Exoto 1:18 1966 Chaparral 2E #65+ Rolling Chassis - Phil Hill - Laguna Seca

There is a highway mileage sign when you first enter the great state of Texas from the Louisiana side that is meant to make an impression. It says: El Paso 857 Miles. It reinforces the idea that Texas is the state BIG - not only in sheer size but in imagination. It's no suprise that this is the birthplace of two of the most racing's most audacious men: Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall. Shelby had hit on the combination of lightweight cars with monster engines. Jim Hall’s primary contribution was the revolutionary merging of lightweight materials (fiberglass and aluminum honeycomb constructions, magnesium wheels, high temperature engine metals, etc) and aerodynamic principals. And, oh yeah, big Chevy engines. While the concept of streamlining cars so wind would not slow them down had been understood for years, it was Hall who innovates specific ways for the air to propel a car forward through use of movable wings and what’s commonly called ground effects. Hall was not just the designer, but also driver and racing team principle. This enabled him to develop cars quickly and efficiently. He not only developed legendary designs for Can Am series in the 60’s and 70’s, he applied his principles to open wheel cars, among them Johnny Rutheford’s 1980 winner.

The consistent level of technological achievement in Hall’s Chaparrals made them the most feared race cars of their time. His creations were innovative to the point that his cars were frequently banned before they could be fully competitive. That didn’t keep other teams from copying his ideas, or discourage Hall from trying to keep one step ahead. As part of its First Heat Can AM series, Exoto has issued this Chaparral 2E, among the most notable of all Jim Hall’s cars. Driven by Phil Hill, the car won the 1966 Can Am event at Laguna Seca. When you buy the First Heat version, you not only get the standard model, but also a rolling chassis. They both come packaged in a sturdy Styrofoam coffin with an outer box sporting a picture of the 2E in action with a treatment similar to Warhol’s famous soup can. This seems period perfect from a historical perspective. The moveable wings for both chassis and racer are packaged separately, with two different sets of high struts (prototype white and competition deep blue). There are unique mounting conventions, with stabilizer arms that attach to the chassis. You’ll want to plan on taking a few minutes to figure it out. As for me, I mounted the wing on the racer only, preferring to display the rolling chassis sans wing.

By comparison to the engine department, the rest of the chassis is just as well detailed but uncomplicated. For example the cockpit features a Spartan deep blue racing bucket with a harness and simple sissy type roll bar. The racing steering wheel will move the tires, as you’d expect. The dash has what at first appears to be a non descript cluster of gauges, though on close inspection you can actually see differentiation on each face plate and they are individually covered. It’s interesting to see a racing model with only two pedals as this Texas Roadrunner had an automatic transmission. A third pedal – more like an old fashioned emergency brake “floor button” is there, but not for the clutch – it controls the rear wing. The working butterfly doors to the cockpit are tethered to aluminum sills. The front systems feature intricate cabling and braided hoses. The intricate suspension both forward and rear is functional and “furiously” detailed. But that’s something expected of a model at this price point. What may not be so usual is something as simple as the cooling ducts for the brakes; they are soft and rubberized, not hard plastic. The realistic Firestone racing rubber is perfect though not removable.

As the photos will no doubt confirm to you the “skin on” model cuts a fine figure. The body is beautifully contoured and the white paint is lustrous. The body contours are accurately emulated and the photo-etched screens and vents are remarkably miniaturized versions of the real thing. Turn the car over, and as most road cars go most of what you see is a skid plate, but there is a viewable hole where the automatic transmission and rear end assembly is visible.

The model’s stance seems a bit high but you have to take that with a grain of salt, remembering that while ride height might look a bit tall the function of that wing was to have the car sit when appropriate. So I don’t think this stance as such is that far off if at all from the real one when standing still. Someday I hope to get to the museum at Midland, TX to do my own comparison.

Jim Hall called the 2E his favorite for good reason. The high wing was copied by all forms of motor racing from F1 to NASCAR though it was ultimately banned from competition in all of them. But as a moment in time, this model is among the seminal racers of the 20th century. This model is also one for the ages – assembled from over 350 parts - it’s at once instantly sensational and of timeless heirloom quality. It’s an outstanding model and earns my highest recommendation. You will not be disappointed.

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