'58 Ferrari Testa Rossa #22 Hiro/MFH

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/007S.jpg

I started whittling on my Hiro Testa Rossa body a couple of weeks ago and began enjoying myself so much I couldn't stop. The plan is to build this one mostly stock but open the doors and add a scale hinge or two to the rear deck. If I get motivated I'll scratch build a wooden steering wheel to prove to myself it wasn't a lucky fluke. I found some really poor quality photo's of car #22 on the internet that must have been taken by a modeler because the shots are just what I need (woo-hoo!). I know it goes without saying but I encourage any and all suggestions, criticisms and additions as long as they are positive and friendly. Yes, Hiro's are difficult, yes they are expensive, yes they often have fit problems. This is a "no-whining zone" starting now.:iceslolan

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt003.jpg

Here is where I am so far on the body. I'm currently trial fitting the doors which were fabricated from .01" brass sheet. The original body was solid resin over a 1/4 inch thick and, because the interior is so visible I had to do something. So I carved everything out to give it a "empty beer can" look. That is so important to this car (and the Barchetta) that I felt it was worth the extra effort. The interior is now much roomier too - I hope my drivers appreciate that extra elbow room.:lol:

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt006.jpg

I also began test fitting the engine and drivetrain. It's just held together with rubber cement like everything else until I'm satisfied everything will assemble smoothly. I have to say the castings and body in this kit are quite smooth and only need a little cleanup. I have discovered what appears to be a major fit issue with the front engine mounts. When I work out a solution I'll add it to the WIP.

Good luck with this one, especially with the surgury it's about to undergo. I'll be watching for sure.

Edit: As I was typing the above you'd already posted your first progress pictures. Looks great so far!

I think you'll get quite a few of us watching this one. Who doesn't love a '58 Testa Rossa? Best of luck.

Looks like it's gonna be another awesome replica, my friend!!! I will follow this one.

This looks to be a promising work. I will follow it with great interest. You are right, MFH is expensive and complicated, but...

Your first step are very good focused. Follow this line and result will be great.

BorJacho

Well thanks to everyone for the show of support. Sometimes I spread myself a bit thin with projects and your interest helps to keep me focused.

I spent some time with the engine mounts and confirmed the front mounts were way off. Everything else fits so well I'm surprised this part was so outta whack:screwy:? Here's how I fixed it:

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt015.jpg
The mounting points in space needed to be 2.5 mm higher and 5mm further apart so I just sliced a section out of the part and glued it back together with JBWeld and a straight pin (45 degree angle worked perfect to make two corrections with only one cut). Everything fits great now, even the complicated exhaust through the fender openings. (Notice the exhaust manifolds are now on the correct sides. I had them installed backwards in my earlier post.:icon16:)

I'd be interested to hear from anyone else that has built this model or can confirm the error in this part from an unbuilt kit they have. It would be nice to know if this is a design problem or perhaps I just got the wrong parts in my kit. Hiro did several variations of the Testa Rossa so anything is possible.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt010.jpg
Here I have the engine and some other components test fit in the engine compartment. The single Weber carb is installed to check for hood clearance issues. The white stuff I used to fill the windshield trench and reshape the gutter corners is white Milliput epoxy putty. This is the fine stuff, they also make a grey colored putty that is stronger but much harder to carve and sand in my opinion.


http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt017.jpg
I opened up the side vents so all that hot air can escape! Also notice how I've ground out even more resin with my ball mill bit. The body is definately getting lighter! I use a pentel marker to highlight panel edges so I can easily see how thin they are through the inevitable cloud of resin dust while grinding. A simple wipe with alcohol removes it later.



http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt007.jpg
Ferrari continued to develop the Testa Rossa for several years, drastically improving the breed with each successive generation. Here's a side by side comparison between the first and final iteration. Notice how the later cars pontoons were extended to conical shapes. I read somewhere that the Ferrari people discovered through windtunnel testing they could reduce induced wavefront friction best with this shape when transitioning to hypersonic speeds.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt009.jpg
Heres another view of how the crazy exhaust fits. I'm pleasantly surprised how well everything fits together here. I expected a lot of bending and filing but it all fits pretty well..

More later.

Great job! I love your detail! It will be my next project too . I have the 1:12 model by MG Plus Models but this one is less detailled than the MFH model. I have to replace the resin aft part by brass tubing so I can install the tank and spare wheel. I only got to find some good pictures/drawings/cutaway from the tubular chassis of the real car.

keep those pics coming!

Ton

Hi Tony,
Great to hear your putting together a 1/12 Testa Rossa project to follow up your awesome Autograph F40. By coincidence, a friend and I were just discussing the MG Testarossa kit. He mentioned he was planning to purchase the Autograph 250 GTO engine for it because it and the TR engine are almost identical. THAT would be an incredible project and you already know a lot about Uli's way: (soldering watch screws to photo-etch and that kind of thing).

Anyone that hasn't seen Autograph models should check it out. Here's a link to their site:
http://www.autographmodel.com/Englisch/Englisch.htm (http://www.autographmodel.com/Englisch/Englisch.htm)

Very interesting project. Fantastic looking car and great wip.

Very interesting project. Fantastic looking car and great wip.

Yup, I'll second that motion :)

Hi Tony,
He mentioned he was planning to purchase the Autograph 250 GTO engine for it because it and the TR engine are almost identical. THAT would be an incredible project and you already know a lot about Uli's way: (soldering watch screws to photo-etch and that kind of thing).


That would be a great project indeed. The MG model engine is quite good but Uli´s is in a higher league!

Well since no one commented on how hilarious my Speed Racer Mach 5 comparison was I guess none of you were 6 year old gear heads in 1970. I thought the resemblence between the two cars was more than coincidence at any rate.

I got to working on the rear deck hinge today.
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/027S.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt023.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt019.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt025.jpg
I got verything lined up and used 5 minute epoxy to set everything in place. Once I feel confident it will open properly I'll set it with JBWeld and level the brass with the resin body using Milliput grey for strength.

Great solution for the hinges! I will definately "steal" it from you :)

Inspireing work!!!

My friend, you are inspiring me to break out one of my bad boy racers, albiet from the other side of the pond...
I got a couple of GT40s, a Cobra Daytona and 2 Grand Sports just itchin to be on the bench... But then again, there was a Model T out there kickin Ferraris in the '50s. I gotta find that article...

Nice work on a cool car so far. It looks like you know what you're doing:-)

Nice Build.....i started my own build only hours before I saw yours posted on here....I'm planning on putting my own WIP on here and can only hope others will give constructive criticism aslo.

Nice Build.....i started my own build only hours before I saw yours posted on here....I'm planning on putting my own WIP on here and can only hope others will give constructive criticism aslo.


Welcome to the board! We always enjoy seeing WIPs. Everyone has their own ideas and it helps each of us learn more about building.

Mark

A Model Factory Hiro TR ? Cool ! I have been looking for one for quite some time, but I got the Hasegawa kit and used Hiro Borrani wire wheels on it.

Wow, I can't believe how much enthusiasm there is for Testa Rossa's on this forum. I'm sure together we can break new ground and discover some new things about this car.

Here's a quick update on my project. I'm still working on the body, tweaking doors etc. I started playing around with the Milliput again, this time trying to make a convincing seat. Of course the colors are backward. I just wanted to see if I could make something a bit more convincing than the metal pieces supplied. I'm satisfied with the result considering it's only my first attempt. I found some white coated wire at Radio Shack that will pass for upholstery piping.
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt027.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt028.jpg

Great job on adding the metal doors ! I like it !

Well on your way to another best in show, my friend!

Great progress Mike! I would go for the milliput also! It is much more texture like dan the metal. Maybe you can push a hard brush in the MP when it is hardening: it "opens " the surface a bit and gives it a texture like look

Yup, I'll second that motion :)

seriously... it looks sick. Make sure you post the finished product. looking forward to it.

Quick update on my project. I've been sweating the door hinges because they are so visible on this car. Warning: there are at least two totally different ways Ferrari did the TR door hinges so don't assume anything. This design is for #0732 and thats about all I know.

So at some point one must quite thinking and start cutting. I guess the nice thing about scratch work is the unlimited supply of new parts available....

Here's a close-up of LucyBelle's right door hinge (note the lightening holes)...
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/079S.jpg

And this is what I came up with....
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt033.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt030.jpg
Grinding the resin down to expose the white metal body side reveals a nice flat structure to mount the hinge to on the Hiro kit. This hinge wasn't too hard to fabricate and was pretty easy to get to work because the door swings away from the body. The only trick is to make the panel sweep away from the body perpendicular at the point where the panel meets the car so nothing rubs. With all that, I think I'll try making this one a bit smaller now that I have the articulation down. Then I can start working on the door skeleton and latching mechanism. Drilling all those lightening holes was a pain.

Looks good Mike! But can´t you make a framework on the door and solder the hinge on it (like in real life). The frame is strong enough to hold the hinge and you can make a small invisible connection. Just my thoughts :)

Yea, I think I'll try that for "revision A". This first hinge was glued to the body first, then the door. But if I solder the hinge to the door frame (like the real car) I should still have sufficient wiggle room to align the hinge to the body while the door is held in place. (Damn man, your tough! :cwm27::iceslolan)

Yea, I think I'll try that for "revision A". This first hinge was glued to the body first, then the door. But if I solder the hinge to the door frame (like the real car) I should still have sufficient wiggle room to align the hinge to the body while the door is held in place. (Damn man, your tough! :cwm27::iceslolan)

And if you first make the frame, than the hinge, align the frame in the body ( I think enough space to wiggle than) and than as the last step glue/solder the door on the frame? Or is this even tougher :grinyes::grinyes:

Another quick update on the Hiro Testa Rossa. Here's Door Hinge 2.0:
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt037.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt039.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt042.jpg
The one on the right is the latest in ear lobe fashion accessories. Seriously, the door hinges are now exactly to scale and only required 10 times as much work to assemble as version 1.0. After the interior is painted in semi-black I doubt anyone will notice the difference. Live and learn I guess.

At this stage in the build theres a lot of cutting shaping filing and not much color. I needed a quick color fix so I decided to do the fuel tank as a stand alone distraction.
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt044.jpg
The strips of rivets are stock photo-etch from the kit and had a better effect than I thought they would. The white metal was polished and filed flat of all detail except one small row of rivets in the center. Everything else was modified or scratched. I still haven't decided whether I like the rusty finish on the tank straps yet so they aren't glued.

Door hinges look great!
Brass is a wonderful medium to work with, isn't it?

Thanks Alex. I'm still getting the hang of brass but I like the way it bends and files away without dulling or clogging my tools. I'm still in fear of solder and the distorting effects of heat on such tiny parts. (Thats why the door frame was pieced together with epoxy.) The Testa Rossa's doors are so simple I figured it would be a good candidate for my first all-brass attempt. Now it seems I'm thinking of doing opening doors on every car kit I own!:runaround:Make it stop...

Hey Mike, you did a great job on the door hinges and the frame! It is looking awesome! Soldering is a matter of experience but a very nice job. I am using a soldering station where you can vary the temperature.

Thanks Alex. I'm still getting the hang of brass but I like the way it bends and files away without dulling or clogging my tools. I'm still in fear of solder and the distorting effects of heat on such tiny parts. (Thats why the door frame was pieced together with epoxy.) The Testa Rossa's doors are so simple I figured it would be a good candidate for my first all-brass attempt. Now it seems I'm thinking of doing opening doors on every car kit I own!:runaround:Make it stop...

I know! You need to get one of those irons that solders by electric impulse. It heats brass in one spot only, and let's you solder easily in multiple areas. I don't have one and I don't remember what they are called....Somebody should chime in on this....

soldering station?

You guys remember that amazing brass frame-up BMWMECH1 was doing on a 1/8 Pocher F-40? After telling him I was a fan I asked him if he would share his process for keeping everything so tight and undisturbed despite joint after joint. Here's what he said:

"Thanks CrateCruncher, my "process" is not top secret...lol, I use an Amercian Beauty resistance soldering rig, which if you don't know much about it, uses the resistance across the joint being soldered to create heat at the point of contact. It heats up very quickly and the heat is very localized to only the joint area, which means you can solder a piece right next to a previously soldered piece and not run the risk of de-soldering the first joint. It works kind of like arc welding, only with solder. That's how I can maintain alignment without affecting adjacent areas." BM1

Here's the American Beauty website: http://www.americanbeautytools.com/site/index.php?req=home (http://www.americanbeautytools.com/site/index.php?req=home)

Here's a video using one on a 1/43 model: http://www.americanbeautytools.com/site/index.php?req=home&sub=videos&vid=9&cat=hobby&vq=l (http://www.americanbeautytools.com/site/index.php?req=home&sub=videos&vid=9&cat=hobby&vq=l)

I found a published price of $532 for the 250w Super Chief!

soldering station?

http://www.accutron214.com/machineshop/Images/SolderStation.jpg

this one:loser:

After seeing BMWmech awesome work I also considered buying one, but for the occasional work like I do ( a bit soldering tubing and doors etc) a soldering station works fine for me.

...well...
the one i used to use at the model workshop at university had a two pronged tweezer like head.

500+ quid for a soldering iron is a bit steep!

MFH has some good stuff out there. Although the 250 Testa Rossa is OOP, it still is a good build, even with the aftermarket engine from Historic Racing Miniatures

I accomplished something new so I guess it's a good time for an update. I mentioned earlier my soldering skills could use some work.. What better way to practice than by fabricating a space truss for the interior. The Hiro part is grossly out of scale AND far worse to me, it doesn't even look like a truss. Muuuuuust improoooooove paaaaaaaaaaart......................
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt047.jpg
First I layed out the shape based on the dimensions I knew and the shapes in the photos. Then I carefully cut and filed my truss members pinning them down over the plan. I used the tin and reflow method to reduce the heat transfer into the paper plan.

Here's the right side installed compared with the Hiro part on the left side.
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt049.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt052.jpg
There's a serious improvement I think. And it's functional too. This model already weighs nearly 3 pounds. It's starting to sag in the middle! I enjoyed this work so much I plan to do one for the engine compartment too.

That is an improvement!

That looks great. Your weight reduction techniques would make Enzo smile

That's is great!

First I layed out the shape based on the dimensions I knew and the shapes in the photos. Then I carefully cut and filed my truss members pinning them down over the plan. I used the tin and reflow method to reduce the heat transfer into the paper plan.



Did you solder directly on the paper plan witch is in the wooden board?
I also have to solder some wing brackets for my Porsche 917/10.
So I was wondering witch techniques u used.

Maurits

Maurits

Long time no see ....tomorrow in Schoonhoven :iceslolan

Ton (F40)

Did you solder directly on the paper plan witch is in the wooden board?
I also have to solder some wing brackets for my Porsche 917/10.
So I was wondering witch techniques u used.

Maurits

The paper is a piece of index card (extra thick paper). I put 2 layers of common cellophane tape over the sketch and placed the assembly on a 3 cm chunk of soft balsa so the pins would push in easily. It worked great with only some slight brown discoloration on the sketch. I was using 60Sn/40Pb so temps never got higher than 186C. If you're using lead-free you may have local burning. Let me know how it works for you.

The mailman brought me a Derrington Wheel kit from Norm Veber (aka Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland). My friend Chris showed me one he built the other day and I was really impressed with the smallness of the rim. Here's how it went:
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt057.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt059.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt066.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20Testa%20Rossa/swbfrt067.jpg
The photoetch rim is nickel-silver and polishes up nicely. The wooden rims are cherry and while a bit more crumbly than boxwood they do have a nice color. A first coat of poly-u was applied before assembling the wheel, mainly for strength. This wheel has about 12 brass rivets (.012 brass rod) clipped off close with fingernail clippers. The rim was not sanded at all until it was completely assembled. Then I started shaping with 600, then 1500. Another coat of poly-u was just applied in the last photo. I'll do another quick sand and polish with 2000, then 12000 and be done. Norms wheel took about 4 hours. My scratch wheel took 8 hours just to sand the wood rims down to size!

Amazing Mike! I ruined one set already but I have a lot of veneer. But I think the tric is the poly-u. I assume it is a kind polyester clear coat?

Here in the US we have water-based polyurethane and oil-based polyurethane made for wood and sold under the brand Minwax. I don't know the Dutch equivalent but it should be available in small tins at your home center. I prefer the oil-based because it takes a while to dry and is less brittle. The retarded drying time allows it to absorb deeply into the wood before it dries.

Are you putting that on the Testa Rossa ?

Here in the US we have water-based polyurethane and oil-based polyurethane made for wood and sold under the brand Minwax. I don't know the Dutch equivalent but it should be available in small tins at your home center. I prefer the oil-based because it takes a while to dry and is less brittle. The retarded drying time allows it to absorb deeply into the wood before it dries.


Thanks Mike! I already found an equivalent of Minwax :)

Are you putting that on the Testa Rossa ?Yes, unless I find something better.:naughty:

Renaissance makes a really really great Nardi Steering Wheel. I used one on my Hasegawa TR, and put an EJan horn button in it.

250, you seem nice but no one on this forum has seen a single photo of your work thus far. At some point you are going to have to show us what you've done or other builders won't take you seriously. Sorry, but pictures tell the stories. Some background would help too. Your age, how long you've been building, car interests, would also help. I'm 45 and have been a car and motorcycle nut since I was 8.

And thanks for the tip on the Nardi's from Rennaisance, Ididn't know they offered that. Checked their website just now. They look good. Got a PICTURE?!!!!!!:evillol:

I'm 25, i have been into cars since day one, and I saw a 250 TR crash at the Monterey historic car races not too long ago. I can't post pictures of my TR because I don't know what size the pictures have to be.

Check this out...

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/19/video-multi-million-dollar-ferrari-250-tr-tags-wall-at-laguna-s/

I'm 25, i have been into cars since day one, and I saw a 250 TR crash at the Monterey historic car races not too long ago. I can't post pictures of my TR because I don't know what size the pictures have to be.

800 by 600 pixels :wink:

I am still unable to post pictures of my Hasegawa TR.

I am still unable to post pictures of my Hasegawa TR.

You have to host your picture on a photo hosting site and than link from here to your posts.

I am still unable to post pictures of my Hasegawa TR.

Did you actually click on the link that someone helpfully put in your 1958 250TR thread?? If you did, you would find quite detailed help on what to do and how to do it...

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=6025132&postcount=6