250 Testa Rosa Conversion To 1958 Lemans Winner

[Michael Madlinger]

Great work so far Jim. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[JHDrew]

OK, the more I looked at it the more I couldn't live with the thick kit windscreen

I cut some masking tape in the windshield pattern and used that to cut out a brass shape.

Then I made a pattern of the back side of the kit windshield by applying Sculpy II behind it and then baking it as directed. This will be the support for the brass pattern during vacu-forming. Plastic food wrap was used between the Sculpy and the kit windshield to make it easier to separate the two before baking. I trimmed the excess Sculpy and then bent the brass over the pattern.

When I was happy with the shape I glued the brass to the Sculpy pattern and polished it. This will be used to vacu-form the clear plastic over. You can see the kit windshield behind the pattern. The pattern is also bigger than required to allow some trim and fiddle room later.

Next was the vacu-forming. I only included this shot because my original Mattel Vacu-Form machine still makes me smile after 40 years.

I trimmed up the vacu-formed windshield. What I didn't take pictures of was the process for trimming the flange off the original kit part. As you know, clear plastic is very brittle. Thankfully I did it without breaking it. I will shoot it with Alclad II and glue it in place before gluing the vacu-formed wind screen in place. It's all taped in place here and looks much better. Using the brass for a pattern will give you a smoother transparent part. I think it makes for a more realistic windscreen.

This process only took a couple of hours so don't think it's impossible.

Thanks for looking. More to come later

[ismaelg]

OK Jim,

I'm sending you a blank check for a few of those windshields.....

Gorgeous!

[simonr]

Hey Jim, a masterpiece so far, as always.

I'll be glued to this thread!

Simón P. Rivera Torres

[RodneyBad]

Well not knowing Ferrari's myself, I had no Idea what you where doing.

But watching what you were doing is amazing.

WOW!

Such attention to details...

[Plasticfanatic]

Just a magnificent conversion of one of my all time favorites Ferraris, I am enjoying every new update of this project.

Hope some day to do this car for my collection including the tube chassis in brass or plastic ......after I finish all the other projects in the "storage area".. some day,some day!!!

PLEASE keep us posted, is going to be another masterpiece from J. Drew.

Fred

[JHDrew]

Just a magnificent conversion of one of my all time favorites Ferraris, I am enjoying every new update of this project.

Hope some day to do this car for my collection including the tube chassis in brass or plastic ......after I finish all the other projects in the "storage area".. some day,some day!!!

Thanks Fred,

I just started updating the chassis while the red paint drys. Most of the revisions are in the rear. I'm adding the hoop over the drive shaft just before the differential. There are also a few support tubes associated with the hoop that will be added. I'm also adding a De Dion tube and independent shafts to the rear as this car had being different from the customer cars.

I am taking pictures as I go and will post them all at once when the modifications are finished in that area. Its not that difficult or completely accurate but will make the chassis look a ton better. I do not have any pictures of the De Dion version so I'm basing it on what I do have of the 57 formula car.

Stay tuned...

[Plasticfanatic]

Thanks Fred,

I just started updating the chassis while the red paint drys. Most of the revisions are in the rear. I'm adding the hoop over the drive shaft just before the differential. There are also a few support tubes associated with the hoop that will be added. I'm also adding a De Dion tube and independent shafts to the rear as this car had being different from the customer cars.

I am taking pictures as I go and will post them all at once when the modifications are finished in that area. Its not that difficult or completely accurate but will make the chassis look a ton better. I do not have any pictures of the De Dion version so I'm basing it on what I do have of the 57 formula car.

Stay tuned...

I am sure it will look superb!! I have a book with the tittle L'IDEA FERRARI, it's mostly like a color artistic catalog of the most famous cars with a very small section on technical parts, wich have a photo of the original main frame tube chassis plan/diagram, is not a "last bolt" blueprint but it will do for the frame buildup, unfortunatly theres no photo or diagrams of the suspension/drivetrain of the type you are looking for.

[JHDrew]

Here is the latest modification to the Testa Rosa.

I wanted to make the underside look a little more presentable and also add the De Dion tube to the rear suspension. I couldn’t find any pictures of the De Dion layout but I did find a grainy picture of a Testa Rosa frame prior to it being restored. I decided that the addition of the missing frame tubing at the rear would really help.

First you need to get rid of the cross member located before the differential by rounding off the area with sanding stick. Leave the attachment location points for the differential support in place. You will also need to remove the molded in angle braces located in the area near the fuel tank.

Start with a new lower cross member then add the hoop over the drive shaft. I heated the plastic and bent it around a tube. I also relocated the rear cross member to make it look more correct but that isn’t necessary. After that was done I added the angular cross members between the hoop and the frame. It’s not completely accurate but makes the underside look so much better. It was also real easy so don’t think this is a lot of work.

I also added bead rolls to the under side of the interior as well as rivets where required. The photos I have from the underside in the fuel tank area show a riveted seam on both sides of the tank so I replicated that as well. The underside will be shot in Alclad aluminum shades and the frame rails will be semi-gloss black.

Thanks for looking.

[simonr]

Oh yes!...nothing like seeing a master working!

Simón P. Rivera Torres

[Modellpularn]

Very nice work Jim!! I have a resin T R that I might try to convert into a 500 Mondial from 1954. Pic will follow. What do you think about that?

See, the thing is like this: I have a relative who's got a fiberglass replica of the '54 Mondial car, and he's installed it on a homebuilt chassis that he built in 1957. Engine is a 1936 Ford flathead bored out 1/8 inch. It's a true homebuilt car. The body was made by a guy in a town called Ockelbo, and there were quite a few of these cars built, using all kinds of different chassis. Because of that, these cars are known over here as "Ockelbo-Ferraris" My relative's car is now inspected and passed the test, so it's road legal, after all these years! I have driven it, in '84. But then it wasn't legal... just a short test drive on the local road....

I'd like to build a replica, if possible of his car, the Ockelbo-Ferrari.

Here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ockelbo-Lundgren

Edited April 15, 2008 by Modellpularn

[JHDrew]

Hello Hans,

Thanks for the nice words.

That really looks like it could work. A lot ot grinding and putty work but possibe. Post some progress shots if you do make the attempt.

Is that a Renaissance body?

[Dave in Seattle]

Jim! It's been almost a month since your last post. What's new on the conversion? Inquiring minds want to know.....

Dave