101 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

Thanks to my friend and fellow Slotblogger Rodney I was very fortunate to get the body pictured below. And a special thanks to Victor Ferguson of TrueScale for pulling this beauty from an original MESAC mold:

 

 

 

 

I think the 1972 Ferrari 312 P is an amazing race car especially considering it is over 50 years old. I'm especially smitten with this Andretti - Ickx version:

 

 

 

 

Here's a cool video of this amazing car:

 

Ferrari 312 P Ends an Era With a Bang

 

The inspiration for my build is coming from Rodney's Don Slone MESAC Championship car:

 

 

 

Seeing that distinctive Steube drop arm has me turning to one of my personal favorite early 70's 4-rail chassis:

 

 

Here's a link to my Slotblog build of a Steube RTR: 

 

Steube 1971 RTR

 

OK, that's the plan. Time to gather up parts and start building.   

[Tex]

I believe I heard on an old cable show, "Victory by Design", that Enzo Ferrari considered the 312PB to be his favorite Ferrari.

[dc-65x]

Hi Tex.

 

This Ferrari is fast becoming my favorite too.      It has 13" front and 15" rear diameter wheels. I love the staggered diameters  and the rears are really WIDE. I'm working on those now.

 

Here's a link to the Ultimate Car Page with tons of pics and detailed specs:

 

Ferrari 312 P

[dc-65x]

My 1971 Steube RTR link was incorrect in my post #1, it is fixed now.......sorry.

 

The Ferrari 312 P uses quite a stagger (13" - 15") between front and rear wheels and tires as shown below:

 

 

The rear tires are monster wide:

 

 

I'm using our "mythical" super wide Russkit repop rears with Alpha Humongous  donuts ground to 11/16" wide:

 

 

For fronts I'm using AJ's 1/32 scale rear replacement wheels. They are about a scale 2" of diameter smaller than the Russkit rears. The tires are Cox 1/32 scale Goodyear rears:

 

 

The tires shown stock and ground to diameter and "treaded" in the MESAC manner:

 

 

The stock AJ's wheel and my modified wheel. I cut a little bead detail in the rim to better match the Russkit rear wheels:

 

 

I found these Policar Ferrari 312 P wheel inserts that fit the wheels perfectly. I'll add them later:

 

 

Now I need a jig motor to start building the chassis....

[dc-65x]

Here's a Billy Steube Jr. chassis. My favorite part of the design are the straight half rails (red arrows):

 

 

With this design the main rails (not the half rail) get a bend to match the motor angle and are cut to the desired length.

 

To start the chassis center section a 7/32" axle tube is prepped:

 

 

If you set up the pins in your Rick Jig (link below) as shown in the photo your straight half rails will be set at a 7 degree motor angle. That piano wire cross bar laying across the half rails is also set up by the pin locations at 7 degrees so it's perpendicular to the angled half rail:

 

RGeo Rick Jig

 

 

The little angle block is located by that piano wire cross bar and clamped down:

 

 

The cross bar is cut to fit between the half rails, located by the angle block and soldered in place along with the half rails to the axle tube:

 

 

The half rains are cut to length, 2 straight main rails on the endbell side and 2 with 7 degree bends on the can side are also cut to length and soldered in place 

 

 

The start of the center section cleaned up a bit:

 

 

[Dave Crevie]

Thought I would take a moment to clear up something that has had the Ferraristi scratching their heads for a while. The model identification of the 312P and 312PB. There is a model called the 312 P that is entirely different from the car being modeled here. The earlier version of the 312P was a Le Mans style coupe. It is this car;

 

 

The open car, also called a 312P by the factory, is a different beast;

 

 

The final version of the open car, with body modifications, became known as the 312PB;

 

 

The body you have, Rick, I believe is the PB version. 

 

I had a chance to be on the track behind this car at a Ferrari Club of America national meet at Road America. I let him pass, then tried to stay with him. No way. 

 

 

 

[dc-65x]

Hi Dave, 

 

The Ferrari body for this project came from the caretaker of MESAC, Victor (who pulled it from the original MESAC mold) and our good friend Rodney. In discussing this project I referred to it as the 312 PB since that is what the entire interweb refers to it as. I was told they prefer to call it a 312 P.

 

Puzzled by this I went to the official Ferrari website and read this:

 

"The new 1971 version of the sports prototype came with a flat-12 engine, often referred to as a boxer engine. Many publications added the letter B after the P of its name to indicate its engine type, but this variation was never officially sanctioned by Ferrari which simply called it the 1971 312 P."

So yes, it's the car you and I both pictured (not the earlier coupe).

 

But out of respect and gratitude to MESAC and the guys who were kind enough to make and pass this body along to me, I'm going against the world wide web and will keep calling it by the designation of 312 P.

[Slot Car Rod]

This one should be fast Rick (your build). 

 

Here are a couple of MESAC 4 rail chassis pictures from Victor.

 

[Dave Crevie]

Hi Dave, 

 

The Ferrari body for this project came from the caretaker of MESAC, Victor (who pulled it from the original MESAC mold) and our good friend Rodney. In discussing this project I referred to it as the 312 PB since that is what the entire interweb refers to it as. I was told they prefer to call it a 312 P.

 

Puzzled by this I went to the official Ferrari website and read this:

 

"The new 1971 version of the sports prototype came with a flat-12 engine, often referred to as a boxer engine. Many publications added the letter B after the P of its name to indicate its engine type, but this variation was never officially sanctioned by Ferrari which simply called it the 1971 312 P."

So yes, it's the car you and I both pictured (not the earlier coupe).

 

But out of respect and gratitude to MESAC and the guys who were kind enough to make and pass this body along to me, I'm going against the world wide web and will keep calling it by the designation of 312 P.

 

Whoa! I didn't say you had the wrong body. Just wanted to point out there are differences in the two. And, as I said in the first sentence, the three different cars with essentially the same designation has had the Ferrari "experts" baffled for a long time. All three of the spyder types I showed are flat 12 powered. The coupe is a V-12. 

[dc-65x]

OK great Dave. Now everyone should know about the Ferraris with the same name designation and I'll get back to building a slot car.  

[dc-65x]

The motor bracket is in place and a flat was filed into the half rail for motor mounting screw head clearance:

 

 

An L-brace connects the bracket and rear axle tube:

 

 

Another L-brace connects the endbell side half rail to the rear axle tube:

 

 

Time for the front axle..........

[Mark Onofri]

I've got a a/fx g+ in the blister pack. This is also one,if not, my favorite. Would you like me to post it or,is it out of place. It's in the exact livery.

[dc-65x]

Hi Mark,

 

I've got lots of chassis and motor building left. How about waiting until I start struggling with...........I mean working on the body?  

[Mark Onofri]

I'm with you. When ever your ready, PM me.(I've found it's a lot healthier to ask first)

[Don Weaver]

(I've found it's a lot healthier to ask first)

 

 

Ain't that the truth.  A former friend    of mine taught me that lesson!!

[dc-65x]

The 1/8" tube for the 3/32" front axle went on next. The main rails were left extra long to drag any excess solder out of the upright joints:

 

 

Grinding a little bevel in the rear L-arm upright allows it to tuck in tight against the front L-arm and the solder ties it altogether into one lump:

 

 

 

Ready for the next step:

 

 

 

I think I'll tackle the drop arm hinge tubes and plumber upward stops next.

 

[Bill from NH]

Those Welden jig wheels have served you well! 

[dc-65x]

I've been using those Weldun gear jig wheels for over 30 years Bill.   

 

At least I don't have to use my home made chassis jig anymore.  

 

[Martin]

Inspirational Rick, now I want to build a  Ferrari 312P of my own.   

[Mark Onofri]

Martin,I think I've got one for you. PM me.

[Mark Onofri]

Martin, how about a True Scale 612. PM me if it works for you.

[dc-65x]

Thanks Martin. If you build a 312P I know it will be a beauty.  

 

I broke with the Steube RTR chassis with the drop arm hinge mount. I like to use an L-arm to brace the hinge tube. 

 

Here the hinge tube, L-arms and plumber upward stop are jigged up and soldered into one lump:

 

 

After some Dremel work and a coarse cleanup:

 

 

I think it's super clean and strong:

 

 

The center section ready for a drop arm:

 

[Bill from NH]

I used those "L" hinge braces on my wing car chassis during the '70s. I don't recall ever breaking one. I aways thought the L-shaped hinges were just an easier way to hinge a drop arm.  .

[dc-65x]

Strong and easy Bill.      

[dc-65x]

The next step in construction was inspired by:

 

The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla:

 

 

No, no, not Chris Jericho.        

 

In the Pro racing scene, Philippe de Lespinay was the nationally recognized and published proponent of "rock and roll" front end. Below is a 1972 Car Model Magazine article on his Neat Things chassis with this feature:

 

 

 

I've always thought the rock and roll front end was a cool design feature but it was fiddly to build without 3 hands. 

 

But I thought to use a gizmo I believe came from R-Geo Products. It's a section of square aluminum rod with a series of 1/16" holes drilled at just the right height for a piano wire rod to clear a .040" drop arm. It was my 3rd hand in this setup holding and aligning the rock and roll drop arm stop:

 

 

Next a hanger for dual drop arm spring wires went on:

 

 

All cleaned up:

 

 

 

OK, now it's time to work on the drop arm: