Olivier de St Raph

You mean enlargement, Hannes. It is possible, indeed but the edges on the exit of the exhaust pipe on photo 3 remains very thin, that's why I am not sure there was a strengthening sheet wrapped around the end, as you suggest.

Imho, the exhaust pipe should be 5 mm height (instead of 6 mm on the kit) and 2,3 mm width (the kit's one is about 3,8 mm!), except at its bottom (exit) where it gets a bit enlarged (around 2,9 mm). The photo 7 shows imho this light enlargement on the last cms of the pipe left side.

I come back on the question of exhaust pipes, as it is the step where I am now. Photo 1: the red arrows seem to show a kind of wrapping. We know these wrappings were frequent, and are still visible on some motorbikes. At this time, asbestos was used. The advantage of wrapping was probably to avoid burns for the mechanists but also to modulate the temperature of gazes. I am surprised not to see more clearly this wrapping everywhere else. For example, the wrapping of the steering wheel is more clearly visible on photo 3 or this photo 9. The green arrow shows a weird connection between the 2 parts of the exhaust pipe, needing an enlargement... Photo 2: Enlargement of the connection. We know Bordino had a little collision during the trials, and for example, the front rod, supposed to be body color, has probably been replaced at the last time by a bare metal one. It seems that this connection has a bit suffered too. Furthermore, I am surprised, on such an enlargement, not to see any limit around the strips of an eventual wrapping. The question is: how to represent this exhaust pipe? I think I will use masking tape to wrap my pipe, but I will apply Mr Surfacer on most of it, just leaving the same areas (red arrows) with visible limits. The color of asbestos is slate grey, and the pipes under (we nearly won't see them under the wrap) will be darker, anthracite... Any suggestion or correction welcome.. P.S: I sent a mail to Sebastien to ask him about the brand used by Fiat for their oils, I am waiting for his reply. I knows much about the engines, but I am not sure he will be able to help me on such a question... P.S2: I have ordered the Tamiya 1/12 Tool set. The idea of "diorama" is taking shape... Not a real one, but a kind of scene.

I got today from England the steel balls I had ordered on ebay. But, if there were 20 balls in 1,5 mm, there were only... 1 in 1 mm and 1 in 2 mm!! I had not understood (and couldn't imagine buying just 1 ball in 1 mm for nearly the same price than 20, about 6£, shipping coast not included!!). I had ordered from another seller 50 steel balls in 3 mm, for nearly the same price. A difference from 1 to 50!! So, I could glue one 1,5 mm ball to the bottom of my stick, that so is now over, but I could glue only one 1 mm ball to my stars. I just sent a mail to the seller to ask a commercial gesture. I would like to have 20 balls in 1 and 2 mm, for this build and next ones. Hope I will get satisfied and be able to go on with these stars very soon... P.S: the stars are not shining enough, compared with the steel ball, I have applied (after the photo) a thin coat of Super Metallic Chrome Silver, and the result is better. I will publish a photo when the stars will be OK, with all their steel balls...

?? Bordino was not alone in the Bugatti? Wasn't it a single seater? Thank you Fred for the interesting infos and corrections to my comment above. Do you have an idea of the brand Fiat did use? Photos of tins welcome, of course...

In fact, I am not sure any brand was visible on cans of oil and other products at that time, except Pirelli, which name was frequently associated to Fiat and had ever understood the importance of advertising. The sponsoring and exposition of brands everywhere had to appear later. I did not find a lot of photos with mechanists of that time. There is this photo in Sebastien's book on p. 104: the 805 of F. Nazzaro during a provisioning.

The brand Texaco has born in 1901, and here is an advertisment in french for their oils, in 1924. But I doubt it was the product used by Fiat for their racing cars in the 20's. More research is necessary... P.S: I fell for the 4 figures and ordered it...

I made a deeper research on the net and found these 2 offers: - the first one is a tool set: I am not sure the Texaco brand existed in 1927 and was used by Fiat, and some others tools are probably anachronistic. The price is 28$ with shipping fee. 1) - the second one is a set of 4 figures, a team manager, a driver, and 2 mechanists (one changing a wheel, another engine tuning)... This last offer is 60$ the set free shipping. I am tempted...

Thanks Ron, but I don't find any mechanist at 1/12 on Hiroboy. I had visited this site when I was looking for my driver's figure (I think it is VT, if I remember, who had given me the site info). They have driver's figures at 1/12 (quite expensive but certainly very good) but no mechanist. If I had to order, the only choice for now would be the Tamiya I said above, from Australia...

I found it finally on ebay from Australia, 30US $ + shipping. I hesitate... I know Hannes is very encouraging with this idea, but some of you where much more unconvinced by inserting a figure (the driver), so 2...

I saw that Tamiya made long ago (1974) a mechanist at 1/12, changing a wheel, ref. 12502, but it is out of stock and impossible to find up to now, on the net... If one of our experts of the net research can do better than me... P.S: even if it is Tamiya, 43 years ago, it is maybe not a piece of art...

I leave for now the question of the mechanist to go on with the build. I began to work on the right exhaust pipe. The specification is as follows: - get the good dimensions, of the part itself (the 145D part is too thick) - get the good lenghts, needing necessary many adjustments because of all the modifs I have done on the body - remove all the awful fixing lugs - the exhaust must stay in close contact with the body. This requires to make several cuts as I did on the front axle to bend the part - do not use the 146D part, that does not exist, but have a natural hole at the bottom with thin edges. This will require to remove at least the 15 last mm and replace the full plastic by for example 0,3 mm thick alu foil. - represent the weird relation with the front part of the exhaust, at the limit body/ bonnet - represent the asbestos tape rolled around the exhaust

Pity, hendie, it is 1/24e too. So, no option except total scratch or big transformation, like I did for my driver! Sorry, I won't dive again in such a challenge for now. If a good mechanist figure at 1/12 had existed, why not, but in such conditions...

Hope so too!!

Thanks hendie but these figures are 1/24e. If you could find me the same at 1/12...