Project for Skip: 1914 Stutz Bearcat

[Danno]

Most excellent build shaping up here!

[f1ford48]

Sorry to do this to you Harry. the first comment I had on this post was about the gas tank being too high. I dont know why Aurora put the step in the frame but the real car didnt have it.what I just did on mine was get rid of the base that tank and tool box mounts on.sawed it level to back of seats where the frame steps down] cut the lower part of the tool box down and the tank mounts should sit directly on the frame. on the real car you can see the gas caps are at the top of seat back level.

you are probably going to boot me off your post for this but I think its important. [i feel like Columbo here]

heres what I did to mine.......

Edited February 17, 2014 by f1ford48

[Harry P.]

[f1ford48]

I concur..my mistake! I just saw a frame [Tony Koveleski Stutz restoration] and it does arc up -although not as abruptly as the model. set the tank and seats on and you see what you think . I thought it too high, so changed it.

the foot well looks perfect! I need to add this and the footrest to my car.

if you have not already seen this its a piece of great history.AJ Koveleski was the creator of Hudson Miniatures.this blog is about his bearcat restored in 1952.check out the restoration and a movie. google 1914 stutz bearcat car #2177.

all the best- Frank

Edited February 17, 2014 by f1ford48

[sjordan2]

I concur..my mistake! I just saw a frame [Tony Koveleski Stutz restoration] and it does arc up -although not as abruptly as the model. set the tank and seats on and you see what you think . I thought it too high, so changed it.

the foot well looks perfect! I need to add this and the footrest to my car.

if you have not already seen this its a piece of great history.AJ Koveleski was the creator of Hudson Miniatures.this blog is about his bearcat restored in 1952.check out the restoration and a movie. google 1914 stutz bearcat car #2177.

all the best- Frank

I sent Harry a copy of "The Wings of Eagles," and the same Harrah car appeared in Disney's "Summer Magic," as shown in his original post. One thing I haven't figured out is if the Harrah car shown in his post of the 1:1 (post #115) is the same car restored with a painted radiator and the optional wire wheels. It also shows a monocle windscreen, which can be swiped from the Mercer kit.

Edited February 17, 2014 by sjordan2

[f1ford48]

Im sure the Harrah car was restored more than once. so it may be. im also sure Bill H. had more than one Bearcat.

according to Tony Koveleski only 100 or so Bearcats were built between 1914 and 1917.

im sure many Bulldogs [touring] and roadsters were converted over the years into bearcats. Mr Koveleski claimed his car was an original.

[Harry P.]

... the same car restored with a painted radiator and the optional wire wheels...

I read that wire wheels replaced wooden wheels at some point during production... 1915, maybe? Or were wire wheels always available as an option?

BYW... Frank, so glad to have another member here who builds cars from this era. I was feeling very lonely until you showed up! I knew I couldn't be the only one who's into these brass-era cars.

[sjordan2]

I read that wire wheels replaced wooden wheels at some point during production... 1915, maybe? Or were wire wheels always available as an option?

BYW... Frank, so glad to have another member here who builds cars from this era. I was feeling very lonely until you showed up! I knew I couldn't be the only one who's into these brass-era cars.

My book source only states that wooden spokes were standard and wire wheels were optional.

Edited February 18, 2014 by sjordan2

[f1ford48]

Thanks Harry-glad to be here as well.. I heard that Houk wire wheels were standard on the Bearcat starting 1917. before that they were an option. heres a pre '17 brochure that shows them on the car. I want to build one like this with white tires.

interestingly 1917 was the last year for the Bearcat-[the original style that is] and Harry Stutz also sold out in '17-- he died in 1930.

a 6 cylinder Bearcat [very rare ] was available for an additional $250.

you can see from the brochure pics how easy it would be to convert the roadster into a bearcat.-the roadster is probably more rare today!

both photos are from the same brochure. and the junker is the red Harrah bearcat as found.

Edited February 18, 2014 by f1ford48

[grayghost]

You make it look so easy Harry.

Fantastic work.

[Harry P.]

The Aurora Stutz I'm using is a curbside, so no engine detail. The Lindberg Stutz donor kit is a race-only version, no stock exhaust manifold. And the Fuman Mercer's exhaust manifold is four-port, so that won't work on a Stutz engine.

I guess if I want a stock exhaust manifold, I'll have to make one. So I did. A bit of sprue bent by heating over a candle flame. The flanges are sheet styrene, and the mounting bolt heads are sliced off a length of hex-shaped styrene:

[Cato]

Man you get a lot of usage out of that hex rod material.

Beautiful.

[Harry P.]

Scratchbuilt exhaust manifold installed. Hey... it fits!

The engine compartment is just about done. I could have added more details, but my intent from the beginning was to build a reasonably well-detailed model, not a contest winner...

[Cato]

Harry-Criticism alert!

Only thing I don't like is the light blue wiring on the firewall-doesn't look '1914-ish'...

My favorite part of the engine bay is that drive belt on the generator-perfect detail.

[GeeBee]

The engine compartment is just about done. I could have added more details, but my intent from the beginning was to build a reasonably well-detailed model, not a contest winner

Too bad Harry, because I think your going to end up with a contest winning model there ....

[Harry P.]

It's not light blue, it's gray. Maybe I'll paint it. The wiring on the firewall is a total fake job... just wanted something there besides a blank surface.

[Art Anderson]

I read that wire wheels replaced wooden wheels at some point during production... 1915, maybe? Or were wire wheels always available as an option?

BYW... Frank, so glad to have another member here who builds cars from this era. I was feeling very lonely until you showed up! I knew I couldn't be the only one who's into these brass-era cars.

Yes, Harry.....

In the 'teens (a century ago) wooden "artillery" wheels were almost universally standard among at least American cars--but companies such as Rudge-Whitworth, Buffalo and Dayton Wheel were offering wire wheels as aftermarket (and many automakers included such wheels in their catalogs as optional factory equipment.

Now, are you gonna detail the Stutz transaxle (the first generation Stutz cars had their gearboxes mounted to the differential--apparently Harry C. Stutz never heard of "unsprung weight"!). Also the brakes were "external contracting band" brakes, actuated by pull rods which brought a lined, sprint-steel band into solid contact with the outside of the brake drum.

Sometime when you get to Indianapolis, you ought to check out the Stutz Office Condiminiums--located in the restored Stutz Factory, which is just off I-65 north of the center of the city. There are always a few restored Stutz automobiles on display in the main floor lobby.

Art

[Cato]

It's not light blue, it's gray. Maybe I'll paint it. The wiring on the firewall is a total fake job... just wanted something there besides a blank surface.

I agree and it's a good fake-job. Many A/C guys 'gizmo-fy' wheel wells, cockpits etc.

Gray is good-maybe darker, like NATO or something.

Edit: Maybe we should ask Skip-it IS his project...

Edited February 18, 2014 by Cato

[f1ford48]

that engine is indeed a contest winner and I like the steering box too! the photo is so sharp of the exhaust manifold it looks like it has tiny pits-did you do that?

[Harry P.]

that engine is indeed a contest winner and I like the steering box too! the photo is so sharp of the exhaust manifold it looks like it has tiny pits-did you do that?

It's a dark metallic gray. I mixed acrylic metallic silver, black, and red ochre.

[Harry P.]

Also the brakes were "external contracting band" brakes, actuated by pull rods which brought a lined, sprint-steel band into solid contact with the outside of the brake drum.

Do you have any photos you could post?

[Harry P.]

Too bad Harry, because I think your going to end up with a contest winning model there ....

Thanks, Geoff... but I took a few liberties with the details. It'll be a nice looking shelf model for sure, but not a contest winner.

[f1ford48]

I dont think Art is correct about the Bearcat- the gearbox mounted to the differential would be an advantage for traction and handling since these cars were light in the rear.

and Bearcats had drum brakes with shoes -not external contracting- each axle had 4 shoes -2 for the foot pedal and 2 for the hand brake.

[sjordan2]

I agree and it's a good fake-job. Many A/C guys 'gizmo-fy' wheel wells, cockpits etc.

Gray is good-maybe darker, like NATO or something.

Edit: Maybe we should ask Skip-it IS his project...

Not my project, just my suggestion. And Frank has pointed out something no one else mentioned, which is the steering box. As everything comes together, this is an absolute tour de force. I had no idea how much detail would be involved, and it's just stunning.

EDIT: To clarify, this was more than a suggestion, I was asking for a very big favor -- to see how Harry would approach something I wanted to do with the Aurora kit, so I could learn from his approach. He graciously has tackled the challenge. I hope there was no misunderstanding, and that it's clear how much I appreciate this.

Edited February 19, 2014 by sjordan2

[Danno]

Still looking great!