1/8 Porsche 935/78 'Moby Dick'

Sorry, Ian - no actual stitching on the steering wheel! I mean, that would be ridiculous - almost as daft as making headlight bulbs with filaments inside them. I have my limits...

I airbrushed the whole steering wheel with a couple of coats of Tamiya semi-gloss black, then toned it all down by carefully drybrushing the centre with Citadel 'Chaos Black' and some Tamiya 'Rubber Black' for the rim. Note also the column stalks fitted behind. This is all now ready for final fitting.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1167_zpsdugcod7v.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1167_zpsdugcod7v.jpg.html)

Next, a bit more on the nose section. I mentioned last time that I'd added some styrene around the inside - you can see it better here:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1166_zps0hwj3dlv.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1166_zps0hwj3dlv.jpg.html)

The two small triangular plates in the upper corners also have magnets underneath and will eventually fit over a couple of locating pins on the bodyshell.

The seatbelts took the best part of a week to make. I had the various sizes of black ribbon from making the 908, so just had to stitch it all together with the various brackets, etc:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1168_zpskarytld8.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1168_zpskarytld8.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1169_zpsnompmojk.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1169_zpsnompmojk.jpg.html)

The main problem with the ribbon is that once cut, the edges tend to fray apart. In the past I've used CA glue to seal them, but this can result in them becoming stiff. So, all the ends have to be folded back and stitched together. No major wounds or physical injuries during the stitching, I'm pleased to say, although it took a bit of force to shove the needle through three layers when assembling the lap-belts:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1170_zpss62s7lev.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1170_zpss62s7lev.jpg.html)

Last thing for tonight - headlights! So, the headlight bowls were laid-up in fibreglass a few weeks ago, removed from the moulds and trimmed up. Next job was to line the inside with aluminium foil to create a bit of 'shine' - I used one of the male patterns to press the foil into the bowl (without tearing) and then repeated the procedure when gluing the foil in place:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1171_zpsmi0rr5nh.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1171_zpsmi0rr5nh.jpg.html)

I'd already planned to use a length of 20m diameter clear acrylic rod as the starting point for the lenses, but once cut it needed a lot of work with various grades of paper to clean up - I even used a little bit of toothpaste as a polishing compound! You can see by the reflection that I've chamfered around the edges to get some shape into the lens, too.

Of course, having made the bowl, and the lens, I really had to make the bulbs too. These are 4mm clear rod, a little shaping on each end, with two 0.5mm holes drilled into one end with fine copper wires inserted as filaments. A collar of styrene and aluminium tube around the base allows a 0.5mm pin to be fixed through the whole lot which in turn allows the bulb to be fixed into the bowl.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1172_zpswhb0geek.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1172_zpswhb0geek.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1173_zpsd4aw5r3k.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1173_zpsd4aw5r3k.jpg.html)

I glued the lens to the styrene ring with CA glue (having tried a test-piece first to make sure it didn't react. The styrene collar has then been filed and sanded down to a minimal diameter:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1174_zps2i8tnwag.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1174_zps2i8tnwag.jpg.html)

Now, two things to note here. Some of you will say that I have not put any pattern on the lenses - this is true. The factory car has this style of headlight, but the Freisinger car appears to have plain lenses. I also couldn't think of a good way to create the lens pattern accurately without risking damage to the part! Having glued these together last night, they have become somewhat cloudy. The photos aren't great, I know, but they look better in reality. I'm wondering if the CA glue fumes trapped inside the bowl have caused this - I might try drilling a small 0.5mm hole behind the lens as a breather.

Overall, I'm pleased with the result. I just need to make some small adjuster pieces which will be positioned around the outside, and make sure the whole lot fits inside the pod in the bodywork. There's also a couple of small indicator lights and marker lights to do.

That's it for tonight. I plan to do another update between now and Christmas, and probably another one at the end of the year - it'll depend on how much progress I can make! Still plenty to do...

SB

I have watched this thread from the start , and what im going to say has been said already. this is inspirational and I have come here to see how to create things for my 1/24 builds.

You asked how to create lens patterns? you could do it two ways (probably more)
Print the pattern on clear sticker and stick it from behind ,similar (the ones in link are 3d) to the way they do it for 1/10 rc cars (sorry about posting links in your thread):
http://supergdrift.com/store/product/3d-realistic-headlight-light-overlay-decal-vinyl-sheet-210mmx120mm-pandora-vgp-604/

or how I use to do it on my Rc cars long before these (above) came about, took a sharpie (blade) and slowly and steadily scribed the pattern in using an image on the outside and held up to a light so it reflects back.

I hope this helps.

keep up the amazing work.

Sorry, Ian - no actual stitching on the steering wheel! I mean, that would be ridiculous - almost as daft as making headlight bulbs with filaments inside them. I have my limits...

...


http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1173_zpsd4aw5r3k.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1173_zpsd4aw5r3k.jpg.html)

SB


It seems you are not at your limits yet... :)

Ha, yeah; not sure if old SB has some secret trick up his sleeve for the stitching, or if he's just taking the piss. Looks great either way! ;)

ianc

First things first: I think the headlights are tremendously well done!

One question, though: is the inside of the bulbs so "textured"? If they are, you just nailed it!!! If they are slick, why didn't you try Alclad Chrome or, even better, Molotow?

Just my two cents. Going to get some popcorn and wait for the next update!

Creers

Art

Hello folks,

My aim with the headlights has been to try to get some 'life' into them. Another time I would probably have concentrated on creating a decent-looking lens and surround, and tried to fudge the internals, but for this one it just seemed easier to actually make a complete unit. As I've said before with the wiring - it's easier to work to a proper layout, than it is to just throw lots of wire around and hope it looks right! Adding the bulbs and filaments was a bit of fun - an Easter Egg for the build that'll probably be barely noticed by anyone who sees the model in real life.

To be honest, I didn't really consider painting the insides of the bowls. I knew that nothing I already had would be bright enough, and I have no experience with Alclad paints. Another time, maybe. The aluminium foil seemed a good approach, although it's obviously prone to tearing - so I wasn't pushing to get a super-smooth finish. Using the mould patterns to press the foil into shape worked well, but I was happy to trade the crinkles for no rips!

The fogginess I mentioned inside the bowl seems to have improved during the week without the need to drill any vent holes, so I'll see how that develops. We've got a hand-held engraving tool at work which I'm going to try on a test piece of acrylic - I'm not promising there'll be markings on the lenses, though! Don't forget, the lights on the -78 are tucked down at the bottom of the nose, so they're not as prominent as they would be on a regular 911.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything up my sleeve for the stitching on the wheel, Ian. I did have a think about it after your comment, but even in 1/8 scale it would be ridiculously fiddly to glue in individual threads between the stitch-marks. Maybe a fine paintbrush and a magnifying glass...hmm...there's an idea!

SB

I'd recommend trying a spoon with alcad paints, I think you'll find it extremely easy to use.

Yes, you must try with a plastic spoon first, you gonna see how simple it is...
You must spray a coat of VERY bright Black first - the brighter, the better.
And then, with a very low pressure in your compressor, paint with a light coat of Alclad Chrome. And... that's all!

I take the liberty of posting a picture of a bowl (not a bulb, as I wrote before:shakehead) of a 1/8 car I'm building, right now. I used Molotow (even better solution, I think). You can see how reflective and smooth it is.

Best

Art

http://i64.tinypic.com/2gu055e.jpg

... and, by the way... STITCHES 1/8!

Art

http://i66.tinypic.com/fcpcwj.jpg

Happy New Year!

Although I spent a fair bit of time modelling during the Christmas holidays, I wasn't able to make a big leap forwards - mainly because I'm still being careful about what gets glued in and when! Most of what I've been doing has been preparation for either fitting the fuel tank, etc, into the nose, or for getting the cockpit relatively complete before the roof goes on.

First up, having added a few extra details to the headlight surrounds, I made the two small indicator lights and marker lights:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1175_zpshvrmslct.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1175_zpshvrmslct.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1176_zpsu1eaty8s.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1176_zpsu1eaty8s.jpg.html)

Very fiddly to make, but I think they'll look fine once the bodywork is painted. For now they're just pinned in place. For the indicators I cut each one from a thin disc of the 15mm clear acrylic rod, then rounded-off the ends with a file. A couple of coats of Tamiya clear orange, and job done. The clear marker lights were cut from the remains of the disc but needed a bit more filing to shape. The backing plates are strip styrene, with 'Wave Option' rivet detailing.

One thing I definitely wanted to do during the holidays was to sort out some of the decals required for a few of the electrical parts. I spent a couple of hours trawling online for suitable logos, etc, then spent a bit of time cleaning them up and checking the sizes. The end result was half a sheet of logos, most of which will hopefully not be required...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1177_zpsxslyapol.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1177_zpsxslyapol.jpg.html)

Here's the starter motor, ignition boxes and coil:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1178_zpsjtbsleua.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1178_zpsjtbsleua.jpg.html)

...and the battery:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1179_zps5ookyhii.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1179_zps5ookyhii.jpg.html)

I'm particularly pleased with the battery - although it's buried down in the nose of the car, the decals stop it looking like just a black box. While I was at it, I sorted the wiring for the fuel pump, ready for installation. The coil needed a bit of work to finish the top detailing, and the ali mounting strap (not shown) has been primed and re-painted. Each part has been re-varnished afterwards to give the decals extra protection.

Most of the rest of the work has been in the cockpit. The last couple of photos hopefully give a feel of what I've been doing:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1180_zpslbmnc0xt.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1180_zpslbmnc0xt.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1181_zps4wp9poou.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1181_zps4wp9poou.jpg.html)

The wiring running down the left-hand side of the cockpit from the dashboard has been matched up with the appropriate pieces coming from the engine bay, with a length of ali tube used as protective conduit. This might be changed. I've drilled some extra holes through the rear firewall to pass a few of the cables through, rather than forcing everything through the holes for the water pipes.

The fuel lines down the right-hand side have been strapped together and are ready to be fixed in place. There's also a thin grey wire there which will be used for the air-jack plumbing - I've also made the fittings for the top of each jack.

I've made four pins which will be used to fix the seat frame to the mounting channels, and re-made the handle which connects the two adjusters each side. The clutch line and two throttle cables (one spare!) have been fitted and wired into place around the chassis tubes. Before I fit the seat to the frame, and the frame to the mounting channels, I've added the shoulder straps and crotch straps - the lap straps will be threaded through the seat before final assembly.

What else? The four door hinges have been fitted, glued, pinned and detailed with hex nuts. The gear lever is now glued in, although it is still free to move so I can connect it to the gearbox. At the front, I've played around with the colouring of the oil tank a little to get away from the 'flat aluminium' finish, and added a small bit of detailing to the fuel collector tank as the level sender. I've made some extra bits of wiring for the three smaller fuel pumps, and started assembling the wash-bottle pump. As usual, it's at this point that I remember I don't have photos for a lot of this stuff, but you'll see it next time.

So, I'm nearly at the stage where I can start fitting the various bits into the nose - getting the decals on the battery was the main obstacle here. But...do I fit the fuel tank, then the battery tray, or battery first then the fuel tank? Do I connect the wiring before or after? What about the pipework for the fuel system? Don't forget the trackrods need to be fitted into the steering rack while it's still accessible! As always, this is what soaks up so much of the time - trying to get the correct assembly sequence. We're nearly there, though...

More next time.

SB

Well i have learnt so much from this so far....exceptional skills and amazing work. I will look at my builds now and think why can i not just finish you its OOB....lol
Keep up this wonderful project.

Work continues!

The seat shell was glued into the frame, and five small sections of styrene added at various points as reinforcements. The final touch before painting was to add some small pieces of fibreglass cloth, gluing them in place with CA (rather than resin / hardener):

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1182_zpsdz9mnvg4.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1182_zpsdz9mnvg4.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1183_zpswt8k7mjp.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1183_zpswt8k7mjp.jpg.html)

Just needs the mounting frame pinning to the bottom and it'll be ready to drop into place.

More tidying of plumbing and wiring in the cockpit. The length of ali tube used as conduit on the left-hand side has been covered in a piece of black heat-shrink tubing, and fixed in place with three styrene straps:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1186_zpsqdoql6ov.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1186_zpsqdoql6ov.jpg.html)

The fuel lines on the other side have also been fixed into place, and the cover panel to the right of the pedals has also been trimmed and fitted:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1185_zpsql9sgmag.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1185_zpsql9sgmag.jpg.html)

I'm sure I'll find a few more wires to add here and there, but these can be tucked in and around the main ones already fitted.

On both sides the chassis tubes running across the doorways have been touched-up with paint - you could see in a couple of photos in the last update (and others) that there was a lot of wear and tear. Not surprising, given the problems of accessing the cockpit!

It's pretty much ready to fit the seat now, but I'll hold off on that job for a little while in case I think of something else to do in there! Once the seat is in I'll fix the lap-straps, then add the instrument pod and column surround - all easy enough to do.

As mentioned last time, here's the left-hand front air-jack fitted, plus pipework, and the door-hinges:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1184_zpssjnwyehc.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1184_zpssjnwyehc.jpg.html)

I'm now back in the nose of the car - after spending a bit of time checking the assembly sequence (yes, the steering rack bar and trackrods can be fitted later) I added the battery / fuel pump unit (with wiring), and the main part of the fuel tank:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1187_zpsomrhzbfv.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1187_zpsomrhzbfv.jpg.html)

The fuel-pipe from the tank to the pump is in, and the battery has been wired-up. A bit of test-fitting proved that the upper section of the fuel tank can still be fitted, and the oil tank and fuel collector tank will squeeze into the side - some of this will happen this week. Then I can work on the upper part of the nose - wash-bottle, catch-tank, more pipework - before adding the top X-frames. It's quite possible that by the end of this month the front end will be looking fairly complete...

Have a good week,

SB

Gawd, this detail work is just driving me mad!

Gorgeous!

ianc

Hot dang! always gets more amazing with each update :D

Well, it's not the end of the month, but the front end of the 935 is certainly looking different! Only a few photos tonight, but they are proof that I've been busy...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1188_zpsapaipsrq.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1188_zpsapaipsrq.jpg.html)

Everything you can see in the front of the chassis has now been fitted and fixed in place, including the two X-frames over the top. It hasn't been a five-minute job - at every stage I've been checking and re-checking that everything will go in, test-fitting bits and pieces, and basically trying to avoid any slip-ups.

Connecting all the bits of pipe-work hasn't been easy, either. Although I'd cut most of the pieces to a rough length some time ago, I still had to check and adjust everything as I fitted them. A couple of pieces had to be re-made as things were routed slightly differently, but this wasn't a problem as the end-fittings weren't glued-in until the last minute.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1191_zpsf9lskvx1.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1191_zpsf9lskvx1.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1189_zpsyjmffirj.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1189_zpsyjmffirj.jpg.html)

The two brake fluid reservoirs are still un-painted styrene, but were given a coat of gloss varnish to (hopefully) make them a little more realistic. A thin strip of painted styrene was added around the middle to match up with the mounting plate, and they were ready to fit.

I haven't fitted the washer bottle and pump yet - I'm still undecided about the finish on this and might still re-do it. There's a few bits of wiring that will be tidied up when the dashboard top is added, too. At the very front, I drilled through the inner duct of the front radiators to pass through the oil pipe to the tank - this will be connected when the main exit ducts are fitted later on.

What else? The seat has been attached to the mounting frame but has not been installed in the cockpit. I was going to do this during the last week (as it would then allow me to fit the steering column, indicator pod, dashboard top, etc) but decided against it until I've got the engine and gearbox fitted. It would make it difficult if I need to add more wiring into the cockpit, and it will certainly be easier to fit the gearbox, shift linkage, etc without the seat getting in the way! I'll have to be careful, though - getting the seat into the cockpit will be a challenge once the roof is on...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1190_zpskthxuw7q.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1190_zpskthxuw7q.jpg.html)

A couple of other things before I finish. The two blades have been attached at each end of the front anti-roll bar, and are ready to be connected to the lower wishbones once the ride-height is fixed. On the top of each front strut tower you can see a round boss - these will be glued once the suspension has been assembled. I've done some more painting on the struts and spring platforms in preparation for this, and will be revisiting the brake discs, etc, too. I need to make some fittings to attach the brake lines to the calipers - and the calipers themselves need to be painted soon, or I won't be getting far with assembling the suspension!

That's it for tonight - more in a week or two. As always, thanks to everyone who's still bothering to see what I've been up to - even after six years! You know, I have a feeling this project might actually work out...

All the best,

SB

madonna benedetta...

Stunning SB just unbelievably stunning.

I don't think anyone that has followed any of your builds has dropped out

You bring modeling to a whole new level

Cheers
John

I don't think anyone that has followed any of your builds has dropped out

I certainly have not :biggrin:

Amazing skills. And such a pleasure to watch =)

Apologies in advance that this update is short on photos - I tried to upload five to Photobucket last night, of which one arrived. Tried to send the other four tonight, and still just the one gets through. Temporary problem, or a sign of things to come? Maybe I'll have to find a plan B for my photos earlier than I thought...

Anyway, the two photos that did manage to upload themselves are proof of what I've been up to for the last few weeks. Here's the rear suspension fitted in place:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1195_zpsdbyscxty.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1195_zpsdbyscxty.jpg.html)

All four brake calipers have been painted, detailed and are now glued to their respective uprights. I gave each caliper a basecoat of Citadel 'Astrogranite' textured paint, rather than going for a smooth finish. The discs were given a light drybrush with various metalllics to try to move away from the plain airbrush base-coat.

The brake pads were painted and fitted into place, with small retaining plates added either side of the opening. The only things missing are the retainer spring-clips - I need to spend some time on these when I can concentrate! I made a bunch of brakeline fittings from small styrene hex-strip, etc, and added these to the calipers as required, plus the connecting pipes around the underside. The little green dust-caps on the bleed-screws add a bit of colour in amongst the grey, silver and black.

Each wishbone / trailing arm is attached to the chassis with two pins, and is held temporarily at ride-height by wire. The brakelines run over the top of each arm to the calipers, and there is a small flexible section which still has to be connected to the fittings on the chassis. Both driveshafts have been painted and assembled - the outer section of each has been glued into the rear hubs, and the inner sections (with donuts) will be fitted when the gearbox is installed. The rear anti-roll bar cannot be fitted until after the gearbox is in!

The rear dampers have been painted and assembled with Rijk's springs:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1192_zpsly9wcmt2.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1192_zpsly9wcmt2.jpg.html)

You can also see all the little caliper fittings during painting - so much easier to stick them to a piece of double-sided tape, rather than trying to hold them with tweezers! I just need to do a few final checks, and then the dampers will probably be fitted during this week - it'll be difficult to get them in once the engine is in the way.

The front hubs and calipers have also been assembled, so they will probably be on the car soon. The cooling ducts need to be painted, but I'm also a little concerned about getting the flexible trunking through the suspension. I'm sure I checked all that whilst making the parts, but that was a couple of years ago!

So, the progress continues. Although there's still plenty of jobs I can be doing on the chassis as it is, I'm also aware that in a couple of months the weather will have improved and I can get some more spraying done. I need to get the bodywork finished during the summer, or it'll drag on into 2019. I know there's no deadline on this, but it would be appropriate to have it finished during the 935-78's 40th birthday year. Once I've got the four sets of suspension fitted, I think I'll return to preparing the rest of the bodywork for painting...

If the other photos decide to arrive in my Photobucket account, I'll post them later in the week.

SB

Fantastic craftsmanship. I am constantly amazed at your dedication to these detailed builds which go on for years. I struggle to keep my enthusiasm for a few months before wandering off to do something else. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself. Your builds are inspirational.

Dan

Thanks, Dan. Yes, the question of how to maintain enthusiasm! It's difficult, as I never set out to spend five years or more on this project - it just happened to work out that way. For this one, once I'd found the photos of the Freisinger rebuild I knew I really wanted to build this car - I could imagine how it was going to look, I was sure that I had (just) enough detail photos to do it justice, and the background to how the car was designed was very interesting. Yes, the lack of official chassis plans has certainly been a factor in how long it's taking, but will also make the end result so much more satisfying.

Perhaps it's the variety of jobs required that help to keep me going. Most of the time, if I feel one particular thing is becoming a struggle, I can spend a few days (or weeks) working on something completely different. if I lose enthusiasm for fiddling around with wiring, I can spend some time working on some painting, or something for the bodywork, or assembling the suspension, or whatever. It's now at the stage where there isn't actually too much left to physically make, so the range of tasks is starting to come down. The end is starting to come into sight, though, so that provides a new source of encouragement...

So, on to tonight's update. PB is definitely starting to annoy me - more fun trying to get photos to upload today, but better success than last time. First up, here's a shot of the rear trailing arms that should have been in the last update:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1194_zpsdg0dbcke.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1194_zpsdg0dbcke.jpg.html)

I've been trying a few dummy-runs to get a feel for how awkward it's going to be when I eventually commit to installing the engine and gearbox. I am not looking forward to it! To help matters, I've trimmed the driveshafts slightly and made sure that if I fit the inner sections to the gearbox first, I can wriggle them onto the outers:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1197_zpsiwh6srrd.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1197_zpsiwh6srrd.jpg.html)

As much as I would love to fit the gearbox separately to the engine, I just can't. There's no way of getting it in the right position without the engine, and I won't be able to get a bomb-proof connection between the two sections if I'm trying to wrestle them together in the car.

Another carry-over from last week, here's one of the front corners fitted to the car, complete with brake aeroquip and roll-bar droplink:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1198_zpsie0vvrhi.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1198_zpsie0vvrhi.jpg.html)

Now for some new stuff. I've spent a lot of time recently getting the side water pipes together, so the coolers can be fitted. I did a final assembly of all the sections, greenstuffed the joints, smoothed it all down, sprayed with primer, then painted the top coat....then decided that they would look better with some insulating cloth covering. This makes sense, as they would be putting a fair bit of heat into the cockpit, just behind the driver. So, after going to all the trouble to paint them, I then spent a happy afternoon wrapping and gluing thin strips of fibreglass cloth around them:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1200_zpslcmh9kol.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1200_zpslcmh9kol.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1201_zps16o4lbo7.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1201_zps16o4lbo7.jpg.html)

They're a little bit 'hairy', but don't forget that when the roof section is on they won't be anything like as visible as they are here. I'm pleased with the results, though - it's another new texture in the cockpit.

The two radiators have been glued in place - pinned into the sill at the bottom, and another pin through the bracket at the top of the doorframe. I've added the extra supporting stay to the rear of each rad, and you can see where I've put some liquid greenstuff around the joint where it's 'welded' on. The left-hand rad has also had the small gearbox oil-cooler fitted to it - easier to do this before it went on the car. The joints between the main pipes and the top of each radiator are nicely camouflaged by the hose connector pieces.

With the recent snow in the UK (yeah, I know - it's nothing compared to other places, but everything still grinds to a halt, etc...) I've had some bonus modelling time! One of the jobs I've been tackling has been the two wing mirrors - nothing too complicated, but not a shape that lends itself to styrene box-section:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1203_zps3o6hmwqn.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1203_zps3o6hmwqn.jpg.html)

I started with the shape of the mirror-glass, then added a length of 0.5mm x 2mm strip around the edge to create the recess - a baseplate of 0.5mm styrene closes the end off. A vertical spine was added to define the shape of the top surface, and I then filled either side of this with small sections of 1/8" box. Of course, this was one of the photos that didn't make it to PB today, for some reason. I added plenty of greenstuff, smoothed it down with emery cloth, file, etc, and they're now almost ready for a coat of primer. I've got some thin self-adhesive chrome sheet that will be cut to shape to make the actual mirrors, but this will have to wait until I can do some spray-painting. Given that 95% of the snow we've had here has now gone, hopefully it won't be too long before I can get the airbrush out again...it is spring, after all!

Have a good week,

SB

I have to ask: at what point did you say to yourself "huh, it would have been easier to build a full sized replica..."

Big Pat: I say that to myself on a very regular basis! Every time I struggle to fit something that I can't quite get access to. Every time I do something that would be so easy in real life, but becomes awkward even in 1:8. Every time something small pings out of my tweezers and disappears. Still, it could be worse - I could be building in 1:43!

The first photo tonight is a fine example of the above problem. Knowing that the engine and gearbox will have to be fitted eventually, I spent some time adding more wiring and details to the engine bay. The coil is in, a little relay box, the connectors for the rear tail-lights (hidden from view), a connector for the wiring from the alternator, etc. Needless to say, it all took longer than expected - but easier to do it now than once the engine is in!

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1204_zpslh0gpj1l.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1204_zpslh0gpj1l.jpg.html)

So, my current target is to have a spraying session during the Easter break, and I've been spending the last couple of weeks trying to get some bodywork prepared. I'm going to paint the outer door skins and the two rear wing / wheelarch extensions, so these have been filled and rubbed-down. The final detail to add on the rear wings was to cut the two rows of slots - rather than measuring and marking fourteen slots on each panel, I made a simple template from strip styrene. Then it was a time-consuming job of drilling a hole at the end of each slot, cutting across, then filing away the groove:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1206_zpsayeq5p4b.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1206_zpsayeq5p4b.jpg.html)

I reckon each slot took about half an hour to cut! I started last Saturday afternoon whilst watching the IMSA Sebring 12h, continued Sunday afternoon watching the Goodwood Members Meeting (anyone else see the factory Moby Dick doing demo laps? Fantastic!), and finished the last one on Wednesday...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1207_zpsipfcobp2.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1207_zpsipfcobp2.jpg.html)

The plan for this weekend is to get some primer on the parts, rub them down, try to correct the worst faults, and generally put myself in a good position for Easter. So far, so good - here's the bits after an initial coat of Tamiya white primer:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1208_zpshei5xxsf.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1208_zpshei5xxsf.jpg.html)

The doors have come out pretty well - A little bit of filler required along the top edge, but otherwise okay. The rear wings were not quite as good, but many of the faults have responded to some 1200 wet/dry and some effort. I've got some filler drying off now, and I'll smooth this off tomorrow before another coat of primer.

In addition to these parts, I've also sprayed a test-piece of flat fibreglass which I'll use to trial the Martini stripes. I've got some Tamiya X-7 Red, X-14 Sky Blue, and X-3 Royal Blue to experiment with - I'm hoping I'll be able to use them un-mixed, but we'll see. I'll try cutting a slot through the stripe after painting, too, as this may be an option for the louvres on the nose section.

I'm now fighting the temptation to drop the roof on, add the rear wings and nose, and see the white whale looking a little more...white!

More next time.

SB

Yeeeessssssss!! Paaaaaiiiinnnnntttt!!

Yup, paint! "About bl**dy time", I hear you all say...

Unfortunately, the paintwork isn't the main focus of this update. It is progressing nicely, but doesn't look massively different to the photo from the previous post! I reckon one final coat of white and it will be there, and I'm going to be spraying my test piece with Martini colours this week, so there will be more on this next time. For now, here's a photo from last week after I gave in to temptation:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1209_zpskjkvpvf9.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1209_zpskjkvpvf9.jpg.html)

The big push recently has been getting the wheel rims sorted out. Just before the Easter weekend I spent a couple of evenings building up the outer rim edges with various layers of 0.4 and 0.5mm strip - so much easier than trying cut thin hoops from sheet with the compass cutter. After this I started the job of cutting and fitting a total of 72 fins to the aerodynamic wheel covers:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1210_zpsnoc6vzw7.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1210_zpsnoc6vzw7.jpg.html)

This is one of the fronts with 16 fins. The fins were cut from 0.75mm strip, using a template piece to make life easier. The small lengths of 2mm angle were added for reinforcement, and some final fettling was required to get a suitable fit into the wheelrim. The rears were much the same, except with 20 fins per side (a slightly different shape, of course).

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1211_zpsi6alezbq.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1211_zpsi6alezbq.jpg.html)

I adjusted the height of the cover within the wheel by fitting a couple of styrene discs beneath, allowing the wheelnut to be recessed into it. Each one also has a small ring with nut-detailing which will be glued in place after final painting. You can also see where I've added more strip around the inside of the rims to get a more realistic cross-section.

Here's a detail shot - the tyre valves were added last night:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1212_zpsckbojzvn.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1212_zpsckbojzvn.jpg.html)

This final photo is me just adding more detail which will barely be seen. The inner rings with the 2mm discs mirror the similar detailing on the inside of the rims, although the wheel covers will do a good job of hiding it all from view. Another styrene strip or two covers the join.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1213_zpspynrpa34.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1213_zpspynrpa34.jpg.html)

So, all four rims are now ready for painting and final assembly. I also need to re-make the tyres but that's a job I'm tempted to leave until I can get all the bodywork onto the car, just in case of final adjustments to the sizes.

What's next? Finish the white exterior spraying of the door skins and rear wing panels. Finish the mirrors. Paint some Martini test-stripes. Start adding some filler to the main nose section and front door extension panels. Paint the wheel covers? Start looking for more logos to use for decals, etc...or try scanning the 1:24 Tamiya sheet...

Still lots to be done...but getting there!

SB

Seeing the body in color and partially assembled was so gratifying hahahaha I feel complete. Good way to start the work week :thumbup:

:eek2::eek2:

Hello again,

Various bits and pieces in this update, so apologies if I bounce around from one thing to another.

First up, here's the piece of plain fibreglass I sprayed as a test for the Martini colours:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1215_zpstukrvhkv.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1215_zpstukrvhkv.jpg.html)

The colours I've used here are Tamiya X-3 Royal Blue, X-14 Sky Blue, and X-7 Red, over an X-2 White base. I'm quite happy with the colours themselves, but the obvious problem is that there should be white where there is now just fibreglass! I'll have to do more tests to check if it's the vinyl masking tape being too sticky, or whether the problem was masking it up too soon after applying the white base-coat. Either way, it's made me very nervous about how this is going to work out...

On a more positive note, however, here's a section of the 1:24 Tamiya decal sheet scanned and expanded to 1:8 scale:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1214_zpshuxrlahk.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1214_zpshuxrlahk.jpg.html)

Although I won't be able to use the Martini stripes on my model, the various logos, etc, will be perfect once I've printed them onto decal film.

Elsewhere, I spent a lot of time working on the main nose section bodywork with filler and wet/dry paper before giving it a light coat of Tamiya white primer:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1217_zpscv5jy8p6.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1217_zpscv5jy8p6.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1219_zpsklarrblz.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1219_zpsklarrblz.jpg.html)

There's a handful of small faults which need to be addressed before further painting, but nothing major. I've made another template for the louvres but will probably wait until the Martini stripe issue is sorted out before deciding when to cut them. The bonnet panel will be sprayed at the same time.

Most of the last week or so has been spent working on getting the engine ready for fitting. There's so much going on in the back of this car, but access will be difficult once the drivetrain is in place. The starter motor has had some small wiring details added, and the main cabling back to the battery has been fitted:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1220_zpsniebdubj.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1220_zpsniebdubj.jpg.html)

The wiring has been passed through the rear firewall panel and the starter is now effectively fitted to the chassis - it should be easier to now fit the starter to the gearbox, rather than trying to route the cabling through the car later.

The control cables were another potential problem area. I decided to fit everything to the main mounting point on top of the gearbox, connect the cables to the throttle mechanism and clutch lever, then all I have to do once the drivetrain is fitted is to plug the front sections of the cables to the back sections:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1221_zps5qp6y01f.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1221_zps5qp6y01f.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1222_zpskgkrsc5z.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1222_zpskgkrsc5z.jpg.html)

Access to the top of the gearbox shouldn't be too bad, so this approach should save me a lot of trouble later on.

The rest of the time has been spent on the engine and gearbox itself. Before gluing the two halves together I looped three lengths of thin wire around a pin and running up through a channel in the spacer plate:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1216_zpsdleblvyv.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1216_zpsdleblvyv.jpg.html)

I plan to use these wires as extra support, but still don't quite know where I'll be able to connect them! I've attached the main oil pipes to the engine and trimmed the hoses to length, and finished the detailing around the fittings. The lines to the gearbox oil cooler have been trimmed and fitted, so now just need to be plugged in place on the 'box.

Assembly of the twin turbos is well underway - everything you see in this photo is now glued in place:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1223_zps2hgbaljf.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1223_zps2hgbaljf.jpg.html)

Note the drive belt for the cooling fan, the little oil pump at the bottom which connects to the turbos via the orange pipes, and the protective cover around the base of the drive pulley. The main support plate has been pinned and glued to the engine, and the large hoses between the turbos and the inlet manifolds have done a good job of stiffening it all up. There's a few more bits to add (alternator, exhaust primaries, turbo oil lines, pop-off valves, etc), but it's quite possible that I might be fitting this into the chassis at the weekend...

It's all coming together!

SB

Wow, this is just too fantastic! It is really getting there!

Admit it; you know you've been thinking about what to do next... :evillol:

As far as the Tamiya white X-2 peeling; have you tried the Tamiya low tack masking tape? It's expensive, but seemed to work for me, and I also used X-2 on a number of Porsches.

If you're printing the enlarged 1/8th decals, how come you can't use the stripes? I notice your enlarged copy isn't color (mock up?), but surely that would cause a problem for the logos too? Not understanding... If you could successfully print and use those stripes at 1/8, what a headache that would eliminate...

Keep the updates coming!

ianc

Hi Ian,

I do have a roll of the yellow Tamiya masking tape and also some of their thin 2mm PVC tape, so will be trying these on the test piece too. I'd used the blue 3M vinyl tape when I did the 908, so I wasn't exactly expecting a problem.

Yes, I scanned and printed part of the sheet in black/white just for a demo - it won't be a problem to produce the final sheets in colour. I don't think it will be possible to use the Tamiya Martini stripes at 3x size, though - despite my best efforts, it's highly unlikely that the curves of my bodywork will be exactly the same as the kit. I have enough trouble getting small decals in place too, let alone large ones! They'll be useful as a reference for where I want the stripes to be, but I don't think I will be able to use them on the car.

Of course, if the masking continues to be a problem, I might be re-thinking the above comments!

SB

Amazing as always! !
Regarding the colors, have you tesed the Zero colors or the Gravity ones? They are very great paints!!!

I'll second Jesus concerning the Gravity Primer (EXCELENT!), but not on the Zero one. I had serious troubles, this weekend, masking over Zero Paints. The paint went well, but the d##n primer didn't stick to the kit and all the ensemble came sticked to the Tamiya tape, ruining all the work!:angryfire

But Gravity primer is very, very resistant to the masking tapes, I can assure you!

And I have a question for you: don't you have a friend with an ALPS printer? I guess it would be much easier to work with the 1/8 decal copy you have, retouching the curves with a good drawing app (Corel or Illustrator) and then printing them on an ALPS. I can assure you mixing the colors is not a big deal on that printer, I've done lots of Martini stripes for Lancias...

Keep-on-going with that amazing work!

Art

No, I don't have any experience with Zero or Gravity paints, but having come this far with Tamiya acrylics I'd like to continue with them if possible. As I said last night, the actual colours look okay to me - especially as I'd like to avoid having to mix them if possible - but it's more a concern about the masking. I won't know until I do more tests, so that's the plan for the next few days.

I've actually surprised myself about how much of this project has been painted with my airbrush, even if I haven't really used it for anything 'technical' - I'll still paint things like the engine and gearbox by brush, simply because I like the way I can build up the colours - but as a method of getting a streak-free finish over large areas, I'm sold! I've put more effort into the filler-work, rubbing down, using the various grades of MicroMesh cloth, etc, too and I've been pleased with the results. The surface finish of the fibreglass parts is never going to start out as smooth as a moulded plastic kit (at least, not the way I make fibreglass parts), but it's given me some good ideas of things to pay attention to next time.

Art - I did wonder about getting the stripes printed as 'stickers' rather than decals. I'm not familiar with ALPS printers (having just googled them) but it might be something to investigate. The Tamiya decals would be a good starting point, but I'm sure they would need some modification to suit the slightly different contours of my model compared to the 1:24 original. And that's assuming that Tamiya got them right to start with!

Either way, it's not going to stop me now! I've always said that getting the stripes on was going to be one of the hardest jobs, so I won't be surprised if it takes time and maybe a couple of dead-ends. Fortunately, they're confined to the nose and rear wing panels only, so I can still continue with assembling the roof section and doors and return to the stripes at a later date...

SB

This should be put in a museum when finished, as a reference for all the future generations !

About the decals : don't you have a loss of definition when magnifying 3x ?

Someone out here might be able to print you a proper 1/8 full decals sheet with a performing vector drawing program ?!

Someone out here might be able to print you a proper 1/8 full decals sheet with a performing vector drawing program ?!

The problem is not a lack of people knowing how or willing to print those stripes, after drawing them on a proper vector program (like the ones I suggested earlier).

The real problem is TO FIT those stripes correctly on the model. Like SB said - and he is most probably right - the curves and dimensions on the 1/24 Tamiya decals aren't the same as in his model.
That's why I talked about ALPS printers. If he had a friend who could ACCESS THE MODEL and then correct the 1/8 copy on a drawing app, it would be easy to mix the colors and print the stripes and the logos on the printer, with all the foils, gold, whites, etc needed.

Art

Back again.

Apologies for the delay in posting this update - as you'll see, it's not for a lack of progress.

A few more thoughts on the stripes and decals. Based on the quality of my 3x test-page, I don't think there will be a problem in expanding the logos from the Tamiya sheet. I didn't scan them at a massively high resolution, and I didn't do any post-scan clean-up on the PC, so that's two big positives.

I'm 99% convinced that the Martini stripes will end up being painted - even a quick check of the test page stripes over the rear wheelarches confirmed that they were not a direct fit onto my model. I applied several strips of my various masking tapes to the painted test-piece again, left them overnight, then tried removing them - here's the latest result:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1224_zpsvbcsoji8.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1224_zpsvbcsoji8.jpg.html)

The thin white and yellow tapes seem to be the most successful - the white is a Tamiya vinyl-type tape, and the yellow is a regular tape from 'Tristar'. The wider yellow tape is also Tamiya, and the blue vinyl tape is the 3M I've used before. So, is it that the thinner tapes are not as 'sticky', or is it simply that the wider tapes are stickier because there's more of it in contact with the paint?! Hmm...

Elsewhere, I primered and sprayed the four aero wheel covers:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1225_zpsnl3w27w4.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1225_zpsnl3w27w4.jpg.html)

I used a white primer, then a rattle-can of Tamiya TS-31 Bright Orange, then airbrushed X-7 Red over the top. The fixing rings will be glued in place later.

Inspired by coverage of the Nürburgring 24Hr last weekend, the plan was to install the engine and gearbox during the race. So leading up to this I was trying to get as much done in the engine bay as I could, while I still had access:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1226_zps93xwryom.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1226_zps93xwryom.jpg.html)

The starter motor is attached, the gearbox oil cooler is fitted and plumbed-in, and you can see here that I'm trying to connect the water-system pipework from the two side radiators. This was one of the trickiest jobs (as I knew it would be) with constant engine removal and re-fitting to check, and limited access while doing it. Having to hold the pipes with tweezers didn't help my stress levels, either! Of course, despite having made the various pipe sections some time ago, a couple of them needed modification once I actually got to the stage of fitting them, so it was a slow process. However, it all worked out, and before the end of the race last Sunday afternoon I had the engine installed.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1228_zpso64vhhtv.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1228_zpso64vhhtv.jpg.html)

Getting the engine in has opened the floodgates to other jobs. In the photo above you can see the water pipework in place, the clutch and throttle cables are connected above the gearbox, the supporting wires have been threaded through the white beam in the middle of the photo, and I've added the support plate to the front of the gearbox. This has been pinned through to the gearbox, and back into the chassis mountings, so hopefully it's doing something to support some weight.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1229_zpslfguyvqt.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1229_zpslfguyvqt.jpg.html)

Below, you can see here how the starter motor has tucked in above the solid oil pipe, the various flexible hoses have been connected, and - just today - I've fitted the rear anti-roll bar with droplinks to the trailing arms.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1227_zpsvxkypjhd.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1227_zpsvxkypjhd.jpg.html)

At the back, I've been able to do the final fit of the turbo waste-gate units. The supporting brackets which hang off the main mounting plate had to be re-made to adjust the angle of the exhaust pipes, but no major dramas - fortunately I was able to make new ones cut from a section of the Mk1 rear bumper panel. The main central exhaust pipes have not yet been fitted - I'm leaving these until I do some more work with the body panels, so I can be sure they will fit through the hole!

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1230_zps4qssbrxj.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1230_zps4qssbrxj.jpg.html)

I'll finish this update with an overall shot of the car:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1231_zpsyobb4t0a.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1231_zpsyobb4t0a.jpg.html)

In amongst the jobs mentioned above I've been routing and tidying up a lot of the wiring, touching-up paintwork, etc. The rear air-jacks are ready to be fitted - you can see the right-angle fitting for one of the units just ahead of the mounting bracket. I've fitted the two outrigger frames which support the rear wheelarch sections - these will need a little greenstuff around the ends to finish the joints. The hard part now will be completing the build without knocking these off several times...

Surprisingly, in the space of a week I've now reached the stage where there's not much more to do in the engine bay! The next job will be to fit the rear 'parcel shelf' section, then the water header tanks, spark box, etc. It won't be long before I have to fit the covers over the gearbox and much of this work will be hidden away - but it's good to know it's there. After that I can connect the gearshift, fit the seat, steering column, etc, and eventually get to the point where I can fit the roof section!

I'll aim to post another update before Le Mans in a few weeks. I've got a three-day weekend coming up, so will probably tackle the Mk2 tyres so I can get the wheels finished. After that, the only major fabrication work will be on the door frames - but I can't do that until the roof is fitted. Fun times ahead!

SB

Since this model is in the home stretch, have you given any thought to the next scratchbuilt model?

Yes...'the next project'. If I'm honest, it'll probably be a 956/962 - I've got much more reference material for these than for the 935 (including layout drawings of the chassis, engine, gearbox, etc), so it should make life a little easier. The chassis tub will be a new challenge compared to all the tube-frame builds, so I'll probably have to do some tests to work out a suitable approach. It's too early to say whether it would be a specific 'known' car or a generic example - my success or failure with Martini stripes on the 935 could play a big part in that decision!

Whether I'll be posting images of the build, however, depends on the whole Photobucket situation, or whether I switch to an alternative service.

Given that the Moby Dick will have taken about six and a half years of my time once it's completed, I might just have a little break between projects, though..

SB

I can't wait to see the stripes on the car :)


As far as the paint peeling off is concerned: You wrote you did coat the bodywork with primer, but if I understand correctly on your test strip you sprayed the flat white directly on the part without primer? If yes, this might be the reason...

Unfortunately, MarcoSaupe, what's worrying me is that I did spray the test-piece with primer first, then two or three coats of white, then the red, blue and dark blue. All I can do is to repeat the process with another test piece and try the vinyl masking tapes rather than the paper ones. I bought some of the white Tamiya in 3mm and 5mm widths, to go with the 2mm I already had - hopefully this will be enough. After all this time, I will not be a happy modeller if the Martini stripes ruin the whole project!

Anyway, back to things I have (some) control over! The main project last weekend was to produce the Mk2 tyres. I deliberately made the originals too rough to use as the final pieces, as I knew they would be marked and damaged during the build. So, I set-to in the workshop with my cheap bench drill, adjustable hole cutter and 8mm Dremel-type mill cutter:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1233_zpsfwsv9hq4.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1233_zpsfwsv9hq4.jpg.html)

I used the mill cutter to thin down the 50mm foam block to the appropriate widths for the fronts and rears, marked the outside diameter with my compass-cutter, then drilled a pilot hole through the centre. I bored out the internal diameter most of the way through from each side, leaving enough in the middle to allow me to mount the tyre on a bolt later to shape the outside surfaces. Then I cut the outside diameter completely, separating each tyre from the main block.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1234_zpssmhzlhjs.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1234_zpssmhzlhjs.jpg.html)

The outside surface needed a bit of sanding to remove the marks left by the cutting tip, but by using the drill as a lathe it was easy enough to spin each tyre and shape them to suit. The circular slot made by the hole-cutter was also big enough to allow me to safely work on the inside edges, too. All of this work was done with emery cloth on a sanding stick, and a foam sanding pad. Before finally removing the centres I used the hole cutter again to add the small shoulder for each rim-half to locate into. Lots of mess, but a good result. In all it took about ten hours to make the four tyres…

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1235_zpswhxzwpbc.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1235_zpswhxzwpbc.jpg.html)

So far I've been building up a few coats of basic black craft paint to start sealing the foam. On the 908 I mixed in some PVA glue to try to give them a bit more strength, but I don't think I'll do that this time. I've been spraying some of the Tamiya acrylics onto a foam test piece - so far it's not eating into the surface, so I'm tempted to use the airbrush to layer on some of the different blacks and build up a better overall colour. Maybe some drybrushing too...

The wheels have also been receiving some attention - a grey primer undercoat, then a coat of flat black, then a couple of coats of semi-gloss black. I could spray the outer edges in silver for the look of polished rims, but there's enough evidence to show that at various times in-period it ran with black rims, so that's what I'm going with.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1236_zpsnyifopvh.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1236_zpsnyifopvh.jpg.html)

Next up, more interior work. After fitting all the pipework at the front of the engine, connecting the cables, wiring, etc, I could start adding the interior panels to hide all this detail away! First to go in was the rear 'parcel shelf' panel, complete with ignition packs, and then the distinctive water header tank and filler necks:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1240_zpso3rbw5wr.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1240_zpso3rbw5wr.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1241_zpslacanlzp.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1241_zpslacanlzp.jpg.html)

Then the next big step - adding the two gearbox cover panels inside the cockpit. This meant I also had to connect the gearshift, which then allowed be to add the seat, so I could also add the two lap-belts, then I could fit the steering column and instrument pod...and so on, and so on! All these little jobs and parts that have been waiting for months (or years), then the flood-gates open just because of two panels:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1238_zpsnovvjzo2.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1238_zpsnovvjzo2.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1242_zpslw2h36ag.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1242_zpslw2h36ag.jpg.html)

No major problems getting any of this into place as it was all designed to be pinned during the build. The lap-strap fixings were a little tricky, but not impossible. It was always going to be unfortunate to have to add the gearbox covers, but I couldn't see any way of having them removable - especially with the gearshift passing through, and the reduced access once the roof is fitted. You can see enough of the gearbox and suspension once the rear bodywork is removed, so that's compensation.

If anything, the biggest problem I have found during these last few weeks of assembly is being able to get CA glue just where I want it - and being able to get the parts into position before it sets! Parts that have been assembled and dis-assembled countless times during the build suddenly decide they don't want to fit properly just because they have the tiniest amount of glue on them...

What's next? The roof has been receiving a couple of final coats of white before I take the plunge to varnish it before adding the decals. So, I'll be making the decals, sorting out the final fit of the rear windows, screen, etc (to be added after the varnishing, of course). The dashboard top is ready to go in after I add the washer bottle and pump. I must make an interior mirror sometime, too - will be annoying to forget this and have to add it afterwards! When I'm happy with all this, the roof can be fitted and I can then work on the doors, etc. I don't think all this will happen before Le Mans, but probably not long after...

Mind you, it's not looking too bad:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1237_zpsonby2mxc.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1237_zpsonby2mxc.jpg.html)

Have a good week, as always!

SB

" it's not looking too bad."

SB,
This is true Craftsmanship/Art.

Trevor

Surely it's not looking too bad!:iceslolan:iceslolan:iceslolan

Just a quick note: when you go to finish the tyres, don't forget to include the XF-85 Tamiya Black, which will give you a nice "rubberish" touch!

Art

SB,

As stated before, nothing more I can add to critique your wonderful work, simply breath taking and outstanding above all your peers!

Your dedication and attention to detail is second to nobody.

What museum is receiving this once it is DONE?

Ben

Cheers, guys. No museum plans for this one, Ben - it'll end up on the shelf with all the others, gathering dust! I'd still like to visit the Porsche Museum one day, but I'm not sure if they'd be pleased to see my models, or whether they would set the lawyers on me!

Just a quick update today. I've been working on the frames for the rear side windows, and have fitted the washer bottle and pump at the front of the car. The main focus has been on the tyres, though.

After satisfying myself that the foam test-piece had not been affected by the airbrushed paint, I started with a couple of coats of Tamiya 'Nato Black' as a base-colour, followed by a coat of 'Rubber Black'. I wasn't impressed by the results:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1244_zpsrfflfylm.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1244_zpsrfflfylm.jpg.html)

Basic Nato black on the right, Rubber black on the left. Hmm. The rubber black actually looked much better when it was first applied, but it dried off to a dull-ish grey, rather than having that little bit of shine that tyres display.

So, the next step was a coat of Semi-gloss Black, and then a light spray of Rubber black around the main body of the tyre (but not on the sidewalls):

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1245_zpsqrbxencf.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1245_zpsqrbxencf.jpg.html)

Semi-gloss only on the right, extra Rubber black on the left. Much better! getting the difference to show in the photos is a bit tricky, but the semi-gloss is just giving that bit of shine. The question now is whether to try to drybrush some of the surface texture for a more authentic look, or to quit while I'm ahead. I'll try to take some detail photos of some of the slick tyres at work this week, and use them as references...

In the meantime, here's a quick test-assemble of one of the rears:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1246_zpsp92j1hlx.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1246_zpsp92j1hlx.jpg.html)

Anyone got a 1/8-scale 'Dunlop' template for the sidewall?! I'd love to add some lettering, but short of painting it freehand I don't think it's going to happen. I can't imagine that decals are going to stick on the foam, either...

That's it for today. Hopefully they'll have some interesting machinery on display at Le Mans next weekend. I know there's a 'Gulf' exhibition at the circuit museum this year, so maybe some of those cars will be on the track display during the Friday pitlane walkabout. Either way, I'm looking forward to the trip.

SB

As always a massive kick to see your progress. Those big old tyres look pretty neat. Too bad you haven't got access to one of the home vinyl cutters like the Silhouette Portrait. You cold easily make some killer low tack masks for your tyres and or bodywork.

Looking forward to the next exciting adventure next week :0 Best long running cliffhanger on the internet. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your stripes.

Hi.

For the tyres, I would try someone who could print some nice white ALPS decals and, then, to fix them with Equipe TRON's decal softener for tyres. Works like a charm!

Art

Work is still looking fantastic. I'm sure a car museum would love to display this. If your other work is similar it would make a fantastic display

Autograph produces a template for 1/8th scale tire markings, but sadly doesn't include Dunlop amongst them! Maybe a quick letter to them might interest them? Just a thought.

Possibly checking with Best Balsa Kits or Grand Prix Models might help? Maybe they can find something laying around in the remainders sections.

Wonderful build!

Hello again,

Various things to show you tonight - making progress in various directions! First up, would decals work on the foam tyres? The answer is 'yes':

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1248_zpsjtusidlu.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1248_zpsjtusidlu.jpg.html)

I painted a section of one of the original tyres, applied a spare fire-bottle decal using some Micro Sol, and was very pleased with the result. A spray of Citadel 'Purity Seal' varnish confirmed that it would eat into the foam, but that it would also give the protection the decals needed.

Next job was to spend an afternoon making a bunch of decals - the original plan was to concentrate on the ones required for the roof section and the tyres, but once underway I pretty much made the whole lot:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1249_zpsfxrfdvwn.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1249_zpsfxrfdvwn.jpg.html)

At the moment these are all Inkjet printed on white decal paper, but I have the option to print onto clear if necessary. I re-scanned the Tamiya sheet at the highest resolution possible, then copied-and-pasted the appropriate logo into 'Paint' on the PC. I cleaned around the edges, corrected any faults in the colours, then put the logo into 'Word' for printing.

I couldn't work out how to make the straight 'Dunlop' script into a suitable curved version, so I cut each letter from the main decal and applied it separately, again using Micro Sol. A quick coat of Liquid Decal Film, and I then tidied around the edges with Citadel 'Abaddon Black' and a small brush. A final spray of Purity Seal finished them off:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1252_zpscgbweqi9.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1252_zpscgbweqi9.jpg.html)

Not too many decals on the roof, but it took a bit of time working out where to position the two 'Teletron' logos on the top. I sprayed the top section with Purity Seal before (and after) applying the decals, but didn't use Micro Sol for these. I still need to make a few bits of detailing for the front - master switch, washer jet, air-jack switch - but these will be added shortly.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1253_zpsdqs2ajlu.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1253_zpsdqs2ajlu.jpg.html)

Amongst all the work with the decals, I've been making progress with the window frames and glasswork. My original plan was to glue the rear side windows to the outside of the frame, but I wasn't impressed with the result - too much splurge, untidy, etc! So, I re-made the appropriate pieces and will be sandwiching the window behind an outer 'seal' section. Although these were cut from black styrene sheet, I ended up priming and painting with semi-gloss black:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1254_zpst0noqk4r.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1254_zpst0noqk4r.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1256_zpss8bfl9vu.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1256_zpss8bfl9vu.jpg.html)

Also shown here is the rectangular section which will cover the vents at the base of the windscreen - more of this next time. The rear window posed a new problem - I wanted to glue it flush into the body, but after the experience with the side window I knew I had to hide the joint. I didn't have the depth to glue another layer of styrene over the top, so went for the option of masking and spraying a black border, about 3mm wide:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1255_zpsc2khcfml.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1255_zpsc2khcfml.jpg.html)

It's not glued in yet, but you get the idea. Here's one of the side windows:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1257_zps7zq5liee.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1257_zps7zq5liee.jpg.html)

I've also been working on the main windscreen; I felt the original version was too think, so re-cut it from 0.5mm clear. I've made some decals for the 'Martini Porsche' sun-strip across the top, and will be trying these out during the week. An interior mirror is in progress too, so my hope is that I will be able to fit the roof at the weekend...

All the best,

SB

Fantastic! This is my favorite part!

ianc

Looking sooooooooooooo good!

Great progress!

This amazing build is slowly coming to a end.

Very nice work on the tyres, cutting the letters into individual pieces actually makes it look better.

WOW!!! My tiny little brain cannot take this..stunning work and a true craftsman at work.

This is excellent! What a build - more and more inspiring with every update - keep 'em coming!

Always amazing to admire this incredible model

Small update tonight, but important developments.

The final job before fitting the roof onto the chassis was to sort out the small details across the base of the windscreen:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1258_zps1ajbczus.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1258_zps1ajbczus.jpg.html)

From the left we've got the airline nozzle and release handle for the airjack system, the single washer jet, the two spindles for the (one) wiper blade, electrical cut-off switch, and fire-pull. The windscreen has been fettled and fitted, but is waiting for the 'MartiniPorsche' sunband at this point...

Jumping ahead a bit, the air inlets for the turbos were completed by using 'Greenstuff' to create the flexible hose section, complete with clip details:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1259_zpsrbtpmlww.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1259_zpsrbtpmlww.jpg.html)

...but before they can be attached, the roof had to be fitted. So it was!

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1261_zpsdl4uxlzu.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1261_zpsdl4uxlzu.jpg.html)

The turbo pipes were a little scruffy, so I gave them a final airbrush of semi-gloss black, and brush-painted the flexible section. The mesh-covered inlets also received a final spray before fitting.

Attaching the roof was very much a 'point of no return' moment. I remembered to fit the wiper motor and mechanism beforehand, as this would be impossible with the roof in place. No dramas to report, and just a little greenstuff here and there to fill the gaps:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1262_zpsgmvu5n9q.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/ScratchBuilt917/media/Scratchbuilt%20Porsche%20Moby%20Dick/moby1262_zpsgmvu5n9q.jpg.html)

The 'MartiniPorsche' sunband is printed on photo-paper and fitted on the inside of the screen, with a matching strip of black styrene tucked in behind - provides a suitable mounting point for the interior mirror, too. The details at the base of the screen have been painted, as has the wiper blade - but this will be fitted at the very end to avoid possible damage.

All four wheels and tyres have been assembled, so that's another job ticked off the list. The sill extensions have been sprayed with 'Purity Seal' varnish and will be fitted shortly.

So, the main core of the car is very nearly complete. Fit the sills, sort out the doors, add the door latches, fit the front coolers, pipework and exit ducts...that's pretty much it. After that it's bodywork, bodywork and more bodywork! I'm going to have to put more work into the rear sections, some of it planned, some unplanned (unfortunately).

There's a lot of cracking in the filler on the rear wheelarches, for example, which has appeared in the last few weeks - annoying, given that it was applied back in the Spring. I suspect the warm weather we've had in the UK for the last month may be part of the problem, but it needs sorting out before I tackle the stripes. The engine cover was always going to be re-made after going out of shape, so that's something I need to get on with. Now the roof is on I can finalise the fit of all these exterior panels before continuing with the painting.

More next time!

SB

Sorry to hear about the problems. Hope you'll sort it out without too much trouble.
Stunning build.