B.r.m. H16 - 1/20 mfh

[edi956]

Hi guys,

instead of finish the WIPs of 312B1 and 312B2, as B.R.M. fan I couldn't resist and I began a couple of B.R.M. H16.


Brief history
I don't want to bore with news that all people know about the H16, so I limit this chapter to the main features of that car and, above all, tho those important for the building.

Due to the 1966 new regulations, mainly the new 3000 cc Formula, many teams had problems to find a new engine.
Since BRM always like to make everything by themselves and having a good V8 - 1.500cc engine, Tony Rudd decided to use two of them together, so making the H16.

The new car, P83, was presented in 1966:


Three chassis were made (01, 02 and 03), which run with Hill and Stewart.
A customer version of the H16 was sold to Team Lotus and Clark with his Lotus 43 obtained the first and unique victory for the H16 at 1966 US GP at Watkins Glen.

For 1967, waiting for the new model P115, the P83 was changed mainly at the rear suspension, while the couple of tubes for cooling were put out the bodywork. Drivers were Stewart, Spence and Irwin.
With P83 Stewart obtained a good 2nd at Spa: he was leading but, after having lost the 5 speed, he had to leave the victory to Gurney.
This is the version I'm trying to make with the kit.

The new P115 (only one chassis was made) was less lucky with poor results: the version of the kit is that of Monza 1967.

The H16 was mounted on a third version of chassis, the P109, which was only a car for exhibition:



MFH did a great work, even with the usual difficult fitting: so, as usual, fitting test are required:





Here the bodywork over the chassis:



This is the P83 only since I forgot to make pics when doing the fitting test of the P115!!!

Here the P83 again after rivetting (0.4 ScaleHardware):



The green arrow shows where the rivets are different from all the other, like the real car:


The couple of green arrows shows where the rivets were not put since there will be put the tube for cooling:


As you can see, the inside of the car is masked by TAM tape since I preferred to paint the mounted model.

For painting I used (for the first time in my modeler life) the Zero Paints.
After two coats were dryed I used an abrasive cream:


Then I sanded with TAM 2000:


Don't be afraid!
At the end the P83 will be like the P115 you can see on the background:


...but I'm running.
Before I have to mount all the other parts of the kit

[edi956]

The engine.

Here some pics of the time (1966) from "Road & Track" (I seem):




This is the 1966 P83, so there are some differences with the 1967 version (for example the gearbox was gold - or brass - and the upper arm of the rear suspension is still present), but don't worry, when necessary I will underline the difference.

The P83 and P115 engines are similar: visible difference is the head-cover, which was gold (brass) in P83 and aluminium in P115.
As to the word "BRM" on the head-cover I have my opinion: it was painted RED, even if in some pics of the period the red disappeared. For me is due to the use and not because it was not painted red.

I mounted the two engines OOB and here I will show only the changes I've made.

As mentioned by Marco Saupe in his WIP, the wiring in the instructions has inverted colour scheme.
Moreover, it is too difficult put the wires when engine is totally mounted.
So I put the black wires before:


I noted that the black wires were coupled by a red band (see the pics above): so I took a 0.2 red plasticard where I made some holes:


Then I cut the right shape and rounded the sides:


The first two black wires were coupled by the band with two holes:


The first couple was put together with the second couple by the rounded red band with four holes:


Finally the four black wires passed into the straight red band with four holes:


Here the finished work over the real pics. I seem it matched well:



For the wires for the spark-plug kit had the ususal clear-yellow wire.
Since BRM almost always used a yellow wire, I used a yellow wire too and I added some 0.5 nuts:


Here all the wires are in place:



Finally the two engines finished (P83 on the left):




Both were painted with Alclad Matt Aluminium.
Brass the cover of the P83.
Where you can see some darker pieces it was used Gunze Metal Black.
Both engines have to be washed yet.

to be continued...

[ewestra]

There's some very nice modelbuilding going on here. Thanks for the tip to make bands for the wires. Very usefull.

Eric

[lovegt40]

Edit

[F1-Fan]

I liked the idea of using plastic card to simulate the red bands! Thank you, I will need to try that. By the way, this engine is awesome!

[Greg23]

Looks like another good one. Can't wait to see more.

[edi956]

Many thanks to all of you for your nice words.


BRAKES.

Here a couple of pics of the time (1966 Mexico - 1967 Monaco) of the rear of the car:



P.S. I don't remember were I took the second pic but it was titled "Monaco 1967". For me it was not Monaco and was not 1967 since the the letters of "Owen Racing Organisation" are red whereas in 1967 were white; moreover, the rear suspension already has the upper arm which was removed in 1967.

As you could see the calipers have on the top a reversed U tube to balance brake fluid.
They are not present in the kit: so it is necessary to be done:


On the sides (insterted on toothpiks) the calipers, already painted with matt aluminium; in the middle the U tube mentioned before; down the 0.5 nuts by Calibre35 (painted with silver); up the connectors for the brake wires (will be painted with brass).

Here the U tube are in place with the nuts (in the middle the original caliper of the kit):



These are the disks (4 p/e parts for eachone), whiche were painted with Humbrol Metalic Steel:


As you can see in the first two pics, the brake wires from the calipers run together with the upper arm of the rear suspension in 1966, while in 1967, when the upper arm was removed, they passed over the gearbox, as you could see in the pics above (Canada 1967):


Unfortunately I did not find any pic of the time big enough to show you the front brake wire, so I've taken a pic of the remained car:


This is the final result of the rear (red arrow):



This is the final result of the front:

[edi956]

The Front.

As usually, a pair of pic of the time to show you the front of the car.
The first is the P83 at the presentation, when the tube from front radiator were inside the bodywork; the second is the Spence P83 at the 1967 Canadian GP, where the tubes are outside the bodywork:



Little change to the radiator.
Like the other last MFH kits, also this one has the inside of the radiatory empty, so you can see through.
Therefore a little plasticard (then painted aluminium) has to be insterted inside the radiator:


On the left the radiator of the kit, on the right the radiator with the added plasticard.


This is the upper arm of the front suspension with the frame for fitting to the chassis.
As you can see it is an unique piece:


To create more realism, I cutted the upper arm of the suspension from the frame, so I could put the frame alone to the chassis, making a 0.8 hole on each side were I inserted a 0.8 brass tube which will take in position the upper arm:


In the middle of this pic there is the damper of the kit, which I cut in two pieces (A), inserting a 0.8 stainless tube in the upper part and making an hole in the lower part:

On the right of the pic (B) there is the upper arm where I made a 0.8 hole.

This is the final result.
Remember to paint with semi-gloss black the springs:


These are the lower arms of the front suspension; on the right of the pic those of the kit:


The red arrows show the rear lower arm of the front suspension: instead of polishing and making rounded them, I preferred to cut them and changing with a 1.2 stainless tube (red arrows on the left):


Here the whole suspension in place:



The holes on the front of the upper arm where closed with a flange rivet (one for each side).
The arms of the front suspension were all sanded until a chrome look.
The hubes were painted with a 1:1 mixing of Gunze Metal Black and Steel, whereas the part in the middle with Matt Aluminium.

Here the whole front of the car:




To be underlined:
a) the final parts of the steering where changed with 1.0 stainless tube.
b) radiator, all its tubes and tank were all painted with Alclad Matt Aluminium and washed with Gunze Smoke Blue.
c) all the black shrink tubes and hose clamps are those of the kit.
d) the bottles of the fluids were painted with Matt Aluminium whereas their caps were only polished.

At least the roll-bar, which was present in the P115 only:

The red arrows shows were it was painted with matt black to simulate the hole: this part will go out from the nose and will be visible.

[nugundam93]

the detail work is simply amazing!

[edi956]

Many thanks for the compliments, nugundam93.

To complete the front suspension, here is the front of the P83:

the red arrows to show that the ending part of the steering was not fitted since I want to wait for the tyres.

The red arrows A show that the tubes from the front radiator has not been fitted since they will be connected with the tubes which run over the bodywork, and I'd be sure of the right lenght.
The red arrow B shows the changed stainless tube:


A part of the tubes from the radiator which run in a different way, the front suspension is almost the same in the two cars.
Here some pics of the P83 again:

[edi956]

Since one of the previous post showed this situation of the P83:


and I promised that at the end it would be like the P115 bodywork, here the P83 bodywork after the last coat of ZP BRM racing green:




ant then after decalling and clear coat:




The green arrow shows the decal #17 which in the instructions Hiro lost: it has to be applied there.


COCKPIT

The following pics to show where I put the Scale Hardware 0.4 stainless rivets:




It was the same for the two cars.


Two pics of the time of the dashboard.



The first at the 1966 Press, the second at 1966 US GP.
They clearly show that there was a switch more on the left on the front of the dashboard, and two "circles" at both side on the rear of the dashboard...which Hiro forgotten. I know that Hiro made a very good job...but, you know me!!!

Here the front of the dashboard of the kit:


and the rear; on the right the "new" dashboard with the two "circles" added (red arrows):


As you can see, the dashboard was all black and not the front black and the rear aluminium as written in the instructions.

Finally (here apologize for the quality of the pic) the spanner has to be added, since in the kit it was not present:


After his accident, Stewart wanted a spanner into the cockpit.
Here the P83:


The P115:


and into the Matra cockpits of the following years, 1968 and 1969 rispectively:



On the BRM the spanner was on the steering, while on the MS10 and MS80 was on the left side-panel.


I'm not totally sure of the "tartan" tissue of the driver seat, since it had to be like the band that Stewart has on his helmet (and like the cap which the mecanichs on the left was wearing). Here was the 1967 Spring Cup at Oulton Park:


Here the Stewart's P83 at the paddock of the 1967 British GP, where the seat is clearly visible due to the fact that Jackie was not inside the cockpit:


Here the decal of the kit for the driver seat:


A nightmare!
The decal is too hard and the seat rounded:


A long and hard job with MicroSol:


MicroSol again:


...and again:


...but I finally I was able to cover the driver seat:


Remember that it was covered by a tissue: so, when the decal was dry a couple of coat with matt clear are needed.

[edi956]

And now we can put in place all the finished parts of the cockpit.
Moreover I can show you the differences between the two cars.

As you could see in these pics of the time, the steering of the P83 was not red as the instructions say, but almost brown:





So I painted it with TAM Hull-Red:


Whereas the steering of the P115 was red:


Another big difference between P83 and P115 was the seat-belt.
Here a pic of Stewart's P83 at 1967 Spa, with no seat belt:


Here the unique pic I have of Stewart with P115 at 1967 Monza. He had the seat belts:


Those seat-belts were a little different from the seat-belts we usually see some years later.
Those of Stewart were a 4 points and with two big band in the lower part, as you can see in this nice pic by Schlegelmilk at the 1967 British GP:


Yes, this is a P83, but it means that from the 1967 British GP forward all the Stewart cars had seat-belts.

So I began with the lower part of the seat-belts, reproducing the two bands with a black tape where I glued a pair of little washer on each side:



Then I realized the other two vertical parts, without putting any sticker since it is not clear if they were "Willans" or "GQ" or other:


Very very nice the harness for the seat-belts which Hiro made.

Here the dashboard with the two added parts:


No differences between the two cars as to the dashboard:



No differences as to the gear too:



The P83 had a little protection on the right panel of the cockpit and down between the knees:


The P115 had no protections:


Unfortunately, the driver seats were the same for the two cars: it means to put the decals over two seats instead of one alone.
But the headrest was different.
Like the seat for P83:


Black for P115:

[edi956]

Rear suspension.

Here a dry fitting test fo the rear suspension:


It is the same for both P83 and P115, but different from the P83/1966 one, having lost the upper arm.

Again a dry fitting test, with the wheels added:


Here the complete assembling; P115 on the right, with the oil tank already in place:


Both rear suspensions have already to be washed.
Gearboxes were painted with Humbrol Gun Metal.
The frames and the upper arms were different: Alclad Gun Metal for P83, Alclad Aluminium for P115.

[edi956]

Now it's time to fit the engine to the chassis.

First step.
Fitting test for the screws (red arrows) of the little frame which keeps the lower part of the engine:


Second step.
Verifying the holes for the engine on the chassis (A) and fitting test for the lower arms of the rear suspension (B):


Third step.
Fitting test of the frame to the engine:


The red arrow shows were the engine has to be sanded a little for a right fitting.

Fourth step.
Fitting the frame to the chassis:


Finally, both engines can be fitted to the chassis:



Here the filter on the engine has been added:



The instructions say to paint this filter with "Right Blue": remember that Japanese people are not able to say the "R", so they make confusion between "R" and "L". Therefore the correct word is "Light Blue".
Anyway, that colour doesn't match the real one, as you could see in those pics of the time:



Therefore I used the Humbrol Matt 87, which matches better the real one, even if the flash altered its appearance.

[Greg23]

Quite a tutorial on the differences between the two cars.