Size: 34" x 16" x 12"
Weight: 15 lbs.
Finished: 2005
Hours: 1350

Price: $40,000

This is a beautiful car - a huge model at 34" long x 16"-plus wide and 12" high.

I made too many parts when I made the Number 3 car, the Neely Special. I used the extras to make this car. The frame on this car is cast polycarbonate. All of the suspension parts are brass, mostly, and a few aluminum pieces. The body parts are a combination of fiberglass and epoxy resin laid over polyester foam insulation (to shape the body). When the epoxy cures you remove all the blue foam and you have a nice and strong body shell.

I made the radiator shell the same way. I then made an aluminum firewall added to the front of the cowl, to help hold up the back of the hood. I then added some aluminum hood rests to the back of the radiator. The sides of the hood are flat aluminum stock. I then bent two aluminum flat stock pieces to form the two belly pans. I added wood end pieces to close the ends. I secured the wood ends with epoxy and small brass brads.

I already had the tire molds from my big Red #3 car. I had a lot of failures casting soft urethane tires, but I finally got better at it. The trick I finally used was to cast the tires and add atmospheric pressure with an inexpensive painter's 2 gallon tank, using a small compressor.

I use another trick to get good graphics: I have someone else do them. I go to the local sign painter and have them print them on a clear sticky-back vinyl.

– Will Neely, October 2008