Complete Cars

These three models represent the pinnacle of my kit-making capability to date. They are the largest, most complex models I’ve ever designed. (To be specific, they have respectively 303, 463, and 609 parts each for the Radial Engine, Single Overhead Cam and Dual Overhead Cam models.)

Each model combines the core components of four other models available separately. All contain the same Rack-and-Pinion Steering, Transmission, and Differential kits, then each contains one of the three internal combustion engine models: the Radial Engine, Single Overhead Cam or Dual Overhead Cam Engines. (Sorry steam fans, I do not currently have a steam engine car kit.)

All of the cars can be fitted with an electric motor that makes them run automatically, as you see in these animations (the electric motor is standard equipment on the Single Overhead Cam and Dual Overhead Cam models, and optional on the Radial Engine model).

(Click any of these to magnify.)

These cars might looks a bit strange at first glance. That's because they are strange. They have no driver's seat! The transmission fills up all the space where any possible passengers could go! The differential fills the entire trunk! They are, in short, pretty useless as cars. But there's a reason: in these models, the parts are sized proportionally to their mechanical importance to the car.

In this sense they’re a bit like this strange human figure, known as a "cortical homunculus". The parts of the person are all scaled in proportion to how large a portion of the brain is dedicated to the nerves and muscles of that part of the body. 

We have a lot of brain power dedicated to our hands, so they are huge. (And apparently the lips and tongue are also pretty darn sensitive!) This figure shows you what parts of the body do the important work, and so does these car models. The parts that make them work have been expanded for clarity, and the rest, the silly dead weight of the cabin and trunk, are barely there at all.

Below you can see details of the three different models, including videos of them in action, and buttons for purchasing them. If you’re trying to decide between them, I would make the following comparisons. First, the Radial Engine model (the last one below) is far simpler (and cheaper) than the others, because its engine does not include any of the complexity of the other two (no valves or simulated spark plugs, and thus no camshafts or timing gears). It’s 95% car and 5% engine.

The other two, the single and dual overhead cam models, are more like 50% car and 50% engine (in fact, the dual overhead cam model has more than twice as many parts as the radial engine). Both these engines include spark plugs simulated with LEDs, intake and exhaust valves, and all the attendant camshafts and timing gears, as well as beautiful translucent crankshafts.

If you’ve decided you want one of the more complex models and are trying to decide between single and dual overhead cam, I can offer some observations. First, the single overhead cam engine, as a standalone engine, is my favorite, mainly because you can see the operations of the pistons and valves clearly and simultaneously from a single viewpoint. However, when mounted on the car, I find the dual overhead cam engine somehow more in keeping with the strongly 3-dimensional nature of the rest of the car.

In other words, the single overhead cam model is—to the maximum possible extent—a 2-dimensional design, which is what allows it to be comprehended simultaneously from a single viewpoint. But the rest of the car is necessarily 3-dimensional, so it’s a bit of an awkward fit. The dual overhead cam engine, on the other hand, is very much a 3-dimensional design, and thus stylistically fits with the rest of the car.

Single Overhead Cam Internal Combustion Engine Car

The Single Overhead Cam Internal Combustion Engine in this car has simulated LED spark plugs, intake and exhaust valves, crankshaft, camshaft, and timing gears. And that’s just in the engine! The body of the car includes a rack-and-pinion steering mechanism, 2-speed transmission, and differential. An electric motor (standard equipment) drives the whole thing, or you can disengage it and crank the engine and driveshaft manually with a crank on the front. (More details about the engine are available here: the engine in this model is identical to the stand-alone version, except bolted to the car body rather than free-standing.)

Make the videos full-screen to see more detail.

Dual Overhead Cam Internal Combustion Engine Car

This model is in the same class as the one above, but with a dual overhead cam engine in front. The remainder of the car body is identical. The dual overhead cam design is a higher performance style of engine typical of race cars. (More details about the engine are available here: the engine in this model is identical to the stand-alone version, except bolted to the car body rather than free-standing.)

Make the videos full-screen to see more detail.

Radial Engine Car

The Radial Engine Car model is significantly simpler and cheaper than the two above, because the radial engine does not include any of the functional details of the other two (it has no spark plugs or valves). The remainder of the car body is identical, including the fully-functional rack-and-pinion steering mechanism, 2-speed transmission, and differential. To further reduce the price of the model, the electric motor is optional in this version. (Please note: some of these videos show a set of tires that are no longer part of the kit. The tires proved to be difficult to manufacture, and are quite unnecessary.)