1/20 MFH Ferrari 312B2 - 1971 Nederland GP

[edi956]

As promised yesterday I'm going to begin another MFH/Ferrari WIP.

So far Hiro made three versions of the car:


A: 1971 British or German GPs
B: 1972 Argentinian or South African GPs
C: 1972 German or US GPs

Even if they announced a 1973 version (Argentina/Brazil), it is not yet on the market.

To follow the order, I started with the A version but not doing that of the kit.
I preferred the 1971 Nederland GP, when Ickx and Pedro battled lap by lap for the victory: I remember that GP which I watched on a black and white TV:


It was a very wet race and the cars with Firestones were advantaged.
Moreover Ickx and Rodriguez were known as two aces of the rain.

Two words on the history of the B2.
There were some differences over the B1: the nose was lower and more squared, just like the sides, and the engine underwent further development...but the main features of the B2 was the rear suspension, which was anchored to the gearbox in a longitudinal position:


At the January presentation the new car had not yet all the features of the car which raced during the championship (i.e. the roll-over bar was not covered), and some things were the same of B1 (i.e. exhaust pipes or covering of the air-intake of the rear radiators):


At the first race (1971 Race of Champions) the car was the same of presentation and Regazzoni made an encouraging debut since he won that race:


The first changes were in Spain, where the roll-over bar was covered and the air-intakes for the rear radiators were changed (here were white but then became red):


A part of British GP when the B2 run with two front wheel fairings:



all the season the B2 had the same features seen from Spain:


only from Monza onwards, the car began to show the changes for the next year:


Here was at the 1971 US GP: covering of the engine was changed and, above all, the rear suspension returned to a "natural" position.

Now it's time to go back to the kit and the 312B2 chassis 006 which won the 1971 Nederland GP.

[jochen kieslich]

Thanks for the extensive and interesting introduction!
Seems like it's going to be an impassionate build.
All the best and have fun with your project, i'm attached.

Yours
Jochen

[edi956]

Thanks Jochen.

Before starting I have to underline a thing: the B3 is for me the best MFH kit so far whereas the B2 is not at the same level.

I never do so much fitting tests and corrections like this time!
When doing a fitting test of a piece you can see that you cannot go on without fitting another piece...and then another...and then another one...and so on: a never ending story!

As usually I start with the body and all the other pieces which have to be painted with the same colour.

Therefore I took the main body and made holes for the rivets and tested the screw:


Then I put the rivets (0.5 mm by Calibre35):



Avoiding to put rivets in the A area (will be placed a p/e part) and in the B area (rivets have to be aluminium color):


Finally a made the holes for cockpit surround (A), tachometer/manometer (B) and rivet for the covering of the front suspension (C):


So I thought: "Now I could begin to paint"...it's not true!

There is the covering of the attachment for the upper arm of the rear suspension.
This is the situation of the rough piece:


It did not fit.
So I sanded it:



and it seemed to fit well...
...but under the piece there is the screw for the chassis:


which doesn't let a right fitting:


Therefore a made a hole corresponding to that screw on the lower surface of the piece (B) and I cut away the insertion to the body (A):


Contemporarly I cut away the simulated rivet which did not let a perfect sanding of the surface, making a hole where I'll put a rivet when painted:


But, if that piece is in place and painted, it is impossible to put in place the chassis since the screw couldn't be used!
Therefore the chassis had to be placed before painting.

So I prepared the chassis:


fixing it to the main body with 4 screws too:


As you can see in the previous pic, the rear screws keep in place the frame of the engine, while the front screws keep in place the frame of the front suspension.

Therefore also the engine had to be placed after working to close the gap between chassis/body and engine (green arrows):



Same work for the front, where the frame of the front suspension and its cover had to be prepared:



Since the cover of the front suspension was lacking of two rivets, I make them too:


Finally, at the front I fitted the nose:


To finish all the parts which had to be painted, at the rear I prepared the cover of the engine, with the roll-over bar, oil tank and air-intakes for the rear radiators:


Over that piece had to be placed its cover:


but the two "louvres" are not virtual!
So they had to be opened (B); meanwhile I glued the inner side plate of the rear aerofoil (A):


Then I polished and rivetted all the spoilers:


Finally, all the pieces were ready for painting:



I avoided to speak about the cockpit surround (which you could see in the previous pics) since it was wrong...and I'll treat it alone.

[Greg23]

I'm tired already just watching.

[edi956]

Before painting a pair of steps have to be completed, since the dashboard and the driver's seat cannot be placed inside the chassis after painting.

Like to the B1's seat, that of B2 (and the headrest) has to be painted with satin red and then covered with decal:


To be honest, the instructions of the kit suggest to paint the seat with a mixture of 10/wine red + 1/black, since the decal has a red texture.
Pratically, it is the contrary of the real car, where it is a RED tissue with a very dark grey texture:


Therefore I preferred to operate like the kit of B1.

Moreover, take a look to this two pics of the time of the cockpit:



Under the dashboard there was the same tissue of the seat, to protect the knees of the driver...and the kit has not it.
So I took a red wire of the right measure and, over it, I placed the same decal of the seat:


After one coat of matt clear I glued it under the dasboard, already polished and riveted:

[Porsnatic]

This a must see thread!

[edi956]

After having covered the inside of the cockpit, finally, I could paint: white primer, 3 coats of Ferrari red, 1 coat of clear. Between one coat and another, it was sanded with TAM 1500 and 2000.
When all was dry very well...the decals with large amount of MicroSol due to the rivets:


Togther with decals the p/e washer was placed:


and the rivets:



and a final coat of transparent clear.

[SeanyG]

magical stuff, just simply amazing.

[edi956]

Tanks to Sean.

Little problem with the rear aerofoil: the right upper part (left in the pic) is not long enough:


So I shortened the front part of the aerofoil, meanwhile cutting the insertions (already done on the left part).
Therefore I made holes instead of the insertions, placing two brass rods (green arrow):


The red arrow shows the two opened "louvres".

Here the whole rear aerofoil with all rivets added:


No problem on the mounting of the nosecone and its flaps:


Here all the painted/decalled parts:

[edi956]

Now it is possible to complete the cockpit.

For the seat belt I did not use the tissue of the kit (up in the pic) but another one, since the texture of the Hiro was too big:


Here the 4 points seat belts completed:


For the decals "Britax" I did not use those of the kit, but those printed by myself, since the first were too long, as you can see in this pic:


Here the cockpit with seatbelts, gear and steering-wheel:


To simulate the rivets of the seat I used some little washers by Scale Motorsport:


Up in the pic the real car:


Here the washers placed on both sides:

[edi956]

A pair of pics of the real car at 1971 Nederland GP:



Please, pay attention on the intruments.
Those of the kit were "semplified", having the tachometer in the middle, two manometers on each side and two other "device" on the end of each side.
Moreover, instructions say to paint all black...while black is only the "O ring".
I understand that it is impossible to make the whole "devices"...but the main of them...yes.

So I made three new "devices":


Two on the left of the pic will be placed on the extreme left side instead of the one of the kit, whereas the one on the right will be placed on the right of the tachometer:



Moreover, the Ickx car only, has the red tape on the steering-wheel, which I added.

[edi956]

Few to say about the front suspension, which I mounted OOB (more or less).

Only alu rivets were added while screws were changed with brass nails (red arrow); under the two big holes other narrower two were made instead of the simulated of the kit:




Moreover, remeber to paint black the inside of the brake discs and the inside of the air-intakes.
I did not add any other particular since most of the front suspension will be covered by the body and nosecone.

Then I fixed the front suspension to the main body:




Finally I added the brake wires (always lacking in Hiro kits) and the rivets of the covering of the front suspension:

[edi956]

The engine.

Here it is painted with TAM Titanium Gold:



As you can see in this pic of the time (1971 Spain GP), the whole engine will be covered by the body and the only visible parts are the heads and wirings:


So I agree with Hiro: few pieces and the visible only.

Here the engine completed, after some washes with TAM Smoke and Gunze Matt Clear.
For wiring I made the final part only:


Here the covering (not glued):


Finally I painted the mesh over the trumpets with Humbrol 11 Silver:



At least I glued the exhausts:

[edi956]

Now it's time for one of the most difficult part of the kit: gearbox/rear suspension.

Here the GB mounted, painted (TAM Titanium Gold) and washed (TAM Smoke + Gunze Matt Clear).
Due to the flash it seems too shining, but live it's another thing:



Before going on with the kit, some explaniations with pics of the time (two by Schlegelmik and one I don't remember).

First, 1971 Monaco GP:


Second, 1971 France GP:


Third, 1971 Spain GP:


Now we can try to note the differences among the pics, avoiding the painting mistakes suggested by Hiro's instrucions.
Only at Monaco there was a rear frame: it's purpose was to avoid breaks of the GB in case of an accident.
At Monaco only the damper were Aluminium and not Black/Red like the other GPs.
All the triangles (up and down) of the suspension could be Chrome or Gun Metal.

Here the GB with part of the rear suspension:



The up red arrows show the Black painting inside the brake discs.
The down red arrows show the parts which I painted with Gunze 28 Metal Black.
No arrows for the brake calipers (Gunze 76 Burnt Iron) and for the air intakes: since the latter were matt aluminium, after polishing the white metal I made 2 coats of matt clear and the result was satisfactory.

Now the most difficult mounting of the kit, since there were no reference points.
After glueing the upper frame (red arrow show that it was painted with Gunze 28 Metal Black), I placed the damper without glueing:


In this way I could measure the right lenght of the spring:


I re-made the spring since those of the kit were wrong, both for the tickness and for the rounds (7 rounds was the right number).
On the left the new one:


Here is the rear suspension completed:



To complete the rear section we have to add the whole parts with their wiring (not in the kit).

The battery needed the two poles:


With their wires and that of the rounded device which I'll never remember the name; moreover the red arrow shows the decal I added and which was not mentioned in the istructions but you could see in the previous pics of the real car :


At least the wire mentioned before + the clear tube from the reservoir oil tank:


Here the whole GB/rear suspension completed, with no red or green arrows:

[raulrubio]

Edi, as your other works, simply stunning. Thanks for share your knowledge with us, or at least with me. If sometime I go to Italy I´d ask you te receive some modelling lessons.
I purchased some MFH kits but still I´m not enough sure to start anyone. When I see your models I ever discover that I need to learn much more before to open a model box.
A pic of the kits that are waiting for a few free time and a few more knowledge.
Thanks so much for your detailed "step by step".