The Rocker Cover Racer Challenge

fakegt · 10-09-2011, 07:00 PM

Hi All,
Not sure how many of you out there are aware of the concept of Rocker Cover Racecars? It seems like its a world wide thing as a google search brings up similar events in the U.S and U.K etc. So what are they? They are racecars based on Engine Rocker/Valve covers and run down sloping tracks for a bit of fun with the kids. I built this one a couple of years back for the Hanging Rock car show for my son.There are various rules regarding weight, dimmensions etc that need to be followed but wheels on a cover will just about do it, and then dress it up whatever way you please.

Anyway it looks pretty cool, but it aint fast!

So I decided to knock up another one for my boy a couple of weeks ago based on "Mater" the Tow Truck from the Cars Movie. It cost us $48 total. $20 for the Rocker Cover, $20 for the wheels and $8 for the blue spray paint. Everything else was what I found around the garage.

Armed with a Matchbox Car size model of Mater I hit the local wreckers and found the perfect cover. It was on a straight 6 in what I think was a early 70s Dodge light truck. Perfect petina and shape and had a round buldge right were the air cleaner on Mater would be.

Next we took out the scale rule and took the dimmensions of the model and transferred them to paper at a 1:6 scale.

Then it was time to let it rip with a 5" Grinder and Jigsaw with a metal blade.
We did a bit of planning to make sure we could cut a shut it allowing for folds and tabs to make it easy to join together using pop rivetts and screws only.

fakegt · 10-09-2011, 07:13 PM

The light assemblies/top guard sections are some 25mm chrome wardrobe rail offcuts that were shaped with the grinder

By the end of the afternoon we had the body pretty much knocked together along with a bit of Aluminium angle for the tow rig and it was now time for some paint. The windows wre nade from the lid of a broken plastic tub.
The light on the top of the tow rig was the breather from the rocker cover.

I found some pretty good 90mm wheels that suited it at the hardware store and my Bro in Law did a little bit of welding together some steel angle to hold the wheels under the body, a chassis you could say whivh was then rivetted to the body.

**DJR-351** · 10-09-2011, 07:18 PM

Great stuff! this pic reminded me of Mater straight away.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by fakegt

fakegt · 10-09-2011, 07:23 PM

Tom's to young to wield an angle grinder(or drink beers!) so painting was his thing

A bit of brown on the rims.

A couple of game counters for eyes ,screwed on and painted black.

The towing arm/crane bit was an old fuel sender unit from my XY tank and some old plumbing parts made up the cable winch. The hook came from a toy boat we had.

fakegt · 10-09-2011, 07:36 PM

A bit of sign writting with a permament marker and some model paint highlights to age it.

The mouth section is some three quarter inch copper pipe cut and beaten and left raw and the teeth are some sheet metal. The mirrors also came from the cover.

So here it is finished today. Build time was about 10 or so hours and was a hoot. Were pretty happy with it and will bring it to race at the"Early Ford Nationals" in Melbourne in a few weeks. Again, not fast but cool!
Cheers, Dave & Tom

**redxm** · 10-09-2011, 07:42 PM

Sweet. I have 4 rocker covers in the shed, along with some 6 inch wheels & some scooter wheels ready to build some with the kids as soon as I find something to use as axles
Not sure my talent level is as high as yours but..
well done

Brute 33 · 10-09-2011, 08:14 PM

Mate , that's really cool.

fakegt · 10-09-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redxm

Sweet. I have 4 rocker covers in the shed, along with some 6 inch wheels & some scooter wheels ready to build some with the kids as soon as I find something to use as axles
Not sure my talent level is as high as yours but..
well done

Thanks mate. I'm keen to build one that can go fast as well as looking good. I wish I had some metal work/welding skill as being a Chippy, timber is more my thing. Imagination is the key. Yor kids will love it. Hit google images under rocker/valve cover racers for some inspiration.
Cheers, Dave

Riksta · 10-09-2011, 08:53 PM

That is extremely well done. I love it!!!

So cool what you can make out of old stuff if you've got time & talent (both severely lacking in my life!)

Spudz27 · 10-09-2011, 09:19 PM

Mater is awesome. Complete with authentic rust hahaha. You make a good team.

deesun · 10-09-2011, 09:41 PM

Tow - Mater average inteligence. But your racer is AWESOME

dave351cid · 10-09-2011, 10:23 PM

cool as....

very well done.

geckoGT · 10-09-2011, 10:51 PM

Very nice work, who cares if it is not fast when it is the coolest on the start line.

Scott · 10-09-2011, 11:36 PM

Mate, that looks great

fakegt · 01-10-2011, 12:39 AM

Decided to knock up another one. This time I wanted something that looked like a 1920s/1930s Racecar. Aluminium body, side pipes and all that.
This one came off a Morris 1100.

Thanks to the hard rubbish collection we found some in line skate wheels with bearings. I knocked up some chassis rails from some aluminium channel.

Cut the body up for the drivers compartment. The front of it was the perfect shape for a radiator

Wheels on the Chassis rails and dummied up.

Got some heavy duty flywire mesh and put some copper pipe on it for a surround.Also carved up some copper for a fancy radiator cap.
Pulled out my leadlighting gear from 20 years ago and made a windscreen.
Cut in some aluminium race seats.
Next thing is to get a plumber at work to braise together the copper pipes I've bent up to use as headers to run out each side of the body. Then its a dash, some racing stripes and numbers before clear coating it and screwing it all together.
Will clean up the writing off the wheels and maybe treat them to some whitewalls! Oh, some headlights too.
Cheers, Dave

fakegt · 25-10-2011, 09:23 PM

I got this one finished a couple of weeks ago and I think it came out really well. Total cost, $25!

My Bro in Law braised the headers together for me, The headlights I made from cut down wardrobe hanging rod brackets.

A Couple of stripes, Fire Flash was reapplied using a stencil from the original sticker. Number 8 chosen because of my boys age.The whole thing was given a coat of clear. Writting also buffed off the wheels

We raced it at the Vic Early Falcon Nations and it ran really well, not the fastest, but Tom picked up the prize for Best in Show. He was pretty happy.
Cheers, Dave

Thornie · 25-10-2011, 10:06 PM

Wow that looks really great well done.

Kryton · 25-10-2011, 10:14 PM

Awesome work.
Wouldnt mind checking out some race footage.

MattsDisturbed · 25-10-2011, 10:20 PM

That's really awesome! Makes me want to try making one.