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!

 

[ismaelg]

Hello,

It may not look like much but I've spent considerable time on minute bodywork repairs, rescribes and details.




Here we have the first two of about half a million pins needed on this build.


The idea is to represent bolt heads



 

Four down, half a million more to go. 

Thanks,
Ismael

[Mark W]

 

3 hours ago, ismaelg said:

Hello,

It may not look like much but I've spent considerable time on minute bodywork repairs, rescribes and details.




Here we have the first two of about half a million pins needed on this build.


The idea is to represent bolt heads



 

Four down, half a million more to go. 

Thanks,
Ismael

Been down this road, it looks like you’ve done a lot of good work. Keeping the panels flat and the scribe lines straight is quite a task. Beautiful work so far.

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Scribed a missing panel line plus cleaned the others.  Getting close to first coat of color.

Thanks,
Ismael

[stavanzer]

Man, getting closer and closer.

Looks great!

[ismaelg]

Hello,

My Eyeballing Engineering degree is saying this is going in the right direction.
Thin aluminum sheet.

Thanks,
Ismael

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Pretty busy lately, but the aluminum sheet wind blocker thingy is taking shape.  I think it is getting very  close to primer.

Thanks,
Ismael

[Ace-Garageguy]

Looking better and better.  

[ismaelg]

Hello,

First burst of primer. Looking good so far.

Thanks,
Ismael

Edited September 28 by ismaelg

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Sorry I've been away for a long time.  I was out of the country for a few weeks and have been very busy at work. 
Back to this, I'm trying to make this a 2025 completion, but with my glacier building pace I am not so sure.

A light color coat revealed I was nowhere near ready for color.  After some more work we are ready now for another round of primer, then color.




Thanks,
Ismael

[ismaelg]

Hello,
After working the primer, I just shot the very first color coat. This was a light coat and will eventually be color sanded to almost nothing.  But I see it is going in the right direction.
Yes, they built these cars with a lot of care and passion.  I am sure the paint job was the best they could do. But this was a race car from 1920. I am SURE it was not a mile deep clearcoated SEMA show car we see today. So I am trying to walk a fine line here between "just right" and "going overboard"  if you see what I mean.

 

Thanks,
Ismael

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Just a first color coat. It is only fitting that a 1920 race car built by the Chevrolet brothers be painted in Corvette Victory Red. Ain't it?  🙂  

Only 2 coats of green paint so far. My intention is to do OLD SCHOOL:  a few more coats and buff it, but not to use clear on it.


Thanks,
Ismael

[Pierre Rivard]

I really like your approach about paint. In 1920 cars were at best 3/4 gloss with layers of linseed oil paints brushed and sanded. Your approach to accurately represent the car as it was (rather than too often seen glossy restorations) is the way I would choose. Your build subjects are always very very interesting. Lots to learn for the rest of us.

Edited 8 hours ago by Pierre Rivard

[absmiami]

Cant tell on an i phone - but you might have enough green on it w 2 coats … looks good