edi956 Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Hi guys, I'm a new-entry in this forum, which I followed as "spectator" for many years. Since I am a great B.R.M. fan (yes, I'm Italian but I'm not a Ferrari fan), I decided to enter this forum with the couple of B.R.M. H16 that Hiro recently made. Brief history I don't want to bore with news that all people know about the H16, so I limit this chapter to the main features of that car and, above all, to those important for the building. Due to the 1966 new regulations, mainly the new 3000 cc Formula, many teams had problems to find a new engine. Since BRM always like to make everything by themselves and having a good V8 - 1.500cc engine, Tony Rudd decided to use two of them together, so making the H16. The new car, P83, was presented in 1966: Three chassis were made (01, 02 and 03), which run with Hill and Stewart. A customer version of the H16 was sold to Team Lotus and Clark with his Lotus 43 obtained the first and unique victory for the H16 at 1966 US GP at Watkins Glen. For 1967, waiting for the new model P115, the P83 was changed mainly at the rear suspension, while the couple of tubes for cooling were put out the bodywork. Drivers were Stewart, Spence and Irwin. With P83 Stewart obtained a good 2nd at Spa: he was leading but, after having lost the 5 speed, he had to leave the victory to Gurney. This is the version I'm trying to make with the kit. The new P115 (only one chassis was made) was less lucky with poor results: the version of the kit is that of Monza 1967. The H16 was mounted on a third version of chassis, the P109, which was only a car for exhibition: MFH did a great work, even with the usual difficult fitting: so, as usual, fitting test are required: Here the bodywork over the chassis: This is the P83 only since I forgot to make pics when doing the fitting test of the P115!!! Here the P83 again after rivetting (0.4 ScaleHardware): The green arrow shows where the rivets are different from all the other, like the real car: The couple of green arrows shows where the rivets were not put since there will be put the tube for cooling: As you can see, the inside of the car is masked by TAM tape since I preferred to paint the mounted model. For painting I used (for the first time in my modeler life) the Zero Paints. After two coats were dryed I used an abrasive cream: Then I sanded with TAM 2000: Don't be afraid! At the end the P83 will be like the P115 you can see on the background: ...but I'm running. Before I have to mount all the other parts of the kit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 The engine. Here some pics of the time (1966) from "Road & Track" (I seem): This is the 1966 P83, so there are some differences with the 1967 version (for example the gearbox was gold - or brass - and the upper arm of the rear suspension is still present), but don't worry, when necessary I will underline the difference. The P83 and P115 engines are similar: visible difference is the head-cover, which was gold (brass) in P83 and aluminium in P115. As to the word "BRM" on the head-cover I have my opinion: it was painted RED, even if in some pics of the period the red disappeared. For me is due to the use and not because it was not painted red. I mounted the two engines OOB and here I will show only the changes I've made. The wiring in the instructions has inverted colour scheme. Moreover, it is too difficult put the wires when engine is totally mounted. So I put the black wires before: I noted that the black wires were coupled by a red band (see the pics above): so I took a 0.2 red plasticard where I made some holes: Then I cut the right shape and rounded the sides: The first two black wires were coupled by the band with two holes: The first couple was put together with the second couple by the rounded red band with four holes: Finally the four black wires passed into the straight red band with four holes: Here the finished work over the real pics. I seem it matched well: For the wires for the spark-plug kit had the ususal clear-yellow wire. Since BRM almost always used a yellow wire, I used a yellow wire too and I added some 0.5 nuts: Here all the wires are in place: Finally the two engines finished (P83 on the left): Both were painted with Alclad Matt Aluminium. Brass the cover of the P83. Where you can see some darker pieces it was used Gunze Metal Black. Both engines have to be washed yet. to be continued... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Welcome to the Forum as a member. That is some impressive modelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphfan Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Looking really nice. BRM's are amongst my favourite race cars, partly because I live only a few miles from Bourne in Lincolnshire where these cars were produced. I also spent many years working at Mirrless Blackstone in Stamford. A few of the engineers from BRM came to work there after their time at the Bourne workshops. Luckily for me I got to know some of them and they had wonderful stories to tell. In October the BRM cars will again run round the town of Bourne along with some other cars from 1962 grands prix. This is to celebrate 50 years since the Championship. It will be a spectacular day and I am hoping to get some good photos. http://brmday.co.uk/ Looking forward to seeing more progress on your model. Regards, Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Many thanks to all of you for your nice words. For Steve: thanks for that news. I'll try to be there, too BRAKES. Here a couple of pics of the time (1966 Mexico - 1966 Monaco) of the rear of the car: As you could see the calipers have on the top a reversed U tube to balance brake fluid. They are not present in the kit: so it is necessary to be done: On the sides (insterted on toothpiks) the calipers, already painted with matt aluminium; in the middle the U tube mentioned before; down the 0.5 nuts by Calibre35 (painted with silver); up the connectors for the brake wires (will be painted with brass). Here the U tube are in place with the nuts (in the middle the original caliper of the kit): These are the disks (4 p/e parts for eachone), whiche were painted with Humbrol Metalic Steel: As you can see in the first two pics, the brake wires from the calipers run together with the upper arm of the rear suspension in 1966, while in 1967, when the upper arm was removed, they passed over the gearbox, as you could see in the pics above (Canada 1967): Unfortunately I did not find any pic of the time big enough to show you the front brake wire, so I've taken a pic of the remained car: This is the final result of the rear (red arrow): This is the final result of the front: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) The Front. As usually, a pair of pics of the time to show you the front of the car. The first is the P83 at the presentation, when the tubes from the front radiator were inside the bodywork; the second is the Spence P83 at the 1967 Canadian GP, where the tubes were outside the bodywork: Little change to the radiator. Like the other last MFH kits, also this one has the inside of the radiatory empty, so you can see through. Therefore a little plasticard (then painted aluminium) has to be insterted inside the radiator: On the left the radiator of the kit, on the right the radiator with the plasticard added. This is the upper arm of the front suspension with the frame for fitting to the chassis. As you can see it is an unique piece: To create more realism, I cutted the upper arm of the suspension from the frame, so I could put the frame alone to the chassis, making a 0.8 hole on each side were I inserted a 0.8 brass tube which will take in position the upper arm: In the middle of this pic there is the damper of the kit, which I cut in two pieces (A), inserting a 0.8 stainless tube in the upper part and making an hole in the lower part: On the right of the pic there is the upper arm where I made a 0.8 hole. This is the final result. Remember to paint the springs with semi-gloss black: These are the lower arms of the front suspension; on the right of the pic those of the kit: The red arrows show the rear lower arm of the front suspension: instead of polishing and making rounded them, I preferred to cut them and changing with a 1.2 stainless tube (red arrows on the left): Here the whole suspension in place: The holes on the front of the upper arm where closed with a flange rivet (one for each side). The arms of the front suspension were all sanded until a chrome look. The hubes were painted with a 1:1 mixing of Gunze Metal Black and Steel, whereas the part in the middle with Matt Aluminium. Here the whole front of the car: To be underlined: 1) the final parts of the steering where changed with 1.0 stainless tube. 2) radiator, all its tubes and tank were all painted with Alclad Matt Aluminium and washed with Gunze Smoke Blue. 3) all the black shrink tubes and hose clamps are those of the kit. 4) the bottles of the fluids were painted with Matt Aluminium whereas their caps were only polished. At least the roll-bar, which was present in the P115 only: The red arrows show were it was painted with matt black to simulate the hole: this part will go out from the nose and will be visible. Edited August 28, 2012 by edi956 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 To complete the front suspension, here is the front of the P83: the red arrows to show that the ending part of the steering was not fitted since I want to wait for the tyres. The red arrows A show that the tubes from the front radiator has not been fitted since they will be connected with the tubes which run over the bodywork, and I'd be sure of the right lenght. The red arrow B shows the changed stainless tube: A part of the tubes from the radiator which run in a different way, the front suspension is almost the same in the two cars. Here some pics of the P83 again: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 5 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Very nice , the detail work looks 1st class. Red 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Many thanks to Red5. Since one of the previous post showed this situation of the P83: and I promised that at the end it would be like the P115 bodywork, here the P83 bodywork after the last coat of ZP BRM racing green: ant then after decalling and clear coat: The green arrow shows the decal #17 which in the instructions Hiro lost: it has to be applied there. COCKPIT The following pics to show where I put the Scale Hardware 0.4 stainless rivets: It was the same for the two cars. Two pics of the time of the dashboard. The first at the 1966 Press, the second at 1966 US GP. They clearly show that there was a switch more on the left on the front of the dashboard, and two "circles" at both side on the rear of the dashboard...which Hiro forgotten. Here the front of the dashboard of the kit: and the rear; on the right the "new" dashboard with the two "circles" added (red arrows): As you can see, the dashboard was all black and not the front black and the rear aluminium as written in the instructions. Finally (here apologize for the quality of the pic) the spanner added to the steering, since in the kit it was not present: After his accident, Stewart wanted a spanner into the cockpit. Here the P83: The P115: and into the Matra cockpits of the following years, 1968 and 1969 rispectively: On the BRM the spanner was on the steering, while on the MS10 and MS80 was on the left side-panel. I'm not totally sure of the "tartan" tissue of the driver seat, since it had to be like the band that Stewart had on his helmet (and like the cap which the mecanich on the left was wearing). Here was the 1967 Spring Cup at Oulton Park: Here the Stewart's P83 at the paddock of the 1967 British GP, where the seat is clearly visible due to the fact that Jackie was not inside the cockpit: Here the decal of the kit for the driver seat: A nightmare! The decal is too hard and the seat rounded: A long and hard job with MicroSol: MicroSol again: ...and again: ...but I finally I was able to cover the driver seat: Remember that it was covered by a tissue: so, when the decal was dry a couple of coat with matt clear are needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 That's a cracking build so far looking forward to more update's Cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphfan Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 You have done a great job on the seat. Pity the tartan decal was so poor, was it supplied in the kit? If it was, I think MFH need to have a closer look at some ref pics as the pattern is awful (IMO) Anyway, the BRM is looking awesome overall so far, good work. Regards, Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Hi. Excellent work on the car. I attended the 1966 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch and saw Graham Hill drive his BRM into third place. I then became a race marshal and had the pleasure of meeting Hill, Clark, Stewart and many others on several occasions, the 60s and 70s were a wonderful time in motor racing. I do not think that Jackie would be very happy with his tartan. Robin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) Many thanks to all for the compliments. For Steve: yes, that tartan was that of the kit. I wrote to Hiro to ask them them if they like to have the right tartan but no reply from them! For Robin: you are right, I guess that Jackie coudn't be happy looking at this tartan! For all the peolpe: please, if I make any mistake writing in English, don't esitate to tell me. To finish the different parts of the cockpit, the last is the gear lever, where I changed the wire, since in the real car was thinner than that of the kit: And now we can put in place all the finished parts of the cockpit. Moreover I can show you the differences between the two cars. As you could see in these pics of the time, the steering of the P83 was not red as the instructions say, but almost brown: So I painted it with TAM Hull-Red: Whereas the steering of the P115 was red: Another big difference between P83 and P115 was the seat-belt. Here a pic of Stewart's P83 at 1967 Spa, with no seat belt: Here the unique pic I have of Stewart with P115 at 1967 Monza. He had the seat belts: Those seat-belts were a little different from the seat-belts we usually see some years later. Those of Stewart were a 4 points and with two big band in the lower part, as you can see in this nice pic by Schlegelmilk at the 1967 British GP: Yes, this is a P83, but it means that from the 1967 British GP forward all the Stewart cars had seat-belts. So I began with the lower part of the seat-belts, reproducing the two bands with a black tape where I glued a pair of little washer on each side: Then I realized the other two vertical parts, without putting any sticker since it is not clear if they were "Willans" or "GQ" or other: Very very nice the harness for the seat-belts which Hiro made. Here the dashboard with the two added parts: No differences between the two cars as to the dashboard: No differences as to the gear too: The P83 had a little protection on the right panel of the cockpit and down between the knees: The P115 had no protections: Unfortunately, the driver seats were the same for the two cars: it means put the decals over two seats intead of one alone. But the headrest was different. Like the seat for P83: Black for P115: Edited September 9, 2012 by edi956 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Rear suspension. Here a dry fitting test fo the rear suspension: It is the same for both P83 and P115, but different from the P83/1966 one, having lost the upper arm. Again a dry fitting test, with the wheels added: Here the complete assembling; P115 on the right, with the oil tank already in place: Both rear suspensions have already to be washed. Gearboxes were painted with Humbrol Gun Metal. The frames and the upper arms were different: Alclad Gun Metal for P83, Alclad Aluminium for P115. The oil tank was painted with Alclad Matt Aluminium. Now it's time to fit the engine to the chassis. First step. Fitting test for the screws (red arrows) of the little frame which keeps the lower part of the engine: Second step. Verifying the holes for the engine on the chassis (A) and fitting test for the lower arms of the rear suspension ( Third step. Fitting test of the frame to the engine: The red arrow shows were the engine has to be sanded a little for a right fitting. Fourth step. Fitting the frame to the chassis: Finally, both engines can be fitted to the chassis: Here the filter on the engine has been added: The instructions say to paint this filter with "Right Blue": remember that Japanese people are not able to say the "R", so they make confusion between "R" and "L". Therefore the correct word is "Light Blue". Anyway, that colour doesn't match the real one, as you could see in those pics of the time: Therefore I used the Humbrol Matt 87, which matches better the real one, even if the flash altered its appearance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 After the engine, we can add the whole rear suspension. Here the P83: Here the P115: The red arrows show were it's necessary to paint matt black to simulate holes. No great differences between the two cars, a part of those I wrote in the last post as to the painting of the rear suspension. Moreover, I painted Satin Red the damper of P83. The P83 only, as you can see in this pic, had a covering of the engine and gearbox: MFH made this covering, nothing to say...: ...but this kit is the "1967 Belgian GP" version: as you can see in the above pic of Stewart at that GP, the engine cover is shorter, so the one of the kit has to be shortened (red arrow): so I cut the engine cover, also cutting the piece with the red arrows which would be used to glue the covering over the engine: Here the hooks to keep in place the engine cover: On the P83 again, the engine head cover were connected to the oil tank with a clear yellow tube, one for each side (on P115 there was a stiff aluminium tube): So, as the instructions say, I made those connections: But, as wrote before, this is the 1967 Belgian GP: In the same pic of before, please, look at where that connection was. It is better showed in this pic on the P83 Stewart used as a spare at 1967 Italian GP: Therefore that connection has to be made in the right way: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Stunning work, you got me drooling, thanks for sharing it with us. Colin on the Africa Station Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Great detail, always loved these racing cars from the 60's and 70's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg265 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Hi Edi, Glad to meet you here too! Nice build of course. Pascal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Many thanks to all of you for your nice words. Not convinced by the yellow tube over the engine of the P83, I sanded and washed it to make it closer to the real car: On the left before and on the right after the "treatment". Here the piece in place: I think it is better now. As I previously said I didn't like the tartan of the seats. I found another one which matches better than the Hiro one, I seem: So I scanned and printed it on a decal. Then one coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film and a pair of coats of Matt Clear. After some washes, this is the final result: On the P115 I re-made the seat-belts since they were too large. It is not the same tartan of the real car yet, but closer to it than the Hiro one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Here the fitting test of the cooling tubes of P83, where the red arrow shows that some adjustment is needed: So some sanding job has been done at A and B: Moreover, in my kit both the tubes were of the left side. So I inverted the bending of one of them to adapt it to the right side, but it was not long enough (red arrow): Never mind, that point will be covered by the hose. Here the final result: The windshield. Very difficult but very well done by Hiro. Both the cars had two windshields each: one great surrounding the cockpit and a smaller one just in front of the steeringwheel. Moreover, that of the P83 had a hole corresponding to the cap of the tube which connected the tanks of each side: Well done the rear mirrors, too; three pieces eachone: the rear-mirror (painted with Alclad Matt Aluminium), the mirror and the plaque inside the windshield: Here the two cars together: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 Tyres/Wheels The wheels were magnesium so I painted them with Alclad Magnesium. I know that the turned part of the wheel of the kit is nice to see as it is, but it is a mistake to leave it unpainted: ALL the wheel has to be painted with Magnesium, as you can see in these pics of the period: 1966 Press: tyres were Dunlop, whereas in 1967 they became GY, as you can see in the following pic made at 1967 Canadian GP: These are those of the P115 not washed yet: These are those of the P83, washed with Gunze Smoke Grey (H-95): The blue circle is the decal of the kit: it could be applied on the outside only or outside and inside. The name GY is the decal of the kit, that kind you put on the tyre and then put a drop of water on it: same of the other, outside only or both outside and inside. The side of the tyre was then painted with Alclad Matt Clear; then, with a finger, a wash with a black powder was done. The surface of the tyre which touches the track has been washed in this way: since I'm a smoker (unfortunately), I collected all the ashes I find into my ashtrey + the powder I found under my desk. Then, keeping each tyre between two fingers, I rolled it into that dirt. Finally, with a clean finger, I removed the excess. Here the final result on the P115: And here the P83: Two words about the engine meshes. The P115 had flat meshes on the trumpets of the engine, so I used those of the kit: For the P83 I began to prepare the meshes of the kit: ...but it was not necessary, since the real car had no meshes at Spa: it is the only pic I have on the side, but the first cylinder is visible and it is withouth mesh. So the P83 engine has to be leave with no meshes: Finally, to be remembered is the rear roll-bar of both the cars, since in the kit it is an unique piece; so few matt black has to be painted at the ends (red arrows)s: I was not yet satisfied by the tartan of the seat, so I looked for a tissue of Royal Stewart Tartan. I found a site where they sell all kind of tartan and I bought the smallest one: The problem was to put it on the seats and the headrest: The one on the right and that on the middle are too large, so my choice was the one of the left. after cutting the red borders: Each band was then glued on the seats; horizontal for one seat and vertical for the other one: I did not like the seat with the horizontal bands, so I tried to put the other tissue and this is was happened: Yes, the tartan is too large, but (for me) it was better than before, even thinking that it will be covered by the seat-belts (which I re-made). This is the final version of the P115 cockpit: and this is the final version of the P83 cockpit: I'm not still satisfied, but it is much better than the previous two cockpits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 The nosecones. P115: no problem, built OOB, a part of reducing the inside of the nosecone to let the fitting: On the left the green arrow shows the work already done; on the left the tickness of the original nosecone. Here the final result: P83: here Stewart at Spa: as you can see, inside the nosecone there were some flaps which Hiro didn't make. So I made a mould of the inside of the nosecone: Then I wrote with a pencil the shape of the flaps; the nosecone in the pic is that of the P83 of Spencer at Monza: With 0.2 mm plasticard I made the flaps: Here a fitting test: After painting with semigloss black and washed with dry aluminium, I glued the two parts inside the nosecone, in front of the mesh: Here the two cars together: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi956 Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 B.R.M. P83 B.R.M. P115 Together 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 edi956, That is a nice pair of BRMs you have built. Thank you for posting such a detailed build thread, some of the techniques will be tried on my next large scale F1 build, though I doubt I will take up smoking to get that effect on the tyres, though it does look good. Cheers, Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macgregor Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 A couple of great builds, great detail & research, well done. Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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