absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Share Posted October 6, 2023 Call Mr. Lee happened upon the Don Lee Special at the 2020 Amelia Island Concourse - 3 days before the COVID pandemic shutdown ... Its nominally a 1932 Alfa grand prix car with some 1934/5 mods - found its way to the U.S. post war when purchased by L.A. businessman Don Lee Lee entered this car in the '46 and '47 Indy/s now owned by Hugh and Jennifer Taylor It has the distinction of being a rare unrestored pre war grand prix and post war Indy car - and its still a runner so it is unique - to say the least ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 straight eight supercharged all business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 Here’s the kit - a 24th scale resin kit by Fernando Pinto - Pierre is building an earlier Pinto Alfa - the Lemans winner - this kit of the P3 Grand Prix car is the latest 24th sc by Pinto - and he is improving as he goes - as you will see shortly - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 So this is what spills out of the box - lots and lots of …. Resin … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 The kit replicates a series I Alfa P3 - a Grand Prix winner pre-war - before Mercedes Benz and Auto Union entered the fray … for those of you who are unfamiliar w these resin kits fr Portugal - the wire wheels are pre-assembled and cast into resin tires - not quite as good as the best 3D printed wires - but pretty close …. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 The idea is to make the Don Lee Special - as raced in 46 and 47 - and as owned by the Taylors - I’ll need to modify the body - widen it - and modify the rear suspension - and give it the finish of an unrestored Indy car that is over seventy years old … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 the car has a great history - these sites have excellent articles on the car and on Indy entrant Lee Hagerty.com Theoldmotor.com justacarguy.blogspot.com I'll post some more of my photos as I go ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 Dept of corrections Lee was the second American owner - the Alfa came to the U.S. pre-war but it was Don Lee who entered the car in Indy post-war ... Post war Indianapolis races featured some fascinating pre-war cars - often from Europe In fact Lee also purchased and entered a unique Pre-war Mercedes GP car in the '46 race nominally entered by his son Tommy - I shall be exploring this machine - later - not soon - but some time I tend to herd a lot of cats .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted October 6, 2023 Share Posted October 6, 2023 (edited) Looking at this I can now see the advancements in kit engineering relative to my earlier Alfa kit. I'll be following with great interest. Where's the alternator on the P3 kit? On my Alfa it molded in right on top...where there should be one of the plugs... Edited October 6, 2023 by Pierre Rivard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 On this kit - the distributor is molded as part of a seperate casting with the drive - which comes from the engine center - thats where the gears were - nicely done - there is a neat curved plug wire housing - metal - that curved up over The cyl head - thats missing - but makable - kit engine also has a seperate casting for the water manifold - which is accurate but maybe could be replaced w some nickel silver … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 Rare in-period photo of right side of engine - Pinto probably studied this picture when designing the kit eng - well its on the internet now so maybe not so rare anymore … think this is from the great old book on the twin cam engine by Borgeson …. I can ch when im back in Miami … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 11 hours ago, absmiami said: Dept of corrections well maybe i should also mention that this car is a three time Indy entrant - U.S. owner one - Frank Griswald - ran the car in the ‘39 Indy …. 11 hours ago, absmiami said: Lee was the second American owner - the Alfa came to the U.S. pre-war but it was Don Lee who entered the car in Indy post-war ... Post war Indianapolis races featured some fascinating pre-war cars - often from Europe In fact Lee also purchased and entered a unique Pre-war Mercedes GP car in the '46 race nominally entered by his son Tommy - I shall be exploring this machine - later - not soon - but some time I tend to herd a lot of cats .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 6, 2023 Author Share Posted October 6, 2023 Maybe also mention this - when you spill the kit parts out of the box - the engine looks a bit over-scale - but its not - it is quite accurate - as is the body work - and I’ve got the measurments to confirm this …. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 Engine in your kit is very nice and worthy of some good detailing. Should be fantastic with the stuff you are planning. I look forward to seing this take shape. Engine in my kit is a bit of a lost cause... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 8, 2023 Author Share Posted October 8, 2023 Dept of Corrections Div of Repeat Offenders … the Autosport Forum always has some helpful info on its Nostalgia Subforum - the Don Lee Special is discussed on an old thread - pix no longer load - the chass is 50002 - and the Indy hx includes an entry in 1940 - a second pre-war entry/finish before the Post war Lee purchase and entries - making this a four time entrant - also rare - the photos of the car on line show that the Lee entered car wore number 47 - and sported a head-rest - which obviously means that This car had additional post Indy USAC comp history - probably in ‘47 - need to pay a visit to Rev’s for more info - unless somebody has Hugh and Jennifer Taylor on speed dial - kidding - no not kidding … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 8, 2023 Author Share Posted October 8, 2023 Adding some nut/bolt detail to the valve covers and re-drilled sp plug holes in between the heads - and filled some gaps here and there… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 https://drives.today/articles/1063/retro/1934-alfa-romeo-monoposto-tipo-b-p3.html this is a very good link w history of this car and I must correct another error this car is chass 50007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 and I should add that owner Hugh Taylor passed away a few years ago - but wife Jennie retains the Don Lee Special ... - and still drives it ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 and the Volmeyer site has over 50 killer pix - way better than mine ... - although link has wr chass number - correct number 50007 is given on his page ... https://www.volmeyer.com/cars/alfa-romeo-p3-tipo-b-monoposto-1932-chassis-50002/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 Adding some engine features missing fr kit - here’s where there’s a manifold from the superchargers into the cyl head - no induction w/out a manifold … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 Using this neat punch i just got from a jewelers tool site - punches thicker discs of plastic … 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattlecan Dan Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 Intricate stuff to say the least. Looks like some good work going on there. Interesting pics and dialogue. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 10, 2023 Author Share Posted October 10, 2023 Your welcome, rattle … Some more added detail to the supercharger and induction … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 10, 2023 Author Share Posted October 10, 2023 Two narow metal plates on the cyl head just below the induction castings - Evergreen strip and .05 resin bolt heads by Master Club - these two parts will be finished in a polished metal shade - although the whole engine will need a generous coating of oil and grime … 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 The engine is mounted at three points - centrally at the nose of the crank case - and left/right at the back of the cr/case - the kit casting has a simplified shape for the rear mounts for ease of assembly - i’m re-shaping the these to duplicate the shape and features … i took the first photo at the Amelia event - i thought that the day would come when i would need to refer to it … Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.