Prototype McLaren M6A At Speed

McLaren M6A Project - Page 1

This project started as an exercise to see if we could produce something that could be displayed in the same room with the extraordinary High Tech Modelle Lola T-70 (shown below in Stage 2). As you can see from the photos below, it started out with considerable optimism and belief that we could make something out of it! It has been referred to as "soap carving" at one early stage but we are slowly making progress! *Click On Any Image Below For Larger View*

Stage 1 - The Dream The very first step of this project was to gather photos and dimensions. We used books on McLaren and Can-Am racing cars and scoured the internet. We discovered enough dimensions to get us started and we used a large scale model for reference and compared to photographs for accuracy as we went along.

Stage 2 - Taking Shape Here's a comparison of our "soap carving" M6A along side the High Tech Modelle Lola T-70. Although at this juncture it bears an uncanny resemblance to a McLaren M8x we really intended it to be an M6A all along; not that we didn't think about changing it into an M8A (except that dimensionally it would have been all wrong!). And yes, we believe that Lola is one of the most beautiful 1/87 scale models of all time!

Stage 3 - No longer looking like a 1958 Buick! A friend joked that all vehicle scratchbuilding projects start out looking like a 1958 Buick (see Step 1 above!). Here it's starting to take shape and beginning to actually somewhat resemble an M6A.

Stage 4 - Progress! At this stage we've got all the major outer body components pretty much in place and you can see we've had to add additional styrene to some of the wheel wells because we got a little overzealous the first time. The right hand engine cover air intake is merely "roughed in" with styrene strips at this point.






Stage 5 - REAL Progress! Although at this point there is still plenty of final shaping to be done, the overall contours are mostly in place. Besides the tail, which will be added after all other body shaping is complete, the main chores now are getting the right shape for the "troughs" beside the cockpit entering the engine compartment, final shaping of all wheel arches, finishing the radiator air exit, and general smoothing and shaping of all body surfaces. In the bottom four rows of photos we invited some our "friends" over for a comparison shot just to see if we're in the ballpark. We think we're getting there!!! Next milestone - castings!

Continued on Page 2

Copyright 2003-2005 by Masterbilt Models
All references to vehicles by name and/or model designation are for identification purposes only
All manufacturers' names, logos, service marks, and model designations are the property of their respective owners