cmatthewbacon Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 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... The journey of 1000 miles etc... the first part the instructions would have you build is the pedal box. 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. 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... 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. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnuts Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Looking great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfk2002 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 How’s the quality of the kit? I am really excited this build. Thanks for inviting us on the journey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coors54 Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 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 More sharing options...
colin Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 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 More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 They licensed it once, they probably thought that ment forever 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 6 minutes ago, colin said: They licensed it once, they probably thought that ment forever 😀 I think Trumpeter licensed it once. The Magnifier kit has an interesting history, to say the least... best, M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Their one and the same aren't they Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo NZ Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 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... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 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. 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). This is the initial build up of the chassis completed, which means it's time for... ...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. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BESTBALSAKITS Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver911 Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 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 More sharing options...
silver911 Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Here are the two pics from Wim...plus one I had... Hope they help Ron 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toftdale Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 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 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 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. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brizo Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 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... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc2 Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 Hi Matt, Great job on this, you have captured the colour of the steel brake disc faces exactly! M. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 11 hours ago, Brizo said: When I found one I couldn’t believe the price.......£269 for the standard kit and £575 Let’s just say it wasn’t that expensive from Hong Kong... best, M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 Made good progress on the engine: 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. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 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. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Re the ABS plastic I believe Mr S Cement is meant work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 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 More sharing options...
Toftdale Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Just came across this site, several photos of the winning during it last restoration. - Andy http://gt40.rkmotorscharlotte.com/car/ 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 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... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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