1/8 Porsche 908/03

Hello everyone - a late Happy Christmas to you all!

As you can imagine, there's been a lot going on during the last few days and I've not spent too much time working on the 908, but I have been able to make some progress.

First off, I made a second windscreen with a thinner black band around the bottom - I think it looks better than the original, but will make the final decision later:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803648.jpg

Then, on Friday I finally gave all the bodywork two coats of the acrylic gloss varnish - the paintwork was as good as it was going to get (on this project), as far as I was concerned! I'm really pleased with the result - the gloss isn't overpowering, and it has done a good job of brightening everything up...as you'll see.

Next, I spent some time on Christmas Eve printing out most of the decals I would need. I wanted to give them plenty of time to dry-off before coating them with the decal film:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803649.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803650.jpg

I made sure to print several spares as there was no way I was going to be able to apply them without something going wrong! The '12's are a shade of blue, not black.

Last night I gave all the decals a couple of coats of the Decal Film fluid, and set to work this afternoon. I used still bottled water to soak the decals, rather than from the tap, to hopefully avoid whitening as the decals dried. So...here are the first results:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803652.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803651.jpg

I've still got to add the two 12's to the sides of the tail panel, plus the Union Flags, Gulf logos, etc, but so far, so good. Some of these will have to be cut and split over two or three panels, so this could be fun! The Porsche text on the sills has worked out really well as a mix of paint and decal, I think. I still need to make the decals for the fire extinguisher and master switch cut-off, but everything else is ready to be applied during the next day or two.

More to follow at the weekend...

SB

Stunning work and attention to detail Scratchbuilt - I have only commented once before, but this is really impressive work. - John

Looking good! You must be jazzed to be on the final stretch with this!

ianc

I can imagine how exciting its got to be having it come together like this now! Keep it up

So glad the decals have worked out for you.

It looks stunning!!!!!!!!

It's a strange kind of excitement for me to be this close to the finish-line - any pleasure from seeing another job completed is mixed with fear that something is still going to go wrong!

Anyway, a few last things...firstly, here's the rear-view mirror complete with mirrored-plastic fitted:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803653.jpg

It's varnished and ready to be pinned and glued to the nose bodywork. Next, I wanted to sort out the straps to hold the inlet covers in place on the engine. I still wanted the covers to be removable, so the straps had to either be permanently attached somehow, or be functional. Hmm...I dug out the 3mm black ribbon and some 0.66mm wire, and ended up with these:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803654.jpg

With everything in place:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803655.jpg

The ribbon isn't elastic, so I've left them long to allow me to connect the two ends around the covers. I experimented with attaching a short length of elastic cord to the ribbon to provide some give, but I wasn't happy with the result. It's something I can come back to at a later date, if necessary. They're a relatively small detail, but they're always going to be quite noticeable when the model is on display, so I wanted to get them looking 'right'. It took about an hour and a half to bend the wire fittings, and a good couple of hours to stitch the ribbons...

Finally, the decal application sessions have continued during the last few days, without disaster. A few of the spares came in useful (!) but it was fairly straight-forward - I didn't have any problems with the decals tearing or curling and sticking to themsleves, which - to be honest - is what I was afraid of. Okay, I wasn't applying any of them over complicated surface changes - the three-part Union Flag on the doors was probably the trickiest job. I finished the decals by finding a battery cut-off and fire extinguisher switch logo online, printing them on the white paper, and adding them to the model...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803656.jpg

With this, it was now ready for the final coats of varnish - the first coat went on about 10.00am this morning, and the second went on about an hour ago...so far, so good! Although I had done some checks a couple of weeks ago to make sure the varnish wouldn't react with the decal film, I was still a little nervous - pickled decals now would not make for a Happy New Year! It's looking promising, though, so I'm going to leave all the panels overnight and start the final assembly tomorrow - the sills and bulkhead panels have to be permanently fixed, the grille added to the oil cooler inlet, mirror and screen fixed in place on the nose, and the rear bodywork latches added...and that's about it. Next time you see the 908, it should be complete.

This should be my last post here for 2011 - thank you all for your help, encouragement and advice during the year, and I hope everyone has a safe and successful 2012.

All the very best,

SB

Looks great SB thanks for sharing your work with us. I look forward to seeing the finished pictures and to see whats next on your agenda:):)

Nuuuu

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803653.jpg

Does not have a real piece of glass from a mirror ?

Hello everyone - Happy New Year.

Well, it's taken a little over three years but the 908-03 is effectively finished! The last two days have been all about getting the panels fixed in place, and adding the final few details. Here's the bodywork after the varnish had dried:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803661.jpg

I made sure the lower sill panels were aligned correctly with the tail section, then glued them in place using UHU all-purpose glue. I'd added three small locating clips inside each panel which would locate into the angle-section running the full length of the cockpit, but I didn't want to use CA as it would go off too quickly - I needed to be able to adjust the positioning whilst the glue dried! Similarly, normal liquid-poly plastic glue would probably evaporate before I got the panel where I wanted it. So, the UHU gave me the time I needed. After an hour or so I flipped the car on it's back and ran some CA between the sills and the floor of the chassis:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803659.jpg

With the sills in place I added the two small bulkhead panels between the doors and the tail, and attached the wiring for the battery master switch. Returning to the nose, I glued the mirror, grille and windscreen in place, and pinned the fire-extinguisher switch to the bracket. I left this as a removable piece to make it easier to fit the bodywork.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803658.jpg

Here's one of the door-latches finally put in its place:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803657.jpg

...and that's just about it! I need to spend some time taking better photos in good light before I start a 'Completed Project' thread - probably this weekend - but until then, how about this one:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803660.jpg

Derek - I hope this has done justice to the photos you provided! I'll do a full summary at the start of the 'Completed' thread, just to put some of the more useful info in one place, plus there's various people to thank.

I honestly didn't know how this was going to work out when I started posting here in early 2009 - I certainly didn't think it would end up running so long! I've still got some more planning work to carry out before 'officially' starting the next project, but expect to see another WIP thread from me later this month...if it all goes to plan, it might be finished by - end of 2014?! You're welcome to follow along, of course!

Have a good week,

SB

Congratulations Sir,

A great way to start the new year. I've followed very closely without posting very much but still wonderful to watch. Could I ask for a photo of it in your hands or something to give us an idea of the scale.

Thanks in advance
Don

Nice to see finished...
Awesome work its only a word... For this, may be want a new vocabulary, to describe it...
I hope you take the satisfaction of finish it, after the 3 years build progress, as you wait and want... Thanks for sharing....

simply breathtaking i have loved this thread it has been an inspiration
cant wait for your next

Congrats! I look forward to the "completed" thread. I have mixed emotions. I am happy to see the end result. However, I have so enjoyed watching this build that even the next WIP won't be the same. LOL

Rob

Well done ScratchBuilt. Been following this thread sine you started and some of the techniques you've used have come in handy with my own work. Simply superb "Museum-quality" work. Look forward to your next project.

Regards heyes57 from Australia

Absolutely inspiring SB - well done - John

Congrats my friend...Finally, you did it!..One of the most impressive and accurate builds ever seen!

Awesome!!! Great build to watch... I'm still amazed at what you are able to build with a pile of plastic and a paint brush:evillol: Now what are you going to do in your spare time:biggrin:

Thanks for teaching and for enjoying me!! I have seen too much things for applying in mu model sin the future. Fully amazing!!

Hello,

This is my first post. I've been following your project for about a year, in total admiration of the work, dedication, patience, and amazing skills you've displayed. It is simply amazing.

I noticed a small but important detail I wanted to share with you, and I hope you do not mind me mentioning it:

The Porsche crest design you used dates from the late Seventies early Eighties, and is different from the early crests which used different color combination.

Here is a period sticker with the correct colors:

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6981/ebaydec7116.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/ebaydec7116.jpg/)


Best,

Absolutely amazing! I enjoyed every single post and photo. :D

Congratulations on finishing a simply phenomenal piece of work. A joy not only to behold, but also to have watched the creation of.

Like others, looking forward to your next project!

ianc

Congratulation . Well done .

you know the only thing i am not happy with about this build is the fact that is done now and i have nothing to look forward to on a monday evening ;) until you start your next project, of course.

outstanding job and as several people already mentioned, to know it's basically made out of 20p off the shelf materials everyone could (theoretically) use to do the same makes it even more incredible. i would have preferred the use of metal for metal parts, etc. but that's an entirely different ballgame and the reason why i don't get any models done myself :D. but your paintjob makes the plastic tubes and bits look so metal-like i would be tempted to think that even real aluminium might not look that good (without touchup).:worshippy

Unbelievable!!!! Start her up. Great work

Came home from work tonight, had tea - "right, now to get upstairs and do some more on the model...umm...er..."! Force of habit, I suppose. I'll be back to normal when the new project gets underway - my folks want a (small) break from the sounds of sawing and fettling drifting down from my room! For the 935-78 I need to do a lot of prep-work before I start actually building anything - it's quite a departure from the 917 / 908's I've been living with for the last seven or so years. Without 'official' drawings I need to work out for myself where everything goes, and how it can be constructed - fortunately the Freisinger website has plenty of photos as a starting point. I'll probably resist the temptation until the weekend, then get the drawing-board out!

The following photo is for Don (Pugnuts) and should give a good idea of the size - The Incredible Shrinking 908:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803662.jpg

From left to right:

Scratchbuilt 1/8, approx 453mm long x 250mm wide
AutoArt 1/18, approx 202mm x 107mm
Best 1/43, approx 81mm x 45mm
Spark 1/80-ish, approx 40mm x 22mm

Modlman17: I'll do my best with the next WIP - I still intend to keep posting weekly updates, once it's underway. The 935 will certainly be a fresh challenge - especially putting together the 'regular' 911 bodyshell with the tube-frame. The engine, gearbox and suspension is less of a worry...although I'm not looking forward to the Martini stripes...

Milou: good spot with the badge! It's not a disaster though - the car in 1970 wouldn't have had the fire-extinguisher fitted, either, and wouldn't have been on slick tyres! Call it 'Artistic Licence'...! There's so much on this car that wouldn't have been there if I hadn't been posting on the forum - it's thanks to the support and encouragement from you guys that I've stuck with it and tried some new things.

Sky1911: your comment about using off-the-shelf materials has summed it up nicely for me, thank you. When I started looking around on this forum there were lots of products continually mentioned that were completely new to me - I wouldn't say it was intimidating, but there's always that feeling of 'maybe I should be using these products too because that's what everyone else does' and 'if I don't use these products, will I ever get the same results?'. You don't have to use the same stuff as everyone else! Hopefully the 935 will still end up looking as it should, but also looking like a model made by me.

More at the weekend,

SB

It's been a real pleasure to follow your WIP. Congratulations on this fantastic scratchbuilt project!

Even though I saw you building it step by step, I still cannot get my head around the fact that you made every single piece, and to such precision and high standard. WOW!

Fantastic job SB!

The finished model is a major scratch building achievement and I can't believe your hand brushing skills have made it look so lifelike. I must admit, I was mortified when you suggested you were going to use a paintbrush on most of the forthcoming parts!

Now that it's finished, I have no excuse to sit down almost nightly and go through the thread - I'm going to have to go a building something instead! :-s

Cheers and best of luck for the next project...not that you'll need it!

Johnny

Excellent work !!!

What are you going to build next ???

must be one of the most amazing creations that i have ever seen. thanks for sharing it on line.

Just amazing...I don't think I can elaborate on what's been said already, but this is just superb! I'm not sure if I should be inspired or just hang up modelling for good, lol Great work!!

Huge work !!! Not only because of the 1/8 scale :wink:

I'm a great fan for a long time
Congratulations

I'll add my congratulations and admiration to the others. This is a build that will be remembered for a l-o-n-g time.

Hello everyone,

Well, the weather stayed kind to me this morning and I was able to take the 908 outside for a photo session - as promised, I've posted a new thread in the 'Completed Projects' sub-forum:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1074343

I thought it would be a good idea to bring many of my references together in one place - I know I've mentioned this product or that product throughout the build, but here's a summary of what I've used:

styrene tube, etc - Evergreen Scale Models
styrene hex-section - Plastruct
fibreglass cloth - Deluxe Materials laminating fabric
fibreglass resin - Aeropoxy, from Deluxe Materials
Acrylic rod - Clear Plastic Supplies
suspension ball-joints - Radio Active

3M blue Fineline masking tape from Everything Airbrush
spray primer - Humbrol acrylic (grey) and Vallejo acrylic (white)
topcoats (supplied by Express Radiators):
BS 18E50 Ribbon Blue
RAL 2009 Traffic Orange
RAL 6029 Mint Green
varnish - Vallejo acrylic gloss
paints and 'Greenstuff' putty by Citadel / Games Workshop
Tamiya acrylic clear paints, also TS31 and TS26 sprays
body filler - Revell 'Plasto'

small-bore clear hose - Tuner Model Manufactory and Model Factory Hiro
large-bore clear hose - Algarde Aquatic Products
decal paper - Experts Choice white / clear for inkjet printer, from Hobby's
decals printed on Canon Pixmar MG5250 inkjet printer
decal film fluid - Microscale Industries Inc, from Hobby's
seatbelts - double satin ribbon, from John Lewis...

Special thanks: Derek Collins, Johnny Sullivan, Rijk van den Berg - cheers, guys! Also, to my parents for putting up with me...

...no animals were harmed in the making of this thread...

Primary references:

'The Racing Porsches' by Paul Frere
'Excellence Was Expected' by Karl Ludvigsen
'Porsche 908' - by Fodisch, Nesshover, Rossbach, Schwarz
'Porsche au Mans 1972 - 1981' by Francois Hurel
'White Racers From Zuffenhausen' from Ludvigsen Library
'Motorsport' magazine - October 2003

Thank you all for your comments and feedback throughout the build, and for your compliments now it's finished: much appreciated. The next project will certainly be a challenge - I'm taking on the 935-78 'Moby Dick', again in 1/8 scale, again fully scratch-built...

Have a good week,

SB

You have been a very good teacher for me with this project. Completly amazing!!
Congratulations!!
I will follow your next project, of course!!

Stunning absolutely stunning !!! I've followed this thread from day 1 and I still find it amazing how you manage to build so accurately.

You must feel larger than life after completing such a fantastic project.

Can you book me a seat in the front row for your next build ?

Sincerely

Pascal

SB, please forgive me for resurrecting your thread, but I am currently in the process of rebuilding a digital version of the 908/3 doing textures (since I'm no modeller). And I'm stuck with the buttons / labels on the dashboard. Do you have a wiring diagram of the dashboard or can you at least let me know what the switches and warning lights are for? From the reference images I have I could only get the following:

From left to right I have:
switch "???",
switch "???",
switch "???",
switch labeled "(something)..Pumpe",
switch labeled "Ein/Aus",
starter button "Starter",
warning light "???" (yellow),
warning light "Benzin" (amber),
temperature gauge,
rev counter,
oilpressure "Öl-Druck",
warning light "ALT" (green),
warning light "Öl" (red)

Thank you

From the reference photos I used for the Targa-winning car, I had the dashboard as follows (driver's left to right)

3 black switches (2 must be ignition switches, not sure about the third)
1 red switch - fuel pumps
starter push-button
yellow lamp - low fuel warning
red lamp - oil temperature warning
oil temperature gauge
rev-counter
oil pressure gauge
green lamp - oil pressure warning
red lamp - alternator warning

I'm sure that other 908-3's have slightly different combinations of lamps and switches - I've seen the green and red warning lights swapped over on other cars, for example. For a lot of the wiring I used the diagram shown in the 'Porsche 917 The Undercover Story' book to try to make sense of what was going on! Having the text in both German and English was useful, too.

I'm struggling to remember what the extra black switch was for - given that the 908-3 didn't have headlights, illuminated numbers, or much else in the way of electrics. It'll probably be something obvious - I'll dig through my notes and have a closer look at the photos, and see what I can find...

Hope this helps,

SB

Thanks for the feedback SB, much appreciated!
I've done something similar for a 917/10 a year or so ago. There were 6 switches in 2 rows of three (left to right, top, bottom):
fuel pumps 1, 2+3 ("Pumpe 1, 2+3"),
ignition circuits H1, H2,
ignition circuits V1, V2 ("Zündkreis H1, H2 and V1, V2")

From your description I can take the labels for the warning lights. As you said, the car I used for reference has a slighty different arrangement - I was missing the obvious oil temperature warning. From what it looks like "my" car has the warning lights flipped inside out, but otherwise the arrangement is similar to yours.

That aside, as you indicate, I have seen several different switch and warning light combinations for 908/3s. Sadly I have yet to see one in the flesh. I've seen a number of 917s but no 908/3. And I was lucky to see the 16cyl 917 prototype engine in Wolfsburg's "Autostadt" exhibition last weekend - what a monster. It looks like 2 8cyl bolted together though - I would have expected to look like one giant block as on the Auto Union Type C engine (also on display there).

I was watching some Porsche 936 videos on Youtube, and it made me think of this kit and if you had ever finished it; and you have! I know I signed in to bump a 2 year old thread, but this sort of work deserves that. A very belated bravo!

Absolutely inspired by this story

Although this thread is a from a while ago was hoping somebody in here would be able to help. I am thinking about a similar project for a porsche 906 (https://www.classiccars.forsale/Porsche/906/621)

Really love this car as it was street legal as well as a great track car. With only 50 made - way above my budget to own one.

Any advice where I could get fairly accurate drawings to get started to build the chassis?

Hello!

Glad you liked the 908-03. Try this for a 906 chassis layout:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/02/e0/c9/02e0c9187bca7477458efad137546aa1.jpg

...and for reference photos, start here:

https://www.freisinger-motorsport.de/porsche/uk/Porsche_Restoration_Detail/9983.html

Good luck!

SB

Awesome! thank you so much

Hello!

Glad you liked the 908-03. Try this for a 906 chassis layout:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/02/e0/c9/02e0c9187bca7477458efad137546aa1.jpg

...and for reference photos, start here:

https://www.freisinger-motorsport.de/porsche/uk/Porsche_Restoration_Detail/9983.html

Good luck!

SB