sjordan2

Another great one from the golden age of F1.

My color choice is based on a one-of-a-kind 1933 factory model, which also has kind of a strange engine with extra air intakes, as described in the Schlegelmilch book. Almost everyone builds the black and white version (made famous by Willy Forst), which is less to my taste. The original SS brochure also shows it in kind of a greenish cream with chocolate brown fenders with a tan top. This is a very mysterious car that I can't track down (the Mercedes Classic Center releases that kind of detail only to existing owners, they tell me), though I did see it in the corner of a video on a Salzburg car meet. I've never seen this engine configuration on any other version. As for the hand pump, I was probably confusing it with this, though there is a floor-mounted foot pump on the passenger side for pumping gas. Thanks for the gauges.

But you can go to a retail store where they have free-standing islands, as they're known in the trade. http://www.wh1.com/products/?ci=retail-shelving&pi=island-gondola-retail-shelving-units

Line O Tape makes adhesive pinstriping in metallics and basic colors, ranging from 1/64" to 1/4". I haven't applied mine yet so I can't vouch for longevity, but the chrome and brushed silver tapes look very nice. But $5 for 22 colors? Maybe for 2. http://www.hobbymasters.com/line-o-tape-pinstriping-tapes.aspx

Dark gray and black with a red interior. The photos have different color balances because one was shot with flash (the top of the hood is closer to the actual color) and the other was shot at "golden hour" at dusk. I talked to the photographer (www.schlegelmilch.com) of the bottom shot and he said the car was a somewhat dark gray, so I'll be using Tamiya TS-4 German Gray, if it's dark enough.

I've uploaded several engine and detail shots here on page one: http://s827.photobucket.com/user/sjordan47/library/ PS: Here's the way I'm going to build my 1/16 SS cabriolet:

Nice job. However, chrome wheels would not be authentic except for a modern over-restoration -- nothing more than painted silver or body accent color, such as white or red would be period-correct.

That Bugatti is also spectacular -- I have the built-up diecast and a couple of Bburago assembly kit versions, and I can see everything you did to it. It appears to be the Pope Atlantic before Ralph Lauren had it restored. Any engine shots? And how did you open the side vents on the hood?

I'm on Mac. so any unusual software probably won't work. A large screen shot would be great. I've been working in Photoshop Elements and other graphics programs to try to sharpen up the diagram above enough to reduce to the proper scale, but I still have to keep trying.

Here's my attempt at a translation of the caption on the diagram above. Perhaps Jurgen can correct it (Interesting to note that there's a remote tire pump on the dash). INSTRUMENT PANEL TRANSLATION FROM SS MANUAL 11 3001 = Injection pump 13 431 = Pressure gauge shutoff valve* 85 701 = Oil pressure gauge 85 721 = Tachometer 85 756 = Speedometer & odometer 85 901 = Switchbox 85 951 = Instrument panel lights 85 1002 = Clock 85 1101 = Fuel gauge 85 1142 = Air pressure gauge* 85 1161 = Water temperature 85 1171 = Ignition switch 85 1181 = Fuel overflow* 85 1191 = Starting lever 85 1301 = Hand tire pump* 90 331 = Horn switch 99 403 = Plug contact for hand lamp * “only with fuel = demand by tire pump”

I'm having difficulty posting multiple images, so I'll just go with this from my original owner's manual for SS/SSK/SSKL.

Yes, it has the lacing wire wheels. I was so intimidated by them that I traded a 1/8 Jaguar E-Type to a friend who laced them for me! But if you look at Ken's other threads, you'll see that he's mastered the art of lacing wire wheels, which he could do just fine with the Lindberg SSK. Interestingly, the Revell version of the 1/16 kit doesn't have chromed wheel rims, while all the others do (I have the Entex/Revell/Minicraft versions). And Jurgen, that SSK in your link is just awesome, over the top and overwhelming!! And, is the Bugatti Atlantic the Bburago kit? I'd love to see more pictures of that. Question: Do you have digital files on the SSK instrument gauges? If you do, I could use them -- e-mail to sjordan47@comcast.net

If you really want to emulate the car in the painting you showed above, you'll save yourself a lot of agony (and create other types of agony) if you go with the 1/16 Mercedes SS Sonder Kabriolet, usually available on eBay. It can be built with or without a running board. This is the one I've been planning for a very long time. http://www.freewebs.com/martsmodels/1928mercedesss.htm Here's what it would look like without the running board shown in the link above:

I'll put up some engine shots on Wednesday. I don't know what you have in mind for the back of the body, but be aware that the kit is an SSK with totally different specs from the 710 SS that you showed in the illustration you posted, and would require significant changes to things like the doors if you try to copy the 710 SS. That illustration is not an SSK at all, and has a longer wheelbase. My point is, there are substantial differences between what is authentic to an SSK and a 710 SS. Can you put up the engine assembly part of the instructions so I can select the proper reference for you? There were differences between different models and model years. If you have a picture of a real car the way you want to build it, that would be good, too. EDIT: Never mind, I found the instructions. There seem to be several omissions in the engine compartment, such as a missing steering box and I can't tell if there's a reserve gas tank on the firewall, but nothing major, and it's really not bad at all. My question is, how detailed do you want to be with plumbing and wiring? I can tell you what might be more important. Go back to the Fine Art Models link I gave you and you will find excellent, extremely accurate reference.

Jurgen, I would LOVE to see your photos. My main question is your mention of the radiator guard, which was not a piece of standard equipment on the typical SSK. I'm sure your photos will tell the story. As far as the fenders, it's true the kit is not exactly accurate, but it's close to others. Several also had custom modifications. I really like the last one without the running board. Is this the radiator guard you're describing?

I have a ton of information -- books, an original owner's maintenance manual, 1000 downloaded images, etc -- on the SS/SSK/SSKL. PM me with any questions when you're setting up to build this kit.

I think Art is closest to the facts, and that the AACA guy I quoted knows what he's talking about regarding the tires yellowing very fast. I would go with the kind of "buff" color Art describes, which is what happened very quickly to the white stripes on my Fuji touring bike. Here's another discussion on the subject. http://fountainheadauto.blogspot.com/2010/11/why-white-tires.html

My only question is why Coker Tires in Chattanooga -- the leading supplier of vintage tires for decades -- issued white tires that look like the Model T, and no yellowed variations. Maybe Corky Coker could explain.

I couldn't find your MG thread, but I thought you'd like a look at this 38 SA coming up for auction... http://www.coys.co.uk/showrooms.php?itemID=2683

Interesting approach. If I had owned a 1:1 '58, I would have been interested in opening those fake louvers, too. You may already have all of this info, but it showed me some things I didn't know... http://www.oldcarsguide.com/chevrolet/corvette/1958-corvette.html

Check out Archer dry transfers. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31172

That's a 710 SS, which is a more luxo version of the SSK. Some interesting color ideas here: http://www.google.com/search?q=mercedes+710+SS&safe=off&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&oq=mercedes+710+SS&gs_l=img.12...25257.25257.0.29724.1.1.0.0.0.0.93.93.1.1.0...0.0...1ac.1.12.img.UnzQo3MZbPY The 1:18 Bburago diecast has a nice color combo with a cream body and dark brown fenders, and my 1/16 SS will have a gray body with black fenders and a red interior.

Interesting discussion here at the Antique Automobile Club site, which would support Art's note that they weren't really white - at least for very long. http://forums.aaca.org/f169/white-tires-no-longer-available-317354.htm Re: White Tires No Longer Available C'mon, guys, the original "white" tires never stayed white longer than the first time it rained and Father had to drive the family to church in The Machine, along what passed for roads in those days. The old-style tires yellowed and cracked at an alarming rate, which is why we rarely see period photos of them, from more than a year or two after 1915, when black tires finally became available. If you're going for an accurate restoration, rather than just gathering judging points, grab the in-stock Coker tires now, before they go and wreck the formula with non-yellowing stuff. Gray seems to be a popular restoration tire with those AACA collectors, such as on this 1914 Buick: I would think that a busy trade vehicle such as the Model T van in your picture would switch to longer-wearing gray tires as soon as possible. But you probably couldn't go wrong with factory-fresh all-white, yellowed with a few miles on them, or gray replacements.

Pat, just because you're unfamiliar with the subject doesn't mean that Brett's assertions aren't accurate. Watch the "Senna" documentary film and you might learn a few things. For example, regarding Senna's funeral (Wikipedia, with reference citations): An estimated three million people flocked to the streets of Senna's hometown of São Paulo to offer him their salute. This is widely accepted as the largest recorded gathering of mourners in modern times.[106] Over 200,000 people filed past as his body lay in state at the Legislative Assembly building in Ibirapuera Park. After the public viewing, a 21-gun salute was fired by the 2nd Artillery Brigade and seven Brazilian Air Force jets flew in a diamond formation as the funeral procession made its way to Morumbi Cemetery. Many prominent motor racing figures attended Senna's state funeral, such as team managers Ken Tyrrell, Peter Collins, Ron Dennis, and Frank Williams, and driver Jackie Stewart. The pallbearers included drivers Gerhard Berger, Michele Alboreto, Alain Prost, Thierry Boutsen, Damon Hill, Rubens Barrichello, Roberto Moreno, Derek Warwick, Mauricio Gugelmin, Hans Stuck, Johnny Herbert, Pedro Lamy, Maurizio Sala, Raul Boesel, Emerson Fittipaldi, Wilson Fittipaldi, and Christian Fittipaldi. Neither Sid Watkins nor Jo Ramírez, the McLaren team coordinator, could bear to attend because they were so grief-stricken. Sure, NASCAR and NFL football are big-time sports here, but they're almost mysteries to the rest of the world, who are into other sports -- like the world's most popular sport by far, professional soccer, which can't draw large audiences here. This is all well-known, but the comparison should be drawn.

PS: The color scheme on the box is not something you would see (except for white with red cycle fenders), and no one would put whitewall tires on this car.