Marmon Wasp: Winner of the 1911 inaugural Indianapolis 500

[ismaelg]

Hello,


 

Ray Harroun won the very first Indy 500 in 1911 piloting this car.  As early as 1910, Marmon engineers knew they needed to reduce air resistance.  Ray was a savvy racer for its time and understood you need to take care of your tires. In his experience, he knew if he kept the car at around 85 miles per hour, lower than the top speed it could achieve, the tires would last much longer.  His strategy had worked previously in other smaller races.  Another major innovation, is that this is credited to be the very first time a rearview mirror was used in an automotive application.  The idea was to check for traffic without the need for a riding mechanic.
I can spend days talking about this car.  Let's just say I love it, especially after seeing it in person.  Just the shear history it carries is mind blowing. 

After a few years of hunting, I was finally able to get a kit I consider a holy grail for me: The Indycals 1/25 Marmon Wasp!
When this kit was first released a few years ago, it was a very limited run. I think it was only like 20 copies or so.  More have been made but it is still a very limited availability.  It is not easy to produce these.
It seems the kit has changed slightly since it was introduced.  For example, the original instructions show separate wheels and tires, while my copy has them molded together.  While that may be a challenge for painting, it is definitely easier to manufacture and is one less area to have possible fit problems.  So I am good with that.  Some other minor changes were noted but nothing major.
The kit is 3D printed.  This is not for the faint of heart or the beginner.  You need to step up your game and face it.  Don't complaint it is hard.
3D printed resin is slightly different to traditional resin and to plastic.  It is slightly softer than classic resin and care must be taken when working it.  Also, the finish of 3D printed parts usually needs some additional work as printing lines are pretty much inevitable.

This will be a slow project but one to be built not only with my hands, but with all my heart.

Here we go:
Here is a quick mockup of the major parts:

Despite the excellent packaging, a trip in the mail is always a rough ride.  Upon opening and inspecting it, I noticed the chassis had a broken piece and the body had a crack.



 

Nothing a drop of superglue couldn't fix.

Fixing these was the official start of the project. 

Stay tuned for more!

Thanks,
Ismael

[bbowser]

I didn't know this existed until now.  A true racing icon.  Can't wait to follow your journey!

 

 

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Started preparing the body for eventual primer.  Started wet sanding carefully with 1500 grit.

Like I mentioned earlier, the 3D resin behaves differently. This little lip on the cockpit quickly started to disappear with the sanding.  I carefully re-scribed it and I am checking on it constantly.
At this level of magnification (bigger than actual size) you can still see the 3D lines. Carefully working those before even thinking about primer.

 

Call me weird but I'm really enjoying this.  🙂

Thanks,
Ismael

 

 

Edited March 7 by ismaelg

[Pierre Rivard]

You should enjoy it, because progress is visible when we do body work. The kit looks very interesting. Does it include a complete chassis & engine or is it more the curbside variety?

A replica of the very first Indy winner, how cool is that?

[ismaelg]

Thanks!

It does have an engine. Which I haven't touch yet. But I will... eventually 🙂

Edited March 7 by ismaelg

[ismaelg]

Hello,

First primer test. Looking good and heading in the right direction.

Thanks,
Ismael

[ismaelg]

Hello,

May not look like much but there are long hours of work here including several coats of primer sanded down to almost nothing.  Far from over but going in the right direction.

Noticed the hood also had a hairline crack so I started working on it.


And this is how it looks now in process.  Again, far from over but moving along.

 

*EDIT*  Keep in mind these images are larger than actual size.  This is just my own way of inspection.

Thanks,
Ismael

Edited March 11 by ismaelg

[Belugawrx]

Doing good work on that print Ish..! 

[Pierre Rivard]

Larger than actual size pictures help so much highlighting areas in need of more surface preparation. The body looks very good already.

[ismaelg]

Hello again!

After taking the body as far as it would go, a little putty will take it to the finish line.


Very long road ahead but I like where this is going.


Thanks,
Ismael

[Belugawrx]

She cleaned up real nice !

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Continuing with this project, I noticed I was missing the tail fin.  I reached out to Michael who immediately offered to send a replacement.  But been an easy part to scratchbuild, we discussed the dimensions and I took a crack at making my own.  More fun and faster.
Here is version 1:

 

Not bad, but slightly off.  Also, the material I used seems too thick.

Version 2:
After reviewing the dimensions with Michael, I think I got it almost there. This time with better thickness proportions. Just tidy it up and we should be good to go.

As of now:

It looks good, but I'm debating whether it is too tall or not.  This is one of those cases where the caliper says I'm correct but my eyes say "mehhh... are you sure?"  
If needed, trimming the bottom to make it slightly lower will be very easy.
What do you think?  

Thanks,
Ismael

[Belugawrx]

Darn close if you ask me...The actual car pic at the top is a little off due to perspective. If you had a full side on shot....?

[ismaelg]

Hello,

I measured against some reference pics and it seems to be right.  But I'm just too stupid and anal retentive on these kind of things.  🤣

I am building the car as raced, not exactly as currently restored. Tires, shocks, tailfin bracing and other minute differences. 

 

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Since bodywork is pretty much done, I'll let it rest for now before further inspection and continuation.  In the meantime, I'll jump to one of my favorite parts: the engine.
The Marmon Wasp was powered by a 447 cubic inch  T head inline 6 that develops about 110 horsepower. Keep in mind, this was 1911 and the car was already one or two years old.
For the unique color of the heads, I mixed my own using gray, some green and white.  I kept adjusting until satisfied so I can't really tell ratios.  I did what I hope is plenty for this, any mishap and save some for the future as reference.
Engine parts were sprayed aluminum before painting.  Engine block was painted gunmetal. Heads were slightly gloss coated after paint for a hint of metallic-like shine.  Keep in mind, 1911. 

3D printing allows for some intricate detail not easily possible previously with resin or styrene.  However, been very delicate detail, the rough ride on the mail can take its toll.



Fortunately, Michael sends the parts in several zip lock bags so nothing gets lost.  You can see I already re-glued the broken spark plug in place.


Six intake and six exhaust valves.  


Gunmetal for the block



Just a mockup. Two cylinders pretty much done.  Don't worry about the valves not touching the block. That will be eventually adjusted.

 

Really enjoying this.

Thanks,
Ismael

[bbowser]

Really enjoying the ride!  What a neat kit.

[kensar]

Nice details!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Beautiful work, great project.  

[Pierre Rivard]

Wonderful work on the engine so far. Quite a unique design.

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Time for an update.  I've been really busy at work so progress has been slow in the last few days.

This is a preserved race car. Not a show car. A little weathering goes a long way.

What the...? Is that a spider? a deep sea creature?
















single barrel carburetor




 

Brass and copper were widely used in this.  Notice the copper line from the front of the engine running behind the carb to the back.  I think it could be part of the manual oil pressurization system. 
About the plug wires looking too shiny, don't worry, there is a plan for that. 
I may need to get another one for the car and leave this one out on a stand or something.  🙂

Next: finish the plug wires of course and the cooling system

Really having fun with this.

Thanks,
Ismael

Edited March 20 by ismaelg

[absmiami]

Greatstuff …

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Great work Ismael, your project is obviously not from the same era as my usual builds but your methods and skills are evident, the detail work you have done so far on the engine is impressive, I really like what I see! 👌

[iBorg]

Impressive work. I'll admit its an odd kit but I'd love to have one in my stash.

[ismaelg]

Hello,

It is done!  Ohh wait!  I still need to finish the rest of the car!













Will you believe me if I tell you I'm very happy?  🙂

Thanks,
Ismael

[BK9300]

And rightfully so, Ismael - apart from your obvious skills, you must have extreme patience to detail your engine to this level - right down to the spark plug wire tip connectors!