For model car enthusiasts, the allure of detail is paramount. When it comes to the Italeri Alfa Romeo 8c kit, many builders quickly realize the wheels, while decent, lack the finesse of the real deal. Specifically, modifying the kit’s wheels to achieve a more realistic spoked appearance is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. Initially, finding resources on how to modify these specific Italeri Alfa Romeo wheels proved difficult, mainly because it is indeed a complex task. While aftermarket options exist, they often deviate from the authentic Alfa Romeo 8C wheel design and, more importantly, eliminate the satisfaction of a true DIY modification. This guide details the journey of modifying these wheels, highlighting the techniques and solutions developed to overcome the inherent difficulties.
The first step was acknowledging the complexity and moving past initial setbacks. An early attempt involved creating a paper template and directly drilling holes into the wheel hub. This method, unfortunately, didn’t yield satisfactory results. Similarly, trying to drill the rims using the existing molded nipples as guides also proved unsuccessful. The solution lay in creating specialized tools: custom drilling jigs. Two jigs were fabricated – one for the outer and inner rims, and another for the center rim. These jigs were designed to facilitate drilling from the outside of the rim, incorporating small tubing as drill guide bushings. These bushings, glued at precise angles and heights, ensured accurate and consistent hole placement, making the drilling process significantly more manageable.
Outter and inner rim drilling jig for Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel modification.
Outter and inner rim drilling jig
Center rim drilling jig designed for Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel modification.
Outter and inner rim drilling jig
Close-up of the drilled-out center rim of an Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel after modification.
Moving onto the hub, the initial paper template approach also fell short. To address this, aluminum strips were employed. The circumference of both the large and small hub diameters were measured, and aluminum strips of corresponding lengths were cut. Using a paper template as a guide, holes were drilled into these flat aluminum strips. The strips were then rolled to match the hub’s curvature and glued into place. These aluminum strips served as robust guides for redrilling the hub itself, providing the necessary precision for consistent hole alignment.
Hub of an Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel with tooling mandrel used for modification.
Hub with tooling mandrel
Drilled-out flat aluminum strip used as a guide for modifying Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel hubs.
Aluminum strips being glued to the hub of an Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel as a drilling guide.
Gluing strips to hub
With the drilling process now executed from the outside of the rim, the original molded nipples became redundant and had to be replaced. Aluminum micro tubing, cut to the correct length, was chosen as the replacement. While a somewhat tedious task, using a sharp hobby knife made the process manageable.
Close-up of aluminum micro tubing nipples replacing molded parts on an Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel.
Aluminum micro tubing nipples
The final stage, lacing the spokes, while time-consuming, was relatively straightforward. Inserting the nipples into the modified hub was facilitated by putty, which helped hold them in position.
Nipple insertion with putty on the hub of an Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel during spoke lacing.
Nipple insertion with putty
Inner rim lacing completed on a modified Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel.
Interestingly, the Italeri kit’s box art depicts metal-spoked wheels, contrasting with the plastic ones included in the kit, further highlighting the desire for more realistic wheel representation.
Box art of the Italeri Alfa Romeo 8C model kit showcasing metal-spoked wheels.
Italeri Alfa Romeo 8C box art
The result, while not perfect on this first attempt, demonstrates the potential of this modification. This was the first of six wheels to be modified, and lessons were learned throughout the process. Future wheels promise to be even more refined, with planned improvements to the drilling jigs. The intention is to paint only the rims and hubs, leaving the spokes and nipples in bare metal for a more authentic look. Even the valve stem was relocated for accessibility. The comparison between the modified wheel and the original kit wheel clearly illustrates the enhanced realism achieved through this detailed modification process for Alfa Romeo 8C model cars.
Comparison of a respoked Alfa Romeo 8C model car wheel (left) and the original kit wheel (right).
