1924 Fiat Mefistofele

[Harry P.]

Here is the finished dash with four, not three, toggle switches.

[Harry P.]

so far, 12 of 24 spark plugs installed and wired into the brass wiring loom tube...

[Harry P.]

The carbs and the vertical intake tubes are molded all in one piece, However, the vertical tubes are actually part of the intake manifolds and should be copper; the carbs themselves should be brass. I guess I could have painted the carbs brass and then masked off for the copper intake tubes, but I decided it would be easier to saw the pieces apart, paint them separately, then reglue. That way I also get a realistic joint where the kit parts as molded don't have one. One cut... three to go...

[Harry P.]

And here are the modified parts installed, and carb linkage added. Fuel lines next...

[cobraman]

Looking good !

[bobthehobbyguy]

That engine is nice. Great work as always.

[Harry P.]

Here's a view of the left side of the engine. You can see how the plug wires run through the brass loom and exit at each cylinder location...

[Ramfins59]

Outstanding detail work Harry.  That dashboard is killer, and your work on the engine is........  well...... just great.

[Foxer]

The engine is beautiful. Threading those plug wires at this scale must be a little easier than the Ferrari GTO I did with the same setup on it's V12. Do they have to exit to reach the plugs?

 

[Harry P.]

No, there are small pins on the looms that the wires attach to. They don't really go inside the looms.

[Kit Basher]

It's all looking great, Harry. I really like those valve springs. Did this thing have four spark plugs per cylinder? Also, I notice you've got some tape on the block. Is that to protect it while you handle it? Is it any special kind of tape? I guess it doesn't leave any residue. I'm enjoying watching this, as usual, hope your leg feels better soon!

[Harry P.]

It's all looking great, Harry. I really like those valve springs. Did this thing have four spark plugs per cylinder? Also, I notice you've got some tape on the block. Is that to protect it while you handle it? Is it any special kind of tape? I guess it doesn't leave any residue. I'm enjoying watching this, as usual, hope your leg feels better soon!

Yes, four plugs per cylinder. And yes, the tape is there just to protect the paint when I hold the block. It's just plain old cheap dollar store masking tape.

[Harry P.]

Wow. I just spent about eight hours wiring up the four magnetos... a task I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. First you have to cut 24 individual spark plug leads to the correct length, then strip the insulation off the ends, attach the connecting thingie onto the ends of each of the 24 leads that will glue into the caps, paint it black, then attach each of the 24 leads, one by one, without messing up the paint or anything else... and all in microscopic 1/12 scale. I think I put a year's worth of wear and tear on my eyes today. This was not fun...

[cobraman]

Wow ! Great detail in that kit.

[Sixties Sam]

That is simply amazing work, Harry! Wow!

Sam

[slusher]

Dash and engine look fantastic Harry...

[bobthehobbyguy]

Despite the fact that it has been tediuos the results are impressive.

[gnygren]

Is it my pc or am I not getting the photo's loading?

[jasoncamaro]

Harry the engine looks awesome the subjects you choose are not something I would choose but I love watching your builds you have a serious amount of skills 

[Cato]

 This was not fun...

 

What you need is a 1/12 scale Rolls Sedanca to stuff this into.  THAT would be fun...

[Harry P.]

In yet another spectacularly boneheaded decision (like engineering the parts trees so the ejector pin marks are on the facing side of the parts), Italeri supplies some rolled up copper wire to make the fuel lines. Two problems: One, it's almost impossible to take sections of this copper wire and make it perfectly straight to make the fuel lines, and two, the car used brass fuel lines. So why not supply a few lengths of straight brass rod instead of a rolled up mess of copper wire? I will replace the copper wire with some K&S brass rod...

[Harry P.]

I think this is day three working on the engine, and I'm getting very close to finishing it. Here you can see the K&S brass rod I posted in the previous photo used to make some fuel and oil lines. Still more lines to come (especially on the exhaust side of the engine)... but it's getting close and looking good, IMO.

Because of the way the kit is engineered, the exhaust manifold and tailpipe assembly have to be glued together as one piece and then wrapped in insulation, so they can't be installed until the engine is mounted in the chassis and the body is in place. That's why the exhaust manifold is still not installed at this point.

 

[Cato]

Beautiful work Harry.

Do you know how this was started? I see the flywheel (which looks like a modern balancer) has no ring gear and I don't see a starter.

[Crazy Ed]

Beautiful work Harry.

Do you know how this was started? I see the flywheel (which looks like a modern balancer) has no ring gear and I don't see a starter.

  Here ya go Cato. The Video shows it clearly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motoringvideo/8566579/Goodwood-2011-the-mighty-Mephistopheles-returns.html

[Twokidsnosleep]

Good mechanical eye there Mr Cato and great video article.

 

"It takes slightly less time to start the Space Shuttle,” says Gianfranco Dazia, chief mechanic to the mighty Fiat record-breaker, Mephistopheles.