ismaelg Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Hello, A good friend of mine sent me this: It is an all metal, 1/43 scale, 1956 Ferrari 290 MM. My understanding is that Ferrari built only 4 of these cars in 1956. It was designed to compete in the Italian Mille Miglia (1,000 miles) race. Eugenio Castellotti won the race in one. Juan Manuel Fangio finished 4th in another 290 MM. All top five were Ferraris. Back to the model: It is a F.D.S. Automodelli made in Napoli Italy. No idea on when it was manufactured as there are no dates anywhere. By the look of the information sheet, it must be several decades old. Could not find any info on this manufacturer but it seems it is no longer in business. No instructions needed as there are only 4 parts not counting wheels and tires: Body, chassis/interior, steering wheel and shifter. That's it. It is a humble simple kit. Perfect for a fun project. Not some contest contender or anything like that, which I don't like anyways. Still debating whether to do Fangio's or Castellotti's car. Thanks, Ismael 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Looks like a pretty well detailed casting. Should be a fun build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 And knowing Ismael is on this job for sure plenty of eye candy will be added to these 4 parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismaelg Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 (edited) Hello, Thank you guys! Removed mold lines. Turns out the metal is very soft. Probably softer than plastic. The panel lines are almost non existent. tried to deepen them but there is basically no groove to follow. Cleaned and lightly polished and sanded the body. This will be a bigger challenge than I thought. The casting is very porous and rough. This will take a lot of bodywork to fix. Thanks, Ismael Edited March 12, 2023 by ismaelg 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismaelg Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 (edited) Hello, Just as I suspected. A light mist coat of self etching primer and the panel lines are already disappearing while the porosity is yelling. By now you should all be aware I'm not normal Repeat with me: PPSRQR Putty Primer Sanding Rescribing Question your mental health state Repeat After 3 or 4 cycles we are here. A long way to go but going in the right direction. Thanks, Ismael Edited March 12, 2023 by ismaelg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Dedicated, resolved, resilient, committed, passionate, patient, stubborn. Yup, this is not gonna be easy man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismaelg Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 Hello, Looking at references, there are a lot of little details that are wrong. In their defense, this was probably mastered half a century ago with little access to reference material or the real car. Can you tell what has been eliminated, what has been re-scribed and what has been newly scribed? Let me help you: Lost count but this is probably the 10th round. Thanks, Ismael 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 LOOKING GOOD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 REALLY GOOD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belugawrx Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 Wow you certainly are knocking those pitted areas down well👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbtr6 Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 Yeah, FDS are not really great quality. Same or worse with John Day. Great progress and they can be made to look great. A set of BBR wires would dress it up. Perry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smilesperhour Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 These fifties racers are very pretty cars. When I collected diecast I had a couple FDS kits that I bought built. They where charming and even with lower levels of accuracy and detail made me smile. Will follow this for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismaelg Posted March 20, 2023 Author Share Posted March 20, 2023 Hello, The Primer Evaluation Committee has approved this project for next step and has been transferred to the Color Coat Committee for action and further evaluation. Thanks, Ismael 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismaelg Posted March 25, 2023 Author Share Posted March 25, 2023 Hello, I thought of fluorescent green with sky blue to purple color shift... After a spectometrical evaluation I found that Corvette Torch Red is over 99% genetically compatible at the molecular level to Ferrari Rosso Corsa in the CMYK color spectrum of visible light under the Hue saturation and brightness characteristics. Translation: I'm saving my Rosso Corsa for an upcoming Ferrari race car project and Corvette Torch Red is the closest I had. 🤣 Let it dry a day or two before deciding if another coat is needed or go straight to masking and painting the yellow nose. Thanks, Ismael 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Amazing what you have done...starting with that porous lump of metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1959scudetto Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 This is going to be another spectacular racer, Ismael. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale-Master Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 That would have been cast in the early to mid 1980s. If you haven't figured it out yet, the material is White Metal. An alloy of mostly lead with some tin and antimony. FDS tended to use an alloy heavy on the lead and sometimes not the cleanest at that. The porosity and dirt are the by products of that. I used to cast white metal car kits starting in 1980. FDS was in business then and while one of the early "mainstream" manufacturers, their quality was surpassed by many in that same era. You're doing a great job with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belugawrx Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Wow ..you made that lump of concrete into a beautiful body !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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