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I was looking at my pile of static kits sitting on the shelf and a beautiful Gunze '55 Nomad caught my eye. As I see it, the point with converting a static kit is to retain as much of the original kit detail as possible. Which means that the best place for the motor in this wagon would be in the luggage space behind the rear bench seat. This would place a sidewinder setup behind the rear axle.

So, were I to do this, how difficult would it be to get it to run well? Of course, I'm not wishing to make it a super fast race machine. Just a pleasurable car to punt around the track when the mood arises. But hopefully one that is as much of a pleasure to drive as it is to look at.

Embs

It shouldn't be too hard to do, as long as you add enough weight in the front to balance it off. Porsche has been doing that forever.

:flags-canada:

I built a rather crude brass chassis exactly like you are thinking for a dodge. I havnt finished the model but I did run the chassis. It ran pretty well. I only ran it al low volts. As mentioned if the front end wants to lift off causing desloting just offset the weight with some ballast behind the guide

If just for the fun of it, most Gunze kits are motorized already, or do have the parts and the molded areas to do it. However they are front motored sidewinder config. and battery operated. It could be a simple build with only a guide to figure out. I`ve done a couple kits using the model car chassis, and they run decent. Only throwback is you really have to make things solid or it will sound very hollow and rattley. :think: is that a word

No, this is one of the newer series. I have the Tbird and Skyliner that are of the old motorized variety. The Bel Air Sports Coupe and Nomad and El Dorado are purely static. There's no sign of room in the original modelling of room for an electric motor. I can only assume that these are from a new series of American classics.

Actually the motor should go under the hood....

Just say'n.

I have several Fly Porsche 911s and 934s, and also a couple of AutoArt Porsche 911/997s. All of them have tail motors and they run really well, they are favorites on my track.
The extra weight in the tail is not a problem - with well prepared and clean tires the grip is excellent and the added weight just makes them very controllable and fun to drive.
There can be a problem with lightness in the nose, causing the guide to jump out of the slot too easily, more so on a plastic track I guess. I have a Carrera track and 7-12 grams extra in the nose for the Fly cars is about right. The AutoArt 911 has no weight at all and standard tires and runs like a top. It's roughly equal to a Ninco classic, while the Fly Porsches are a lot faster.
Fly Porsche 911

The AutoArt Porsche below is in the middle.

I love the idea of the motor in the front for something like this, can you get it low enough so the driveshaft is concealed under the interior?

Or with a rear motor, have you considered wheelie-bars? :?

The front axle would run straight through the middle of the area for a motor in the front. I may be wrong. I am only speculating at this stage. It's just that the easiest way I see to do it is to mount the motor in the cargo bay and cover it up with boxes and such that you naturally carry in a station wagon.

Not sure I really fancy tackling something like stub axles for a first ever full scratch build having never tackled dealing with them on an RTR. Might feel a bit different if I wait a little longer and tackle something else first. Just looking at it currently it seems like it should be a fairly easy conversion, only the motor placement question that doesn't look straightforward.

Hey Ember
I moved my post in scratchbuild 1955 Nomad, from the back pages for you to read.
I think we are talking about the same car ?
If so it was a breeze to convert. Using a motor pod from SCX.
Oh don't mind the blurry pics,I'm no photo wiz (like yourself)
ECR

Yup. Same one. Couldn't remember who did it. :)