[MOC] [SMF] Tyrrell P34 1976

[bentobrick]

 

Hello again!

I’m happy to share my latest Icons-style classic F1 car, the Tyrrell P34! This is the only six-wheeler to ever win an F1 race, achieving 1st and 2nd at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix.

This time, I was able to incorporate a few extra Technic functions into the model while still maintaining the look and feel of an Icons-themed scale model built primarily with system bricks. It features working 4-wheel steering linked to the steering wheel, a rear differential, and even a working fake engine. 

Here’s an animation showing off some of these features, courtesy of Car MOCs Channel:

 

Design Highlights: 

Steering

I started with the 4-wheel steering, the most prominent feature of the P34, and one that I wanted to be functional and look accurate. It was also one of the more challenging aspects given the scale I wanted to build at. I went through about a dozen designs before settling on a sliding gear rack as the most low profile solution. 

The ideal part, the 1x10 Technic gear rack (6592) is quite rare, so I adapted by combining a 1x4 gear rack plate (3743) with the relatively new 1x1 plate with vertical bar (3661) and a 1x2 technic liftarm (60483) to maintain the 10-stud track width. The actual car used a single-rack system, but this double rack design was the best compromise I could make to keep the whole steering system under 3 studs of height.

Livery

Brick-built livery is always a priority for me, and on this car the main design feature to capture was the yellow stripe running down the sides of the cockpit and body. The slight angle of the stripe on the side of the cockpit is achieved by attaching a 1x3 tile to a stud between two wedge plates. It’s a slightly tighter fit than typical connections, but not illegal enough to bother me. The stripes on the sides of the bodywork are also interesting exercises in stud reversal and clip connections, tapering slightly wider and taller towards the rear, just like the real thing.

Front Wing

Aligning the top edge of the front wing with the car’s nose was tricky, especially while maintaining a smooth slope with brick-built NACA duct cutouts. I couldn’t fit the five metal support rods on the front splitter at this scale, but you can imagine the gaps between the tiles used to build the splitter as standing in for them. I also managed to recreate the small metal plates just in front of the wheels using trapezoid flag pieces.

Engine

At first, I planned to create a static brick-built you would find in most of the Icons vehicles today. But the lack of an engine cover allowed me to fit a working V8 with a rear differential. Vertical space was still the biggest constraint, as I had to make sure the cams had enough clearance with the ground while making sure the pistons didn’t collide with the velocity stack trumpets at the top. The result is a compact yet functional engine that captures many of the key features of the Cosworth DFV and surrounding engine bay, including support rods and even some suspension elements.

A few real life photos:

 

Building instructions and more photos are on Rebrickable.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!