Two images above: Russell Sheldon's 2001 Marconi Proxy Racer.
1/32nd Scale Autocoast Ti22
This was my entry in the Can-Am class of the 2001 Marconi Charity Proxy Race. I chose the Autocoast Ti22,
which debuted late in the 1969 Can-Am season at Laguna Seca. Designed by Peter Bryant and sponsored by
Norris Industries, the monocoque was made from titanium, hence the designation "Ti22", which is the atomic
symbol and weight of titanium. Titanium is 60% lighter than steel and is much stiffer than aluminium.
The body is an obvious choice for slot racing, with it's built-in aerodynamic "side dams"!
The version I chose to model is the car driven by Jackie Oliver at Riverside in 1970, the final Can-Am round
of that year. The Ti22 only competed in four races in 1970, having to be completely rebuilt after the second
race at St. Jovite, where disaster struck as the car cartwheeled off the track on the first lap. Oliver walked
away from the wreck but the chassis was totalled.
The body is made by Betta and is 30 thou styrene. The decals were made by Rob Soutar of TopSlot. I designed
the chassis using a TurboCad programme and sent the disk off to my friend Dawie Van Rooyen of DVR, to be laser
cut from 1.2mm thick spring steel.
I took care to have a motor driveable with the mandatory 45 ohm controller. The motor uses a shortened 1-O-1 can,
made in the early 1980's, with a turned Mura 'C' endbell and a
Slot-it 26K armature, balanced by
Best of the West.
The scale size front and rear wheels were specially made for me by Chas Keeling of
SCD and use turned Fly Lola
T70 wheels as inserts. Rear tyres are London Litn'n silicones. Gears are
Sonic.