Daytona Prototypes

[willimo]

So, I'm watching Speed, the Rolex Sports Car series, and I am at the same time wondering if anyone makes kits of the prototype cars in 1:24? Resin, I'm sure, but are they available at all?

[Layla's Keeper]

Well, I've yet to see any 1:24th scale DP's (which is a bummer since I'd love to build a Doran JE4 with Pontiac power) but I've seen 1:43rd scale Fabcars, and 1:18th scale diecast Crawfords.

That's, unfortunately, about the extent of it. It's a shame, too, but I hope that soon enough somebody will at least do a 1:24th scale Crawford and Riley curbside with sufficient optional parts to replicate Lexus, Porsche, BMW, Ford, or Pontiac livery and aero.

[WRC_413X]

I am a big fan of the series and LeMans and was wondering the other day if anyone makes any DP cars, but unfortunaly .
those would be good builds.
Thats brings about an interesting scratchbuilding > resin project tho hmm..
Maybe the next time im in the pits at a LeMans event ill ask a prototype team if i could take measurments and a lot of pictures. Last time i just took a bunch for fun.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

I am surprised too; not because I'm a fan of DP's but I figured someone would make 'em if by now they thought there was a market for them. If you really want them you should contact the people who make the resin you'd like to see them from. If they get enough input then they might make the product.

DP's and Grand Am subjects are limited a lot by the smallish audience. The fact is that ALMS is far more popular in the US than DP's, just looking at the attendance at the actual races. It's depressing to see the 24 hours of Daytona playing to empty stands, remembering what it was like before the rift in sports car racing. Sebring has the opposite problem, it gets more packed every year, though spring break has an effect on attendance. Resin kits of DP's simply wouldn't have the appeal of LeMans type subjects that a resin caster can sell to a worldwide audience. Catering to the tiny market of enthusiast builders of a very lightly attended series would be a very risky venture unless it was a labor of love. I love watching ALMS races, but every time I've seen a DP race I keep thinking how much better it would be if the cars weren't so darned ugly, a sentiment I've heard echoed by many of my friends. There are Grand Am Mustangs and GTO's that I'd love to see resin conversions for as well, but that's also a very tiny market IMHO and I really wouldn't expect to see them. The resin guys I know in the US that deal with sports car stuff are all skewed towards ALMS-type subject matter, it really is the cream of the crop and it makes them more money and none of them are getting remotely rich from it.

[willimo]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomMX-5

I love watching ALMS races, but every time I've seen a DP race I keep thinking how much better it would be if the cars weren't so darned ugly, a sentiment I've heard echoed by many of my friends.

And here, I wanted to build one because I thought they looked so darned cool. Like modern day boattails.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by willimo

And here, I wanted to build one because I thought they looked so darned cool. Like modern day boattails.

That's cool, whatever floats your boat

I'll be more specific about my design critique...the roof/cockpit area spoils the overall design; the arbitrary width creates a really wide/really square roofline w/none of the swoopiness of a single-seater cockpit; you can have a nice boattail w/o the blocky roof. To me they look like a car an engineer would design w/o the aid of an automotive designer; form following function taken to the extreme. Pictures of said cars next to the word "dorky" in the dictionary If you remember the original Mosler Intruder (designed by the inventor/engineer) vs. the later Mosler Raptor (designed by a professional designer) you can probably appreciate that sentiment.

[Veyron]

The DP's are the ugliest/oddest looking racecars ever IMO. I hate the greenhouse on them most of all.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

This may not be news to some, but it was to me. Resin DP slot car/curbside kit bodies soon will be available.

http://www.resilientresins.com/daytona.cfm

[WRC_413X]

This is good news. But kinda creapy, i was strangly thinking of this thread at work today. thats just weird lol

[Big Pat]

4 years on, and I'm still watching the Rolex 24, and still, no kits of the DPs... It's odd too, since there is only a few manufacturers but a plethora of different liveries to choose from.

Oh well...

[MidMazar]

Damn you will, i still haven't managed to get speed yet. The wifey doesn't want me to get the extra channels, but i think im going to put my foot down. :mrgreen:

I wouldn't mind seeing some of those protos being resin casted. I have to say though im all for the gt class. Would love to see one of those camaros casted.

[935k3]

Originally Posted by MidMazar

Damn you will, i still haven't managed to get speed yet. The wifey doesn't want me to get the extra channels, but i think im going to put my foot down. :mrgreen:

Next time a race is on and you don't get Speed try justin.tv on the net. Somebody is usually feeding sports live. Go to live chanells,sports,racing.

BTW the DP's ar some of the ugliest prototypes ever. I wish they would at least change the rules to allow better looking roofs, but what you want from something NASCAR runs.

[xerox3]

I love watching ALMS races, but every time I've seen a DP race I keep thinking how much better it would be if the cars weren't so darned ugly, a sentiment I've heard echoed by many of my friends.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I finally got Speed in HD.It looks so good other than those DP cars. Mark
1970 or 2009

[Big Pat]

Bah, if ugly was a criteria for a kit NOT to be made, there would be no F1 cars from 1994-on...

[Adam Baker]

I have the Resilient Resin Riley MkXI body, and its pretty nice.

A good friend of mine spent hte last 3 years working for Riley, and I told him about the body. He got one, and compared it to the actual thing, and said its fairly close, but its not quite 100% accurate. It looks like its probably due to making it all fit on the specific slot car wheel base.