112 Fiat 806 Grand Prix Model Kit Reviews

Chatman Musly1995

Hello to all,

When I bought and began the construction of the Fiat 806 "Grand Prix" 1927 Italeri kit at 1/12 calibration, in july 2016, I was very far from imagining to where this would lead me...

I am not a specialist of vintage cars (even if I made indisputable progress these last times) and I didn't know this car, simply I loved her blueprint, and the very prissy Italeri box-art had aroused in me the desire to build that model.

Opening the box, and looking at the sprues, I take to say my enthusiasm decreased a bit: the kit was far from the actual quality standards of Italeri's production, except the decal sheet and the photoetched part. The reason? I establish it out on the net, where I began to make researchs. This kit was in fact a reissue of an old Protar kit, what Italeri had forgotten to precise on the box, announcing on the contrary "a unique model in terms of technology and accuracy" (sic).

The 2nd disconcerting discover was that there were very few documents available on this car, merely a few black and white photos, 2 blueprints, both being contradictory, and a few drawings. I had to learn that this race car did not exist all the same for a long time, equally it had been sent to the foundry by an incomprehensible gild of Giovanni Agnelli, the Fiat dominate, a few months afterwards her birth, equally pity her elderberry sisters 801 to 805! (despite our researchs on the verbal circumstances and precise moment of that order, information technology is withal not very clear, but information technology was definitely before june 1928, perchance later on the dramatic adventitious death of P. Bordino april 15th, but maybe earlier).

But, among these disconcerting detect, I made a much more positive ane: Britmodeller, and a thread dedicated to the Fiat 806: the Gangshow...

I had never upward to now taken role to a thread, only reading sometimes, but I was so impressed by what I saw on this one, especially what Little Andi and vontrips could do, through others, that I decided to join the team. It was september 7th, 2016.

At this time, I could not imagine how wrong the Italeri kit was, I thought at that place were simply issues with the poor quality of the moulds, and then, I began my build unremarkably, following the steps, trying to better it of course, just thinking this build would be probably over in december, assuasive me to write an commodity in Tamiya Model Magazine, every bit I had done for my Chevy Bel Air Convertible 1957 previously.

Only small-scale and small, it became obvious that, if I wanted to go a quite true to original replica, there would be a lot of corrections to practise: the grille was made of thick rods (what the box-art could not permit imagine, thanks to a prissy Photoshop work...), the steering wheel was very far from the existent ane and unrefined, and so for the wheels, and then for the tyres (Italeri had provided the Mef tyres, probably because they did not detect the Protar'southward moulds!) etc etc.

Of course, I was far from being alone discovering these issues, simply small-scale and modest, 2 conceptions of model making, though as respectable 1 equally the other ane, began to create tensions on the Gangshow thread: some modelers considered that nosotros (mainly Hannes, Roy vd M, CrazyCrank, Sharknose156, vontrips, NickD and me) were in a "purist logic", very "irksome", and "hijacking" the initial thread. This led to the creation of a new thread, initiated by Roy:

It is difficult to tell here the enthousiasm and the incredible profusion of ideas, debates and discovers of the first weeks in the new thread. Information technology was sometimes even besides much for me, I could non go on my build, specially since the new discovers questioned it! In the research aspect, Roy was peculiarly motivated and effective.

A volume could be written on the astonishing saga this thread and my build have become from that moment.

Later on, we establish out, bought and read the beautiful Sebastien Faures volume: "Fiat en Grand Prix: 1920-1930" (E.T.A.I editor), that would exist fascinating and would bring historical and technical precious informations. More, I took contact with the writer, that was very interested by our research and fractional scratchbuild project, and who helped us a lot, bringing infos and new docs.

Later, Roy would find the moving documentary of the Monza One thousand Prix (4/nine/1927), the only i to which the 806 took part (Milano G.P) and in that amazing movie, the first frontal view of the car, showing definitely how wrong was the radiator case and the grille on the Italeri kit...

Later on, I took advantage of a travel in Florida to visit the peachy Naples Rev's institute (go and see their internet site...) and could so take contact with Paul Kierstein, responsible in the enquiry department, who would bring us him also very interesting documents, in detail the blueprints of our Cartoon two, dated, showing this version, with a longer tail, that had inspired Protar, and and so Italeri, was in fact an evolution (that would never exist born) of our car, and not a previous version, as most of u.s. thought.

Afterwards, Roy would discover accidentally, while he had left us to begin working on his Delage projection (go and see his thread), the first profile view, pity not in HR, only so of import to get the good shapes...

Later, I would go to Torino, to the Fiat Centro Storico (by appointment), and would await to the archives, finding very important infos and docs, and discovering their incorrect big calibration model (however better than the Italeri's ane) and the museum with the Fiat Mefisto, that should exist my adjacent build.

All these months, I spent my time doing and redoing, cut here and there, "shrinking the shrimp", as joked CC. A real pioneer work, that Hannes was doing too.

Hannes... he has been so important for my build, equally CrazyCrank, the other french modeler of the squad (encounter his amazing thread on the Pocher Bugatti T50), as BlackNight, equally Harvey, as Sharknose (Sam, hope y'all'll get back your photos lost due to Photobucket, I await forward to read your Mefisto thread...), as Roy, every bit Robin Lous, every bit vontrips (even if the Protar's tyres are a bit too big and too thick imho, they are anyhow much much better than the Mef's one!).

A dream team! But Hannes... always pushing me to go farther in this quest of truth. Nosotros had so many debates (sometimes very lively!).

So, this build is of course mine, but I have to thank here all people without whom I would clearly never have been able to build what is definitely, to this twenty-four hours, the most accurate and realistic replica of the Fiat 806, this legendary and cute vintage race car.

I regret deeply that the editor in main of TMMI did non sympathise all that and renounced to my commodity because I had shared on an internet forum my photos, techniques and ideas. But a 7 or 8 pages in a magazine would have been anyway only a little summarize of the 187 pages of our thread (without mentioning the Gangshow...), so I don't see the problem. Pity...

If I don't detect anyone interested by editing anything on this build (pity, I have many photos and had begun writing the article...), I volition simply do a personal volume, that I volition read with pleasure, when I will exist likewise old to practice model making, this fascinating hobby.

And to finish, before the photo gallery, I tin can't forget (I promise I didn't forget anyone...) to mention my master and friend, Juan Manuel Villalba, who has followed all my build from the starting time to the end, regularly encouraging and and then dainty, and giving me and so skillful hints. Thanks to him, I accept improved a lot my photos (he is not simply a dandy modeler - very famous in the aircraft modelers community - merely likewise a pro lensman).

I forgot: My model over (in fact, there would be still some corrections later), I have decided to build OOB the kit (thanks again to Roy...) to bear witness the many many differences between the Italeri kit (nice yet) and my truthful to the original replica. This OOB was congenital in less than 3 weeks, while the PSB (partial scratch build) has needed nearly xiv months!I don't say that to discourage people of goodwill, but you lot take to know in what you put your feet... That said, if I rebuilt this PSB today, it would probably have less than 6 months...

I too want to say that:

ane) my model is definitely not perfect, there are some wrong details that I couldn't alter without taking too much risks. And we are still missing photos of the engine compartment and cockpit inside

two) Harvey has begun the challenge, go and see his thread: H'due south 806... on Britmodeller, of form! Hannes is going on also, and when I see what he did with the Mef, a real piece of art (he should publish very presently a "fix for inspection" topic too), I imagine the result...

Well, pitiful to take been so... talkative, there was so much to say.

All the all-time to all and sorry for the ones I forgot to mention, who, at a moment or another, have brought me (us) help, like square, Jnkm13, Propeller etc.

Olivier

P.Due south: Thank you anyway to Italeri that gave me the opportunity to build this unique model. Despite the many defects of this kit, it does be and we have so few vintage cars at this calibration...

P.S2: And many thank you and all my loving to my dearest Pascale, who had to exist so patient during all these months. Being the wife of a passionate model maker is not a gift!!

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And now the pics... finally! As y'all know, OOB means congenital out of the box, PSB will business my partial scratchbuilt version...

Adobe Lightroom was used just to get practiced photos parameters, simply not to cheat (no correction washed except to brand disappear the left bonnet on the profile view).

I begin with the profile view, photograph 28 in the thread (Roy's discover, lately and "accidentally", looking for Delage docs!):

My partial scratch version without the left bonnet (erased with Photoshop, many thank you to JM. Villalba who did the job):

And with the left opened bonnet , in TIFF format (VHR):

((N.B: pity, this is the but photograph I could put in TIFF format, great but very heavy, because the other ones are more than 25 Mo, and Image Schack, that I use to export my photos, doesn't accept them. ))

Comparing original/OOB version/ my PSB version : the Italeri kit is as well height, giving a massive perception, the tail is also long, and and so for the cockpit... and of course, the wheels are wrong in every aspect (tyres, spokes...):

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This frontal view (photo 12 in our thread) is a screen capture of the documentary, due to Roy too: comparison with the OOB :it merely doesn't seems to be the same motorcar...

and with my PSB version : the radiator case had to be completely redimensioned, and the grille too. The thick plastic rods of the kit's grille were removed and replaced by 51 sparse steel rods (0,four mm), that I had to bend a flake because the grille is not apartment.

The forepart and rear beam were wrong, not long enough, I had to modify this likewise. All these changes had of form many consequences on the build, in particular decreasing the body in height...

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The photos in our thread accept been numbered according the moment of their discovery. The photo below, numbered ane , was one of the first photos we got. The profile view above bears the number 28 considering it was discovered much lately...

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As the photo one above, the photo below (our photo ii in the thread) was done when presenting the machine, that was not all the same painted (and the exhausts were however uncovered). Some rivets are visible on the fairing, that will be totally sanded before the race. This photo two is loftier quality, giving many informations on details. The bending of view is slightly different from the photo 1, and the driver Pietro Bordino is missing.

Comparison photo ii/ OOB :

Comparison photograph 2/ PSB:

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Other HQ photograph taken very certainly the same day, our photo iii , very interesting 3/4 rear view: let'south compare information technology first with the OOB :

and at present with the PSB :

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The same with our photo 4 ( in the thread). With OOB :

and with PSB :

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Our photo 9 : this photograph was very interesting for the states, considering it was taken the day of the race (subsequently the race in fact) and was HR. It is the but i that shows that at that place was an asbestos wrapping on the exhausts. Pity, this photo HR is protected by a copyright, I can reproduce here but a LD version (the original was i,ii Mo, this one is only 369 Ko) but you can however meet the wrapping, wet considering of the rain:

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Our photograph 25 in the thread: notice the very low body (the mechanics around the car are however probably not very tall):

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Top view : we don't accept any height view of the original car

OOB and PSB comparing on top view:

OOB and PSB in frontal up view :

and in rear view:

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And now permit's focus on details, commencement with wheels :

The wheels accept been completely respoked, there must be 72 spokes past wheel (0,4 mm steel rods at 1/12) instead of 36 plastic thick ones in the kit.

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Cockpit, windscreen, exhaust, fairing and fuel cap on the OOB:

and on the PSB:

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Fuel cap, louvres, exhaust, brake cable, wheels, digits etc. on the OOB:

and on the PSB:

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Engine compartment OOB : detect the very thick ignition wiring and connectors provided in the kit, the unrealistic screws on the radiator case and the torso, the thick plastic swivel, the thick brake cables (the kit provides a big bound to stand for them) etc.

and PSB : the hinge has been scratchmade, so for the ignition wiring and connectors. The brake cable is a 0,38 mm braided wire from RB movement.

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Brake cable and tensioners on the original auto (photo 2) :

on the OOB :

and on the PSB :

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And finally the Sir Lawrence figure (Minichamps one/12) from which I fabricated my driver Pietro Bordino. I had decided indeed to represent "Il Diavolo Rosso", the Fiat and tifosi golden child in the xx'due south. This transformation was another challenge...