curt raitz Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 After viewing the 1/16th scale AC Cobra 427 I was selling on ebay, Dr. Robert Gingold contacted me about building a 1/16th scale model of his full scale Cobra 427. Dr. Gingold is the current and 3rd owner of chassis CSX3133. After a couple of long phone calls...him checking me out and myself checking him out we agreed to do this. He purchased the old MPC/AMT 1/16th scale Cobra 427 on ebay and had it delivered to my home. He also mailed a professionally produced 12 page brochure with many detailed photos of the car. He purchased the car in 1974 after seeing an ad in Autoweek describing a full competition 427 Cobra racer with many spares for $12,000. The car had been out of the public eye for over 37 years, finally making it's first public appearance at the Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's in Plymouth, Michigan in July 2012. The car was awarded a Gold Ribbon for the Most Desirable Car in the Show and a huge Silver Cup award, the Best Driving Award for the car the judges would most like to take home. Here's Dr. Bob struttin' his stuff: The car is painted a 1984 Chrysler Nightwatch Blue AY69SC9. Picked up a 12oz aerosal can from Automotive Touch Up Paint http://www.automotivetouchup.com After the model arrived, I started work on modifying the body by adding the scoop for the oil cooler and the side vents. Body mods complete ready for primer All primed in Tamiya White
Mike Kucaba Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 This is one I'm interested in! You probably have some great reference. Are you staying with the kit hinges?
Cato Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 Curt-if you haven't shot it already, I'd feather those door lower edges into the rocker area so they do not protrude like that. Pay attention to the thicknesses of the hood, trunk, scoop and doors. It's just the sheet aluminum folded on itself there. The tubes did not go right to the edges. Also the windshield frame and glass will need to be scratch built-they're too thick as supplied. Maybe ask the Doc for detail pics of those areas.
curt raitz Posted April 11, 2014 Author Posted April 11, 2014 (edited) Yep...already have the thing painted, should've thinned out the the edges on the doors, trunk and hood...he's having me build a 2nd one, so will do it on that one. This is the 2nd 1/16th AC Cobra I've built, it's a nice kit. I'm staying with the kit hinges, they're not great , but I really hate doing hinges. the doors, etc were just placed in their appropriate spots for the photos. The Doc has supplied me with numerous photos, etc. I've made a "buck' from miliput to vacuum form the windscreen c'ya Edited April 11, 2014 by curt raitz
cobraman Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 Oh boy, oh boy , oh boy !! I am in heaven ! Everyone knows I will be watching.
curt raitz Posted April 11, 2014 Author Posted April 11, 2014 After three attempts at painting, finally got it right. This is the first time I've tried the Automotive Touch Up paint from the aerosol can... 1st attempt at spraying, paint had a funny sheen to it with really fine specs in it. Stripped the paint, re-shot it, same results. Stripped again, but this time I de-canted the aerosol can into a couple of airbrush bottles. Let the paint "gas-out" for a day or so, fired up the airbrush. Shot the gassed-out paint thru the airbrush without thinning. Paint laid down real nice, covered well and came out dang near perfect. Painted the white ovals and stripes with ModelMasters Classic White lacquer. Note: the doors, trunk and bonnet have not been installed, just kinda sitting in place for the photo... Had to make up a shhet of decals for the car: Decals applied and covered with a couple coats of ModelMasters UltraGloss Clearcoat: Modifications to the dash panel...filling in holes and creating new ones: original dash: Dash done except for the gauges and switches being added: Now on to the chassis: and now on to the tires and wheels: more to come, gotta start building me a 427 Ford motor with Webers...
Cato Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 Check to see if his 427 has the Webers canted in 10 degrees at the top. That was done on 427's to clear the hood. The kit tires are not scale to his G'Years. They are too wide and square.
curt raitz Posted April 11, 2014 Author Posted April 11, 2014 Check to see if his 427 has the Webers canted in 10 degrees at the top. That was done on 427's to clear the hood. The kit tires are not scale to his G'Years. They are too wide and square. Yes the webers are cantered towards the center of the engine nothing I can do about the tires, they are what they are and most important of all...the Doc likes'em
sjordan2 Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 (edited) The built versions I've seen of this kit have extremely bulbous headlight lenses. Any ideas on that? Maybe the mesh screens will reduce that effect. Edited April 11, 2014 by sjordan2
superbike-shaun Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 Hi curt, great that you had somebody recognize your abilties and asked you to build a replica of their 1.1. i'm doing a 1/25 Monogram 427 kit, & would apreciate any advice you have for me, its under (on the workbench) thanks shaun.s.
curt raitz Posted April 11, 2014 Author Posted April 11, 2014 Hi curt, great that you had somebody recognize your abilties and asked you to build a replica of their 1.1. i'm doing a 1/25 Monogram 427 kit, & would apreciate any advice you have for me, its under (on the workbench) thanks shaun.s. Shaun the guy you need to talk to is Cato (Cato Martin)...he knows Cobras
Cato Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 Skip is right about the headlight bezels and lenses-they need to be thinned or cast your own and Alclad them. Here's mine: http://
Ron Hamilton Posted April 12, 2014 Posted April 12, 2014 Curt, Your build made me glad that I did not scrap the 1/16 scale MPC Cobra I built over 30 years ago. I may have to do a re-build one of these days. Ron
vamach1 Posted April 12, 2014 Posted April 12, 2014 I'm jealous of the model so I'll have to settle for building that kit to replicate my Factory Five.
curt raitz Posted April 16, 2014 Author Posted April 16, 2014 Engine is finished and sitting in the chassis. To build the twin cooling fans hanging in front of the radiator, I found a small fan (of course, I could only find one) in the parts box, made a mold of it and resin cast a few duplicates. Also scratch-built a racing fuel cap, made a mold and resin cast a few of those. Started to build the headlight screens... Hopefully the screens will disguise the "bulbious" nature of the headlight lenses... More to come
superbike-shaun Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 alright curt, lookin good ,great detailand thanks for the fyi,on cato! shaun.s
Bernard Kron Posted April 28, 2014 Posted April 28, 2014 Hey Curt! Pro-built, yeah? Love it, and I'm sure Dr. Bob will, too. What's that cool hole puch you've got? Looks like to goes out to 1/2", almost big enough for scale wheel covers....
curt raitz Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 Hey Curt! Pro-built, yeah? Love it, and I'm sure Dr. Bob will, too. What's that cool hole puch you've got? Looks like to goes out to 1/2", almost big enough for scale wheel covers.... Yes Bernard...I can punch a 1/2" hole with this "puppy", it's not cheap, though making slow but gradual progress on this car c'ya
curt raitz Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 Got a little more done resin cast the fuel pumps, lights for the side roundels and the "quick-jack" brackets vacuum formed the racing style windscreen Trunk almost ready to be installed Dash is done... and a rolling chassis... on to finishing up the body, etc. more to come soon
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