Two Airfix Minis
The Airfix Mini - released first as a static 1/32 kit, then slotted in various formats by Airfix and later MRRC.
What I intend to do is to make them pretty much as is, or rather 'as was' at the time, no super-detailing. Gives me a pair of 'fun' cars to race without worrying too much about damage !
The best format the Airfix slot car Mini came in was as this picture - a build-it-yourself kit, comprising of the full static kit, plus the extra bits to motorise it, all in a box.
I've got a whole box full of Airfix/MRRC Mini clunkers and assorted static kit parts.
So this is what I'm going to emulate, and make two 'build-it-yourself's, including the static kit bits, like the bumpers, and two variations on radiator grill (Austin Cooper / Mini Cooper).
I'm going to do the pair in the typical colour formats - one white, one red.
Here I'm stripping old paint off shells and bases, using Fairy Power Spray oven cleaner.....
.... ending up with a set each of red and white shells with chassis bases, and adding two interiors plus one set of red and one set of chromed wheels, plus two steering units.
The red shell is actually a static kit one, the white is a later MRRC one, which came in a simplified form with moulded-on front & rear valances - now cut away to revert the shell to the original Airfix format.
NOTE the red shell has a couple of mould sink holes filled near the wheel arches; these shells seem to be prone to this.
Two glazing inserts, a sprue of chromed headlights, chrome Morris Cooper grille, yellow Austin Cooper grille, set sets of different bumpers, two sets of rear lights.
Chassis tops / bottoms / steery bits, turny-roundy bits / whizzy bits assembled.
The drivers and chrome steering wheels are original parts.
TYRES - used hard ones on the front, soft 'new-old-stock' ones on the back on the driving wheels.
All assembled and decalled, and note steering in operation !
Red car given one thin wash of red acrylic, to cover and even out the filling around nearside wheel arches. White car left in the natural colour of the plastic. Brightwork done with Bare-metal foil and silver paint. Everything nailed down and shined up with acrylic gloss varnish and Klear acrylic floor polish. Added tyre and petrol sponsor decals typical of the period.
OK, here visible is the Ackermann front steering units, which have twin pins to go into the track guide slot.
The rear chassis shows the original Airfix cube motor; the braid has been renewed by replacing with tinned racing braid, also left with an over-length loop inside, so braids can be freshened up when they wear by pulling the spare through and cutting off any fraying.
Simple decals, very simply made up using MS Paint and Word. Numbers 5 and 8 typically used on these Airfix Minis ( though I've later reversed the numbering on the finished cars). A red striping kit came with some of the RTR versions of this slot car.
Numberplates - one is a copy of the numberplate on the static kit, the other taken from one of the advertising posters shown in the first pic.
Chequered roof - not typical of these slot cars, but typical of the era !
Both cars fit ( just ) in to an SCX case with modified base.
That's all folks !