Sebring 12 Hours 1964 Proposed group build thread

[Phildaupho]

Misha - Fabulous MGB. Can hardly wait to see it.

[Rattlecan Dan]

Congratulations on your fine build Misha! Looks great!

[Misha]

Thanks Gary “Gramps46” for following along on the build. Encouragement is always welcomed in our hobby/passion which tends to be a solitary activity. 
 

11 hours ago, Randy D said:

Beautiful work on this one Misha.  Congrats on getting to the starting grid on time !!!

Thanks Randy, it’s great to get it done on time. The subject matter was a big draw, an MGB racing at Sebring against the Goliath's of the day. Having the Club Sport kit was an added inventive with the perfect parts required. 
 

9 hours ago, absmiami said:

you'll actually have time to run the first practice in two Tuesdays ...

I'm not so sure that 2287 will get any practice sessions - maybe the night session ...

well done ...

Thanks Andrew, Hope the weather holds out in Florida. Bit of a drive all the way from Vancouver Island. 
 

Your build is an inspiration to all gearhead detail fanatics, you’re getting close… gonna be following along! Cheers. 
 

8 hours ago, Phildaupho said:

Misha - Fabulous MGB. Can hardly wait to see it.

Thanks Phil, we’re headed out in the morning hopefully, so I’ll be in town for our meeting, along with the MG. 

Now it’s on to building a Deuce woodie in time for Summer 2025 Pacific Nor’West Deuce Days in Victoria BC! A plug for the upcoming 20th anniversary for the Desert Scale Classic in Phoenix this spring. Our club Scale Plastic Automotive Modellers SPAM,  along with the Cactus Model Club  are sponsoring the Best Deuce Class. Check it out. 
 

4 hours ago, Rattlecan Dan said:

Congratulations on your fine build Misha! Looks great!

Thanks Dan for following along on this build and the congrats ?. When I do finish I usually treat myself to a new build to start, except I often end up beginning three rather than just one! My WIPs increase exponentially. Looking at finishing my 53 Ford from a previous Cannonball, and the Cheezoom Corvair F/C. Cheers!

Thanks to all who peek in on this thread. Next stop is Under the Glass!

Cheers Misha 

[Pierre Rivard]

17 hours ago, Misha said:

Been awhile since the latest update, so this is the last one as entry #48 has entered the grid! There were a number of final bits to install on the MGB to make it race ready. 

 

The green light that was used to communicate with the pit board held by a crewman needed to be built using the kit’s clear lens. Fitting a suitable diameter of plastic rod into the Dremel, I fashioned a housing for the light. The kit provides three clear lenses which feature a raised rim for the rubber seal. Mixing clear blue & yellow acrylic provided the green colour. While often used on roof tops the MG mounted the signal light on the passenger front fender, in line with the leading edge of the windshield. The companion piece is the light installed to illuminate the entry number on the same side to be visible to the pits. I was fortunate to have some white metal castings with amazing detail that I had come across a few decades ago. 

With the body on the chassis it was time to complete the exhaust pipe with P/E pipe clamps. The Detail Master  fret offers three sizes of clamps. It really brings a lot of realism to the chassis in a subtle way. 

 

After installing the windscreen I encountered perhaps the most difficult part of the build; installing the wipers. With the aid of tweezers, magnifier, in combination with shakey hands and failing eyesight, it took some time to get it to look okay. 

Another gem ? in the Club Racing version are two very thin clear “perspex” headlight covers to reduce aerodynamic drag of the original design. I installed them with Aleene’s Tacky Glue which drys clear. Most often used to mock up assemblies as it’s dissolvable with warm water. 

The last panic, #4, occurred when the very delicate passenger side door handle snapped in two when I was removing from the sprue! The solution was to rob from the second, stock kit thankfully. 

The last item was to repair the red stripe on the hardtop with a small bit of remaining decal, leaving just a tiny sliver. 

Now the MGB is ready to make the grid!

 

 

Next step is to post in Under Glass after some hero shots and reflections on the build. 

 

Thanks to all that have been following the community build. Also to all the builders taking part, offering their work in writing and photos. 

 

Cheers Misha

It was an absolute joy to follow this build. It's a beautiful kit and all your mods & enhancements has turned it into a very convincing race car. Welcome to the grid!

[1959scudetto]

Very nice build, Misha - it was a delight to follow your build and watch the whole thing come to life. The exhaust pipe alone is a model in itself - even the underbody looks great.

The only small drawback is the kit tires (I have 4 of these in my stash) - if Aoshima only had supplied period-correct rubber !

Edited February 29, 2024 by 1959scudetto

[Misha]

On 2/29/2024 at 5:10 AM, Pierre Rivard said:

It was an absolute joy to follow this build. It's a beautiful kit and all your mods & enhancements has turned it into a very convincing race car. Welcome to the grid!

Thank you for your comment Pierre, it was an enjoyable build and it’s great to hear responses on it. Having finished it in time to join you and the others on the starting grid in a few days is a rush as well! 

On 2/29/2024 at 10:30 AM, 1959scudetto said:

Very nice build, Misha - it was a delight to follow your build and watch the whole thing come to life. The exhaust pipe alone is a model in itself - even the underbody looks great.

The only small drawback is the kit tires (I have 4 of these in my stash) - if Aoshima only had supplied period-correct rubber !

Thank you Helmut for comments and it’s great to hear that you followed along! Lately my choices have been curbsides with the result that the time spent on engine compartments is now gone into chassis detail. The exhaust pipe was actually the focus of my efforts by trying out a multi-stage airbrushing and masking for the first time. 
 

The visual differences between the race day body and the rather well worn chassis has an historical background. All three Sebring  MGs were 1962 models that were originally shipped over for the California dealer. These three were the only ones to have had some corrosion damage on the voyage and were relegated to the back of the lot. 
 
Morris Garage has had a century long history of competitive activity and kept to its original slogan of MG - Safety Fast. From hill climbs to land speed records the company has provided an economical and practical sports car. In the1956 Sebring the firm entered the new MGA, a distinctly fresh and modern post war design. In its run up to the 1962 season the cars remained competitive in class and most importantly never suffered a DNF during the twelve hour event. With the introduction of the MGB late in 62 the firm undertook the prep of the racers in house to have them ready for the 63 Sebring rather than having essentially American hot rodders that we’re responsible for the MGA as before. The result was dismal as the two car team scored DNF, failing to run the course. For the next season  (60 years ago) a three car team prepared by the  California dealership using the three sitting in the back.  The amazing factor in these entries was their stark stock appearance yet in competition with much more sophisticated  cars as Porches, Ferrari, and of course the GS Vette! This was achieved with aluminum panels, reinforced wire wheels, and meticulous blue printing, polishing and assembly of the engine by Joe Huffaker in his early days before Indianapolis.

Researching a competition car to build a replica reveals such interesting details in addition visual information. This was another enjoyable aspect of this build. 
 

Looking forward to seeing all the entries!

Cheers Misha 

[Gramps46]

Actually made some progress with the Cunningham Porsche 904GTS #37.  Found the #3s on a VRM Corvette decal sheet for the 1960 LM Corvette.  Had painted the body with Tamiya Mica Silver.

 

Edited March 5, 2024 by Gramps46

[250 Testa Rossa]

Nice work!

[MarkJ]

Gary, that silver looks perfect.

[absmiami]

Yup

[absmiami]

Gramps - does that VRM Corvette sheet have the markings for the 1960 Camoradi racing Vette number 4 ??  ???

[Gramps46]

Yes, the VRM sheet has the 1960 Camoradi red lettering and #4. But not the black on red shadowing lettering.

1960 Camoradi Corvette | Hemmings

Edited March 5, 2024 by Gramps46

[absmiami]

On the wet lawn at Amelia this weekend …

[absmiami]

the deck got some trimmed panels and fuel pipes and wiring 

[absmiami]

The artwork on the license plate on the VRM sheet is terrific - and this was the plate for 2287 - which traveled with the car throughout its the ‘64 racing season - at the track it was set into the door cut-out …

[absmiami]

The artwork on the license plate on the VRM sheet is terrific - and this was the plate for 2287 - which traveled with the car throughout its the ‘64 racing season - at the track it was set into the door cut-out …

[absmiami]

Another revu of the contemporary pix shows me that the Goodyear markings  on the tires are too large - the Goodyear tire markings on the Model Factory Hiro sheets are the correct size - and I’ve got an extra sheet from a Porsche 909/3 kit [long story] - so i scraped off the decals that i applied last month and put on the MFH markings …

[absmiami]

Time to glue  the body down onto the base - which I was worried about because of the resin body flex - which is pronounced … so I’ve added some strip to the base and drilled holes for bolts that i hope will hold the assembly in place …

[absmiami]

CA glued one side - let the glue set - then the other  side …  and waited and  hoped …. 

[Gramps46]

2 hours ago, absmiami said:

Another revu of the contemporary pix shows me that the Goodyear markings  on the tires are too large - the Goodyear tire markings on the Model Factory Hiro sheets are the correct size - and I’ve got an extra sheet from a Porsche 909/3 kit [long story] - so i scraped off the decals that i applied last month and put on the MFH markings …

Absolutely the right thing to do.  Well done.

[absmiami]

The bond held - i think the added bolts were essential - glueing the chassis to the base required re-locating the pin location holes - but i managed to get everything together with the wheels in the right place - 

[absmiami]

Now to the exhaust pipes …

[Misha]

Hi Andrew, moving right along, looking great ??!

Cheering you on, Misha

[Pierre Rivard]

I second that, a great effort in realism, both from the research side of this specific car and the extensive detailing.

 

[absmiami]

So ive been pondering the engine placement on 2287 ….  Passed by this restorer’s van Sunday AM on my way into - rainy - Amelia concourse ….  Pretty cool …