Randy Ayers Nascar Modeling Forums

[JowesCrowModels]

Friends, apologies if this has been covered, but is there a reference to the earliest NASCAR roll cages? I'm building a 36 Ford coupe that my grandfather built and raced in 1953 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, NC.

I have pics of the car, but none of its interior. I'll settle for close enough. Ideas? How do/did you make yours? Thanks in advance!

JC

[Tom M.]

I'm not sure NASCAR even required cages in '53. I know they didn't in GN cars, unless it was a pillarless hardtop and that only required a single hoop and not a cage.

[Danh4]

If you've got photos, look for where the front and rear hoops are in relation to any windows and then get them in place first, making sure they contact the roof when the body is in position. Nothing worse than roll bars that are too low! Once you get those hoops in place the rest will just about build itself. Put an "X" or at least one diagonal bar across the rear hoop, etc.

I use Evergreen styrene rod in .080 or .100 to build mine. You can heat and bend the roll hoops or cut and glue the corners. I just put straight door bars in because they aren't all that visible through the small coupe windows but you could curve them if you want to.

The front hoop often bends back to follow the A pilllars.

I use 1/4" electrical shrink tubing shrunk onto a length of 1/8" brass rod for padding. Slice it lengthwise to get it off the rod and pop it on your roll cage. When it is still warm and on the rod you can roll it under the back of your knife to leave an indentation where the tie wraps or tape hold it to the cage.

That's just how I do it, I'm sure there are many more ways!

[JowesCrowModels]

[MarkJ]

Most cars, like Tom said, either did not have a loop roll bar or just that. A single loop bar sometimes made out of water pipe.

[Dennis O]

Here is a car from our local short track. As you can see on the picture it's from 1957. Click the picture for a larger view.



_________________
Dennis
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.......

[hawk22]

1953 ? This would be a good choice. Don't overdo it, safty was not much of a concern.
Also most of the short trackers back then were full bodied, skinny truck type tires.
I use evergreen .062 rod, easy to bend and shape...
Car from the early/mid 50's





This is a 1940 Ford LeeRoy Yarbrough drove in the Permatex 250 at Daytona.
In 1961 !!! Laping the track at 140mph plus.....


Typical roll cage I make for most of the 1960 era modifies. Side bars here,
but that was rare in these early cars.

[hawk22]

[quote="JowesCrowModels"]Friends, apologies if this has been covered, but is there a reference to the earliest NASCAR roll cages? I'm building a 36 Ford coupe that my grandfather built and raced in 1953 at Bowman Gray

36 Ford that raced at the Jacksonville speedway in the 50's.
Started our with finders but after a few races they were knocked
off.


Really will hardly see any roll bars if done correctly.

[JowesCrowModels]

[quote="hawk22"]

[hawk22]

Black was not a popular color when the cars
ran mostly at night on tracks with poor lighting.

But even cars painted black were (generally) painted a brighter
interior color, or not painted at all. Those early fifty
cars may still have had the original cloth interior.

Black with a brighter interior


mostly have to work from faded b/w photos when making a model




b/w photo of the model


anyway I try not to paint the interior black unless is is very obivous form a photo.
no problem painting the frame & under carriage black. I use flat black followed with
a gloss clear coat.
If painted at all, interiors were usually painted the car color, and were very sparse & plain.
Black cars usually had a white interior. Back in the day there was nothing fancy about the
exterior paint jobs. Usually just one color or two at the most.

When I was a kid my neighbor built these cars in his backyard garage, painted also.
The sign painter would come over in the evening & paint the numbers, drivers name,
and sponsors (if any) on the car. I was kinda young but still have fond memories on
how everything was done.

[JowesCrowModels]

[Rattlecan Dan]

Great stuff. Lot's of good info. Where did you get that driver figure? I would like to know. Thanks

[hawk22]

I would assume just standard automotive paint of the day, same as a body shop. Cars would be sprayed inside the garage or even outdoors on a warm windless day. Lots of bondo used, sometimes the sheet metal was in rough shape after setting in a field for years.
My neighbors (Jim) day job was a welder at a shipyard in Jacksonville. Was a Jack of all trades when it came to mechanics. Would also build race engines
In his garage.
My father was a trained welder also, and would help out in the evenings.
Good days gone forever.

Saw this one being built from start to finish. I remember Jim bought this body
from a hot rod guy that lived in our area. It was perfect. Cost was $200.
Big money in 1960...
no pictures, done from memory.