absmiami Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 AMT almost certainly had access to the 29 when they did their design work for their 25th scale kit - but their engine as cast is under scale... a compromise to the scale ... but there are some features on the castings that are good. - example - the engine cover - it has the correct features and shape - it’s just too darned small ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 The Car & Driver cover shot of the 29 engine is the best (contemporary) that I’ve seen. Buy a copy of this issue if you are playing along at home - excellent article on the engine - a 255 Fairlane based engine used for the 29 Indy project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 This is the Mad Mike 24th scale Ford 289 engine with Webers. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 This is a photo of the engine built - from Randy’s website ... it’s super accurate for the Fords used by Shelby - and Chapman used one in his Lotus 30 ... it’s the best starting point for my build of the 255 Fairlane engine - but with some important mods ... thing 1. The sump has to go - see the videos on the Indy Museum Gurney 29 resto - with some excellent views of the sump on the Fairlane engine ... thing 2 - the Fairlane 255 was raced in the 29 without an oil filter - no, really - read the Car & Driver article ... Thing 3 - the engine cover is different on the Fairlane engine - shaped and designed to both serve as the forward engine mounting and also routing the oil and radiator lines ... thing 4 - the engine Manifold is different - because the carbs in the 29 were in a line - front to back - like soldiers ... so when I’m done the Fairlane engine will look a lot different than the 289 - but it’s worth starting here because the engine will have accurate block features and the correct dimensions ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 And one last thing - research - the Henry Ford Museum has excellent photos of the 29 at Indy that month - and there are additional very good pix accessible on Rev’s online research library ... plus the already mentioned resto videos from the Museum ... the Gurney 29 restoration will probably be finished this summer - and I hope to study it down the line - but I’ve got enough research to do this up right ...also the Ferguson book on Lotus at Indy is a great source book too ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Nice looking sb Ford. Significant difference in size over the AMT offering. So much better overall. Interesting about the lack of oil filter on the 29. Are you going to use the same Webers on the new manifold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 That’s the plan. The Webers on the 289 were I think 54 mm. The Webers on the 255 were actually slightly larger but identical in scale. The restored 29 will use smaller Weber’s that are easier to maintain - those are the ones with the intakes closer together - nearly touching - ... but there is so much source material on the car as raced that you can make a race day replica - including some color photos taken in Gasoline Alley - which were rare in 1963 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Mad Mike's SBF is the way to go if the budget allows. Just for information (2) SBFs in kit form that I like: 1/25 scale - AMT '67 Mustang or '69 Cougar Eliminator 1/24 scale - Revellogram 65-66 Mustang/Shelby I've used the 1/24 scale Revellogram in 1/25 scale project and have been happy with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 don't know your take on South Eastern Finecast, but would they be an option lotus 25,33, and 38, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 Since you asked ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 I am a fan of all of the Finecast kits . But as I’m sure you know - the Grand Prix kits were designed as curbsides . As for the Lotus 38 - I’ve been messing around with it for years - I tend to do a little work - and then it goes into hibernation - It may be possible to build this kit with the 25th scale DOHC - but only with numerous mods - massaging - and some incantations - the Finecast kit is nominally 24th scale - it’s actually a bit over-scale - about 1.5 scale inches too wide - which actually will be a blessing - I’ll drag this out of hibernation and we’ll see ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 The Finecast kit has minimal bulkheads and chassis detail ... so a lot has to be made and a lot has to be changed ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 In order to make this as confusing as possible - I’m back to the small block 255 Fairlane engine conversion for the 29 ... these pix show the first mods to the MM Ford 289 engine ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 I removed the carb flanges from the top of the block casting - keeping the stems that connect each pair of flanges - well trying to - these will be re-arranged on a new manifold to locate the 4-in-a-row orientation of the Webers on the Fairlane engine ... the resin used for the printing is a good combination of strength and flexibility - allowing work with sanding sticks to prep the flanges for this purpose... if You are just making the kit engine - you’ll remove the connecting stems and you’ll be left with a wonderfully detailed Shelby manifold - complete with Shelby script ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 In the Weber carburetor weeds ... the carbs in the engine kit are really good. And they just dare you to add some stuff ... so I’m making the manifold and figuring out the flanges and the orientation etc ... and drilling .... always drilling. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 And once the manifold was drilled I scored a sheet of aluminum to Mark openings for the tray that sat on top of the Webers on this engine ... and with some more research I learned that the fuel lines entered the carbs from above and the the fuel fitting on each carb faced forward - the throttle linkage is cool - will mess with that once the carbs are painted and in place ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Yes, Mad Mikes Webers and Holleys are pretty amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 Why hasn’t Mad done a Ferrari engine yet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 you would have to ask the Mad Man that. I would guess because there are many existing Ferrari's available in many scales and types, resin and production kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortuga Kustomz Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 This proect inspired me to keep doing a better job with my models, awesome work my friend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 Gracias. found another good sourcE for contemporary pix of the 29 - this issue of Hot Rod - includes a great picture of the manifold - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 The holes in the manifold are used to trace the openings in the tray that sits on top of the Webers ... next - paint ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 6 hours ago, absmiami said: Gracias. found another good sourcE for contemporary pix of the 29 - this issue of Hot Rod - includes a great picture of the manifold - Cool! At first glance the intake looked like a cross ram plemun job like the old Edelbrock Smokey cross ram intake but it really does have individual runners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 Hot Rod published a top and bottom photo because their readers were ... hot rodders! Their coverage of Indy in the sixties was great... so I got some paint on the Webers - A mix of steel and gray - Alcad - I had to modify the Weber castings to make everything fit ... but it really won’t be visible ... The bells on the carbs were polished - I’ll probably use some Molotov - haven’t tried to brush it yet but this should be a good app for that ... mite also use Molitow to paint the valve covers - but the block needs a lot more work ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 The fuel entered from a line above the tray sitting on the carbs - which was unique to this particular Ford Racing engine ... the restored 29 uses smaller carbs with a different fuel line arrangement - so I’ve been peering at the contemporary shots on the Rev’s and the Henry Ford research site to figure this out ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.