1/8th Scratchbuild - Porsche RS60

[cinqster]

A bit of a rare one so here's what it should look like with a lot of luck and patience:



The drawings are from a friend of mine that has had a 1/1 RS60 3D scanned. I could have used the 3D data to have a body rapid prototyped but that's not model-making to me (and it's expensive) so I'm going the old school route by making the body templates in balsa:




My intention is to make the frame up like an old model aircraft and then fill in the skeleton with ordinary car bondo/filler. When I'm happy with the
surface shape I'll cut out the balsa ribs and re-fill the remaining grooves. The scans are very accurate but the car is not symmetrical which is odd because it's thought to be the most original undamaged example in existance. I can only put this down to inaccuracies during manufacture as the bodies were hand beaten into shape over a wooden former - not unlike the wooden version I'll end up with. To this end I've had to redraw all the sections in Illustrator to make them symmetrical, and it allows me to overlay each sectional layer so I can see the shape is looking correct:



The inaccuracy doesn't show on the full-size car but it'd be obvious on a
model - I can only put this down to the fact the eye can see more of the bodywork at any one time on a model than on a full-size car?

This is going to be a beast of a project as I've never done anything like it! It's already taken me months to collect data and make drawings. I've drawn all the major visible componants full-size so I can scale them down but I won't do the engine - it'll probably be just a curbside model, but who knows!



That's where I am right now but I'll send in updates if anyone's interested in such a project. Wish me luck - I'm going to need lots of it!

[ales]

Good luck! Looks like you've found yourself stuff to do for the next 3 years worth of evenings and weekends

[white97ex]

Just curious. About how thick will this bondo be? I would be worried that over time, it will crack and ruin the finish.

[auw12]

I wish I have your skill so I can make myself a 250 lusso and an aston martin DB9...

Good luck on this epic project!

[gionc]

Great! I'm tuned!

[drunken monkey]

Originally Posted by white97ex

Just curious. About how thick will this bondo be? I would be worried that over time, it will crack and ruin the finish.

I'm guessing that the bondo is just going to be used to make the buck, not the body.

[gulfclk]

As a Porsche fan, I have to follow this one!

[cinqster]

Originally Posted by auw12

I wish I have your skill so I can make myself a 250 lusso and an aston martin DB9...

Good luck on this epic project!

Not sure that I have the skill yet, just the enthusiasm!

[cinqster]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

I'm guessing that the bondo is just going to be used to make the buck, not the body.

That's right, it'll just be the buck.

I looked at making the body in various ways and visited a few pro modelmakers for their feedback on various ideas. I guess I've got overly obsessed with creating an even shell thickness and smooth inside as I wanted to cast it in resin using two part silicon moulds but there are 2 main problems here:

1. Casting such a large mould shape quickly before the resin goes off, and
2. You need a lot of silicone for the moulds and at this size they become too flexible (wobbly)

The last guy I visited suggested my bondo idea was OK and that I should concentrate on getting the buck right first rather than initially worrying about the casting process. To this end I'll probably take a fibreglass mould off the buck and cast the body from that (in fibreglass too). I've done quite a bit of fibreglass moulding on my full-size car so it's something I'm relatively comfortable with - even though it's filthy stuff to work with!

My ultimate aim (if I ever finish this one) is to also make a shortened version of this body to make a Porsche RSK. The RSK had the low flyscreen and the same body but a 100mm shorter wheelbase which entails shortening the doors. I've been told the RSK nose was a different shape to the RS60 but I've looked at 100's of reference pictures and cannot see the difference myself.

[gionc]

I'm pro for a brass or copper skin

[dj_woodster]

i will be keeping my eye's on this project sounds like it's gonna be a really interesting one to follow

[lumpulus]

Where the hell do you have access to a Rapid Prototyper?!?

[white97ex]

A bit of a suggestion. I was thinking fiberglass when you mentioned the smooth inside. Make the buck, paint it and smooth it with a urethane clear. Then go at it with some fiberglass cloth. If I was going to make re-pops I would either do it with the 'glass, or I would section the body, hood, fenders, valance, rear, etc. This would alleviate some of the molding issues. For some more insight have you tried largescalemodeler.com ? lots of guys there doing large scale stuff, including bodies

[Icon Modeler]

Originally Posted by cinqster

My ultimate aim (if I ever finish this one) is to also make a shortened version of this body to make a Porsche RSK. The RSK had the low flyscreen and the same body but a 100mm shorter wheelbase which entails shortening the doors. I've been told the RSK nose was a different shape to the RS60 but I've looked at 100's of reference pictures and cannot see the difference myself.

This sounds like a great project.

Not wanting to discourage you but I had to mention. Having been involved with many early era Porsche restoration projects even though the RSK and the RS-60 look alike in photos they are not. It would not be as simple as shortening the doors for the same reason that you went to the trouble to make your station drawing symmetrical. It just would not look right in the overall view as a model. And yes these cars originally were hand formed over a wooden buck and no two were the same, even side to side. They were a bit like snow flakes.

If you are interested. I have a full size scan of a 550 that I helped to restore, but it will be symmetrical, not like the original.

Have fun, it looks like it could be the beginning of a great one.

Icon Modeler

[klutz_100]

Holy shmoley

This could be the mother of all threads!
Take your time but make sure you show us everything

I wish you great luck and patience with this project