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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Cobra Coupe - Le Mans - Model Factory Hiro 1/12


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On 7/25/2024 at 1:29 PM, Peterpools said:

Rob, right with you and can't wait to see the engine wiring completed, as they will bring the 289 up to a whole new level.

 

20 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

That's a stunning looking engine there Rob. Well worth the effort that you've put into it. 

Hopefully the wiring isn't too bad. 

Thank you Peter and Carl, I started with the belt drives and transmission and next will be the wiring. Main problem will be to insert the wires into the per drilled rubber connectors in crammed space. I tried the first and most complicated one, but gave up for breakfast. Luckily it´s not a 12 cylinder engine ;).

Cheers Rob

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19 hours ago, CANicoll said:

That is awesome!  Even down to the Fram filter decal!  That is really nice work - the photographs help see what you are doing.  Thanks.

Thank you Chris, it hasn´t been an easy kit so far, but the engineering and detail is absolutely fantastic and I hope, I can fight my way through the build.

Cheers Rob

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Today, I reached the first real milestone, finishing the engine and transmission. 
The ignition wiring was a bit delicate and needed a lot of CA to proper glue everything together. Using tiny rubber connectors seemed not to be the best idea from MFH to my eye. The provided wire is very rigid, which helped to pre bend each single wire before gluing them in.
Now Tamiya have a look, here is something to learn. the belt on the front of the engine is black adhesive tape over cast iron wheels, looks way better, than Tamiya´s rough cast parts on the 1/12 kits I knew.
The transmission housing is made of a mix of resin and metal parts, with whit metal gear shifting rods added. The manual suggested steel color for the housing, but I went with metallic grey, to have a cast iron appearance. I read, later modified or rebuild chassis got an aluminum casing, but the original was cast iron. So much for weight reduction :D.

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Cheers Rob

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18 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

That really is great looking engine Rob. 

Looking at some of the pics, is there enough clearance on some of the wires for the exhaust headers to fit onto the engine?

Thank you Carl, there is more than enough clearance for the exhausts to fit in. It´s an optical illusion, with the area angled and no blockages are to be expected.

Cheers Rob

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7 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

WOW, absolutely looks like the real deal. Wiring looks perfect and the fanbelt - yup, Tamiya needs to take a lesson on how it should be done.

Thanks Peter, I´m looking forward to some more relaxing steps, like building up the chassis. The engine was a test of patience at times, with lots of parts involved in a tiny space. It became more and more difficult to even handle it.

Cheers Rob

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16 hours ago, jep1210 said:

Oh, this is going to be a good one. Looking forward to your progress.

 

8 hours ago, Andy the Sheep said:

Late in joining the audience, Rob. Your modelling is truly amazing.

Thank you jep and Andy, you need some patience and a methodical approach to tackle these kind of kits. Somehow everything goes together as should.

Cheers Rob

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I am shipping some difficult waters lately, not with the kit though and that´s why I made myself sparse.

Nonetheless, some progress with the mighty Cobra. Having thought, everything would build up easier than the engine was partly untrue. The chassis as the central element has so many parts to add, that you need a lot of patience and discipline to get it right. 
Every hole - and there are many - needs to be drilled with the proper diameter. To achieve this, you have to identify the various parts or sub assemblies through the hole manual and understand, how it joins and what is used for joining, nuts, bolts, screws, pegs, whatever. 
Finally, I build up the suspension arms and completed the front axle and tubing with a real metal leaf spring. Steerable wheels are not planned with the kit.
I made some mistakes on the rear end with the differential housing, but managed to correct that without too much damage.
Again Tamiya LP semi matte black proved to be the perfect weapon of choice for the black chassis parts. 
The engine is only loosely attached for now.

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Cheers Rob
 

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1 hour ago, Bomber_County said:

Simply stunning Rob, shame to hide all of this in a body shell……

Thank you Phil. Not all of the detail will be lost, the Cobra has a huge openable hood. The drive train and differential will be buried unseen though.

Cheers Rob

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Rob

Some mighty incredible progress and looking so good. I had a feeling you were deep into the Cobra build and had devoted most of your time to it.

Seems drilling holes for locating parts and for future assemblies is the backbone of the kit assembly process and easily occupies a great deal of the build time. I didn't realize there was a 'hole manual' and I'm very curious as to what it looks like and how it is used.  Since you're working mostly in metals, are you using a different type of drill and drill bits as compared to the set up for drilling holes in plastic? 

:construction:

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Rob,  I grew up working at my dad's service station (Petrol station), back in the 70's.  I loved working on cars so following your build, and the detail to which you are working is a sheer pleasure.  Thanks for sharing your incredible work.  I have to agree with Phil, but the great thing about build threads is that everything is there for everyone to see, forever!  Simply beautiful work.  :popcorn:

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2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Some mighty incredible progress and looking so good. I had a feeling you were deep into the Cobra build and had devoted most of your time to it.

Seems drilling holes for locating parts and for future assemblies is the backbone of the kit assembly process and easily occupies a great deal of the build time. I didn't realize there was a 'hole manual' and I'm very curious as to what it looks like and how it is used.  Since you're working mostly in metals, are you using a different type of drill and drill bits as compared to the set up for drilling holes in plastic?

Thank you Peter. When mistakes lead to good ideas, you got a hole manual, which would be highly appreciated by me in form as a drilling diameter guide. I meant the Whole manual :D, when I wrote it. Nearly everything mounts to the chassis and you have to identify every part throughout the Whole manual find it in the stashing boxes and measure it´s connecting pegs. In case of screws, you have to identify which parts are passed by them and in which they need to cut in.

I use the same HSS drill bits as ever, as they are generally angled for most metals and the cast white metal is relatively soft. Some bits for drilling printed circuit bords are not so convenient, as they are harder, more brittle and therefore break easier and their sloping angle is for fiber plastics and doesn´t go too well through metals. The latter are a bit more comfortable to handle, because the shaft diameter is always the same and you can put them into a collet.
Generally, I´m astonished, how few of the bits I managed to break during the two MFH builds.

Cheers Rob

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43 minutes ago, CANicoll said:

Rob,  I grew up working at my dad's service station (Petrol station), back in the 70's.  I loved working on cars so following your build, and the detail to which you are working is a sheer pleasure.  Thanks for sharing your incredible work.  I have to agree with Phil, but the great thing about build threads is that everything is there for everyone to see, forever!  Simply beautiful work.  :popcorn:

Thank you Chris, I guess, you can´t come much nearer to the original thing, than with a MFH kit. There are other companies, like Ixo or Pocher, but I never built their products.
Build threads to me are a two way benefit, as I very much profit from the input from fellow forum members a lot. Another selfish aspect is, I can look for my own color call outs, later in the build, when I forgot, which exact hue was used.

Cheers Rob 

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7 hours ago, DocRob said:

[…] There are other companies, like Ixo or Pocher, but I never built their products.
[…]

Cheers Rob 

I do not know Ixo. As for Pocher, they can be built - with a lot of TLC , and even more investment in AM, which is a bit steep, considering the initial cash outlay - into spectacular replicas, but they are very often … is « approximative » the most apt word ?

Hubert

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16 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Wow Rob, that engine and chassis look phenomenal!  There are some Cobras on eBay at the moment that look mighty enticing given your pics....

Thank you Mike, the offers on ebay are a bit pricey, I find. Unfortunately the Cobra is not available from MFH directly unfortunately, they have the best prices by far.

Cheers Rob

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15 hours ago, HubertB said:

I do not know Ixo. As for Pocher, they can be built - with a lot of TLC , and even more investment in AM, which is a bit steep, considering the initial cash outlay - into spectacular replicas, but they are very often … is « approximative » the most apt word ?

Pocher kits can be demanding, to say the leas, from what I read. Ixo Collections is a France based company, producing kits in 1/8 scale with pre painted parts and some even with lights and sound. 

Cheers Rob

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On 8/5/2024 at 2:50 PM, BlrwestSiR said:

The chassis looks stunning Rob. Glad to see you're making progress on the Cobra. 

Thank you Carl, poco a poco like they say here. I don´t have a lot of time lately, but the Cobra keeps me motivated.

Cheers Rob

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