Codger

Your warning is valid to a point but things can be tried. I ran easily on 93 octane pump at 10.85:1 with 38 degrees total advance. Backing off 2 degrees gave a comfortable cushion but the response was slightly soft. On leaded 110 octane race gas, I could run 40 degrees but best ET's were at 38. Aluminum heads were a great help to pushing the advance/octane envelope.

Malc may certainly have the definitive answer and you may be right. I was not present at foundries when molds were created. But I did see blocks and heads as raw castings exposed from burnt sand in their boxes when they were received for machining. We ran PPAP tests on them for QC.

Most probably sand castings. Best luck on the project.

That's a great picture and great explanation. Thanks for making that clear. C

Nick, At the top of each bank on inboard side are three nearly rectangular openings which otherwise would resemble intake ports in a head casting. But these are in the block casting. I can only guess that they are for fastener access for through-head bolts. But that seems not to make sense since studs all the way into the block to retain the heads would be much stronger. Can you explain please?

WOW - the available light is not doing justice to this brilliant finish work. If the sun ever shines in the UK, please go outside for those few minutes and shoot some pics. I wager it will be indistinguishable from your reference shots.

Try the plastic drop cloths - much cheaper than buying replacement bits.......

I've not built a MFH as stated above but I'll offer this tip; DO NOT work on a carpeted floor. Either a hard wood or laminate or cover the floor as much as possible with a vinyl table cloth or plastic painter's drop cloth. For handling the tiniest, a bath towel from neck to knees helps keep them 'local'. Ron's use of ceramic and nylon tipped tools is genius........

Yikes !

I have always had my eye on their Cobra and 917's, but after 38 months on the Roll;s and another year+ building the backdrop and photography, that window closed. Vision and body tools would no longer permit sub-atomic detailing...

You bring joy to my crusty old heart Andrew. I have no wizard info on where there is a cache of old Pochers but this much seems prudent. You certainly have plenty of time; use it to acquire a taste for which classic you prefer - including the 1907 FIAT. Do this by scouring the Modelmotorcars site and see the wonderful examples there. Marvin no longer sells used kits due to their scarcity and Cox is not a dealer. Brady Ward has a very good site and occasionally has pristine kits to sell. Prepare your family for a lower living standard however - these things are RARE. An excellent fellow to buy parts and some kits from is Peter@Pocherparts.com in the UK. My extra hood panels and extra trunk came from him and he is an Ace. All the while, check in on Ebay throughout, usually they pop up. Often partially started kit go derelict and appear. I do know there were several classics presented here as started and the owners asked for help. Which I provided best I could. But sadly, they all became scarce so I don't know if they abandoned the project or just chose not to share anymore. I do suggest you should shop among the Rolls or Alfa lines and avoid for a first kit, Bugattis and Benz. As Cox explains frequently in my pinned thread, they are beautiful but compromised with some shocking engineering flaws. A lot of questions from you are welcomed. Start your own build thread or beforehand, post in my thread or PM me. We aim to please..

Andrew, This can be seen from two directions. I too feel that most MFH's can be assembled using only the parts in the box and no 'blacksmith' engineering. And STILL produce a museum quality, accurate car. Now Pocher classics can also be assembled in straightforward manner and produce a very nice model. But of a 'Pocher', not the subject motorcar. And at a minimum, intense checking for warping, fit and symmetry is highly advised. The problem with each of them however is that they were all designed with built-in compromises to accuracy. Thus the major difference to MFH which are virtually all accurate. If accuracy, or closeness to accuracy is the goal, then advanced techniques and a raft of addition parts (either scratch or bought) is what you will find yourself in. I've not done a MFH but my sense is that the level of difficulty is equivalent to a somewhat advanced Pocher classic and much greater than an OOB Pocher. A radical one (such as the latest Cox Benz or my RR) is a different animal. Requiring insanity on the part of the builder(s). Although I enjoy every rivet of your current MFH build, I anxiously await your foray into Pocher madness and your approach. C

This just in... A tiny update from David. He informs me he has been working steadily to perfect all bodywork with continuous priming and sanding. This will be a happy client.... But in between sessions, he finished to perfection the rumble seat upholstery. Sadly only the top bolster and seat back will show in the car. But is this not exquisite??

I too discovered that an occasional diversion to something less tedious is beneficial. Also true that subsequent wheel lacing goes much quicker. Beautiful work on this one. Also excellent practice for Pocher wires... Very cool tip for rust manufacturing too.

Like every major subassembly, a model-within-a-model. Extremely disciplined work with great attention to reference. Thanks for showing what's involved though doubt many have the patience to dig so deep. You're bringing MFH details to a 'common' Tamiya kit.

Cox has no idea for lack of response - sorry for your disappointment. May I ask which classic you're building?

Most unusual. I found this notice on their site just now: Shipments of new orders may experience temporary delays. You may continue to browse and place orders on our site, but please be advised that it may take longer than usual to ship your order. We sincerely appreciate your patience. Thank you for continuing to support our small business in these challenging times! However that does not explain no response to inquiries. I will contact Mr Cox to learn if he has any information.

Very nice presentation and a good service for the lads here. Thank you Malc - now we'll see how Ron executes it. You guys are doing 'factory' work.

Will you change your name to 'Three 2GC's' now ??

Excellent reasons all. No matter what, a very compelling rendition of the type. Bravo and bring more./C

Very nice build. How did the Mr Clear work over the decals?

John, you really nailed the character of the car and its time in racing history. I thrilled to watching these cars at NY National Speedway (now a retirement community ) running 8's in the day. I'm going to pick some tiny (and easy) nits to better match your smashing top reference photo. This is not a criticism of your great build work. A. Get a smaller outer diameter front tire. Or turn this one down. B. Center the straight axle in the body opening. C. Lower front ride height a tad to match but keep the rake. D. Box the Cammer's oil pan lower. The kit's is a stock pan. I like all your builds for their faithful character renditions. Well done!

You have a very sensible build plan and a fine model will result. Photos look almost period-correct in gray scale and car in overall primer finish. Look here for the Alfa Coupe Elegant build here by Pouln. An excellent 'roadmap' if you want guidance.

Yes, a favorite term of mine is 'the body of work' and I can't overstate the importance of reviewing what one has accomplished. Just as you did here Ron. I found in my own work that it sharpens attention on things missed or could have been done better. Indeed, it can change the direction of the build (as mine did) possibly many times. In your case here you started out building a good 312T. You found much in the kit not to your liking and references. So you upped the ante on scratch and aftermarket parts to reach many levels higher. Further adding your huge finish skills. And somewhere came the thought of where in time and place to locate the finished car. That led you to bring the full orchestra of tools and surroundings to create a moment-in-life event. If they are really listening, you are teaching your audience here a master class. I thank you personally. C

Forgive my comically childish mind but those Tamiya stands rather resemble Sci-Fi rocketships of the '50's. You are putting together quite a 'salad' of details to make a pit-side scene 'real life'. Especially good is that many are scratch built. Anxious to see the chassis and body reappear...