some old racing engines

[absmiami]

now close your eyes and picture a "garden variety"  Ferrari GTO engine 

which has been kitted / offered many times over the years in 24th scale.

None better than the Replicas and Miniatures GTO engine - which has been available now for thirty years - I think Randy Ditton can get you one - he may have some for sale on his site - either Harold Bradford or Norman Veber still make them - when they have time !

this kit is by far the best offering in the scale - there will some day be a 3D printed GTO engine kit - I doubt that it will beat this old fashioned resin offering ...

don't open your eyes yet [how are you reading this?]

you will notice that there are several differences between the early V12 found in the early Ferraris - and the GTO engine  - so that is what I am messing around with ...

[absmiami]

If you have a look at

the UMI kit body on the Barchetta thread in the Other Racing WIP section - it is quite good - and the kit has great decals and very useful photo-etch and very nice white metal parts - but The bits for the engine - not so good …

[absmiami]

I told you the Reps and Minis GTO Engine was Really good ….  So I’ll use the parts of that kit - and the measurements of these castings - to make an early Columbo V12 - as used on the Barchetta and the early Ferrari open wheelers …

[absmiami]

Here’s a better shot of the Columbo 12 in the Barchetta ….  Notice the absence of ribs on the cam cover - one change from the GTO engine - but there are other changes at the base of the engine ..

[absmiami]

Also notice that the magneto is different and the spark plugs are located along the inside of the cams rather than on the outside …

[absmiami]

This shot shows how much better the  Reps and Mins GTO block is ….  Mite be able to use the cyl head casting on the UMI part - but I’ll have to remove and replace the cam covers …  and this shot shows the diff between the GTO sump and the UMI part - which tries but fails to represent the early V12 sumps …

[absmiami]

The earliest Columbo 12’s were made in ‘47 and ‘48.  Forza and Cavallino have both featured excellent articles on the Barchetta and the Spyder Corsa. These two cars used the early tipo 166 engines ….   The sumps were made of magnesium - they were hammered from sheet by burley (?) workshop apprentices using hammers and probably wood forms - and every sump was a little different- the sump on 0010 was finned - and ran the full length of the block - the UMI casting - I think this was done by Quarterman - gets this feature correct. - I’m going for a more precise part - using some Evergreen railroad car sheet siding - and the .2 Tamiya scribes - same as the door gaps on the Barchetta … then building the part up with strips of Evergreen …part in photo one contrasts

with the GTO sump - made 12 years later …

[absmiami]

Width length and height is determined by referencing the GTO Block - which got

it all right …

[absmiami]

The sump bolts are from the AnyC 3D printed bolts pack …

[absmiami]

My bad

AnyZ …

[absmiami]

So I’ve modified the cyl head from the UMI Kit and grown the rest Of the block from strips of Evergreen …

and improved the ribbing on the sump - 

Filing and sanding - and Tamiya liquid glue - 

lots of filing

lots of sanding …

[absmiami]

I’ve made the length of my engine block to match the GTO

block produced by Reps

and miniatures.  This is scale 23 inches ….  Just how accurate was the Reps and Miniatures engine ??

[absmiami]

Check out this shot of an early Columbo 12 on a Ferrari 166 FII chassis owned by Chinetti Jr - and sometimes on display at the Simeone Museum in Philly …. The Reps and Miniatures casting is within 1/2 inch in scale length - not bad !

[absmiami]

MotoR mounts - the factory drawing - and the mount on the Reps and Miniatures Columbo block - very correct - will duplicate this …

[absmiami]

File and sand

file and sand

sand and file …

Tamiya liquid glue

[absmiami]

[absmiami]

Since I’m using the timing chain cover from the Reps and Mins castings I sawed apart the corresponding part from the GTO sump and

attached it to the cover

[absmiami]

The motor mounts are cast on to the sides of the clutch housing on all of the Ferrari 12s   -  detached this part from the Reps and Mins block and will use it here - the Reps and Mins starter is quite good and correct for all of the Columbo 12s - so I’ll use it here.  

[absmiami]

The cylinder heads on the Columbo 12 are, as I recall, 60 degrees opposed - the angle of the heads on the Reps and Mins block are perfect - or appear to be - so the sliver  of black visible when the timing chain cover is held against the UMI cyl head tells me that the angle is not quite right on this part  -  also the left side cam box is too narrow - so this requires some surgery using .020 Evergreen strip …

[absmiami]

[absmiami]

Better …

[absmiami]

The front of the early Columbo 12s located accessories like the alternator and the fuel pump in a different manner than the later GTO  engine  -  requiring some changes to the timing chain cover of the GTO engine cover casting sawed away from the Reps and Mins GTO block  …

[absmiami]

The part that I’m using from Mike Q’s engine castings lacks flanges for the exhaust pipes  -  I’m adding these with bits made from Evergreen strip. - .015 by .156 - 

[absmiami]

The photo of

the Barchetta engine bay that I posted 3 weeks ago shows the magnetos - the plug wires feed into the cap in a group - different than the mags on the GTO engine - so I decapitated the mag castings that were so carefully made for the GTO engine kit (sorry, Norman) - and remade the mags …. Bits and pieces of Evergreen …. 

[absmiami]

Another change from the GTO engine - the exhausts - the GTO engine exhaust castings from the Reps and Mins engine is great - with the correct 6 into 2 arrangement - but the UMI castings have the correct 6 into 1 pattern found on the Barchetta and

the other early Colombo  12s - these are white metal castings - which will accept a limited amount of bending …