting the pieces of tube and small square section tube to form the suspension uprights. Holes were drilled in the tubing to accept the radius rods and links, the tube was slipped over the axle and the bodyshell put in place - the radius rods were then cut and shaped to fit between the body and the uprights. With everything in place and heat sinks attached to avoid melting the previous soldering I then soldered the suspension together. Once completed the two suspension assemblies can be slid on and off the axle when maintaining the slot car.

With the chassis finished I could clean up the bodyshell. The shell was trimmed and sanded and filed and test fitted to the chassis to check for the correct fit.

The driver figure was cleaned up and fitted to the shell, there wasn't much room because of the brush gear on the top of the motor and I had to paint the motor can black to prevent it being too visible. I made up engine intakes, steering wheel, a roll over hoop and the exhaust pipes from brass rod and tube.

I sprayed the shell with Halfords Laurel Green car spray and cut yellow decal sheet to make the stripes. The rest of the decals were Patto apart from the Team Lotus logo and the pin stripes on the cockpit sides which are from the MRE Cox Lotus 30/40 decal sheet.

To finish the car I painted the driver figure, painted the rear suspension and engine intakes, painted the roll over hoop and trimmed and fitted the vac form windscreen and some wire mesh over the engine.


	Words and pictures by David Lawson. This is the 1964 British Grand Prix winning car of Jim Clark, I know I could buy an original £120 Monogram but for about £35 I thought I would build my own. To start I assembled the various components I needed and bought a motor/axle bracket from SCD, a Mabuchi motor, MRRC guide blade, Slot it axles and gears, BWA wheels and MRRC tyres. The body is a Nostalgia resin copy of the Monogram Lotus 33.
	I measured the wheelbase of the bodyshell and cut and bent the piano wire chassis rails to the correct length. I cut two pieces of brass sheet to make the guide mounting post and front part of the chassis. A strip of brass was cut, drilled and bent to form a front axle bracket. A piece of brass tubing was cut to the correct length for the front axle tube. The front wishbones were shaped from a piece of brass sheet and bent to the correct angle.
	I soldered the chassis components and then made up some rear suspension from brass tube and rod. This was done by cutting the pieces of tube and small square section tube to form the suspension uprights. Holes were drilled in the tubing to accept the radius rods and links, the tube was slipped over the axle and the bodyshell put in place - the radius rods were then cut and shaped to fit between the body and the uprights. With everything in place and heat sinks attached to avoid melting the previous soldering I then soldered the suspension together. Once completed the two suspension assemblies can be slid on and off the axle when maintaining the slot car.
	With the chassis finished I could clean up the bodyshell. The shell was trimmed and sanded and filed and test fitted to the chassis to check for the correct fit. The driver figure was cleaned up and fitted to the shell, there wasn't much room because of the brush gear on the top of the motor and I had to paint the motor can black to prevent it being too visible. I made up engine intakes, steering wheel, a roll over hoop and the exhaust pipes from brass rod and tube.
	I sprayed the shell with Halfords Laurel Green car spray and cut yellow decal sheet to make the stripes. The rest of the decals were Patto apart from the Team Lotus logo and the pin stripes on the cockpit sides which are from the MRE Cox Lotus 30/40 decal sheet. To finish the car I painted the driver figure, painted the rear suspension and engine intakes, painted the roll over hoop and trimmed and fitted the vac form windscreen and some wire mesh over the engine.