Ferrari 156/85, Tameo, 1:43

[dr_gn]

I was very tempted to have a go at a metal model after a break of about 35 years. One of last ones I built was a HiFi 1:43 Ferrari 156/85, when I was 15:

 

 

My Dad got it me for Christmas after going to Silverstone for the tyre tests and Grand Prix in the summer of ‘85. Despite going to Grands Prix since I was less than a year old, that ‘85 Ferrari was really the first time I’d got to see and appreciate an F1 car up close, so it’ll always be a special car for me. Here are a couple of pics I took at the time with my Dad’s Olympus Trip:

 

 

Anyway, despite really wanting to build another, I quickly put the thought of yet another kit to the back of my mind, considering the load of other half finished projects I’ve got. I did mention it to a like-minded friend at work though...

Fast forward a few weeks to my birthday, and to my amazement, my work colleagues had had a whip round and presented me with this; the latest iteration of the kit. Beautifully presented in a neat box, it’s almost too nice to open, but when you do, it’s a treat: these days you get photo-etch, coil springs and pre-printed tyres, as well as crisply moulded white metal:

 

 

So here's the finished model - really nice build, only additions were p/e rivets for the engine cover fasteners and tin foil for the mirrors. Photos are a bit blotchy for some reason, but, here they are anyway:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Vesa Jussila]

Really nice one. Please share more your work in future.

[klubman01]

Nicely put together, well done!

Trevor

[Kitkent]

An excellent model,and beautifully made too. I still have a couple of Hi Fi kits too,it’s very nice to see some more 1/43 kits on here.

Chris.

[keefr22]

That's beautiful, real little gem of a Ferrari!

 

Keith

[Roger Holden]

Great effort, especially the back end details. And any 43rd model which includes the driver's air pipe gets a 'Thumbs Up' from me.  I've got the Bosica kit to build, which is a pretty daunting prospect.

[dr_gn]

9 hours ago, Roger Holden said:

Great effort, especially the back end details. And any 43rd model which includes the driver's air pipe gets a 'Thumbs Up' from me.  I've got the Bosica kit to build, which is a pretty daunting prospect.

Thanks. I’ve seen the Bosica kit; I thought some of the details were a bit clunky (or maybe that should be ‘over scale’) even so, it’s a very detailed kit.

[Roger Holden]

3 hours ago, dr_gn said:

Thanks. I’ve seen the Bosica kit; I thought some of the details were a bit clunky (or maybe that should be ‘over scale’

The only things over scale are the suede covering they provided for the seat, fabric belts and carbon fibre texture on the wings. Everything else is exemplary, especially the mechanical parts and wheels, which have never been bettered . But it's an extremely complex kit and the crude hand-drawn instructions are woeful ( but typical for its time). It's generally regarded as a landmark kit, as there was nothing remotely similar at the time and in some respects, still isn't.

[dr_gn]

27 minutes ago, Roger Holden said:

The only things over scale are the suede covering they provided for the seat, fabric belts and carbon fibre texture on the wings. Everything else is exemplary, especially the mechanical parts and wheels, which have never been bettered . But it's an extremely complex kit and the crude hand-drawn instructions are woeful ( but typical for its time). It's generally regarded as a landmark kit, as there was nothing remotely similar at the time and in some respects, still isn't.

 

I have to disagree, assuming this is the model were talking about?

 

https://suberfactory.com/ferrari-156-85-1985-1-43-vincenzo-bosica/

 

Then the back end is OK, but things get progressively worse as you work forwards. The windscreen, wishbone pivot and suspension access panel fasteners are woefully oversized, as are the track-rod ends. Likewise with the lower front wishbone apertures in the body - huge rectangular black holes which are not realistic at all. The front wishbones are too spindly, and the front uprights protrude from inside the wheels - they should fit completely within them.

 

I've spent a lot of time around F1 cars from this era - both from in the pits and as a spectator. It's undoubtedly a complex and detailed kit, but some fundamental parts of it simply aren't right.

[Roger Holden]

Ok; you've obviously studied the car a lot, which I haven't. Agree about the wishbones and track rods. I read a Japanese critique of the kit, which said the recent MFH kit is the most accurate. Thanks for pointing out those errors, which I shall attempt to fix, if I ever get around to it.

 

FWIW, some of Tameo's kits are pretty crappy, especially those more than 25 years old. I've nearly finished (after several attempts), his Lotus 79 WCT kit and every part is either modified or scratch built.

[dr_gn]

17 minutes ago, Roger Holden said:

Ok; you've obviously studied the car a lot, which I haven't. Agree about the wishbones and track rods. I read a Japanese critique of the kit, which said the recent MFH kit is the most accurate. Thanks for pointing out those errors, which I shall attempt to fix, if I ever get around to it.

 

FWIW, some of Tameo's kits are pretty crappy, especially those more than 25 years old. I've nearly finished (after several attempts), his Lotus 79 WCT kit and every part is either modified or scratch built.

Yeah I’m not saying Tameo kits are perfect, nor that my model is - far from it. When I got mine, I did look at the others out there, and saw the Boscia version, then saw the prices they go for. That prompted me to look a bit further because apart from the engine detail I couldn’t fathom why they went for so much.

 

I guess it’s of it’s time, like the modified Tamiya 1:12 F1 cars by…can’t remember his name, but they went for multiple thousands of pounds. There was an MP4/6 built by him on EBay for years at a stupid asking price, but the reality is that you can easily achieve far more detail these days with a Tamiya kit and Top Studio detail upgrades.

 

Re. The 156/85, a Tameo base kit with 3D printed mechanical details would be a good option. Wait long enough and it will happen…

[Roger Holden]

I got my Bosica kit in the 90s, from a friend who knew Bosica, so I got it at trade price ( still pricey, though). Every couple of years I get it out and fondle the parts....

 

Tameo has been using 3d printing to produce the masters for his cast parts since the mid-90s (maybe earlier). I always wondered what the weird striations on the underside of the body parts was, but it all seems so obvious now.... He was an early user of that technology, probably not long after he started using cad.

 

3d printing has a lot of potential for improving some of the old cast kits ( like your HiFi), where they haven't been superseded by something better. Stuff like accurate gearboxes, brake ducts, rear uprights, wheels and treaded tyres (1950s-60s).

[desert falcon]

Looks very good, especially given the relatively small scale (at least to me)