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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 18:41:13 GMT -8
Since all my sports and endurance cars are in a smaller scale format, I decided against going the 1/12th Trumpeter route. Besides, I want to try to build all the Ford GT's from '64 to '69 - at least all that I can find, including I hope a couple of unique ones. So a while ago I started at the beginning (working on more than one at a time, but I'll post them in order here).
1964 Ford GT40, later known as the MK1. It's an IMC kit, and I had no illusions about how perfect the final product would be. If you've ever built one you'll know why. Being a sucker for punishment, I have lots of Union/IMC/Heller nightmares in my stash. Step one was to check the essential body parts for fit. This kit was better than most.
A fair bit of sanding, flash and line removal, a tad of filling but overall better than most. Then some white paint over white primer, and Pearl Blue for the chassis parts. It seemed the closest match for the colour Ford used back then.
This kit was advertised as perfect condition, and a thank you to the guy who sold it to me, it was like new, including the decals. So, these are the original 50+ yr old kit decals. A little extra care required, but they worked fine.
So it will be literally OOB stock build, at least for a while anyway.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 18:59:46 GMT -8
The engine, simple enough. The rocker covers are not installed upside down, the letters are cast that way. Don't ask me, ask IMC.
No aftermarket goodies, just careful detail painting. Fit is good so far (lots of checking as I go).
The suspension parts are a bit crude. Too heavy to be really accurate, but I suppose for back then, a step up. I know I thought Christmas came early when I got an IMC kit compared to AMT, back long before Tamiya and co came along.. The bits all needed cleaning up to make them fit together, but I expected that.
We plod on.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 19:09:13 GMT -8
And the chassis, as far as I dare for the moment. So far so good.
OK, not quite OOB. I added some seat belts (paper and photo etch cheapies).
The next steps involve fitting bodywork and I already don't like the implications.
Later.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 19:56:03 GMT -8
The cockpit section will fit OK with a little bending, and the nose lines up well so far, so take the plunge and glue the center body in place.
The nose got painted TS 15 Blue, it's 1964, no fancy paint back then. This kit depicts the original prototype design I believe (Le Mans test?), but the decals are #11, I suppose Richie Ginthers LeMans car. They were a bit different, an extra slot in the nose for cooling, a few other details, but I went as supplied. If I ever build another one I might do some mods.
And so glued in place, exhaust done. There's not much I could have adjusted thus far, everything is where it should be.
The doors did fit OK, but now? No such luck.
Stay tuned.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 21:24:06 GMT -8
The drivers door fits fairly well if just pressed into place. I don't like the gap to the nose section.
The problem is the other side. The door innards hit the dashboard end, and I've studied it to death, and it's nothing I did wrong. The dash is just too big. Or too wide, if you prefer. After much debate (I argue with myself a lot), extensive surgery was required.
A lot of material was removed. The drivers side for comparison:
At this point I was debating whether to just glue the doors shut, but I still had some hope of making them operational.
Silly me.
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Post by chrissmith on Aug 20, 2021 21:28:12 GMT -8
Looks like you have been a little busy ๐๐ itโs coming out well. I sure donโt have the balls to try a 50 year old kit.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 21:41:29 GMT -8
The doors hinge on a steel pin. So I finished the assembly, everything opens and closes, the wheels turn and steer.
For 1/25th, not my scale of comfort for sure, but it looks OK, in a way.
Thats if I display it like that. If I close the doors and the front and rear, it's bloody horrible.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 21:56:06 GMT -8
Thanks Chris, but now the real picture. With the doors hinged, nothing fits right. The doors don't fit, realigning the pins won't help, the hood gap is too big and if I made it smaller the doors won't open (they need the clearance). Yep, it's an IMC kit all right!
The worst part is, there was no way I could think of checking more as I went along in order to prevent it. You just won't know until you're almost done. Very frustrating, to put it politely.
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 20, 2021 22:13:53 GMT -8
The other side is no better.
Now what to do. Display it doors and nose and tail open, it looks fine. I could go back, detail the hell out of it and do just that. And buy another kit, build it as a curbside and put it beside it. I just might do that. Or I can take this one apart a little, sand the door edges and A pillars just a touch and glue the doors shut. They will fit perfectly if I do, and then I can fix the hood gap. The front and rear should still open, and that wouldn't be a bad compromise. I haven't decided yet. For the moment it can go on the top shelf, because it looks kinda cool from this angle:
Any thoughts, comments, criticisms (including "are you nuts, why the hell did you bother") welcome as always.
Cheers
Paul
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Post by 4wheels on Aug 21, 2021 3:12:09 GMT -8
Typical IMC! Looks like great potential in the box, less so when built! You did a great job on this one. I built a couple of their Lotus 38s, a MkIV and the Gulf GT40 MANY years ago, results were just as you achieved, just OK. I'm thinking of doing an Aurora MkI just to see what that turns into.
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Aug 21, 2021 4:37:47 GMT -8
The IMC Ford GT40 kits were all quite a challenge, I built this version of that kit, Ford GT40 D.O.H.C. based on the one in the Briggs Cunningham Museum, one of 6 original D.O.H.C. engine cars I spent many hours sitting in it with Briggs while he told me stories of racing at tracks like Lemans and the like back in the day. I had to use 4 or more MK-II kits because of the same basic fit problems and the fact I was doing a detailed model. Here is the Fotki album with pics of it public.fotki.com/pmodwrks/ford-gt40-dohc/ The real car still exists today in the Collier museum in Florida, last I heard. As a young man of 14 , I learned so much from Briggs and about race cars it wasnt until many years later I used what he told me. I always felt his words helped craft my successful career and my outlook on life. Chris
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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 21, 2021 13:37:44 GMT -8
Thanks guys.
Chris, you posted that link for me a while ago. I spent a lot of time looking at your build, I don't know how you pulled it off!! Thanks very much, big help.
A question, if anybody knows the answer - did they ever race the Ford GT with the 4 cam engine? Or was it just for show / experiment?
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Aug 21, 2021 15:11:03 GMT -8
Not Officially, the DOHC engine was to be the engine for all MK-II GT40's because of its history of performance at INDY, but when Ford's GT40 team went to get them from the Indy Team they where told all the engines were reserved for INDY! The GT40 Team went back to the drawing board and started with the small block, and after it was decided it didnt have enough power, the Team went to the NASCAR Team who had plenty of Big Blocks around and tried the Big Block ( yeah just like the movie) some teams stuck with the Gurney Weslake engine but most went to Big Block power which proved to be the best out of all of them. note; Ford had several design "Teams" each representing a different form of racing. I was never able to find any on entry list but at least 6 cars were made and some ended up in private hands. The car I showed in my albums and was in, was raced in historic and vintage racing with a Gurney small block installed but not a DOHC, several times it had the original DOHC engine in place. Chris
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Post by Joel_W on Aug 22, 2021 7:54:29 GMT -8
Paul, for what it's worth, you did one heck of a job and finished it as a great display piece with all the doors and hoods open. If it was me, it would have ended right back in the box and forgotten about.
Chris, As I've said when I 1st saw your build, I'm just speechless at what you accomplished.
joel
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Post by starfighterace on Aug 22, 2021 11:29:26 GMT -8
Having built that kit myself, I know the pain.
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