Ferrari 275 GTB

[sjordan]

I have a few of this kit, but I don't have the heart to tackle it since it's such a messed-up model. It barely resembles the subject, and is very toylike. As you'll see from the professionally built model below, the body is horribly incorrect (pay no attention to the aftermarket wire wheels; they're big bucks if you want to replace the oddly molded Campagnolo mags in the kit). Compare the shots below to photos of a real 275 and you'll see how wrong the kit is – inaccurate shape and height of roofline, almost no Kamm tail, nose droops too much, egg-crate grille is off-center, weird square hump on hood, engine seems too small, etc. etc.

[sjordan]

Just to add a little perspective, here is a list I made of modifications that would be required to build a reasonably accurate model I could live with. Having done this, I abandoned any hope of attempting it.

FERRARI 275 TO-DO LIST

BODY

• Shorten nose
• New egg crate grille
• Reshape front wheel wells
• Fix spoiler
• New hood
• Raise door handles
• Raise front reflectors
• Put trunk button on trunk lid
• Photoetched nameplates
• Proper taillight colors
• Hood interior liner

INTERIOR

• Move arm rest & door handles
• Fix horizontal door panel
• Make headliner, side air vents w/screen & door
• Check position of console
• Wood for console
• Modify door kick plates to size
• Add visors & rear-view mirror
(steal from Gullwing)
• Check door sills; need chrome trim
• Carpet
• Make passenger footrest
• Make horn button
• Dash
Add control panel under gauges-
ignition & rocker switches
Wood dash with chrome trim
Gauges
• Make pedals
• Fuse compartments
• Interior weatherstripping; chrome door plates
• Seat adjustment levers
• Turn signal lever
• Steering column

ENGINE

• Paint valve covers / add ball screws
• Reposition distributors
• Add oil filters
• Coolant pump on radiator
• Reposition battery
• Add fluid bottles
• Re-do air filter
• Windshield washer bag
• Make side liners; add VIN plate
• Firing order plate
• Customary wires & hoses

MISC

• Open up undercarriage / build frame
• Build differential & drive shaft
• Suspension
Wheels need wider track
Body needs to sit higher - expose more wheel
• Trunk
Cut space for spare tire
Carpet
Gas filler & surround
• Check exhaust system; add hangers
• Wheel hub inserts?
• Tool kit
• Manuals

[Andym]

Thanks skip. You saved me a bundle. What about the wheels? Are they worth the price? Maybe I'll do a 250 GTO instead.

[sjordan]

Thanks skip. You saved me a bundle. What about the wheels? Are they worth the price? Maybe I'll do a 250 GTO instead.

I haven't seen the wheels in the flesh and can't remember the price, but the wire thickness looks a bit thin to me. If I recall correctly, the wheels were either intended for a GTO or they came from Revell 's 1/12 GTO diecast (rear wheels larger and deeper than front). Can't remember the original source, really.

[Andym]

I have two different sources and pick them up for around $250/set. They were originally released as an upgrade to the GTO. I'm wondering if they're worth the money or if i'd be better off machining my own set of scale Borranis.

[sjordan]

If you're talking about the kit and transkits available at scaleautoworks.com, I just saw close-ups of the wheels there and they look good enough to save the work of making your own. Once you pay $300 for the kit and over $200 each for the various transkits, you're getting into serious Pocher territory, of course; if I had the tools and skill to make my own wheels, I'd try to save some money that way. But that's the sort of thing we do.

Autograph 1/12 Revell Ferrari 250 GTO Borrani wire wheels, engine transkit, Le Mans body decals

[Andym]

Skip - You've obviously never followed one of my builds. See for me to machine four identical wheels would require me to purchase approximately 2600 pounds of billet aluminum which I would use to fabricate approximately 5200 1:12 scale Borrani wheels with the hope that four of them would actually look good enough to put on a model.

In addition to the cost of the aluminum itself, you have to add in a few bucks to fix the drywall in my workshop because after I screwed up for the hundredth time I'd throw something through the wall while loudly taking the Lord's name in vain.

Then 'ya gotta add the cost to replace my lathe, because I'm going to pick it up and slam it on the ground after I've messed up on my 400th attempt.

Add it all up and I figure it would cost me at least $250,000 to machine four wheels myself... I think I'll just call Brady at Scale Autoworks!

Andy.

[sjordan]

[Pocherboy]

I have built a set of those Autograph wheels and they are pretty good, and not as tricky as the instructions lead you to believe. but I do not think the ones on this model are from Autograph.

The ones from Autograph come with nipples on the spoke ends, and the rear rows have a spiral to them.

I think these are sem- mass produced ones, that a couple of years ago, were being sold from Germany for about $75 per set of 4, but now go for about $250.

The autograph are much more accurate, and worth the extra time to assemble, now that the price is in about the same range. Also the Autograph come with very nice spinners/ wheel locks, with the Borrani name photo-etched.

If anyone wants a description of how to assemble them, let me know. They have the steps on-line, but again, much easier than it looks at first.

[MODEL A MODEL]

I thought I had gone through all these threads before, but I had missed this one on the 275GTB by "Revell". I believe it started life as a toy/kit by IDEAL, and then Revell , back when they were in Venice, California, bought the tooling. -and? It is a horrible kit! All the dimensions, and shapes are wrong!

I love this car, it is my farorite of the Ferrari road cars, I do have one of these models, as a built up I bought at a garage sale, and the much better 1/24th Italeri kit. -But man what a bad model!

Why bring this up now? Because coincidently I just came across MY list of whats wrong with the Revell model, and convinced myself, that unless I had access to a real car, I could learn nothing from the kit, I could use nothing from the kit, and the only way to do justice to that car would be to build it from scratch!

Not any time soon, but if I ever get the chance to document a real 275!!!?? -well that might be a different story!

I won't bother posting my list, but it is funny to see that someone else felt just as passionate about it as I did! -Don

[Richard Bartrop]

The kit originally came from Renwal, the people behind the Visible V-8 kit. I bought one of those Ferraris too, figuring the price was right, and how bad could if be? Let's just say, I found out.

[MODEL A MODEL]

Your right about it originally being a Renwal, I knew it had been offered by Renwal, but I thought it was tooled by ITC. My wrong.

I guess I really want a kit of this car! There is no other subject that I have ever gone to bat for as often as this one.
But! no one should ever waste their money on this one!

Another car offered by Renwal, at about the same time was the Mercedes Benz 300SL, which has its problems, but is not as bad.