1/8 Porsche 908/03

Very cool work yet again!!

I really envy you for these ball joint connections on the uprights. I have yet to figure out a way to do these in 1:20 :-)

I have been watching this build for a while now and im floored just like everyone else. I didnt respond just because everything that can be said about how incredible your work is, I love watching and now i need to subscribe so I can see when you post an update

fantastic work

Hello again!

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy - a double-header race meeting at Croft last weekend, engine problems with my Seven, a few bent cars in the workshop...and some modelling in between.

Last week was largely spent continuing the front brake discs - they're all now cut, drilled and assembled. The outer bells still need to be done, but the hard part is out of the way. I'll post more photos of the finished parts later.

This week I've been busy with the front and rear suspension - I wanted to make sure that I could get all the corners in the right place, pointing in the right direction. After a lot of work, here's the end result:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803197.jpg

The front in more detail:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803199.jpg

I've modified the front pick-ups for the lower wishbones - I just wasn't happy that the originals were going to work properly. The balljoints are from RC aircraft territory (from Radio Active in the UK) and are the smallest I have found. They're a little too big for the scale, but the important thing is that they're strong and adaptable - and they allow the suspension to articulate properly. Jaykay640 - if I ever find any smaller ones, I'll let you know!

The lower wishbones aren't glued yet, and need a small connecting tube between the two legs. I've also got to add the damper mountings to the rear leg, but they can wait a while. The hex nuts you'll see on some of the links are not strictly accurate, but I used them for two reasons: they camouflage the transition from the 1/8" styrene tube to the (slightly larger) balljoint ends, and they just add a little visual interest.

At the rear:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803198.jpg

The reinforcing gussets on the lower wishbones are not strictly original, but I'm thinking of strength and durability here, rather than total accuracy. None of the links are glued in place yet - until I've got the wheels on and done a final set-up check, they don't need to be. The main thing is that the lengths are just-about-right.

So - hope you like it! It's getting to the stage now where the brake calipers are the last major parts to be made - everything else is small stuff by comparison. There's still a way to go, though - wiring, plumbing, painting, bodywork, seatbelts, final assembly...I'll be busy with this one through to the end of the year, at least.

Have a good week!

SB

I can only keep on repeating myself and many other builders/readers :
AWESOME work your showing us here.
Every time I've had another look at your work I'm seriously thinking about taking up another hobby like knitting or something like that :grinyes:.
Truelly phantastic. I just have no other words to describe this.

Greetings,

Mark

Looking good SB!

Found a nice article on the 908/3 in a book called Porsche Sports Racers 1952-1968. It's one of those portfolio books that has articles from period magazines (pp176-183).

The actual article was from Motor Sport Oct 2003.

Let me know if you want it scanned! :)

John

Thanks for the offer, Cinqster, but I have that original issue of Motorsport right here already! I think in September / October 2003 I was still working on the last Van Diemen model, so I probably bought the magazine for the article on the Historic FFords, rather than for the 908-03 piece. It's a good read, though, and has certainly been a useful reference - it's also probably one of the reasons why I'm now making one! The same article is also reprinted in the Unique Motorbooks 'Porsche 904-906-907-908-910 Enthusiast's Guide', if anyone's interested...

SB

Another update for you...

During the last few weeks I've been playing around with the rear suspension, and it seemed to be a good idea to improve the strength of the inner mounting for the lower wishbones. When it's finally glued in place it will have three reinforcing pins going through into the chassis tube, but I've also added a small stay to the underside of the gearbox:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803201.jpg

The engine and gearbox assembly will be solidly located, and this stay will stop the wishbone mounting flexing upwards. The length can be filed to suit once the mounting is fitted; you won't see it once everything is in place. It's not a big deal, but it gives me an excuse to show another gearbox photo!

The main effort this week has been on the dampers - the basic design is carried over from the ones I made for the 917-10, with the body length altered to suit. Here are the fronts in kit-form:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803200.jpg

The main body is 7/32" tube, with a 5/32" inner sleeve and a brass guide for the damper rod; the mounting eyes are all pinned through for strength. After assembly:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803203.jpg

I still need to make the spring platforms, and I'll probably add a little greenstuff to tidy everything up. I'm also considering adding a thread detail to the main damper body - I'll try wrapping a length of fine wire around the tube so that it will give a texture once painted.

So, here's how they look on the car:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803202.jpg

...and at the rear:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803204.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803205.jpg

So, that's the hard part of the dampers out of the way - it's just the final detailing now. They won't have to support the weight of the model, so the springs will just be a length of suitable wire wrapped around a tube. I'm hoping the thread detail will look good, too.

What else to report? Well, I'm looking forward to getting a copy of the Hans Mezger 'Porsche & Me' book - should be out sometime in the next few weeks. Le Mans is only just over a month away, too, so that's got to be good! There's also the Nurburgring 24H to listen to online later this month...Spa LMS...club racing at Cadwell Park...and more modelling somewhere in between!

Have a good week.

SB

It's been a productive few days...

Continuing with the dampers, it was obvious that I couldn't make the spring platform rings as just plain bits of tube - something a little more realistic was required! So, stage one: take a piece of 7.2mm tube as the inner core. Stage two: split a short length of 8mm tube into strips about 3.5 mm wide. Stage three: glue the six strips evenly around the end of the inner tube; the end result is something like this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803206.jpg

Stage four: cut thin slices approx 1mm thick and clean up the edges to create the finished lockrings:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803207.jpg

I also added the thread detail I mentioned in the last post - a length of fine copper wire, approx 0.3mm thick, wound round the top of each damper and glued in place. The final job was to add a little greenstuff to fill in the gaps and build up the lower spring platforms. So, the dampers now look like this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803208.jpg

Another time-consuming task this weekend has been trimming and cleaning-up the fibreglass panels which fit around the front suspension. I've avoided them for a while, but I think they'll be okay - scraping the masking tape residue from the back of the panels seems to be a never-ending process! It was fun getting the cut-outs for the damper mountings in the right place, too. Here's how they look:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803209.jpg

You can see where I've added the extra diagonal tube to the lower wishbones, and some more greenstuff around the damper mount bracket - this will need to be cleaned up.

At the back of the car I've started gluing together some of the supension components, as I'm happy that the geometry will work out okay. All the damper brackets have been lightly fettled, as the greenstuff reduced the clearance - everything now fits in place.

So, I can't avoid it any more - I have to sort out the hub flanges so I can fit the brake discs! Maybe this will be the next job, unless I can find something else to divert my attention...

Thanks for watching!

SB

Superb, simply superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:1::iagree:
Absolutely gorgeous work SB.....
I keep getting drawn back here, away from my bench....but that is NOT a complaint......:grinno:

so impressive

Incredible work as usual :smokin:

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome!!!

Hello again!

I promise you I have been working on the 908 during the last few weeks - it's just taken a while to get something suitable for posting!

Most of last Saturday, for example, was spent making the two small nose support frames - a simple enough job in theory, but one which was a real pain to get right:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803210.jpg

Another evening was wasted in an attempt to start on the brake calipers - I just couldn't get on with them. So, they can wait for another time...

What I have been able to get on with recently has been a few more fibreglass parts, and this has been the main effort of the last week or so. I wanted to make a moulded pedal-box floor panel, the engine bay fan ducting, and a couple of inlets for the front brake cooling; here's the rough parts fresh off the moulds:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803211.jpg

The moulds for the two larger panels were simple enough - just layers of thin cardboard and masking tape. The two small inlet ducts, however, had to be shaped from plastic and greenstuff to get a smooth curving surface. After several layers of fine cloth and plenty of resin, here's the result:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803212.jpg

...and with some trimming:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803216.jpg

Overall size is about 22mm x 16mm x 6mm - they're the smallest parts I've made using this method. Eventually they'll be glued into the nose section and connected to flexible hoses leading to the front discs.

The pedal-box floor was relatively easy to trim to shape; the cover for the clutch cable run was glued in place afterwards. I've added a couple of layers of fibreglass over the whole lot to give it all the same texture when it's painted - you'll hopefully see the finished part in a day or two.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803215.jpg

Finally, the engine bay fan ducting was a fun thing to do. Not all the 908-03's have it, but it appears to be common on the factory cars in period. In the photos here it still needs more work getting it trimmed to shape, but you get the idea:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803213.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803214.jpg

Right now I have a couple more parts being fibreglassed - there's a curved panel for the pedal-box area and a protective shroud for the throttle cable, plus the last layer on the pedal-box floor mentioned earlier. I'll get another couple of layers on these tonight, then hopefully post more photos tomorrow.

Cheers!

SB

Stunning work SB, just brilliant !! It's a shame you have to paint the fibreglass as it looks fantastic in its raw state!

Keef

You should be very proud of what you have accomplished. I am building a 917 and this material has helped me a great deal. And also inspired me to take my time.

Hi guys,

This week has mainly been about following on where I left off last time...so, to start with, here's the curved panel which fits inside the footwell and covers the throttle cable where it runs inside the cockpit:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803217.jpg

My original plan was to simply cut the shape from 0.5mm plasticard and gently curve it into shape, but with all the other panels in fibreglass I decided that it would look out of place! Plus, I knew it would bug me...so, a simple cardboard pattern, a few layers of cloth and resin - job done!

The next bit was really tricky - there isn't room for the throttle cable to run all the way inside the cockpit, so it has to pass outside and thread its way through the front suspension. There's a small fibreglass shroud to protect it, but it has to be shaped to suit the curves of the outer footwell panel. So, I played around with some cardboard, replicated the curve of the panel, and sculpted the pattern for the shroud; here's the result:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803218.jpg

The panels around the front of the engine have received a little more attention - a bit of trimming and fettling to get everything looking right. Since taking this photo I've added a small lip around the top edge of the front panel, and added a couple of pieces to close-off the gap between the engine bay and the cockpit.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803219.jpg

Now I'm back in the groove with the whole fibreglassing thing, I decided to start making the two gearbox cooling ducts. These drop down from the top of the chassis and fit either side of the gear cluster section of the 'box. For a long time I was just going to leave them off, but I'm now sure that they can be made. So, here's the two pattern ducts I'm going to mould from:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803220.jpg

I used a piece of 6mm fire extinguisher pipe as the core, to hold the correct shape. Next, a length of 11mm RC aircraft fuel hose to bulk it out, followed by small sections of 1/2" plastic tube. The end pieces were built up from plasticard, box-section and small lengths of angle . Finally, a lot of greenstuff was added to smooth it all out and fill in the gaps.

Originally I was going to make each duct in two halves, to allow removal from the mould. However, I reckon it will be possible to mould each duct as one piece, then carefully cut it from the patterm. The two halves can then be glued together, with small pieces of 1/2" tube glued inside as reinforcing ribs. The gap can then be covered with a thin strip of styrene...well, that's the plan anyway! I'll find out tomorrow night when I try to put it into practice.

What else have I been up to? I've started bending the solid brakelines which thread their way through the cockpit, plus I've made the clutch pedal cable clevis. A small tube has been added to support the battery tray, too. Whilst I've been making the small ducts and panels I've also been laying up another sheet of flat fibreglass - I think I'm going to end up re-making some of the inner cockpit panels. You'll see photos of all this in a later post.

Finally, I'm glad you're liking what I'm doing, JJS - I know how useful it's been for me to see what everyone else has been up to around here. Will we see something of your 917 sometime? Best of luck, all the same! I know I get frustrated when I feel that I'm not making much progress - expecially when other modellers seem able to put together a fantastic-looking kit in a few weeks (or even days), but as my folks keep telling me: "don't worry about it - you're not on a deadline, it's finished when it's finished!"

Hi Keef - it would make life easier if I could get away with not painting the fibreglass, but there's all sorts of pencil marks, etc, which need to be covered up! I'm going to have to experiment with some washes and thin coats to see if I can clean it all up whilst keeping the right 'feel'. We'll see.

Right, that's it for now. Next week it's Le Mans, so no modelling for a few days. I'm looking forward to getting close to some of the classic Group C cars in the paddock on Friday - another chance for reference photos for a future project! Anyone else here going? To anyone who is - have a good time, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Cheers!

SB

:smokin::smokin::smokin:Wow unbelievable talent. I have never seen anything like this. :)

Success!

Couldn't resist posting this one before I leave for Le Mans - the gearbox cooling ducts came out just right:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803221.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803222.jpg

...and with a quick trim to fit on the gearbox, they look something like this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803223.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803224.jpg

I haven't had time to fit the right-hand duct, but you get the picture. I was able to get them off the patterns without having to cut right through, which was an unexpected bonus - it might not be necessary to fit reinforcement inside when I glue them together. A little smoothing and fettling, and they'll be finished.

All the best,

SB

Just fantastic! You make it look so simple, but I know it must be rather difficult to shape those masters so that the moulded bits fit so well!

Enjoy yourself at Le Mans. Wish I was going....!!

Keef

Really great job SB. Hope you're leaving all those pencil marks and stuff on the fibreglass edges - gives a really nice weathered look.

You're off to Le Mans early - must be after making the biggest beer wall! :naughty:
Not going this year and will miss not being there, however, I'll be at the Le Mans Classic in a few weeks instead!:) Enjoy!

i shouldnt be surprised when i look at your updates im in shock

That's Le Mans over for another year, then...

Had a great time - weather was much better than expected, campsite was surprisingly quiet compared to other years, and the race itself will probably come to be regarded as something of a classic. After an utterly dominant qualifying performance by the Peugeots, the chances of Audi getting even a single car on the podium were slim - so a 1-2-3 for the R15's is probably one of the most unexpected results for some time! Serves Peugeot right for pinching the '908' model number from Porsche...

Only disappointment was not being able to get into the paddock for the Classic Group C support race - the guy on the gate didn't want to know. Mind you, I managed to get a guided tour of the number 6 Oreca garage (thanks Andy M!), so I can't complain. Every time I see those 956 / 962's on track like that, though...they make a good case for being the next project!

Sorry Cinqster - the pencil marks will have to go! Both ducts need a bit of trimming - I was so excited about how they came out last week, that I gave them a rough first trim to see how they looked on the car. Fortunately, they just fit through the gap in the chassis tubes above the gearbox, which will make life much easier when it comes to final assembly. I'll also have to add some little brackets and angles to the gearbox to fix the ducts in place - a job for later this week.

Cheers!

SB

Just returned from LeMans too....my first!
I did get into the GroupC paddock on Friday :-) Got a bunch of pictures of the XJR-11 and 16...finally. Hope the XJR-14 will be in Goodwood. That's the last one "missing" from my collection :-)
I was a bit sad for the 962s being somwhat slow in the race on Saturday ( apart from the yellow one that dropped out ) but absolutely loved the engine sound of the Mercedes C-11. That has gone up on my build list quite a bit :-)
I'm happy the Audis won but at the same time somewhat sad for Peugeot....that was cruel! The engine sounds of the GT1 and GT2 cars still make me smile! Looking forward to next year....and prototypes with roofs!!! They are just nicer than open ones :-)

I'm not just back from Le Mans - Boo!! :frown:

But I did get to watch 20 hours of it live - thanks Eurosport, great coverage!! :iceslolan

Then had a kip & watched the Canadian GP - which was also a tremendous race!! Excellent weekend of motorsport couch potatoism!! :iceslolan

As to the Group C cars, the best access I've personally ever had to them was at the Siverstone Classic. Free access to wonder around the garages - fantastic! The Eurosport commentator on Saturday's Grp C race said they were at the Silverstone event again next month. But I won't be able to go to that either. Boo again!!!! :frown:

So, SB get back to the bench & bring us some more updates on your 'proper' 908!!! :tongue:

Keef

Excellent weekend of motorsport couch potatoism!! :iceslolan

Keef

Wasn't it?! I heard mention of some f**tball thing going on too :) but fortunately managed not to find any!:iceslolan.

Eurosport 24 hour LM coverage was second to none - I can honestly say I saw more of this race than at any time when I've been there (think I managed about 14 hours)...just missed the beer and good mates!

Glad you all had a good time and amazed it didn't rain (for once)!

It did rain....just not during the race itself :-) Some campground parts turned into nice swamps...

It did rain....just not during the race itself :-) Some campground parts turned into nice swamps...

LOL! We had that in Beausejour two years back...it was hell! People ended up using their tents laid in the mud just to drive over to get out. I reckon 50% of campers left their tents behind, many of them brand new. The local gipsies couldn't believe their luck on Monday morning!:iceslolan

Wow mate! I never saw something like this in my all life! This project is soo cool:runaround:. Thank you and GOOD LUCK!

Hi RjeC - glad you like it! I reckon it's still going to be in-progress through into next year; there's not much left to make (apart from the calipers, seatbelts, instruments, wiring, wheel centres...), but it all eventually needs painting and assembling and that's not going to be a ten-minute job!

Keef - sorry, I'm back in action after my few days away! My normal PC is kaput right now, but I should get some photos posted on Saturday. I've finished trimming the gearbox ducts - after a bit of sanding and smoothing I think they might go on the car as is. I've had a go at some of the other panels with some wet-n-dry and maybe there'll be more natural fibreglass than I first thought...

Also in a fibreglass vibe, I've re-made the lower cockpit panels - easy with the plastic mk1 versions available as patterns! The main panel at the rear of the cockpit has also been cleaned up and trimmed slightly. There's also a pair of ducts in progress to fit inside the tail and feed air to the other two ducts on the side of the gearbox - this has been the main job during the last week or so.

Jaykay640 - I know what you mean about getting into the Group C paddock on Friday. I think if we had waited around for a while longer we would probably have made it in - I suspect the guy on the gate was just trying to limit the numbers, rather than keeping everyone out. Still, I was kinda annoyed, so off we went...made sure we saw them on-track, though!

Hi Cinqster - yes, a bit of a downpour early on Saturday morning, but nothing while we were out and about at the track. The bottom of our tent felt like a waterbed, but fortunately we stayed dry - no need to relocate! Have a good time at the Classic - must go myself some day, but only if I can still go to the 24h too. I'm looking forward to listening to all the bits I missed on Radio Le Mans when I get the time - makes a change to listening to music while I model.

All the best,

SB

Hi SB,

Glad to hear you're back into it! I sent the wife down to get some 'Green Stuff' last week and was mortified when she returned with this tiny amount for around £6! Not used it yet, but found an alternative that is supposed to be the same stuff - but a lot cheaper...Kneadatite?! Have you used it?

It's available on ebay at a very good price! :)

A few photos as promised...

These are the internal tail ducts as originally moulded:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/IMG_1842.jpg

...and this is where they'll end up on the car:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/IMG_1843.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/IMG_1844.jpg

The tricky bit will be cutting the NACA openings in the tail panel, but this can wait for a while - start them small, I think, then gradually open out to match the ducts below.

I added a couple of plastic downpipes to connect with the gearbox ducts, then some more fibreglass to give a consistent surface texture. This is still in progress - the first layers went on last night, and I'll probably add a couple more on Monday.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/IMG_1845.jpg

Here are the Mk2 interior lower cockpit panels - all the panelling except for the floor will now be fibreglass. You can just see the small hole for the gear linkage in the left-hand corner:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/IMG_1846.jpg

Finally, another shot of the two gearbox ducts; I've glued them back together where they had to be split to remove them from the moulds, and they've cleaned up okay.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/IMG_1847.jpg

That brings everything up to date - more next week. Have a good weekend!

SB

Nice! One day i'll have to give this fibre glass molding a try...but for 1:24 :-)

I'm getting fed up of saying this - fantastic work SB !!!

That third picture is almost like being in the paddock at Goodwood & looking up at the underneath of a real one!! Great stuff!!

Keef

Just spent a few hours reading through the 19 pages and may i say what an incredible built so far MR SB. Many many thanks for sharing in great detail your build, look forward to the next update :)

Hello!

More progress with the tail section this week - not a lot to show, but everything has been a case of check, trim, check again...trim some more...check, trim...check again. You get the idea. Anyway, it's been good to have a whole weekend on the project after recent diversions, so here's what I've been up to...

From the top, you can see where I've taken the plunge and finally added the NACA ducts for the gearbox cooling. It took the best part of two nights work to drill, trim and file the two holes - time-consuming, but a satisfying result. The black plasticard sections to the side of each duct create a level surface for the inner fibreglass section. You might notice a slight shine on the fan cover on the engine - I added a single layer of fine fibreglass tissue to help give a consistent texture / surface finish. Finally, I cut the hole for the oil filler cap (next to the LH NACA), and opened up the partial hole for the fuel filler (front RH side):

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803225.jpg

From below you can see where I've added some plastic half-round strip for detailing, and a length of 1/8" tube across the back edge - this will give me somewhere to fix the rearmost tail locator pins. Around the front edges I've glued in some lengths of 1.3mm wire as reinforcement. The whole tail has stiffened up nicely as I've added all these parts - particularly the main inner duct sections:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803227.jpg

Finally, another shot from below - with the engine and gearbox fitted. Without all the masking tape holding them in position you can see the inner ducts looping around and mating up with the side ducts. When I've finished adding all the detailing to the underside of the tail I'm planning to bond it all in place with another thin layer of fibreglass tissue.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803226.jpg

There's still plenty to do - body locator pins, more fibreglassing, getting a smooth outer surface, etc...then I can start on sorting out the rest of the bodywork. To help the modelling mood I'll be listening to coverage of Classic Le Mans on Radio Le Mans; to anyone here who's going - have a great time!

Have a good week,

SB

HOLY CRAP...! :shakehead :worshippy :worshippy :worshippy :worshippy :thumbsup:

This is looking MORE amazing each time I get back here SB......BEAUTIFUL.
The NACA ducting and associated pieces look like the just fell into place, but I can tell it was not as easy as it looks...

GREAT work mate.

:wave:

Another week, another update...

Continuing with the tail section, I started making the proper body locating pins - these are the ones which will hold the front edge in position:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803229.jpg

There's a similar arrangement just ahead of the rear wheels, going down into the chassis structure. Having drilled out the original pin-holes, I added some reinforcement to the chassis along the underside of the angle section which locates the sill panels.

The final body mounts are the two at the extreme rear edge of the tail:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803228.jpg

The two stays are drilled and pinned into the length of 1/8" tube which runs across the width of the tail, so it should all be secure. They'll need a little more detailing with some spring-catches, but this can follow later.

The fibreglass sill panels needed more work - there should be a lip running around the lower edge and up the wheel-arch. Having decided against using styrene strip or angle section, I went for the fibreglass again:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803231.jpg

I also added the small extra chassis tube dropping down to secure the rear inner corner - the whole sill structure should be quite sturdy once it's all assembled (it has to be!)

Finally, looking for a quick job to do this morning before the GP started, I added the small mounting plate for the catch-tank. No big deal, but it's all drilled into the chassis tubes and pinned in place:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803230.jpg

I'm now working on finishing the oil tank - you'll hopefully see this next time. I have a holiday planned for the week after next, so I'm planning to spend some time on the brake calipers - they really need more than just an hour or so's work in the evening to make progress. There's a few other jobs on the to-do list, so we'll see how far I get...

Have a good week!

SB

Superlatives fail me. Fantast-ical-riffic!

Not that impressive.





I mean, compared to...





Crap, nevermind. It's VERY impressive!!! That's some gorgeous scratchbuilding. I am loving watching this get pieced together! Amazing, stunning, perfect work so far!

Thanks for the compliments, guys!

I spent most of the week putting together the oil system - I'd started making the various unions and pipe fittings some time ago, but now it all had to be put together. Most of Monday and Tuesday evening were spent going through the photos trying to convince myself how it all should go - despite the fact that I'd already gone through the process back when I made the unions...I now decided to do it in the modern fashion, instead of running the oil lines to the cooler in the chassis tubes as they would have done in period.

So, by yesterday afternoon I ended up with this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803233.jpg

Basically, the bit in the middle represents the thermostat-controlled valve which either sends the oil through to the cooler if it's too hot, or sends it straight back to the tank if it's too cold. The whole lot sits down in the left-hand sill structure, like this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803232.jpg

The two sections of the oil tank have been glued together, and I've added the connections for the pipework. The lower rear bulkhead panel has been drilled for the two oil lines - I now have to find something suitable to wrap them in where they pass through the cockpit.

So, as of 10am this morning I bit the bullet and started making the brake calipers. The core structure is formed by the two 0.75mm thick side plates separated by trimmed sections of 3/8" box:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803234.jpg

Satisfied that the basic design would work, I made components for the other three calipers:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803235.jpg

...and then with some extra bits of 1.5mm sytrene strip added to bulk them out - plus plenty of filing - by 8pm tonight I had these:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803236.jpg

Clearly, there's still work to be done - but now the four cores are together, everything else will be more enjoyable. I think if I had tried to make them during the week I would have given up several times, but by blasting into them today, all the pain is over in one go! I need to add the pad detailing, bleed fittings, mounting lugs, etc...so that's the plan for the next couple of days; hopefully you'll see the finished articles in next week's post. Fortunately, the calipers on the 908-03 don't have the same fin detailing as on the 917-10's, so that saves me a lot of work!

Have a good week, and thanks for having a look.

SB

As well as consumate skill SB, you have unbelievable patience! 10am to 8pm to make 4 brake calipers - now I know why I will never be able to scratchbuild anything with any level of detail - I'd have given it up as a bad job by 11am!!!

Incredible stuff!!

Keef
Edit for spelling!

Amazing build. I hope you make it a little dirty, as raced rather than concours new. Your model looks almost like the real thing so far.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2011 model contest and show-Chicago April 2011

Hello again!

It has been a productive week - plenty of time spent working on the model, and although the calipers aren't totally finished, all the hard work is done. These photos aren't quite a full step-by-step guide, but I wanted to show my approach to creating what is possibly one of the more awkward shapes on the car.

So, I continued by adding a shaped layer of 0.5mm sheet to create the mounting lugs, plus more strip styrene to bulk out the shape:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803237.jpg

Then something similar on the other side of the caliper, and extra thin strips to define the corner areas:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803238.jpg

After a bit of filing and tidying up:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803239.jpg

Finally, I added greenstuff to the corner areas, let it harden, then more filing. The mounting lug area was beefed up with an extra layer of 0.75mm sheet - shaped to suit. You can also see where I've added small pad detailing to the inside of the caliper body, plus some cap-screw heads. I think by this point each caliper was made from about 40+ individual parts...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803240.jpg

So that's about where they are now - looking much more like brake calipers than they did on Sunday night! I've drilled holes for the connecting pipe which runs between the two halves of the caliper, and will have to add some bleed-screw detailing too, plus the pad retainers. I'll need to work out a suitable way of connecting the brake line to the caliper body - I think the styrene hex-rod will be coming in useful again.

All the time I've been doing these, I've been offering them up to the hub / brake disc parts, and making sure they clear the wheel. So far, so good. I've made some small caliper lug detailing parts which will be added to the uprights, and also made a start this afternoon on the front cooling ducts.

On a different note, I found some more 4mm aquarium airline tube this week, so that's the steering wheel back on the 'to do' list (plus plenty left over for the next project). Once the calipers are finished I'll hopefully be in the mood to start thinking about the wheels - the last big task, really; then it's seat belts, instruments, more body fitting, wiring, fuel lines, brake reservoirs, rear-view mirror, flexible ducting...

Hi Tom - I'm trying not to think too much about painting this lot right now, but I know it's coming! My painting is never going to be as crisp and precise as many of the other projects around here, so I don't think there's any danger of it looking concours! I'll be happy to get a half-decent finish on the bodywork, though, so I'll have to get the airbrush warmed-up again for that job...

Have a good weekend, everyone.

SB

Nice, these parts are kind of annoying because the result does not really show your effort.
You can put the parts for two of them into a box. It would make a good kit with 80 parts ;)

SB, you really are nuts! :0)

I can't imagine making those four calipers individually - look great though!

Guess what you missed at LMC?

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb224/cinqster-photo/Porsche2.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb224/cinqster-photo/Porsche1.jpg

Enjoy!

Hi Cinqster - thanks for putting those up. I was listening to the Classic coverage on Radio Le Mans and my ears pricked up when I heard them mention the 908-03. It must look a little out of place on the Mulsanne, though - not really the sort of track it was designed for! (Cadwell Park would be good, though!)

However, a couple of 908-03's did run in the 24hr, although not until 1972 - in private hands. Chassis 013 ran from 1972 to 1974 (best result 5th in '73), missed '75, then had a final run in '76. Chassis 008 was entered by Joest Racing in '75 (finishing 4th) and '76, using different bodywork and engines...but is the same chassis which won the 1970 Targo Florio in Gulf colours...and is the car I'm using as my primary reference!

I don't have much chassis info on the 908-03, in terms of which one did what and when - unlike the 917 where it's all documented in several books and sources. The one in the photos appears to be the Bell / Siffert car from 1971, which implies it's the Nurburgiring 1000km car - but I don't know which chassis number. Not sure about the headlights, though - I won't be adding them to my model!

That's it for today's history lesson...

SB

Yeah....908/3 and headlights don't go together :-)

Hello again!

It's been a busy couple of weeks at work - plenty of racing, lots of spares being shipped out, not so much time for modelling. However, the project continues and here's what I've been up to...

Following on from the brake calipers a few weeks back, I made the two cooling ducts for the front discs. Similar construction method to the calipers, just not so complicated:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803241.jpg

Once everything's assembled there'll be a couple of lengths of flexible hose to connect the disc to the air inlet on the bodywork - the one shown here is a trial piece from the end of the 917-10 project. I can't remember who posted this method on their thread, but I know I saw it here on AF somewhere - wrap wire around a suitable length of rod (in this case, about 1/2"), then use PTFE plumbers tape around the outside. Perfect! To whoever demonstrated this method first - thank you!

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803242.jpg

The current job is continuing with the wheels. The original RC car rims need some work to get them looking like the typical Porsche 5-spokes from the period, so I'll be building-up the centres to match. So far, the fronts look like this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803243.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803244.jpg

The centres need to be made a little more three-dimensional, so I'll be adding more styrene and greenstuff to get the right shape - I'll probably be working on these for a couple of weeks. I had the thought today that I could make the centres as a fibreglass shell...but by the time I've made the pattern, then laid-up four centres, I can probably make four by the 'traditional' method. Maybe next time...

Finally, having said in my last post that there wasn't much chassis history on the 908-03's, I set about going through my books and pulling together as much info as I could. There's a lot out there! Gionc pointed me to a similar thread on the CKNet website, started a couple of years ago, which gave some useful info on where the cars are now - but I'm trying to work out which car did what back in the 70's. When it's ready, I'll post the edited results here.

That's it for tonight. Plenty of modelling time this weekend, so I should be able to show some progress later next week.

Have a good one!

SB

Wow...cheers SB - that's a couple of cyber pints I owe you! If you can get down to the Revival on 17/07/10 they'll be real ones! ;-)

Update, Update, Update... Please?:biggrin:

No problem, chasejk...

Apologies for the delay getting something new posted - I was away all last weekend racing at Pembrey, so it's taken a while to get all four wheels to a nearly-finished state. However, here's what's been going on...

Firstly, the five-spoke centres were built-up with a combination of styrene and greenstuff, followed by plenty of filing and fettling. They're not as 'deep' as they should be, given that I'm working with an existing RC rim as a base - I don't think this will be an issue once they're all painted and assembled on the car.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803246.jpg

The outer hoop is two layers of 0.5mm styrene, with extra pieces of styrene added to the reverse side in between the five spokes.

To further camouflage the RC wheels (and improve the mounting for the centres), I added two layers of 1mm and 1.5mm styrene strip inside the rims - not a ten-minute job!

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803245.jpg

I won't glue everything together until I'm satisfied that the suspension geometry is correct and the bodywork fits okay with the wheels in place; but the overall effect will be something like this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803247.jpg

Moving on, I spent some time last night playing with ideas for the front splitter and wheel-arch lips. I trimmed a couple of mm off the bottom of the nose section, and experimented with a length of 5mm angle to provide a strong base for the splitter:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803248.jpg

...and from the inside:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803249.jpg

I think this will work okay - I can add a thin strip of fibreglass over the top and blend it into the main part of the nose, then tidy up the underside. Eventually I'll have to provide a secure mounting for the nose bodywork, so the angle section will come in useful for that too.

Finally, I tried a similar method with a smaller piece of angle (3mm) to create the slight flare to the front edge of the wheelarches:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803250.jpg

Like I said, it's all a little experimental - but I'm happy with how it's going. The arches need a little more trimming (you can see the marking on the back edge), but I wanted to leave some of the 'meat' there to reduce the risk of damage during the build. The problem with returning to the nose section is that it means I'll have to think about the bonnet louvres sometime soon...

So, that's what I've been up to. The wheels will probably go to one side for a while until I can start locking down the supension geometry. I'll probably spend some time continuing with the nose now - there's the splitter and wheel-arch lips to add, louvres to cut, brake and oil cooler duct openings to create, sort out the mounting, trim the edges, rear-view mirror...plenty to do.

Hi Cinqster - I won't be at the Revival, but thanks for the offer; it was my pleasure - happy to help.

Have a good week, everyone!

SB

No problem, chasejk...

Apologies for the delay getting something new posted - I was away all last weekend racing at Pembrey,

SB

Hi SB, what were you racing? Wish I'd known there was a meeting on, I'd have popped down! I really need to keep more up to date with what is going on down at Pembrey, it's only 20 miles away!!

Anyway, more fantastic work, it's all looking really, really good!!

keef

Hi Keef,

I certainly think we were lucky with the weather at Pembrey last weekend - whilst most of the UK seemed to be getting very wet through Friday and Saturday, our wet tyres stayed firmly in the truck lockers! I help run cars in the BARC URS Classic FF2000 championship - we usually have at least two or three cars at each meeting, take plenty of spares for everyone, etc. I don't actually drive the cars myself, though - I write the invoices when people bend them!

The reason I actually got into 1/8-scale scratchbuilding was because I thought it would be possible to make a small model of the chassis of one of our Van Diemen RF82's...then my boss suggested I should add some pedals, then some suspension...then an engine and gearbox. 500-odd hours later I'd made the complete car! If you haven't seen them, there are photos of two of these FFords in the 'Completed Projects' section.

So, we returned from Pembrey with our cars intact (unlike the previous meeting at Snetterton where three out of four of our cars were damaged) and we now have a few weeks to the penultimate race of the year at Rockingham on September 11th. The trouble with spending all weekend at the circuit is that it takes a little while to get back into the modelling groove, hence the slow progress in continuing with the wheels!

Right...back to the model.

SB

Hi Keef,

I certainly think we were lucky with the weather at Pembrey last weekend - whilst most of the UK seemed to be getting very wet through Friday and Saturday, our wet tyres stayed firmly in the truck lockers!

SB

Yes, made a change for wet Wales to be dry last weekend! Bit different from this Friday & Saturday! My mate was hillclimbing his Imp (the one in my avatar) at Loton Park last weekend, & I think it was wets all the way for him!

I haven't seen your FF models, I'm off to seek them out now!

All the best

Keef

Edit: If I could remember where I'd put my memory I'd be dangerous! I did actually see (& posted on!!) your FF1600 thread, but I hadn't seen your 2000 model - great builds!!

Hello everyone,

As mentioned last week, I've moved my attention to the nose - plenty of small jobs to do, but they're all important! I started by spending three evenings marking, cutting and filing the holes for the brake ducts and the oil cooler inlet:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803251.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803252.jpg

The brake ducts need a little more work to blend them into the nose, but I'm pleased with the overall result - it would have been very difficult to have moulded them in one piece. I might get keen and add a few small strips of fibreglass cloth around the inner ducts to strengthen the bond...maybe.

There's not much space between the oil cooler and the opening, so I added styrene strips around the inside edge to give me somewhere to locate the mesh grille (it also reinforces the thin fibreglass strip below):

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803254.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803253.jpg

The only other openings in the nose are the two pairs of eight louvres above each wheelarch. I made a plasticard template to keep the size and spacing consistent, then spent plenty of time making sure they were positioned correctly - you can see on Cinqster's photos from a few posts ago how the orange arrow runs from the rear gearbox cooling duct straight through the middle of the louvres. So, I ended up with this:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803255.jpg

Starting to cut them out is a job for later tonight and tomorrow! If I make good progress, I might make a start on the rear-view mirror too.

That's it for now. Sorry it's not too exciting, but hopefully it will soon start looking like a complete car.

Have a good week,

SB

Not to exciting? lol this is great, I love your work! The fiberglass body is looking great and I cant belive how much detail your putting into this

So...

Seeing as I had the day off on Monday, I spent most of the morning drilling, cutting and filing the bonnet louvres. It took a while, but they worked out okay:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803258.jpg

Next job was to fit the length of angle section I'd prepared earlier for the splitter, and add the wheelarch lip extensions. You can also see here one of the two small angle brackets I added by the cooling ducts - these locate on the very front of the chassis and hold the front of the nose at the correct height.

To the rear of each wheelarch I've added a small closing panel - these tidy up the rear edge and fit around the front of the cockpit bulkhead. Here's how it all fits together:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803259.jpg

Throughout this week I've been test-fitting all the bodywork, particularly the nose section. It seemed rude not to add some wheels, the engine, a few other bits...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803256.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803257.jpg

I think it'll work out okay in the end...

Finally, I made a start this morning on the rear-view mirror...I'm building up the main core structure with styrene, and will eventually add plenty of greenstuff to get the final curved shape.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/90803260.jpg

More next week!

SB

Nice job! The test assembled car looks waaay promising!
Interesting approach for the mirror. I guess it's all a matter of the massive scale :-)