Patto’s Place; 1/32 NASCAR Truck Vac-Body Builds – 2 of 3 Pairs

#98 - Raybestos Retro Truck - Kenny Irwin Jr. - 2020
#99 - Texaco Havoline Truck 5 - Ben Rhodes - 2019

As for the cockpit, the setup I had originally planned―using a 3D printed 1/32-scale interior―just looked a bit too petite to really fit into the generously-sized body of a NASCAR truck.

So I decided to take a shortcut and look for alternative pre-painted 1/32 Lightweight Cockpits to simplify the process. While searching on eBay, I came across a listing from the “Slot Car and Bicycle Emporium” eBay store for cockpits described as “beautifully handmade in Brazil.” They had caught my attention, so I figured I’d give them a try this time.

The downside was that the selection of painted racing driver variants was very limited, and there weren’t many options in the range, so I had to go with what was available.

The character designs don’t match the schemes on the cars at all, but I figure both can pass as guest drivers at a Goodwood-style exhibition event.

Before starting this whole project, I searched all over Google hoping to find photos of other people’s completed builds—something I could look at and get a sense of how they went about it, and use as a reference for my own approach. I did come across a few forum threads where people mentioned working on NASCAR trucks—often using AMT or Monogram kits, custom resin bodies, or 3D-printed shells. In those same forums, you’d occasionally find someone asking, “Why hasn’t any brand released a NASCAR truck yet?” And in the replies, there was always at least one well-meaning expert chiming in with something like, “There’s a place in Australia called Patto’s Place—they’ve got vac-formed truck bodies.”

But even those who kindly pointed them out—people who always seemed to know where to find them—never posted any proof that they’d actually built.

Not one single photo—ever.

Patto’s Place also has a gallery page on their site, where customers can send in photos of finished cars made using Patto’s decals or bodies, and Patto uploads them for everyone to enjoy. It’s full of inspiring builds—but not a single NASCAR truck to be found.

I’m sure someone out there has built a NASCAR truck using a Patto’s Place body—and I imagine they’re casually enjoyed at a few commercial tracks near Patto in Australia.

But surprisingly, the activities of slot racers in the Southern Hemisphere are rarely seen—aside from the occasional forum post, there’s hardly any visual coverage of their work.

When I try Googling with general keywords, the results mostly come from North America, the UK, or sometimes France.

As for local shops in the Southern Hemisphere—or even in Germany or Spain—I really have to dig with intention to find them, and even then, it’s not easy.