At Motor City Garage, we’re suckers for working model engines. And so are you, judging from the huge response. Here’s a quarter-scale Offenhauser that looks, runs, and sounds beautiful—maybe enough to choke you up a little.
Master model maker Ron Colonna built this little miracle. A quarter-scale replica of the classic 270 Offy, it’s approximately 11 inches long and seven inches high, and with a 1.032-in. bore and a 1.094-in. stroke, it displaces 60cc, or a whopping 3.66 cubic inches. Compression ratio is 9.5:1 and the ignition system is solid-state Hall Effect. The project took two years to complete, while the engine has been running for around 10 years now.
Other working miniatures built by Colonna include Gnome and Bentley rotary radial engines and a Harley Panhead. An authority on the construction of operating scale-model engines (now there’s a short list) Colonna has a website, ronsmodelengines.com, and a YouTube channel, where you can learn more about his work.
Colonna has also authored a book on how to build you own scale Offy, Building The 1/4 Scale 270 Offy: A Workshop Manual, which is available here for USD $40.95 Oh, sure. As if. This is a little like Picasso writing a book called Paint Like Me. One suspects there’s a little more to it than fits between covers.
Without further ado, here’s Colonna’s pocket Offy making real Offy noises.
Like MCG, I’m in awe of these scratch-built, jewel-like creations that are operational. We had a fully functional 1/6 scale Deusenberg at this year’s Glenmoor Gathering whoch was truly mindblowing.
I’m sorry I missed the 1:6 Duesenberg. I was really looking forward to seeing it.
FABULOSO
Incredible! I’m sharing it with everyone I can think of!
not to pick gnats now,… but isn’t a ”1/4 scale of 270 cubic inches” , 67.5 c.i ?
Cool lil’ engine though !
1/4 scale in exterior dimensions, not in displacement. Obviously, the two don’t scale together.