Cooper barn find

[Gary Davis]

This sure looking good Andrew. A LOT of detail work for sure...

[Gary Davis]

This is sure looking good Andrew

Somethings not right on this forum. I don't know how I double posted but it won't let me delete the second post.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by Gary Davis

[absmiami]

That’s ok reverend Davis

That’s ok reverend Davis 

U joints /  evergreen strip - .080 by .100 - filed and sanded to shape with .020 holes for the pins - which are Scale Hardware .07 rivets - through a brass yoke made of soldered .08 brass tube ...

Weeeeeh ....

 

[Big John]

Wonderful how to on the universals answered many questions about how to do the cross bearing. Thanks!

[absmiami]

You’re velcome ...  you can do a working susp with these ...  can’t on the Cooper -  The combination of plastic and brass makes these parts too fragile to allow for susp travel.   oh well ... paint finish on axle and U joints is Alcad polished steel over Alcad steel -  works well -  

[absmiami]

So the axles are in and the uprights are “pinned”. The axles run right up against the shocks -  the U joints are small but probably still a bit over-scale ...

the stance is not quite as good as the test fit 8 months ago- the left rear wheel is about a scale inch off the ground - I’ll use a couple of tricks to improve the stance slightly -  but I smell a points deduction on this ...  got to remember to delete this post ...

[retroguy]

On 8/9/2017 at 6:39 PM, absmiami said:

Wow - my first build blog - finally got an "eye phone" - and learned how to take pictures - and even download them.

So into the modern world we go ......

Buried somewhere on the workbench is a 1/24th Merit Cooper FIII.  Kinda rare.  Bought mine years ago as semi-built-up.  Started but not painted or finished.  Gonna actually build this with a thin-cast resin body from Guido or ScaleKraft fame.  It's a knock-off of the Merit body with a nice thin casting.  Also kinda rare - I've never seen another one.  To the best of my knowledge, Guido stopped casting before he actually produced a resin kit of the Cooper - which is a shame.  Anyway, I'm a complete sucker for Merit kits - got a bunch.

Delayed this build until I found some photo-etch that could be used for the chain drive - which I finally stumbled upon recently

- more on this later.

This is not a "real time" build.  The work on the body and chassis was begun earlier this year.  I'll post as I have time and sort of catch up on the build as I near completion.

Here goes .

 

 

 

now this is workbench I can relate to...

[absmiami]

Strange.  I’m 3 yrs older -  the workbench doesn’t seem to age

? ...  ??

[Big John]

I can see a vast improvement!  You must be between projects.

[Dann Tier]

FANTASTIC!!!!!

[absmiami]

Thanks mr tier ...

what’s on your work bench ?

[Tortuga Kustomz]

i Just find this build, amazing detail scratch build skills man, love all the work done so far

[absmiami]

The engine cover fell to the floor (again).  The break was in the two thin spots where there wasn’t enough resin to withstand clumsy handling.  But the breaks were clean - so I’ve drilled in and placed some short .012 brass pins and drilled corresponding holes and glued it all back together. Will need some sanding and some more paint but I’ve got some xtra paint left over    ...  could’ve been worse ...

[absmiami]

Last few parts - made from evergreen.  The mount for the exhaust pipe is set onto the chassis brace above the mount for the shock.  And I madE two curved braces that grab the top of the gear box.  

[absmiami]

The exhaust pipe leaves the front of the cylinder head just behind the drivers head and curves back along the frame ...it’s a Herb Deeks white metal part - thanks Herb! 
notice anything missing in the engine bay ?

[absmiami]

I was wondering when this build was going To be migrated to the road racing category ...  bet the moderators left it in the model car cat months ago thinking I’d be finished soon. And then during the server upgrade they saw it there - still - and said what the h_ll. And then sent it over ...  which is fine ...  I like confusion - it suits me ...

[Bugatti Fan]

Andrew, what a superb job you are doing with that old Merit kit! The little Cooper lends itself well to all the extra detailing that you are doing, and just shows what can be done with those old kits. As far as I can remember, the rest of the series were models with no engine details apart from the Alfetta  and Talbot Lago kits. The latter two have done the rounds having been produced by SMER and I think that Atlantis now have the mould tooling. Everything else was sold off to a toy company in Italy and never heard of again. I have seen some super builds of those Merit Racing Cars by a certain guy over here in the UK who brings the models to some of the shows. So it just shows like you have, what can be done with them. A nice challenge from modern kits to bring up to display standard.

Incidentally, Merit also produced a model of Donald Campbell's Bluebird World Record Attempt Boat back in the 1960's.

[absmiami]

The Merit Bluebird kit is unobtanium. One of their kits that I do NOT own...  some dispute about the scale. -  estimate is 1/35th scale - 

question for Bugatti fan. -  I’ve been studying the Bugatti type 13 Brecia with the 2 litre engine 

and the type 16 / 18 special with the 5 litre engine - the one with the tapered tail  ... 

Do you happen to know of any scaled drawings of either engine ???

[Big John]

Unfortunately I've seen nothing for the type 13 Brescia engine or otherwise.  Many years ago there was a company "Auto Replicas" of england that offered a diecast kit for the typ. 13 in 1/24 and 1/43 scale.  Occasionally you can find the 1/43 scale on thebay, the 1/24 is another of those phantom kits.

[Big John]

You might check with J. Horst at bugattipage.com, or the Bugatti Trust who have a vast archive.

Back to you Bugatti fan?

[absmiami]

Wow. I’d love to see that Auto Replicas 24 sc Bugatti...

The exhaust pipe needs 2 spring clips. I made two with some steel wire - .005 - wrapped / wound around some .012 brass and glued in some eyelets that the train modelers use ...  I ruined onE of the two - making them wasn’t too bad - installing them - now that where the problems started ...

[absmiami]

So the first spring clip was attached. -  but there wasn’t enough room to get the second one attached. -  I’ll probably make a clip without the eyelets and glue it next to the first one -  scale casualty ... 

[Big John]

Thanks for the Detail Associates info,  model train stuff is a great resource.  I saw a tip once about using 'O' gauge "glad hands" air couplers for 1/24th truck break hose connections. They can even connect and dis-connect like the real thing.

Do you ave a carburetor for that thing?  "notice anything missing in the engine bay?"

[absmiami]

BANG    The carb is missing - but not for long ...

In the mean  time - I’ve cut and attached the windscreen with some TMM Hardware - they make some nice slot head screws - and some RB Motion nuts.  The kit windscreen is long gone - so I cut some thin clear plastic - got the shape right on the fourth try - 

[Big John]

When at first it don't look good do it again.  If only they would come out right the first time.  I'll have to check out the TMM line, good micro hardware is hard to find.