The Electric 4WD Lancia 037
After years of inactivity, I returned to the hobby with Tamiya's re-re-release of the Lancia 037 Rally.
I have documented the build in another showroom entry; this one is devoted to the car in its current (as of writing) condition. It has been fully painted and decalled. Initially, the only omission was a misprinted decal for the rear, but its lack of white backing was addressed by a plain white decal over which the original decal was laid, and the combination was applied to the rear of the car.
If the chassis build was enjoyable, the bodywork was an emotional time: periods of frustration had to be brushed aside by the desire to see what the finished car might look like. Pressing home my efforts, I finally realized the completed model.
Decals were printed by MCI Racing - they could be aggravating at times, but came through with good work at a fair price. They did make this concept feasible, after all...
As stated, I did not have much interest in going for a box-art finish, however historically significant that iteration of the 037 might be. TC member JennyMo reminded me that the 037 4WD-H exists as a special concept racer prepared by Volta, to develop the first permanent hybrid drivetrain for a rally car. The similarities between that car and the Tamiya model (electric power, four-wheel drive) motivated me to pursue it.
So now, with the completion of this model, we have a tribute to that special car. Surely nobody will mind this 037 driving its front wheels, too?
This project marks my first serious attempt at scratchbuilding parts, which comprised the engine bay detail and a roll cage. Most of it was built from 1 mm styrene sheet, miscellaneous accessories (like a bearing tube for the supercharger inlet), recycled parts trees from the chassis kit, and one order for a polycarbonate engine block! If it all looks a little rough, it is because it is my first work; if I ever build a second one, I think it will look better!
This project is also my first attempt at creating a simple sound device, to mimic the sound of an engine. The current design uses cut sections from plastic drink containers and a cut-down Tic-Tac box, struck by 10 mm square sections of 1 mm styrene taped to the propeller shaft. The effect is unusually convincing, given the parts used.
With the addition of LEDs, I managed to pack the TA-02S chassis full of extra features, with little room for much else. Consequently, the car is quite heavy, as was already the case with its ABS body.
Electronics are currently an HPI SF-10W servo, a Yeah Racing Tritronic ESC, and a Spektrum SR200WP receiver, with the power being laid down by a Yeah Racing Hackmoto 13T brushed motor. The speed potential for this car is astonishing at a 20T pinion/74T spur combination (stock configuration is 21T/74T). The car runs with 7.2V 3000 mAh Ni-MH batteries by Venom Racing.
Overall, finishing this car has been a labour of love, driven by my passion for Lancia 037s to build one like I have never built any model previously. Regardless of its finish, I am immensely proud of my efforts, especially as I have never undertaken a project of this scope.
The first car I have built in a long time - and the first one I have built to this level of detail - is the subject of this showroom entry.
If you liked those pictures, you should see these...
Building the new Lancia 037 Rally
Comments
sturge
Mate, this is great work don't be so hard on yourself, you have created a great looking car, the best 037 I have seen on TC for a long time . The details you have added to this car are what makes it stand out, top work buddy ! . Cheers Paul
rjg1973
Great idea, nicely done!
neobrunox
Nice , the details are very neat
njmlondon
Wonderful work. Love all the details. Really special 037!
Basket Case
That's a lot of work! Well done.
emspjay
Great work!! I have also just got into the detail work on my builds in the last year or two. I find it fun now and a stress reliever. Before all I wanted to do was finish it as fast as possible and run them.
Dirt-540
I totally agree with Sturge, good on you for not doing the run-of-the-mill like most do. Lovely work mate!
JennyMo
Great result - and like you say, something [a colour scheme] that Tamiya should perhaps have considered themselves since this release is built on a 4WD chassis... you've done the concept justice indeed!
Grastens
Thank you, everybody! I have just glued the tires and prepared the chassis in advance of the first run; after all, the original 037 4WD-H was built to test a concept through driving... Photos to follow when the time comes
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