absmiami Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 Wow - my first build blog - finally got an "eye phone" - and learned how to take pictures - and even download them. So into the modern world we go ...... Buried somewhere on the workbench is a 1/24th Merit Cooper FIII. Kinda rare. Bought mine years ago as semi-built-up. Started but not painted or finished. Gonna actually build this with a thin-cast resin body from Guido or ScaleKraft fame. It's a knock-off of the Merit body with a nice thin casting. Also kinda rare - I've never seen another one. To the best of my knowledge, Guido stopped casting before he actually produced a resin kit of the Cooper - which is a shame. Anyway, I'm a complete sucker for Merit kits - got a bunch. Delayed this build until I found some photo-etch that could be used for the chain drive - which I finally stumbled upon recently - more on this later. This is not a "real time" build. The work on the body and chassis was begun earlier this year. I'll post as I have time and sort of catch up on the build as I near completion. Here goes . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 almost forgot : It's always critical to keep you workbench clean and well organized !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWT Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 Oh yeah... Looks like mine most of the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 thanks ! you're my first replydon't you win something ?actually - I took the workbench shot AFTER I cleaned it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustyMojave Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 LOL!I bought my 1st model kit in 1960 from a gentleman who owned and raced a Cooper 500 here in SoCal. Harry Morrow owned a bookstore that is still in business in Burbank, CA. - Autobooks. Jay Leno is an often customer. As a kid I used to watch Harry and a few others race their Cooper 500s.Another model builder I know, Dale King, grew up near Harry's store and as a young man built a very detailed larger scale model of Harry's Cooper, going to Harry's house to take measurements and pictures. Awesome model.I still have a few pieces of my older brother's Merit Cooper in my parts boxes. That model was crushed in an earthquake in 1971. I have a resin kit by So Cal modeler Herb Deeks, who did the resin kit w/ white metal engine and suspension taking molds from the Merit parts.Read more: http://race-car-models.proboards.com/thread/225/59-cooper-500-mk-ix#ixzz4pIlcirdX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 Dale King !Herb Deeks!the plot thickens ...thing 1 - I too have the Deeks resin knock-off of the Merit Cooper. And yes, It had white metal parts for the engine, susp, and wheelsspoiler alert - these white metal parts are gonna come in real handy for this buildthing 2 - Guido was a big fan of Mr. King's. When he sent me the Cooper body castings, he included a photo-copy of Dale's 1/12 scale build !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizz62 Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 almost forgot : It's always critical to keep you workbench clean and well organized !!mine looks like the Mayberry dump. If I clean it, can't find anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PARTSMARTY Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 mine looks like the Mayberry dump. If I clean it, can't find anything!x2 for sure !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Hey Andy, This is going to be great project to watch.Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Good to see another S Floridian posting here. Interesting subject. What scale is it? -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 sorry gary - you can't watch you'll learn all my secrets ... Rodney - the scale is 24th - Merit only did 24th scale for the car kits - think they did other scales for some other subjects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 top and bottom body shells glued together, enclosing one peice front and rear suspension assemblies. Kit had been partially glued together decades ago. Nothing, NOTHING, managed to seperate the glue joints Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 Some of the Merit parts will be used in the resin knockoff shell casted by Guido of ScaleKraft eons ago. The casting is quite thin - allowing construction of the Cooper frame from Evergreen styrene tubing and stock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 nothing fancy - just evergreen stock, some drawings, trial, and error - lots of error. there is a white metal suspension arm attached - more on this later .... kinda choppy - learning how dto do this .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 this is what I am building ::: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 I photographed the car bout ten years ago at Limerockand this is a bio on the car fr the internet Chassis Num.wpd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 okay - I learned that you can not open a word perfect link here - so here's the bio: Chassis Num: MK9-14-55In 1955, the car was sold new by Cooper Works to the USA and its period race history is unknown. It was imported back to the UK by Clive Osbourne in 1970 and sold to Roger Sweet in the mid-1970s. In 1980, it was sold to Richard Crosthwaite.This 1955 Cooper T36 MK9 was driven by Stirling Moss at the 2nd Festival of Speed at Goodwood in 1994. Subsequently raced by Oliver Crosthwaite. It was sold in 2002 to Charles McCabe, the present owner, who has campaigned the car in North America.The car is powered by a Norton Manx 499cc single cylinder engine with a short-stroke magneto ignition. The engine produces around 50 horsepower and is matted to a Norton 4-speed manual gearbox. The oil system is a dry sump setup with a separate 1 gallon fuel tank. The clutch is a 'Dry multi-plate' setup with a Norton motorcycle pattern. The front brakes have two leading shoes while the rear is a single disc HRG-Lockheed, centrally mounted unit. The total weight of the vehicles is a mere 530 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 so this is the Deeks Cooper F III kit with the white metal parts - including suspension, wheels, and engine some preliminary work has been done on the nose ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 front frame construction using evergreen rod - 1/16th - with one of the Deeks white metal suspension arms n white metal - modified to attach to brackets - again made from evergreen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 the bulkhead support tubes between the seat and the engine compartment are made from 1 16th sheet stock, filed, shaped, etc. Evergreen rod bends a little, but not alot, at least not well .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 15, 2017 Author Share Posted August 15, 2017 the brown stuff glued to the end of the bodywork is renshape it files nicely and adheres well with zap formula glues was used here to fill in where a portion of the body had broken off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 15, 2017 Author Share Posted August 15, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 15, 2017 Author Share Posted August 15, 2017 beginning work on the rear frame and suspension pick-ups again Evergreen strip, files, saws, and liquid glue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted August 15, 2017 Author Share Posted August 15, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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