Ferrari Barchetta UMI Quarterman tribute

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, absmiami said:

Sanding.  Filing.  Scribing.  Just removing all the excess resin so that the base looks like the master … leave the UMI  markings under the base of the trunk, right ??

 

 

 

 

 

As a tribute piece, I think that's apt.

[absmiami]

Gonna put all the ….  Junk in the trunk ….  But first I have to recover the shut lines on the trunk lid with a strip of Evergreen and lots of CA glue …. And filling the one casting cavity that I found along the lower edges of the body casting …

[absmiami]

If you’re loading pix fr your I phone. -  give them a “spin” on the editing app - which will give them correct orientation on the thread - which is what I forgot to do on the first trunk shot above …the fourth shot is the obligatory “glued the model to my fingeR tip shot”.  That’s always fun …

[absmiami]

Here’s a neat discovery …. Years ago there was A Ferrari magazine publication called Ferrari Story - I don’t think it was published very long - I’ve got about a half dozen issues - they published a great series on the earliest Ferraris - including early chassis drawings from Gilco - they designed and made the early chassis - this drawing has the dimensions of the chassis tubes - don’t think I’ll use this for the UMI Barchetta - but it might come in handy in some Other early Ferrari projects that are percolating …

[Venom]

Abs, I think you must be a true model building madman, as it’s hard to keep up with all the stuff you do, and I’m amazed with how much you know about obscure kits and such. This is a really cool car and it surprises me how thick the resin is on many of these resin kits. I guess I lucked out by having my first one being an HRM.... Also, in looking at this body style I have to wonder if it was the inspiration for the AC Ace which morphed into the Cobra.

[absmiami]

Thanks. Casting thickness was always an issue - but the castings were less likely to warp - and the caster got better mold life and was able to pull more castings from a mold - as commercial resins got better  -  casters like Harold Bradford and good friend and mentor Norman Veber - figured out how to produce parts without the out of scale thickness  -  as did Paul Fisher - on the left coast - which is why these three are in my resin casting “hall of fame”.  

[absmiami]

Design:  the Barchetta was the design product of Touring of Milan - they did the design work for many early Ferraris.  If you want to see a Ferrari that really influenced sports car design in Great Britain - have a look at the 225 Sport Ferrari - a 1952 design by Vignale -  Godfrey Eaton’s “The Complete Ferrari” set me back 20 bucks in the late eighties - I think it was re-published so it should still be gettable - the “Ferrari: Design of a Legend” book by Rogliatti - published in 1990 - also set me back twenty - a great book on Ferrari design - I think this book is entering the strata of unobtanium … Fisher gets Two - or maybe three - gold stars for the pattern which correctly produces the front to back taper on the Barchetta …

[Gramps46]

I found this email from Mike Q in my archives and thought I would share it with you.  March 2019, in response to William Depooter' s UMI Barchetta build.

"It's great to see this build. I have a hard time connecting to the fact that this was 27 years ago!

For a fun fact, Paul Fisher did the body master and I did all the rest. Probably why people think it's my best. But it was priced at $100 (!!) back then. Only sold about 40 of them."

Sincerely,

Michael Quarterman

UMi Graphics

 

[absmiami]

Yes. Thanks. Rare Rare

rare

[absmiami]

These photos offer a comparo of the Fisher / UMI Barchetta body casting and the MFH Barchetta - which of course is long out of production and basically umobtanium…. The MFH casting is in the collection of a friend that I had a chance to see during my wanderings up and down the east coast in the past two weeks …

[absmiami]

You can see several differences in the shape of the driving compartment cowling and some subtle differences in the shape of the transition from front fender to the radiator cowling - in some respects I think that the Fisher casting is more accurate - there are factory drawings posted here and there for reference - which brings me to the news  on the MFH website - they are posting parts photos for a 12th scale Barchetta - including what will be a bonkers engine - with all of the internals - you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a working 12th scale MFH Ferrari  V12 - with those pistons humming away …

[absmiami]

So I’m anxious to see how the 12th scale kit develops - I’m wondering whether MFH will correct any of the shape errors  made in their now 10 yr old 24th scale kit ….  We’ll all know soon - as the speed of their kit development is dizzying .. 

[afx]

The lines on the MFH kit look a bit harsh/stark.  I prefer the look of the Fisher kit but not a Ferrari expert by any means. 

[iBorg]

Two classic names from modeling's past.....Michael Quarterman and Paul Fisher. For road racing modeler's, Michael was a great source of information that he was always free to share. I doubt Paul will ever start his business back up after loosing it and his home in a California wildfire. Both made huge contributions to the hobby.

 

[absmiami]

i:   I occasionally  email w Paul F -  unlikely that he will again produce kits  - which of course is a shame - but understandable given advances in cad cam and 3D printing

but this is a good chance to see if makers like MFH will pay close attention to SHAPE - which requires an artist's eye to interpret in scale !!  Umm  I feel a rant coming on  ....

incidentally - Paul and Susie Fisher lived in Paradise Ca - it was THAT fire !

Paradise is trying to re-build, according to Paul - maybe consider a town name change ????

no, not Phoenix !!

 

 

[absmiami]

Paul got the

sweep of the cowl correct -  

24th sc MFH ?  Miss …

[Ace-Garageguy]

Enjoying this, and your detail shots of the real cars are much appreciated.

I have a Fernando Pinto version acquired a couple of years back. The body lines look very good on that one also. His Porsche 550 Spyder gets the lines right too, better than any other kit.

I've had the opportunity to see a few 166 Barchettas together at one time, and the differences from car to car, with individually coachbuilt bodies, can be quite striking.

I also appreciate the effort and skill  you're putting into opening panels on these thick castings. It's not a job most modelers could get right..

[absmiami]

Thanks ace

[absmiami]

This is chassis .0010  - there are some More shots on ph 1.  Sometimes you just get lucky …

[absmiami]

On 12/2/2021 at 7:34 AM, absmiami said:

So I’m anxious to see how the 12th scale kit develops - I’m wondering whether MFH will correct any of the shape errors  made in their now 10 yr old 24th scale kit ….  We’ll all know soon - as the speed of their kit development is dizzying .. 

MFH isn’t messing around - the kit is coming together quickly and it’s clear that they have done more research for their 12th sc Barchetta …

the 24th scaleMFH Barchetta utilized the Gilco designed and produced early chassis - as used on the Spyder - the 12th scale kit chassis is  a replica of Gilco’s  other early Ferrari chassis - which has a straight frame rail “run” - with a suspended rear cross member to site the shocks -

I think this is correct - but this was not clear to me until I saw the MFH posts …. Well done, MFH - now nail the body …

[Straightliner59]

On 10/11/2021 at 1:45 PM, absmiami said:

"filler up ... "

note the body work structure support tubes throughout the trunk ...

Maseratis and Ferraris always had such cool fuel tanks  ... 

 

Yes, that is very cool! I would have to try to build it from aluminum, just because it would look, well, like it ought to! I'm really looking forward to watching you bring this together.

[Straightliner59]

On 12/2/2021 at 9:46 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

It's not a job most modelers could get right..

Or would even care to. Some of us are just a bit more "touched" than others!?

[absmiami]

Thanks.  Probably tackle the tank when the engine is done and Off to be cast - think I’ll use some Renshape and skin it with alu sheet …

[Straightliner59]

3 hours ago, absmiami said:

Thanks.  Probably tackle the tank when the engine is done and Off to be cast - think I’ll use some Renshape and skin it with alu sheet …

That ought to work beautifully!

[89AKurt]

Love the subject!  Never have seen this resin kit either, so am subscribed.

Every car was hand built, so there are differences that only experts can obsess about.  This car resides in Prescott, it's the first Ferrari (side note, the cycle fendered car that is touted as #1 is an over-restored car, this one was confirmed at a Palm Springs show, but because it's not perfectly restored is ignored).  The 166MM that we have all seen, evolved from this car.  Just wanted to hijack the topic and brag a little, that's me at the wheel, arm off the door because it was hot enough to fry an egg. ?