Making a 250GT California SWB at 1/4 Scale!
I have loved the 1961 California 250 GT SWB since I was a kid, so I’m building the first 1/4 scale model that will be as accurate as possible to the original dimensions and styling. Using modern techniques such as 3D scanning, 3D Printing, SolidWorks and all other modern tools, not just to make the end result look great, but more importantly so I can understand every line, curve and crease with my own hands and eyes. These legendary cars from the ’50s and ’60s were built by hand and felt more like sculptures than automobiles. My aim is to channel that same creativity in my own process and maybe feel a sense of history.
To check form and functions, this 1/4-scale model will be created to sanity-check the proportions in the real world and make sure everything fits correctly. This may be my rehearsal for a future full size build that tells me where to weld supports, how to use the wood buck, align the doors and which parts need another pass before I take on the challenge of full-size vehicle.
Along the way, I may make some improvements for safety and reliability or simply to add my own adaptations to the original designs. Most of my information has been sourced from the of original 250GT components, tools and other information that has taken me years to acquire.
Then comes the dream: Maybe some day there will be a full-size aluminum body, hand-formed as a respectful tribute, IE: A 250GT California SWB Reincarnation, Revival. or more accurately a Resto-Revival. Since this will be my design, done with my own interpretations, there are no rules or requirements. This project is being done so I can learn the traditional art of Coach Building. I’ll shape panels over a buck with an English wheel, hammer and dolly, or maybe use futuristic technologies like robo-forming and other modern metal shaping techniques. It’ll take patience, do-overs, and a lot of learning!
“The 1961 250GT California SWB. Less than a hundred were made. I have spent over ten years researching and collecting information and rare items for this car. It is my love, it is my passion”.
Carrozziere