Pocher Alfa Romeo Spider

[triumphfan]

Amazing car, amazing kit and amazing project.

I do aspire to owning one of these kits one day. It will be one of the Alfa's so thanks for the heads up on seeking out an older boxing.

Definitely subscribed.

Steve.

[roymattblack]

Amazing car, amazing kit and amazing project.

I do aspire to owning one of these kits one day. It will be one of the Alfa's so thanks for the heads up on seeking out an older boxing.

Definitely subscribed.

Steve.

You won't regret it.

I really can't emphasize how much these kits are NOTHING like any other model car you've ever built.

Once you've built one, NO other kits will do. You will become a 'Pocher-holic'.

Even Tamiya 1/12 cars are no comparison.

Honestly all you guys.... STOP buying 'smaller' kits, save up and get a Pocher classic.

You'll love it!

Roy.

Edited September 26, 2014 by roymattblack

[roymattblack]

A little bit more done this weekend....

I’ve cleaned up, fettled and modified the main chassis frames and the parts are now painted and assembled.
Of course – none of the parts fitted properly but after a good deal of filing, sanding, drilling and trimming, all was sorted. Who said Pocher kits aren’t fun ?!

The rear suspension spring shackles have been fitted but the front ones don’t go on just yet.
The side frames have been drilled for the engine move and firewall alterations later on.
Next, the radiator and assorted fittings.

The radiator parts are very straightforward and apart from altering the angle of the top brace fixing hole and the lower starting handle hole, (they are both wrong) all went together easily.

The lower water hose was added here as it’s next to impossible to fit later on when the instructions tell you to.

The front engine mounting plate was fabricated from brass sheet, painted and fixed in place so that the re-located engine will go in properly.

The engine was test fitted into the chassis just to check the repositioned mounts. All is fine.

Next the firewall needed some attention as there are quite a few glaring errors compared to the real car.

First, the fuse box in the kit is wrong. It’s too small and only routes four wires when there should be six.
Also, there should be another matching fuse box and wires on the other side of the firewall.
The fuse boxes were easily made from scrap plastic and the existing wiring holes filled, smoothed, and new holes drilled in the correct places.
Once the fuse boxes were fitted and the wires routed, I designed, printed and then added my own fuse identification decals based on close up pictures of the real car fuse boxes. - Not added in the pictures.

Two of the firewall moulded strengthening ribs were cut away as they shouldn’t be on this car.
The lower corners of the firewall were then re-shaped to allow the re-positioned engine to fit.
The steering column cut out was also filed out more to one side to allow the column to go through centrally. If left, the column is up against the firewall on one side.

I've added a fair bit of 'light' weathering and staining to the firewall, particularly around the lower edges and in the nooks and crannies but it doesn't show up well in the pictures. Believe me - it's there...

Lastly, an entire fuel pump/filter unit and all the associated pipework needs to be scratch made as it is missing from the kit. As this item is quite a large piece in the engine bay it would be daft to leave it out.

Oh the joys of big kit fiddling......

Roy.

Edited September 30, 2014 by roymattblack

[Mpfiend]

Very nice progress Roy,

your attention to every detail is showing through once again.

Was the modification of the engine mounts straight forward? and is this detail included in Paul's DVD?

Looking forward to the next installment.

Best Regards

Keith.

[roymattblack]

The engine mount mods weren't too much bother - just making up a front engine extension plate, and re-drilling the frame mounts further back.

The prop shaft will need shortening by 10mm later on. The exhausts might need adjusting.

There are a few tweaks to the firewall too but that's about it.

The modifications are on the DVD, but strangely, Paul Koo recommends you DON'T do them, as it's 'too complex'.

Odd really, as it wasn't that difficult at all.

Roy.

[roymattblack]

Just a quick update:

The fuel pump/filter had to be completely scratched following some pictures of the real car.
It's by no means 'perfect' but it's pretty close to the real one. Goodness knows why Pocher left out such a large item from the engine bay.

More pipes and wires to add though....

Roy.

[Codger]

Cripes-that looks great!

Pocher is great about leaving stuff out. On mine, they omitted a lot of linkage, a fuel filter and selector valve.

Oh, that's besides getting the wiring chase and location of things wrong...............................

[elderly]

To all you 'tempted' people... THIS is what makes Pocher kits so ACE!!!

As I've already said - they are a PROJECT.

GET one!

Roy.

With the fantastic skills and expertise I've seen in this thread and the big R.R. thread,

this is as close as you're going to get to seeing my ancient build!

ETA that I dislike the mudguard (fender for the benefit of Codger!!!) shapes on the other Pocher Alfas, which is one of the main reasons I chose this particular model

Edited September 30, 2014 by elderly

[roymattblack]

That looks blinkin' lovely!

Some close-ups PLEASE ??!!

Roy.

[elderly]

Even my wife looks okay from a distance!

Here's a heavy crop of the same image.

[Codger]

Now c'mon Elderly!

You MUST post more of your 'ancient build' - it looks wonderful. Post it in the 'Inspection' forum if you don't want to divert Roy's WIP. (But it looks like he doesn't mind either...)

WE Pocher fanatics need fresh fixes all the time!!

EDIT: Besides, I've got lots of questions about the paint, cockpit cover and the 'longevity' of the structure....and I'm sure plenty more.

And yes, I will try to pick-up the vernacular here...

Edited September 30, 2014 by Codger

[roymattblack]

Another small update today - basically putting bits together...

The next task was to clean up the floor panel and assemble the oil tank/cooler that goes beneath the car.

The oil tank is made of two poorly moulded plastic halves and has air cooling slots in each end.
The trouble is, there’s no actual oil tank inside this unit, so you can see right through it if you look through the cooling slots.
This was easily remedied by making up a simple tank from plasticard and fitting this inside the Pocher unit.
Once assembled, the very heavy and uneven seam line had to be filed, filled and sanded smooth.
Then the tank/cooler was given a coat of primer and finally gunmetal grey – just for a bit of colour variation under the car.

The floor was painted satin black underneath but the top left as plastic, as eventually this part will be carpeted anyway.

The engine was installed next and happily, my measurements were ok at it fitted in neatly in its new location 10mm further back. There will be a LOT of linkage modifications needed later on – steering, oil lines, brake rods, starter handle etc as these will now all be in the wrong place compared to the engine/transmission.

With the engine fitted, the floor could be put in, and the firewall added after that. An assortment of wires and pipes were connected at this point.
It’s beginning to look like a ‘proper’ car chassis now.

Next was to fit the dashboard support frame.
This part is held in place with four long threaded rods, with double nuts at each end.
The mounting holes on the firewall had to be moved inwards by about 1.5mm, as built according to the instructions, the bonnet (hood) panels will not sit flush with the main body.

Suspension/axles next...

Roy.

[Codger]

Engine looks substantially better in its new location. Sits nicely to the firewall.

You can see why the 1:1 handled so well-it's really a 'front mid-engine' design, like a Panoz. Engine well behind the front axle.

Beautiful work as always...

[elderly]

That's looking soooo good Roy - I feel even more reluctant to post a close-up of my un-painted one .............

but as you and Codger are very persuasive, here goes:

If the internet had been around in those days, I would have known that things were not supposed to fit out of the box!

I trust that your e-type lightweight transkit will go together like a dream. :I don't know how to do smilies on an iPad:

[Codger]

Ahhhhhh. Lovely........

[roymattblack]

We should have a 'Big car gallery'...

Lovely model.

I wouldn't mind that one on my shelf. (If you ever want to sell it.......?)

Roy.

[elderly]

Thanks for the lovelies guys!

What we all need is a 'Big car shelf'.

[Codger]

Mine is earmarked for the server in the dining room.

What a war THAT will bring on...

[noeyedears]

Thats a hell of a wiring job on the engine compartment. I know nothing of the real car, what displacemt was the engine, it looks a big old lump for the chassis.

[roymattblack]

Thats a hell of a wiring job on the engine compartment. I know nothing of the real car, what displacemt was the engine, it looks a big old lump for the chassis.

It was a 2300 cc straight eight.

They don't make 'em like that any more.

Roy.

[noeyedears]

blimey, i am surprised it didnt rip the chassis apart!

[Aginvicta]

I have the Alfa 8C2600 Mille Miglia Pocher kit gathering dust in the attic after I gave up trying to make the wheels, The amazing work you have done on this so far has tempted me to perhaps have another go at it.

[roymattblack]

I have the Alfa 8C2600 Mille Miglia Pocher kit gathering dust in the attic after I gave up trying to make the wheels, The amazing work you have done on this so far has tempted me to perhaps have another go at it.

Yes!!!

Another Pocher build here would be brilliant!!!

Roy.

[Codger]

I have the Alfa 8C2600 Mille Miglia Pocher kit gathering dust in the attic after I gave up trying to make the wheels, The amazing work you have done on this so far has tempted me to perhaps have another go at it.

No one will stop you here!

[roymattblack]

The dashboard was next.

This part is quite simple and looking at reference pictures, it seems that very few Alfa Spiders had the same dashboard.
Some were painted, some polished metal, some covered in leather or wood.

After making the dash in my Rolls Royce with a Walnut finish, I decided to do the Alfa similarly, but in bookmatched birdseye Maple. Walnut seemed too dark and heavy for this little sports car.

Artwork was prepared, printed onto decal film and the dash panel was covered. When dry, the shape was trimmed and the holes cut out. Several good coats of ‘Klear’ were applied all round, particularly at the edges so that the decal won’t lift in the future.
Finally the dashboard had a coat of 2K gloss and then left to dry before fitting the gauges.

The gauge holes were actually too small (naturally!) so had to be opened out a bit so that the lovely metal gauges could go in. Pocher provide some really good fine metal ‘spring’ wire to add for the speedometer and tachometer drive cables. These didn’t fit either – so the backs of the relevant gauges were drilled out to accept the cables.

Once the dash was complete and fitted, these cables were routed to the left cam cover and the gearbox housing.

While I waited for the dash to dry I fitted the carpet. A bit of trimming and test fitting was needed but it went in easily enough. The outer edges have been left so they can be fitted up the inner edge of the body later on.

As all this was going on, I was intermittently working on removing the moulded seats from the body.
This involved scribing around the seats with a combination of knife blade and dental probes.
A long, tedious task, hence doing it in stages, every now and then.
It’s a job that needs doing as the seats can’t be covered very satisfactorily if they are still fixed all the way round in the body.
Pocher supply really nice real leather parts, all pre-stamped with stitching marks etc, but whether the leather will be used depends of if there’s enough to stretch around the seat edges once they are cut free from the body. I suspect the leather will be a bit too small, so new leather will have to be obtained. If that proves to be the case, I might change the leather to light blue to match the bodywork.

The next stage is the front axle and suspension parts.

These were all cleaned up fairly easily, primed and painted – although the front upright on each side had to be re-shaped. If built OOB, the car has a ridiculous amount of camber. Far more than the real cars ever did.

As the uprights are steel parts, it meant straightening out the top tab and re-bending it 1.5mm further in than before. This brought the upper and lower holes into closer alignment, curing the steep angle between them that creates the huge camber. The ends of the axle beam then had to be filed to clear the stub axle fixing screw.
After that, all the parts went together easily.

Next was to assemble the track rod. This is a nice polished steel rod with two neatly cast ball-joint ends that screw in.
The trouble is, no matter how much the steering arms on the wheel plates were adjusted, the track rod is still about 2mm too long.

Not much???

Enough to push the wheels apart at the back, meaning they toe in to a huge degree at the front.
There was no way to adjust the steel rod so it was simpler to just make a new one from brass tube.
Once finished and polished, I left the brass (un-prototypically) as it was. A nice bit of underneath decoration.

The next parts to consider were the leaf springs.

The Rolls Royce and Mercedes kits have nice metal leaf springs that have to be assembled leaf-by-leaf, piece at a time.
Not so the Alfa’s.

These kits have ready-made springs, formed from a hard vinyl kind of plastic.
Many people buy the Scale motor cars upgrade kit to make the springs in steel.

I did consider doing this but in the end, I bought the Heller 1/8 Citroen Avant kit for the cost of the upgrade spring set……
As it transpired, with a little bit of work the kit springs look just fine and also, on the Alfa Spider, the springs are virtually invisible on the finished car anyway.

Trying to sand off the seam lines from the vinyl springs was pointless but careful cutting with a brand new craft knife blade removed virtually all of the lines.
Next, I painted the springs a dark gunmetal grey as black didn’t look right compared to the real car reference pictures. The detail parts were BMF’d and then the springs were fitted to the axle using the supplied steel shackles and bolts.

I wasn’t looking forward to this part of the work as I well remember doing it on the Rolls Royce…

A horrendous, fiddly job as there is literally no access for the minute nuts on the shackle ends and even when you do get them in place, no spanner or socket will fit, making them incredibly difficult to tighten.

The Alfa springs – both fronts fitted in about ten minutes!
An absolute doddle.

The brakes etc and related rods were all assembled without too much hassle.
As our good friend the Codger rightly points out – a lot of the ‘inner’ stuff is almost irrelevant, apart from the fun of building it – but I too am not ‘going to town’ on detailing these parts. Once the model is finished, I very much doubt that I will ever take the wheels off to look at the brake shoes…..

They were given a coat of gunmetal grey, matt deep grey liners, and that was it.

Roy.

Edited October 9, 2014 by roymattblack