Jump to content

Ford GT40 1966, Meng, 1/12


Recommended Posts

I'm not going to document this one in the same depth as the Silver Ghost (which is probably a relief), because I think there'll be more along any minute...

 

pedals.jpg

 

The journey of 1000 miles etc... the first part the instructions would have you build is the pedal box.

 

rear-hubs-2.jpg

 

Rear wheel hubs. I've flipped the outer disc face, because as moulded it is deeply grooved, unlike any real functional brake. Humbrol Metalcote Steel makes for a convincing finish, though.

rear-suspension-2.jpg

 

rear-suspension.jpg

 

See those anti-roll links coming out at the right hand side above? Don't fit them at this stage, or if you do, tape them into an out-of-the-way position. You will break them off wrestling with the rest of construction later if you don't. I know this...

 

chassis-2.jpg

 

chassis-1.jpg

 

Those front brake cooling ducts were a complete swine to get into place... the vinyl seems very flexible, but isn't when it comes to the crunch!

best,

M.

  • Like 13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting to see this progress Matt, it looks like the suspension and running gear is a bit more refined than the Trumpeter kit, shame they had to use screws for assembly though. Meng did at least give you a spare wheel!

What colour did you use for the blue on the chassis and will it be Miles's #1 car?

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, Coors54 said:

Interesting to see this progress Matt, it looks like the suspension and running gear is a bit more refined than the Trumpeter kit, shame they had to use screws for assembly though. Meng did at least give you a spare wheel!

What colour did you use for the blue on the chassis and will it be Miles's #1 car?

 

Dave

It ought to be more refined than the magnifier at £200 more 😉😁

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, colin said:

It ought to be more refined than the magnifier at £200 more 😉😁

Well, they did also license it legally, and they didn’t ship a bunch of kits that were only supposed to be sold on the Chinese domestic market around the world... A Landwind X7 costs 1/3 of the price of a Land Rover Evoque as well 😜

best,

M.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Coors54 said:

Meng did at least give you a spare wheel!

 

 

You didn't get a spare wheel with the Trumpeter kit because with the way they engineered the front end, there was no way it would fit unless it was about 3mm thick...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys. It's an interesting kit, which is clearly designed to be assembled without any glue and minimum paint if you choose. I guess the pre-painted one doesn't even need the latter! All the parts are made from a variety of different grades of ABS, running the gamut from very crisp and glueable via tough and resilient to rubbery and rather flexible. I think the fact that a lot of the suspension parts are the resilient stuff is one of the reasons why screws are used to give strong joints. I don't think the tougher grades of ABS respond well to styrene cement. @Coors54 The blue is Tamiya TS-51 Racing Blue, and yes, it's going to be the Ken Miles car.

 

dash-from-left.jpg

 

dash-from-right.jpg

 

The dash is only six parts and some decals, but cleverly done to give chrome switches and instrument bezels with minimum effort. BTW, if anyone knows where to find any interior pictures of the Ken Miles car either in period or in the Shelby collection please point me at them! All I can find is a video of a couple of guys standing around the car and talking, with very little visible of any modelling reference use at all! I'd particularly like to know if all those switches were labelled at the 66 Le Mans race, because they seem to be in most restored or currently-raced cars, bu I can't find any evidence in period either way, still less what they actually control from left to right on that car (there seems to be no "standard" configuration in extant examples).

 

chassis-done-1.jpg

 

chassis-done-2.jpg

 

This is the initial build up of the chassis completed, which means it's time for...

 

engine-block-1.jpg

 

...work to begin on the engine. Again, no glue so far, and just a couple of screws holding the heads onto the block. If you paint anything on this kit, especially with primer, you need to mask or scrape clean the mounting pins and sockets.

 

best,

M.

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BESTBALSAKITS said:

i have 2 pics showing text labels identifying switches & gauges. Think both pics are period correct, and of actual nr1 car.
Just can't seem to find a way to post them here.

Wim

 

 

PM sent Wim

 

Ron

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Octane Magazine (issue 155 August 2016) there's an article on when the 1966 winning car was restored 'exactly' back to how it was on the day it won le Mans; after a previous over restoration.   The photos show that this car did have labels on the switches on the day it raced.  - Andy

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Toftdale said:

In Octane Magazine (issue 155 August 2016) there's an article on when the 1966 winning car was restored 'exactly' back to how it was on the day it won le Mans; after a previous over restoration.   The photos show that this car did have labels on the switches on the day it raced.  - Andy

Ah-hah... well spotted. It’s on my workbench now. I just wish there was a decent online index so all these copies of Octane I hoarded become the useful resource they were meant to be!

best,

M.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

Lovely looking kit there👍. Checked on the web to see who’s got them in stock!!!. When I found one I couldn’t believe the price.......£269 for the standard kit and £575 for the pre-painted version 👎. That’s off my list now. Brian...

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made good progress on the engine:

engine-montage.jpg

 

The vinyl for the spark plug wires is fantastic... super flexible, pops over the nubbins on the distributor and "plugs" really easily. The only question is that I'm not sure it's in the right place; the drawings of where it's meant to end up are not completely clear, and there's nothing to positively locate the wire-holding "brackets." That said, looking at my reference photos, there are a variety of placements of the real thing as well...

best,

M.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cmatthewbacon said:

Made good progress on the engine:

That said, looking at my reference photos, there are a variety of placements of the real thing as well...

best,

M.

Matt, Mercifully, most of the details you seek are not visible in the car. Your work is as neat as always; but the flaws are the major errors Meng made in imaginary shapes and plumbing.

1. The distributor is not wired that way. #8's wire is on the right side and goes across and the coil wire fits between two wires to get to the central terminal. The #3 wire is on the left side and goes to the engine's right side..

2. The exhaust ports are totally wrong. The plugs are angled, 2 front, 2 rear. The timing cover is thicker and the water pump has longer legs to fit in front of it. It has a longer snout and deeper pulley which fits over it.

3. The heads and intake are not gold; they are raw ally and the block is black.

4. The fuel line does not go to the block but to the pumps and filter mounted on the bulkhead.

5. The crankcase evacuation (PCV) hose goes from the manifold rear, through the pan  to a nipple on the side of the carb baseplate.

6. The wire looms you made are fine; leave them.

You will have an excellent model of a Meng but less so a GT MK II, through no fault of your own.

P7020014.jpg

3.jpg

COPPER1.jpg

P7280017.jpg

P7280018.jpg

 

 

  • Like 6
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be fair to Meng, the gold and blue are my fault, based on a couple of restoration videos I found... though none had a black block. It’s really hard to find decent pictures of one of the actual 66 engines out of the car, and probably even harder in China. I suspect the angled plugs would be impossible to mould and I’m quite glad not to be trying to insert tiny pegs instead. I think every model is a compromise between accuracy, detail and buildability, and this one is also done with snap fit in mind and a pre-painted one in the offing. I’m enjoying it, anyway...

best,

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Toftdale said:

Just came across this site, several photos of the winning during it last restoration. - Andy 

 

http://gt40.rkmotorscharlotte.com/car/

Thank you for this excellent resource Andy. Careful scrutiny clearly shows many details. 

The real problem for all of us except scratch builders is we must deal with or live with how manufacturers have designed our chosen kits. Compromises are inevitable but poor shapes, proportions and omissions are not.

In the '90's 1046 was restored by then-owner George Stauffer and that is the 'version' that Trumpeter measured. Stauffer was a vintage racer and installed a roll cage but the '66 cars raced without them (!). Although shortly after, cars for Daytona and Sebring got them. So this is what Trumpy gave us, the roll bar and modern anodized fittings on the plumbing.

As always, choices must be made by we builders as to the time, place and exact car we choose to replicate - or none. Then it comes down to finding and interpreting the info to get close. This vid is a great resource for accuracy. Chris Amon was a contributor. It clearly shows the engine front dress as I do and the black block and natural metal bits. Also shows the original lack of roll cage in the photos that Allin is flipping through.

Amazing to me is an engine photo of the shaft and rocker arms using the iron rockers, steel shaft and coil spring separators - for 24 hour endurance! This engine had a very 'tame' camshaft by spec which allowed the use of these marginal parts - 480+HP was enough to get to 200MPH for 24 hours. Contrast that to my photo above of the billet rollers, shaft and end stands I used which are vital to bigger power output builds of today. These are essential to my engine's 550HP and 6500RPM.

I admit this is all angels on the head of a pin - very little of any of the details will be seen in the complete model. It is more constructive to capture the character of the car. Although a corporate project by Ford, all the hand-built stuff to work at the track came from the Holman and Shelby teams, accounting for some differences.

Which is why I chose to build my model with features of many of them but not replicating one chassis number. Build your model to have the most fun and satisfaction...

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...