Pierre Rivard Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 On 1/5/2025 at 10:38 AM, AmericanMuscleFan said: It's hard to believe, you should put one aside to prove it! 😁 I know... I said I wouldn't do the dime thing again...
Pierre Rivard Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 The last 3 engine component fabrication bits, other than the wiring and plumbing. First the rad hoses made from rubber cord and 0.29mm wire fro clamps. Second, the carb warmer coolant conduit with some sort of cotton rope insulation. Finally, I decided to add the conduit with faucet style valve and what appears to be a filter case under the "oil tank"
Pierre Rivard Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 After 3 weeks the engine components are made and ready to go to paint. YEAH! 4
Pierre Rivard Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 Components painted and dressing up & assembling the engine finally starts. I have to work this in layers, with first the coolant pump greaser and one of it's lines, Second, installing the coolant pump dynamo/magneto assembly and starting the ignition wiring. The engine has 6 cylinders and a twin plug arrangement. The first set of wires from the magneto run to a conduit through the block and reach plugs to the left side plugs. The second series of 6 wires feed the plugs on the magneto side. 2
Straightliner59 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 You're making great progress, Pierre! Plug wire boots are excellent. Love watching fine scratchbuilding--and this is a sure place to find it!
MarkJ Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Even the plastic parts look like metal and the spark plug boots look real as well. I hope somebody at Lindberg gets to see this build when finished. 1
BK9300 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 A very complex engine being recreated with your excellent scratch building - wonderful job!
W-409 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Wow! Had not seen this thread until now. Just read through the whole thread and I have to say that you're doing an incredible job on improving this kit! Personally, I like improving older kits up to today's standards so with that said, I'm going to watch this thread with a great interest. And, while I can appreciate the work many guys do with creating the "masters" for 3D printing certain parts on computer (because there's no way I could do that), I really enjoy someone actually scratchbuilding the parts they need. So, my hat is off for all the work you've done so far, and I'll definitely keep watching. Saw one SSK last summer when I was on a roadtrip in Germany and visited the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Beautiful car!
Pierre Rivard Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 21 hours ago, kensar said: Nice work! Spark plug boots look great. They have been printed by one of the guys at my hobby store. 20 hours ago, Straightliner59 said: You're making great progress, Pierre! Plug wire boots are excellent. Love watching fine scratchbuilding--and this is a sure place to find it! I'm trying man. Looking at your work really helps with ideas. Taking the lunge with brass for brake pull rods! 6 hours ago, MarkJ said: Even the plastic parts look like metal and the spark plug boots look real as well. I hope somebody at Lindberg gets to see this build when finished. Thanks friend. I just put a touch go flat aluminum in the black for the engine block, gives it a bit of a rough iron casting look. I think everybody at Lindberg passes away a long time ago... 5 hours ago, 1959scudetto said: C'est formidable, Pierre ! Danke mein Freund. If I can only make through the engine build... 3 hours ago, BK9300 said: A very complex engine being recreated with your excellent scratch building - wonderful job! Thank you Brian. It's more than I usually do but the engine is the heart of this project so I'm trying to up my game a bit. 1 hour ago, W-409 said: Wow! Had not seen this thread until now. Just read through the whole thread and I have to say that you're doing an incredible job on improving this kit! Personally, I like improving older kits up to today's standards so with that said, I'm going to watch this thread with a great interest. And, while I can appreciate the work many guys do with creating the "masters" for 3D printing certain parts on computer (because there's no way I could do that), I really enjoy someone actually scratchbuilding the parts they need. So, my hat is off for all the work you've done so far, and I'll definitely keep watching. Saw one SSK last summer when I was on a roadtrip in Germany and visited the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Beautiful car! Thank you Niko for the kind words and welcome to the group. I like you enjoy working from older kits and getting some scratch built improvements. I'll add the occasional 3D printed part (I don't make them) but for the most part try to build or modify parts in a more traditional way. I just enjoy the process of it. The SSK is a beautiful brute. A car meant to be raced.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 The rest of the engine has been assembled and some washes added to give it a bit of worn look. I am never comfortable doing engines so getting through this crucial phase of the build is a relief. I am pretty happy with the results. 3
1959scudetto Posted January 7 Posted January 7 16 minutes ago, Pierre Rivard said: The rest of the engine has been assembled and some washes added to give it a bit of worn look. I am never comfortable doing engines so getting through this crucial phase of the build is a relief. I am pretty happy with the results. Plastic looking like metal - fantastic, Pierre ! 1
MarkJ Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Its wild how real that engine looks. Looks like you found a real engine out of a full sized one and shrunk it to scale. Thats scratch building, painting and weathering at the highest degree when you can get that done. Amazing work.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 8 Author Posted January 8 Hold on here... I run a little 2.3 liter in my Alfa but these guys get to run a big ass 7.1? That's not fair! 3
AmericanMuscleFan Posted January 8 Posted January 8 Fantastic work on the engine Pierre, all these hand made parts made all the difference, you are right to be proud of the result! 👌 1
MarkJ Posted January 8 Posted January 8 It really looks like Tazio said those exact words with the look he has on his face. Like he's trying to say I accomplished more with less with that sly smile. Great comparison pic of the two engines.
jaymcminn Posted January 8 Posted January 8 Amazing Pierre. It takes real skill to get that lump up to the standard you produced. Have you come up with a good source for wheels and tires?
rattle can man Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Inspirational build! makes me want to breakout my kit and forget about my current builds. but I know my work would be nowhere close to yours.
Pierre Rivard Posted January 10 Author Posted January 10 On 1/7/2025 at 4:47 PM, 1959scudetto said: Plastic looking like metal - fantastic, Pierre ! Thanks Helmut. It takes a few extra steps but does contribute to give the engine an oily grimy metallic look. Nothing complicated: I added a touch of aluminum into the black for the block, I added a touch of black into some of the aluminium parts to get variations, then flat varnish and finally oiled earth washes On 1/8/2025 at 11:55 AM, AmericanMuscleFan said: Fantastic work on the engine Pierre, all these hand made parts made all the difference, you are right to be proud of the result! 👌 Absolutely Francis. Not every part was accurate but the sum of them has given me an engine I like quite a bit. On 1/8/2025 at 12:42 PM, MarkJ said: It really looks like Tazio said those exact words with the look he has on his face. Like he's trying to say I accomplished more with less with that sly smile. Great comparison pic of the two engines. I thought it would be fun to compare these two. The Alfa 8C2300 was the new car to beat and the SSK's career was winding down around 1931. On 1/8/2025 at 2:26 PM, jaymcminn said: Amazing Pierre. It takes real skill to get that lump up to the standard you produced. Have you come up with a good source for wheels and tires? Thanks Jason. Definitely an upgrade needed for wheels & tires but that kit is rarely being built these days (I may be the only one here...) so aftermarket parts are not readily available short of super expensive Pinto wheels. I am developing a compromise to be shared in detail soon. On 1/8/2025 at 8:06 PM, rattle can man said: Inspirational build! makes me want to breakout my kit and forget about my current builds. but I know my work would be nowhere close to yours. Thank you Harry. I am happy if anything I am working on can be useful for your own build. We learn and pick up ideas from looking at each other's builds. That's what I love about the forum
Pierre Rivard Posted January 13 Author Posted January 13 A lot of head scratching withe the assembly sequence as I am still pondering on the final body configuration I want to go with. While this is happening I finalized my wheel & tire solution, which must precede the body as I'll need a set tire location to locate the fenders properly. I definitely wanted to upgrade from the cast wheels and got Jason Hupin to print wire wheels in 22 mm diameter. I did not ask him to design an exact reproduction of period wire wheels due to the limited business opportunity for him (who else but me will build this car?) so used an existing design we worked on previously and asked him to produce a 22mm version. Discerning eyes will spot what is not correct about these but I consider them to be "goodenuf" for my project. I am reusing the kit tires and massaging them as best I can. Of course no whitewalls for this customer. I had to add 0.25 mm thick bands around the rims to get a better fit. Then getting the chassis attachment sorted out and finally a bit of paint (that feels good) 4
1959scudetto Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Quite a good solution with these wheels, Pierre (Jason always delivers).
Straightliner59 Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Those wheels look much better! I have some parts from a Johan kit lying around here, someplace.
TarheelRick Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Some most excellent work. I keep looking back at that engine and am waiting for you to service it and crank that puppy up. With that much detail in the engine I can only imagine what lies ahead with interior, chassis, and body work, you have already shown the wheel/tire assemblies.
stavanzer Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Those wheels look superb! This whole car will be a Masterpiece when done.
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