1920 Indy 500 winner: Monroe Special Frontenac

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Not much workbench time this week but churning along.












Thanks,
Ismael

[DougS]

On 7/12/2025 at 11:57 AM, ismaelg said:

Hello,

Using the freezer trick I was able to disassemble most of it.  The bag on the right contains the broken parts from the rough mail ride.  It will be a challenge to fix but I will take a crack at it because the other alternatives are triple digit money. 
I'm cheap 🙂

The kit's wheels would require a lot of work to get to barely adequate but still oversized.
Any suggestions for a good 3D print period wire wheel/tire file?  I have plans for several vintage racers and I will need a few period wire wheel sets.

Thanks,
Ismael

I am using wheels and tires from the gangbusters 1932 Chrysler on my 1935 Gilmore Special that is from this same Indy series. They're not perfect but I think they are a great improvement over the kit wheels. My original tires were very brittle and cracked. On the replacement tires I painted the whitewall inserts flat black and still need to add the knock-offs to cover the center of the wheels. These wheels are a little smaller than what are on the car you're working on but may look OK. 

[stavanzer]

Ismael, this is turning out so well!

Your hard work is paying off. I really like the care you show in your surface finish prep.

It will make the end result so much cleaner.

I. too wonder how you will solve the Wheel / Tire issue.

Keep the Good Work.

Alan Alexis

[DougS]

9 hours ago, DougS said:

I am using wheels and tires from the gangbusters 1932 Chrysler on my 1935 Gilmore Special that is from this same Indy series. They're not perfect but I think they are a great improvement over the kit wheels. My original tires were very brittle and cracked. On the replacement tires I painted the whitewall inserts flat black and still need to add the knock-offs to cover the center of the wheels. These wheels are a little smaller than what are on the car you're working on but may look OK. 

Correction: Not the 32 Chrysler, it was the MONOGRAM 1934 DUESENBERG which can be picked up on e-bay sometimes pretty cheap.

[ismaelg]

Hi Doug,

Agree those look far better than the kit's parts.  I've done some research and I think all 6 kits of this series (maybe the '53 could possibly be an exception) have the same problem: The car is roughly 1/30 scale but the wheels/tires are around  1/22 scale.  I am trying to get some time to write a full article on these fascinating kits.
I am working with my local 3D printing guy trying to come up with something. I convinced him that if this works I'll help him sell a ton of them.... (even if I may have to buy them all 😉 )

First goal is something for this 1920 and Murphy's 1922.  By 1931 the tires were getting bigger while the wheels were getting smaller but we will get there when we get there.

Thanks,
Ismael

[stavanzer]

I'll be in for a couple of sets of Tires, sir.

I can always use on something!