Bugatti Fan

I think that Bill put something up about stupid internet questions and answers some time back. Someone asked on a Q&A site named Quorum I think. 'Why do the British speak English, an American language?' You just could not make it up! Whoever asked that question must be lacking a bit in the geography department !

I have seen a number of the late Cherry Hill's wonderful model engineering masterpieces over the years at the British Model Engineering and Modelling Exhibition. Her models are exquisite and finished to a very high standard, even more so as she excelled in making her models to a smaller scale than most model engineers work in, a number of which are now on permanent display at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in london. There is a book about her work named Cherry's Model Engines, published by Crowood Press in the UK.

Some people unfortunately get a bit too wound up about things that in the wider picture are really quite trivial and unimportant.

Gerald Wingrove used to make hardwood bucks in the shapes he wanted to form metal over. Usually thin copper or brass sheet and annealing during the tin bashing process to counteract the work hardening that took place. I would suggest looking out Gerald Wingrove's Complete Car Modeller Books 1 and 2. Out of print now so EBay will probably be the best source, although Amazon just might be worth a look.

Thanks for the further responses guys. Another comment that Rich's post made me think about. Museums unfortunately sometimes sell off items they consider of no further use to them. Another example of this is the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu here in the UK. The late Lord Montague commissioned models from established professional car modeller Rex Hays and also gave Gerald Wingrove his first museum commission to build a collection of 1/20th scale kerb side models for a themed display. A point came however when whilst changes were being made to the museum displays it was decided that the models had become surplus to requirements and sold off.

Brizio. My little 500 was a fun car to drive back in the day. Extremely basic as you know and very cheap to run. Eventually sold it on as it was becoming a rust bucket which was a shame. Unfortunately Fiats back then used to rot like a vampire doused in holy water ! Had I hung on to it and got it restored it would now be quite a valuable little cult classic. I ran the car for about 3 years in all.

An update. I mentioned in an earlier post about the late Gerald Wingrove having bequeathed a number of his models to the Transport Museum on Clydeside in Glasgow. I have an unconfirmed piece of information that they kept the 'Falls of Clyde' windjammer ship model parts to put on display but very quickly disposed of the car models by auction. It this is so then the opportunity for folks to see Gerald's fantastic car models has now been denied. Disappointing news to say the least and if true, I feel disrespectful to that great modeller who left the models to them in good faith to be displayed for people to enjoy. The least they could have done is let another museum have the models on long term loan instead of just selling them off.

Nice looking motor. Will be following this build.

Interesting project Brizio. Reminds me of the little car I used to own back in the 70's. I will have to look out the Tamiya one that has been released again and model my old car. Should not be too difficult to change it to RHD. Or maybe go big with the 1/12th scale Italeri kit that I think has the option of building it in either Right or Left hand drive.

It only clear or ready chromed parts could be 3D printed ?? Or am I missing a new development?

This is a hobby is it not? So each to their own. Live and let live. If someone wants to turn out models in quick succession on YouTube and get lots of followers as a result, I guess that is what motivates them. If they are happy making them and people are happy watching them, so be it. In my last post I mentioned that the 'Henry' builder will possibly turn out many models of indifferent quality. But as long as they are happy with what they are doing, so what? I stated that A4 Garage is more my style for viewing, and probably many more like me might prefer to watch more advanced builds by other experienced model makers too. What I am getting at on here is that we all have choices as to what we view or not. HPI guy has been getting a lot of criticism on here. But one has to remember that his videos are actively encouraging people to take up this amazing hobby of ours. Yes, he might take short cuts on his video builds, but if he encourages people to take up the hobby it can only be for the good. One has to remember that we were all rank beginners at one point. Many of us learned by trial and error and the odd magazine article back in the days before YouTube. So if his videos get people really interested in Auto Modelling and save them a lot of grief starting out, at some point they will become more advanced and then seek to go beyond what they learned from watching his videos. There is a saying 'From little acorns mighty oaks do grow.'. HPI Guy just might well be sowing the seeds to grow our future advanced model builders !

Was not really aware of Belkits 1 per year new kit output, having not taken that much notice James. I can only hope that someone else may pick up the baton in that case with regard to a Lotus Cortina Mk1 in 1/24th scale. It just surprises me that no one has ever done one in 1/24th scale injected plastic before. Apart from the 1/32nd scale Airfix kit from way back there is nothing else. Might be too much to dream that Italeri might make one in 1/12th scale! One can live in hope !

I saw all the shots of the Stratos parts at IPMS UK Scale Modelworld at Telford in November. They looked really good. A friend of mine built their Integrale and spoke highly of it. Every reason to think the Fulvia will be just as good. Now, how about that Lotus Cortina Mk1 road and rally car in 1/12th scale Italeri?

The resin Lotus Cortina Mk1 is the only one I know of that may still be available from Rod and Ian Knott 's model motor museum that Les just mentioned in his last post. There was another Mk1 kit in resin from about twenty years back I'm guessing that was of South African origin. Could be tempting for Belkits to do perhaps with some lobbying. Getting back to the Fulvia, maybe also lobbying Belkits might be the way to go unless of course Italeri decide to make a 1/24th scale kit as well as their 1/12th scale kit in the future.

There are those 'Henry' model builders (as in Henry Ford) where quantity is the objective on Youtube. OOB is fine for many, but putting a model together in about a week inevitably compromises the build quality. A4 Garage is more my style, concentrating on high build quality and super detailing.

The late Mick Green a well known UK group guitarist never appeared to play anything else but his old Telecaster from the Sixties onwards. He played in various groups but best known as part of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates in the early days, went on to play for Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, one of the Liverpool Groups, and eventually returning to the Pirates. To see him playing look out the Pirates playing Reading Festival 1978 doing Shakin All Over.

I'll settle for drinking the beer! Lol Seriously though this is quite an interesting thread.

There is a company named Squires in Bognor Regis, Sussex, UK who acquired all the South Eastern (ex Wills) Finecast ranges a couple of years back. Those kits might still be available from their new owners, so check out their website. oWills Finecast made a range of very detailed car kits in white metal back in the 60's. I have their Type 59 Bugatti to build. The company bought out Auto Kits in the late 60's early 70's and added those kits into their itinerary. The Auto Kits range were mainly kerb side kits without engine details.

Can remember Bill Wyman playing a Vox Phantom Bass Guitar in the Rolling Stones early days. And of course Paul McCartney sticking with his old Hofner Fiddle Bass. Hofner made some nice guitars but not sure if they ever made solid electrics like Fender or Gibson. Hofner made a very nice semi acoustic electric guitar named a Verithin. There was another German company Framus who made acoustic electrics too. The British Burns guitars were very nicely built instruments. I think that their guitar was named a Vibratone or something similar. They also made a guitar named the Bison where they had some sort of marketing tie up with the UK group The Shadows. Very famous over here in the early 60's. I think that they may have had some success in the US with their early instrumentals Apache and FBI.

Over here in the 60's there was a company named Burns who made really good guitars. However lots of UK group members opted for Fenders and Gibsons over the Burns. A bit unfortunate as the Burns guitars were fine instruments back in the day. I used to play drums in a group back in the day, and stuck with my excellent UK made Premier Drum kit. Ludwig, Gretch, Rogers and Slingerland were the favoured finely made Stateside drum kits I can remember from back then and the German Sonor and Trixon brands.

Greg DVD players are pretty cheap these days. Was the best way to go.

Steve. What a novel idea for a model with your personal connection having built the full sized thing way back. There were quite a number of replica and other odd buggies and kit cars with fibre glass bodies using VW running gear back in the day. Do you know of the whereabouts of the full size car you built back then? Would be interesting to know if it is still about. Your model is very good, besides having created something unique.

Nice classic built to follow.

I think that there was a build article with photos of the real car as reference in a copy of Scale Auto some time before it's closure.

Nice novelty item. It brought to mind a company named OCCRE who make more serious wooden kits of trams in 1/24th scale.