MFH 1/12 '64 Ferrari 250 GTO

[bigbadbadge]

I like the engine, it looks great, hope you can sort out the leads to your satisfaction okay, the spoked wheel will be lovely,  must be very pleasing to see those develp as you do those.

Great work 

Chris

[Octavian]

20 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

I like the engine, it looks great, hope you can sort out the leads to your satisfaction okay, the spoked wheel will be lovely,  must be very pleasing to see those develp as you do those.

Great work 

Chris

 

Chris,

 

Many thanks; I appreciate it. I have cleaned up the leads a bit and I think they look much better, but the stiffness of the wire still makes them look a bit unnatural to my eye. I think I will try a different, more flexible, wire. The wheels are definitely fun, though tedious.

 

Thanks again!

 

Best,

Andrew

[Octavian]

Ok, back into the fray. Work has been demanding lately, but I have been chipping away at bits of the project here and there when I can. I have made a bit of headway.

 

Getting the carburetor built was the next order of business on the engine. Here is a partial section, with Weber decals applied. I was trying to get a more matte surface for these pieces, so I went with vallejo metal colors; a mist coat of "copper", covered with "dull aluminum." I applied copper directly to the gasket near the bottom.

 

 

Here is the carburetor nearly, but not completely assembled, on the block:

 

 

 

 

Some detail pics:

 

 

 

You can see the tiny PE "springs" here; not as convincing as actual springs, obviously, but they look pretty good, especially when seen with the naked eye.

 

 

The engine is nearing completion! Still a good bit more to do, but the major pieces have now come together. I have been planning my approach to beginning work on the chassis, and in the process of organizing pieces, discovered that a few were missing from the kit. I emailed Kyoko Hiro, from MFH who takes care of customer support and she very kindly (and very swiftly!) mailed the missing pieces to me free of charge. She was wonderful to work with; kind and very accommodating. She even included this paper crane in the package!

 

 

This level of attention and care to customer concerns speaks volumes about the high quality of MFH as a company.

 

In related news (it is related to the GTO, I promise) I built a little model tractor (Porsche Diesel Junior 108) with my nephew (age 10) to show him what building models was like; we had a fun time, and it was an excuse to test out the paint I am planning to use on the body of the 250 GTO:

 

 

The paint here is Zero Paints "Rosso Chiaro" (Ferrari 20-R-190). I was uncertain about which paint to get for the car, as there seems to be some uncertainty (at least as far as I was able to find) about the exact paint used on the '64 GTO. The shade is apparently "Rosso Cina," but I couldn't find a Ferrari "Rosso Cina" in the Zero Paints database. I contacted them, and they were very helpful, indicating that there were two possibilities; there is a shade from that era called "Rosso Cina" used by Fiat, and apparently it wasn't uncommon for these companies to borrow each other's paints at times, and there is also "Rosso Chiaro," which the gentleman from Zero Paints indicated is often used in restoring 250 GTOs. I bought both, and tried the Fiat paint first; it came out very orange, and not at all like the color I want, so I tried the Rosso Chiaro on this tractor, and I like the results. So, thus shall it be for the Ferrari.

 

Work on the wire wheels proceeds slowly. Not terribly difficult work but slow and tedious.

 

Thanks for reading; I hope this finds everyone well.

 

Best,

Andrew

 

[danibear]

Hey Andrew, glad to help! 

[Octavian]

I have one completed wheel. Here is a brief time-lapse series of photos:

 

 

 

 

 

This was fun to do, in a very tedious sort of way. I won't say I'm thrilled to have three more of these to do, but so it goes. Breaking them up in between other work on the car seems a good idea, so that it isn't a solid week or two of nothing but this. Subsequent wheels should go much quicker now that I have a feel for it. As with the whole kit, the engineering here by MFH is superb. They come together quite easily once you have the feel of it.

 

I have also been working on painting and detailing the exhaust. Here are a few pics:

 

 

 

I've used Mr. Weathering Color (multi black), Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color (brown), and some rust that I swiftly made by soaking some old scalpel blades in a bath of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and salt. The blades began to rust almost instantly, and after 24 hours, I had plenty of rust to apply in small bits as needed.

 

Till next time,

Andrew

[Codger]

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.

[Octavian]

1 hour ago, Codger said:

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.

 

Codger,

 

Many thanks. I do have my sights set on doing a Pocher at some point in the future (gulp). Having never done one, I can't say from experience, but they look more labor-intensive and difficult than a MFH. The sense I get from studying your Pocher thread is that they require a greater DIY mentality, and more engineering ingenuity. There is definitely some of that in this MFH kit, but so far it's pretty much come together without much need for out-of-the-box thinking (both literally and figuratively).

 

Thanks as always for the comment. I hope you are doing well.

 

Best,

Andrew

[bigbadbadge]

The wheel looks awesome,  as do the Carbs on the motor. A very innovative idea for the rust effects too, that might be handy so stored in the old noggin,  thanks for he tip.

Great work 

Chris

[Octavian]

Chris,

 

Many thanks; there were a few moments of frustration with the wire lacing, but I think I have the hang of it now. I'm glad the rust tip is helpful; I was pondering how to get a true rust look, when the obvious occurred to me: "why not use rust?" Ockham's Razor at work.

 

All best,

Andrew

[bigbadbadge]

Hi Andrew

I would love to do a wire wheeled car like that, may be one Day. Your wheel looks very impressive and the rust tip is a good one as it would be ideal for a scrape on a car or an AFV even. Good thinking that man .

Chris

[Octavian]

4 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Hi Andrew

I would love to do a wire wheeled car like that, may be one Day. Your wheel looks very impressive and the rust tip is a good one as it would be ideal for a scrape on a car or an AFV even. Good thinking that man .

Chris

 

Much appreciated.

[Codger]

53 minutes ago, Octavian said:

 

I do have my sights set on doing a Pocher at some point in the future (gulp). Having never done one, I can't say from experience, but they look more labor-intensive and difficult than a MFH. The sense I get from studying your Pocher thread is that they require a greater DIY mentality, and more engineering ingenuity. There is definitely some of that in this MFH kit, but so far it's pretty much come together without much need for out-of-the-box thinking (both literally and figuratively).

 

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

[Octavian]

Codger,

 

That is a helpful breakdown of the differences. A Pocher is more of a partially blank canvas, perhaps, both offering and demanding more build freedom. The results that are possible (as with your RR or Cox's work) speak for themselves. I'm developing a growing appetite for this particular brand of insanity: a good kind of crazy. Any advice on the best way to track down a Pocher? Ebay is the obvious answer, but given your knowledge of that part of the modelling world, you may have some better or additional suggestions. When the time comes to try my hand at a Pocher, count on a lot of questions from me!

 

Best,

Andrew

[Codger]

11 minutes ago, Octavian said:

That is a helpful breakdown of the differences. A Pocher is more of a partially blank canvas, perhaps, both offering and demanding more build freedom. The results that are possible (as with your RR or Cox's work) speak for themselves. I'm developing a growing appetite for this particular brand of insanity: a good kind of crazy. Any advice on the best way to track down a Pocher? Ebay is the obvious answer, but given your knowledge of that part of the modelling world, you may have some better or additional suggestions. When the time comes to try my hand at a Pocher, count on a lot of questions from me!

 

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 [email protected] 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..

[Octavian]

Codger,

 

This is wonderful, thank you. It'll be a while before I am ready to venture down that path, but it is one I want to venture down. I will check out the various resources you listed here and keep my eyes open on ebay should anything promising pop up.

 

Somewhat relatedly, have you ever thought about trying your hand at a MFH kit? That's a build thread I would be very interested to see!

 

All best,

Andrew

Edited July 12, 2021 by Octavian

[Codger]

8 hours ago, Octavian said:

Somewhat relatedly, have you ever thought about trying your hand at a MFH kit? That's a build thread I would be very interested to see!

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...

[Octavian]

4 hours ago, Codger said:

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...

 

I completely understand. Some of these parts are vexingly small; watchmaking-type bits. For instance, a bit of PE I was working with yesterday:

 

 

So dang tough to work with! Makes a man respect the Swiss.

 

Best,

Andrew

[Codger]

Yikes !

[Michael Church]

Andrew, thanks for posting the photo of a PE part slightly the size of a dust mite. It reminded me to seek this board's collective wisdom. Have you (or anyone here!) found any surprise ideas for cleaning up and handling these parts? I use a flat jeweler's pliers to hold bits while filing off the PE fret tags, but it's difficult even to get the smallest parts aligned properly in the jaws. I'd also be incredibly happy to hear if there are magic tweezers for moving tiny PE parts around without damaging paint. I tried wrapping tweezers with Tamiya masking tape, but that's a little like wearing mittens. But bare metal tweezers make it even more likely I'll grasp too hard and shoot parts across the room.

 

Separately, watching this build makes me think I might need an MFH 1/12 kit...maybe an Alfa P2.  

[silver911]

13 minutes ago, Michael Church said:

Andrew, thanks for posting the photo of a PE part slightly the size of a dust mite. It reminded me to seek this board's collective wisdom. Have you (or anyone here!) found any surprise ideas for cleaning up and handling these parts? I use a flat jeweler's pliers to hold bits while filing off the PE fret tags, but it's difficult even to get the smallest parts aligned properly in the jaws. I'd also be incredibly happy to hear if there are magic tweezers for moving tiny PE parts around without damaging paint. I tried wrapping tweezers with Tamiya masking tape, but that's a little like wearing mittens. But bare metal tweezers make it even more likely I'll grasp too hard and shoot parts across the room.

 

Separately, watching this build makes me think I might need an MFH 1/12 kit...maybe an Alfa P2.  

 

For handling PE onto painted surfaces I use these.......https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284256133311?epid=6039673405&hash=item422efc60bf:g:TPMAAOSwPVJgdYhK

 

The self grip of them is not harsh...so doesn't induce the dreaded firing across the room event...and helps reduce stress in the hands.

 

For holding PE parts to clean the nubs off I use these.......https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262993492296?hash=item3d3ba23948:g:x5gAAOSw8HBZHuxp

 

What I did was to roughen up the nylon with abrasive paper or a diamond file.

 

With the very tiny parts...any kind of tweezers or pliers is still very difficult...so...I use a small drop of CA...and bond the PE piece to a short length of small diameter ali tube...then simply pass it through a lighter flame a couple of times to break the bond and remove the CA.

 

All the above works great with any kind of PE...but don't use the CA/ali tube/lighter flame for any other mediums...such as white metal etc.

 

Ron

[Codger]

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........

[Octavian]

Wonderful tips from Ron; I have nothing to add to those great suggestions. I second Codger's tip of not working over carpet if possible; I have no choice, as the only work space I have is in my office in my apartment, which is carpeted, but it is not ideal. I have lost many small rivets down there, which I have had to replace.

[Codger]

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

[Octavian]

Yes, that is a good idea; I'll grab a tarp or something for the ground for when working with tiny bits.

[Sabrejet]

Great progress! The contrast between in-period GTOs (when at least one was brush-painted) and nowadays, when they get polished to within an inch of their life, is notable. Then they were just another sports racer; now they are often too valuable to race.