172 replies to this topic

[Martin]

I had a couple of hours today so I started to fit the driver and I have Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari driving again as we came up with a new Contrack   

 

 

He's got legs (que music), I found a old Monogram commentator sitting talking into a mike. So I cut him below the waste and then fit him in the car then fit Tazio to that lower half. I did have to re position the legs as they were 90 degrees and are now better fitted to go under the dash. 

 

I had started to change the spark plug wires from red to black 2 days ago. Starting with the front 2 then letting those set before moving to the rest.

This is so those 2 hold the spark plug tube from moving, dislodging those first 2. I do think the black wire much more appropriate.

 

[Mad Mark]

This has turned out to be quite the resto/build Im sure the original builder would be very impressed!

[Martin]

Thanks Mark for checking in.  The details are time consuming but I hope I can get them finished before I need to move on.

 

Problem is I keep adding them. Now I see I have to do the gas cap and the vent in-front of the windshield. Oh yea and then there is the windshield itself.

 

Plus I am just not happy with the driver position yet. 

 

 

[Jencar17]

The picture of the driver sitting in front of the steering wheel reminds me of my grandfather     

[Martin]

Glad I could bring back those memories for you Jens.

 

I must tell you I am about to adjust him a little so he is not so stiff looking. Maybe lower his head and lean it forward. 

 

I have to be super careful here as this driver took many weeks to get, and I only have this one vintage looking head. 

 

 

[Martin]

I did the head position mod, and I think he looks more natural now ? The head is now removable as I drilled an 1/8" hole in the body and the head then added an 1/8'' styrene neck. 

I may still try to get him a little lower as Tazio was only 5'2'' tall.

 

[Martin]

After lots of trimming and fitting and then more trimming and fitting I managed to fit the Merit seat under the driver. 

 

 

 

I will carve the seat some more to get him sitting back and more comfortable. 

 

 

 

[Martin]

When it comes to finding details of the real car, like the way the windshield is hinged and attached, this video really shows it in detail.  So now I have a clear idea how it was made. Many good shots of other details too. 

The shots I am interested in start around the 8 min mark, happy to find this you tube.

Notice this car is the 159 and I am working on the 158. I think the main difference are the 8 into 2 exhaust instead of the 8 into 1 on the 158 and the addition of the front fender deflector wings? I am sure there are other changes too, but those are the obvious ones I see.

 

 

 

From these shots I have made a sketch, so I can think about the best way to fab this part. 

[Martin]

Did a little bit of carving on the seat, this is before it gets glued in the cockpit. Trying to add shape as the real seat looks more like a lounge chair than a racing seat.

 

 

 

The driver covers most of this of course, but I want the option of displaying with out the driver.

 

 

I found a clear body that is a direct descendent of the Merit kit. Not sure what brand this one is?  

Notice it is bigger than the body that came along with this car, that is the one with the windshield.

 

 

[Dave Crevie]

As to the differences in the bodies, considering that they were banged out on a hollow stump with a bag of sand, I'm sure that no two 158s were the same. The 159 version might have had a longer nose to accomodate the larger radiator. In any event, I don't know which of the model bodies corresponds to which chassis number. The only way you are going to get your model "more correct" is to have a big stack of photos, of every detail, on the specific car you are modelling. You are crossing into that Twilight Zone between slot car and static contest model. 

[Martin]

Thanks Dave for the input, I have noticed some race car development differences while gathering pics. I am picking a few extra details that are to my satisfaction.

I am being mindful that this slot car came from the home of Don Sloan a known MESAC member, so I am finishing the car for him and as if he was going for the points giving for those extra few details. 

Remembering this rolling chassis had a note taped to the bottom of the chassis so that it could be finished by Don or in this case by someone in the future that found  this car in its unfinished state. 

Be interesting to know if there was a special class of similar period and type of car at the MESAC club. 

But I can surmise that Don had plans for this car, notice the note and windscreen that came with the car.

 

[Martin]

I had ask the question about MESAC having a special class for this Alfa type of car. Then I remembered this pic from a period magazine. Probably posted by Victor? Thank you Victor 

Here you can see some early cars and that sure looks like an Alfa158 to me ?

 

 

Took a brake from the Alfa today, So many restorations in the works and closer to being finished, so worked on them. Looking forward to sharing those original club cars too.

[Slot Car Rod]

Wonderful build, Martin.  Victor says the photo is not MESAC, and he does not remember posting it, and he does not remember a MESAC class for early GP cars.  Victor also says that Don Sloan did a lot of racing at commercial tracks.  Again, wonderful build.

[Martin]

Thanks Rodney, I must of found this pic while doing a search for all things MESAC. The article must of been about club tracks and I assumed that these were both the MESAC track. see full page here.

 

 

Great to have you and Victor to set the record straight. 

 

 

[Martin]

Getting back to the Alfa, after the 2 Ferraris, now restored. I made a decision to to cut the floor panel just above the driveshaft hex nut.

It had the seat cushion roughed in but it meant that part of the seat was fixed to the interior. 

I wanted to work on the seat as one part and if was glued in, as I was going to do it would make it hard to carve the cushion groves and paint etc.

Now the seat can come in and out and it stays in place with light pressure. Fixing method TBT.   

The seat cushion is cut from the remains of the Merit chassis so as to keep the plastics constant. The weld cement is drying now as I writing this. Sets pretty fast and I write pretty slow, perfect 

 

 

BTW, all this effort is to have a full driver figure sitting as low as possible limited by the driveshaft bearing support. I fit the driver earlier to find out one of his feet was just touching the motor brushes, so I reangled his foot now it looks like the brushes are the pedals. 

 

[don.siegel]

Very neat touch with the "pedal" brushes Martin. 

 

Don 

[Martin]

Thank you Don, 

I now have the seat in one part and can still be removed.

 

 

 

Working on the head rest. I dilled 2 small holes in the body to mount the head rest, it can be remove also to shape and paint.

The U shape bent piece of .020" piano wire was heated and pressed into the first plastic panel then 2 more panels were bonded to make sure I had enough material to shape. The wire is trapped between the plastic salvaged from the Merit chassis.

 

 

 

 

 

He is starting to look pretty comfortable at this point.

[Martin]

Chipping away at those details. 

I now have a gas flap that is removable, but not hinged yet. Still looking for a scale hinge, its tiny.

The flap itself is 3/16" wide so the hinge would have to be ???

 

 

Because I want the driver to come in and out, the steering wheel has to move out of the way, I have already broken the plastic one twice so I decided to make one from aluminum. Still need to make the hub and maybe thin the spokes a bit more. But the plan is to pull the shaft forward so the wheel drops from the drivers hands and would otherwise lock the driver in place.

 

Opening hood vent and the folding windshield next.

 

[Dave Crevie]

For your flap hinge, you might check a good hobby shop that specializes in model railroad scratch building supplies. Precision Scale Products has small working hinges for N/HO scale that measure .128 wide by .340 long. These are typical strap hinges.

 

Otherwise, I believe you will have to build something. You can use 1/16th od brass tube with a 1/64th (.015) piano wire for the hinge pin. Form the wire to match the inside contour of the head fairing, (slide the tube on first) and attach it with epoxy. Obviously, you will have to file a notch in the opening to clear the tube. Then glue the flap to the tube. A finnicky job, but you are the only one I know that could do it. The engine detail you did is amazing.   

[Martin]

Thanks Dave, I have looked at most of the "micro hinges" that are made, but all to big, at least the ones I found. 

Remember even 1/16"D would be 1 -1/2" tube if you scale it. Maybe some hypodermic needle material would work? Not sure.

 

I am not even sure what I am looking at in the close up of the real cars flap hinge. It acts like a hinge but I do not see multiple segments. I must be missing some understanding of what I am looking at.

 

I am going to give the ally steering wheel another go, this time I will machine in the center hub as one and make it look lighter. Not happy with this one.

although I could make it better, I feel its best to do over with what I know now. 

[Jaeger Team]

Thanks Dave, I have looked at most of the "micro hinges" that are made, but all to big, at least the ones I found. 
Remember even 1/16"D would be 1 -1/2" tube if you scale it. Maybe some hypodermic needle material would work? Not sure.
 
I am not even sure what I am looking at in the close up of the real cars flap hinge. It acts like a hinge but I do not see multiple segments. I must be missing some understanding of what I am looking at.
 
I am going to give the ally steering wheel another go, this time I will machine in the center hub as one and make it look lighter. Not happy with this one.
although I could make it better, I feel its best to do over with what I know now. 

I guess you could try acupuncture needles...

[Martin]

Good suggestion Maurizio, thanks.

[Martin]

Had a chance to make a first draft hood scoop. I will think about a bit more and maybe make a top plate that glues onto the part you see here.

Here are a couple of shots of what I have so far.

 

 

[Martin]

Much happier with this steering wheel. It has a center hub that will fit a 1/16" shaft that comes out of the dash.

Still got some trimming to do and I want to cut the finger notches' also, 12 per segment. 

The o.d. of the wheel itself is a tick under 5/8" which is the same size as the Merit plastic part.

 

 

 

Now I can pull the 1/16" brass rod out and the back of the steering wheel, allowing the driver to release the wheel and be removed.

[Martin]

Couldn't help myself, I had to file in the finger notches in the steering wheel and give the rim a coat of paint. Probably have to redo it once the driver has been fit. His hands may damage the paint, should of waited to paint, oh well.