Alfa 12C37 Options

[Nuvolare]

Hi,
I've started a new project "the Alfa 12C37". There are a few variations of this model, but I'm working on the model as shown in the picture.

The resin body I've bought of this model isn't what you could call a fine example of good scale modeling and detailing.
But I've got some good scale drawings, a good saw and lots of milliput , and the most inportand thing, it gives me lot of fun to rechape that thing into a 12C37
But theirs one thing on that car that I can't find any details of nor do I know it's exact prupose, and that are the two holes that I've circeled in red on the photo. Can anybody tel me what they are and/or does anybody have any good deailed photo's of those holes?
Thanks for your help,
Cheers Danny

[FZSsemans®]

searching pictures is hard on this one. but seem to be openings for air. some have a closed front, some half open. dont know whats behind it except the steering and axle. but the air in and outlets seem to differ on every model

[FZSsemans®]

even bigger

[tifosi]

Hi - not sure this helps but

 alfav12.pdf ( 696.77K ) Number of downloads: 29

[Gone Racin]

Here's a restored 12c37 running at the Goodwood FOS, this has one large cooling intake rather than the central one + 2 separate ones either side.


Here's Achille Varzi racing a 12c37 in 1948, where it has the wider intake partially blanked off.


Its much easier to blank off a large of the intake on a cold day than it is to enlarge small intakes on a hot day. Is that what the different intakes are all about?

I'm not too sure the car in post #2 is a 12c37, it looks much taller than a 12c37 - could it be either a 1935 or 1936 Alfa (which were much taller)

[PeterSussex]

I'm not too sure the car in post #2 is a 12c37, it looks much taller than a 12c37 - could it be either a 1935 or 1936 Alfa (which were much taller)

Danny's opening photo is in fact almost certainly the experimental 12C-37 tested by Nuvolari at Pescara in 1937.

Peter

[martinprice2004]

Are you sure they are not lights or possibly mounting holes for lights. I say this for a couple of reasons:

1) Some of the models around that era had lights mounted low down on each side of the nose. This may explain why they are on some cars and not on others.

2) Later Alfa models seem to adopt low down front lights, a sort of styling "cue" to earlier models. Even up to date Alphas have this.

Heres a link to a couple of early Alfas that have lights mounted exactly where your mystery items are.

Alpha Lights?

Perhaps you could just paint them silver and let the viewer of the model decide what they are!

[driver#8]

They were definitely intakes, I'll consult my book and blag a photo if poss...

[mmmoose1]

I found a photo in the book The Complete History of Grand Prix Motor Racing that shows the front of the car, right behind those holes are the friction dampeners. I think those are cooling vents to keep the dampeners from overheating. The photo was of Nuvolari during testing with no numbers on the car and it still had a handcrank sticking through the grille. There was a photo from the Masaryk curcuit at Brno that showed the car with the fairing cut off rather crudely on Count Brivoi's Scuderia Ferrari 12C Alfa. I have that body also and have been doing some research on it myself.

Ken

[Rob J]

Looks like you have quite a choice, Danny. There were several front-end treatments. One photo shows two apertures on each side, one round, one a vertical near-rectangle. See below. Another has shorter/narrower bodywork elongations/fairings with no apertures. Another shows a round but closed aperture (if that's possible) on each side. Perhaps a removable cover. In black and white it's lighter than the bodywork, possibly silver, though not lights. This was purely a grand prix car.
Not relevant for slot-cars, but the dampers may not have been friction. The contemporary 8C, certainly in sports-car form, had hydraulic dampers.
Rob J

[Nuvolare]

Thanks guys for your information
Are there any suggestions where to find suitable tires, rims and wheel inserts scale 1/32 for this model?
Cheers,
Danny

[alfetta]

Try here:terterouge-racingcars.com

[alfetta]

Whoops not only did I mis-spell the address but Just realised that it's Dave capelan you need to contact.
Peter

[Gone Racin]

Thanks guys for your information
Are there any suggestions where to find suitable tires, rims and wheel inserts scale 1/32 for this model?
Cheers,
Danny

Try Penelope Pitlane http://www.penelopepitlane.co.uk/
or Tertre Rouge http://www.tertrerouge-racingcars.com/

[Nuvolare]

Hi,
This is the work that I've done so far. Like I mentioned before, the resin body wasn't that good in scale,and up until now I've been re sculpting it. Here are some pictures, from how it was until now, the front bulbs still needs some attention. The rivets you still see will be totally gone after the paint job.
Before:



The 3d plan:


now:




Cheers,
Danny

PS.
@Peter:
How can I contact Dave capelan, or under what pseudonym can I find him on the forum?