1/8 scale Porsche 917-10

Hello!

I've been scratch-building 1/8 scale race-cars since 2001, but this is the most recently completed project - a 1972 Porsche 917-10. Build-time was somewhere in excess of 1300 hours between July 2006 and November 2008. After earlier projects, I decided not to keep an accurate record of the hours on this one...

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710064.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710058.jpg

It's mainly plastic tube, strip and sheet, with the bodywork in fibreglass. There were a few 'firsts' for me on this one - the body, in particular, was a challenge - both in construction and painting. Rather than try for a particular team's colours, I decided that 'just-out-of-the-factory' white would be suitable for a first attempt with an airbrush.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710060.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710063.jpg

I'll post more photos and info soon (both of the -10, and current 908 project, but I hope this is of interest for now.

ScratchBuilt

Holy Mckenna! Outstanding project. I can just imagine the research and time that went into this.

:eek2: Wow! Difficult to find the words to describe this! Overwhelming!

That is some really impressive work, just amazing!

You say you've been building such big cars since 2001, please show us the rest if possible.

Looking forward to see the 908 take form, we all like in-progress pictures so keep the build record coming.


Niclas

Wow that looks incredible

Wow! Over the top.

:eek2: Wow! Difficult to find the words to describe this! Overwhelming!

:iagree:

...and welcome to AF ! Robi

Faaaantastic stuff!

Guess I'll have to pull my finger out on my project now?:rofl:

Love to see some WIP pics as I want to start the chassis fab on my beastie soon. Any tube forming/bending/soldering tips etc. would be greatly appreciated!:popcorn:

Firstly, thanks for the warm response to this one - it's taken me the last six months to get around to posting anything on this forum, mainly because I wasn't sure what I might be getting myself into. However, having taken inspiration from many of the projects I've seen here, I guess it's time to put something back.

I never seem to take many photos whilst I'm working on my projects, so I don't have a backlog of WIP shots I can post for this one. However, the following few show some of the different areas (apologies for WIP in a 'completed project' thread, but I guess it's better to have everything in one place?)

Here's the chassis sometime during the wiring and plumbing process; I think the engine and gearbox were fitted shortly afterwards. It's all plastic tubing - mainly 1/8" and 5/32", with 3/32" for the smallest sections.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710005.jpg

Left-hand rear corner - I used R/C model balljoints for some of the suspension pick-ups to allow movement whilst taking some weight. For the other joints I made basic rod-end fittings from wire. I wanted the suspension to articulate so that I didn't end up with one wheel hanging in the air; it works. Brake discs on this particular 917 were drilled and ventilated, so this took a while too - each face has over 40 holes, two faces per disc, each hole being marked, drilled and cleaned up...then having to cut and fit all the spacers in between.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710020.jpg

The gearbox was built around a basic box-section core in four parts - the clutch housing, diff housing, the gear carrier, and the end cover. Again, by this time the casings were heavily finned for strength, so this was replicated with layers of 0.4mm and 0.5mm styrene strip. Not a ten-minute job.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710034.jpg

Finally, here's the fibreglass body before undercoating. I made a male buck from thick blue insulating foam, added to the shape with filler and plastic (even a small plastic spoon cut in two on the engine cover), then gave it all a coating of craft paint mixed with PVA glue as a protective layer. A quick smear of vaseline as a release agent and I could lay-up the matting surprisingly quickly. Each piece has between four and six layers of really fine tissue, but the end result is about 0.5mm thick - and easy to cut, glue and fill afterwards. The tail section ended up being made from six different mouldings, plus the plastic detailing. The louvres in the nose section were fun, too - each one had to be individually cut and filed to suit the different angles as the nose slopes away.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710044.jpg

I'm going to document the build of my 908-3 as a WIP thread, so I'll show my chassis construction there. Sorry Cinqster - it's not soldered (but that Pocher F40 is mightily impressive) - but it might be of interest.

Thanks for looking,

ScratchBuilt

Oh, I'm sorry. That 'thump' noise was just my jaw hitting my desk.

A very impressive build. I dare say you could be well along with building as 1:1 version with that much effort!

I can't wait to see the 908-3, it's second on my all time favorite list after the 917LH.

Now this is my kind of project! Big and made from scratch! This is outstanding craftsmanship. Your idea with the bodywork is what I plan on doing for my F40. That's my brass chassis you were speaking of in an earlier post, I believe. Your chassis alone is a work of art! Bravo, and do show us more! I'm sick(again), but want to go work on mine after seeing this one!!!:smile::smile::smile:

BM1

Friggin awesome work! That's probably the sort of project everybody here dreams of sooner or later:-) Respect for actually going for it and the result you achieved! I too am looking forward to a 908/3 project. That's on my future "scratch"-project list as well.....only in 1:43:-)

This is an incredible, mouth watering, jaw dropping piece of work

That is truly stunning. What sort of research was required by you to replicate the parts, wiring etc?

Again, what can be said that can adequately express how extraordinary this build is?

Bloody awsome mate,words cannot describe how good that is:biggrin: :sunglasse

My work colleagues are looking in my direction as I just fell off my chair...

Fantastic scratch-building work!

Oops - I should apologise for any injuries caused by dropped-jaws, or falling-off-chair incidents! Seriously, thanks again for the positive feedback on this one. The only downside is that progress on the 908-3 will be slow, but at least it will be documented.

A couple of follow-ups. I started building my first 917K in early 2004, but at this time there just wasn't much available in the way of new reference material. The last few years have seen several really good 917-related books released, so I've added most of them to my collection as the models have progressed. You just want to find that one photo which shows a particular view of whatever part of the car you're having trouble with!

For the 917-10 in particular, the following were perhaps the most useful (and well-thumbed):

'Porsche 917 - The Winning Formula' by Peter Morgan
'Porsche Racing Cars of the 70's' by Paul Frere
'Can-Am & Can-Am Photo History', both by Pete Lyons
'Porsche - Excellence was Expected' by Karl Ludvigsen
'Porsche 917 The Undercover Story' by Gordon Wingrove

...plus various magazine articles, etc. There's a small-but-detailed general arrangement drawing of the -10 in the Paul Frere book which was really the key to the whole project. 'The Undercover Story' mainly covers the development of the coupe and long-tail cars, but there's obviously a great many common parts; it also has a copy of the 917K wiring diagram, and a simplified version of the -10's, so I had these to work from. Everything else was a case of cross-checking all the different photos to work out what was going on, or drawing inspiration from other Porsche racers of the period.

For now, I'll stick with 1/8 scale: any larger and I won't be able to get the finished article out of my bedroom and down the stairs...

I'll post some more detail shots at the weekend.

ScratchBuilt

do you work at NASA ? did you go to MIT ? Are you one of those guys on a first name basis with all the staff at Home Depot? I gotta say, i've never seen anything like what you do, impressive and downright aswesome! cant wait to see the next project !!!

A few more detail shots:

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710071.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710081.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710076.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710078.jpg

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt121/ScratchBuilt917/91710074.jpg

Thanks for looking.

ScratchBuilt

Even with the pictures in front of me I still can hardly believe this!!!

Incredible work - congratulations surely in order!

Well, I have to admit that I can't think of anything to say that is suitable to express just how impressive a model that is! Words like awesome, stunning, incredible, etc, just don't do it justice!! It's an absolutely wonderful piece of master craftsmanship! Excellent stuff!!

I sneaked a look at your profile & noticed you are in the UK, so could I ask from where do you get "thick blue insulating foam" ? Is there a trade name for it & can it be bought in small amounts? Can it be worked with normal hand tools? (& reading your descriptions of the build, it sounds like you did all that work without things like lathes - is that the case??)

And (sorry for all the questions!!), can I ask how you did the tyres & what you used for the seat harness material - the textures on both look incredibly realistic. Well, actually the whole thing looks incredibly realistic......!!

TIA

Keef

Phew! That's a jaw-dropper. Unbelievable work.

Great job. Beautiful car. The only thing which is invisible are the many hours you put in it.

mvgrijk

In response to Keef's post: I bought the blue foam from an insulation supplier in Norwich as a single 2" thick sheet, maybe 6' x 4'? (could have been 8' x 4', I suppose) I don't remember it being particularly expensive, though, and I used quite a bit to make the buck for the bodywork, plus the tyres. I don't think it has a particular brand-name, and I would imagine you could get it anywhere. It cuts okay with a fine hacksaw, or a hot-wire cutter is good, too.

I made the tyres by rough-cutting the foam to shape with a saw, then using a small milling cutter in a bench drill to get back to level. I then spun the foam core in the drill and used fine emery cloth to get the correct shaping - lots of blue dust everywhere! A wood-working hole-cutter was used in the drill to take out the core - it didn't have to be an exact fit as I wanted to make up the difference between the foam tyre and the RC car wheel centres with thin sheet.

The tyres are the only thing on the 917 which have been 'machined' - everything else is fabricated using a knife, files, saw, pin-vice, etc. I've bought a small Unimat modelling lathe which I will be using on the 908-3 project - it will certainly help with many of the smaller components, but I think it will be also be able to handle the tyres.

The seatbelts are just blue ribbon, bought locally (the things I've had to ask for in shops - "it's for a modelling project, honest!"...) with the buckles, adjusters, etc made up from sheet, strip, and suchlike. The ribbon glues okay with cyanoacrylate but it does go a bit stiff, so you have to be careful not to use too much. The seat itself is a fibreglass moulding - again, a blue-foam core with a few layers of fine cloth laid over it, then painted.

Cheers!

ScratchBuilt

Excellent!! Many thanks for the comprehensive reply Scratchbuilt - much appreciated!!:smile:

I shall go in search of some blue insulation foam as soon as the snow melts (could probably do with some for the loft too!!)

Thanks again
Keef

Hi,
welcome to AF.

Supernaturally, absolutely fantastic.
That is the best scratch-building model that I have ever seen!
I bow to you.

I'm gonna have to start again after seeing this 'masterclass'. 10/10!

Another of those bumps I like to see ever!!!

This is even obscene modeling pornography!

SB you're super! I hope one day to have the chance to meet you and see your stuff by naked eye, sure would deserve the trip.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the compliments - it seems a long time since I finished this one (this time last year, in fact).

917fan - what's the project? Surely something Porsche-shaped...?

Gionc - again, thanks for the kind words. I'm always impressed by what everyone here does with kit-based projects - whether it's just a straight build, or a major cut-n-shut job like your rally 911's. One of the great things about this forum is that there is so much inspirational stuff going on!

Oh, and if anyone's looking for really good chassis plans and layouts for the various 917's, check out 'Porsche 917 Archiv und Werkverzeichnis 1968 - 1975' by Walter Naher, published by Delius Klasing. It's about £ 50 and with German text, but it's got layout and line drawings of all the 917 variations and is 575 pages of 917 heaven. It looks like it's been published to coincide with the 917's 40th birthday and the opening of the Porsche Museum, but if they release any more editions like this on the 956, for example (or the 908, 935, 936...), I'll be first in the queue.

SB

Wow that is an incredible build. So you built this eyeballing it from photos in books?

Hi SilverMk2 - yep, all from books, magazines, photos, etc, and one small layout drawing in 'Porsche Racing Cars of the 70's' by Paul Frere. The same drawing - much larger, fortunately - is also in the new '917 Archiv' book I mentioned in my last post. Unfortunately I've not been lucky enough to see a 917-10 in the flesh.

Since starting on my first 917K I've been living with Porsche sports racers for the past five years or so now, surrounded by books and magazines, and after a while it all sinks in! (osmosis? Porsche-mosis?)

SB

WHOLY CRAP!!
I thougt the 908/3 was your fisrt built!
I have a weak hart for these vintage Porsches.
At the moment I'm working also on the 917/10 from Formula Canada.
It's a resin kit in 1/24 scale.
Now it's for 90% finished.

Maurits

Oh, and if anyone's looking for really good chassis plans and layouts for the various 917's, check out 'Porsche 917 Archiv und Werkverzeichnis 1968 - 1975' by Walter Naher, published by Delius Klasing. It's about £ 50 and with German text, but it's got layout and line drawings of all the 917 variations and is 575 pages of 917 heaven. It looks like it's been published to coincide with the 917's 40th birthday and the opening of the Porsche Museum, but if they release any more editions like this on the 956, for example (or the 908, 935, 936...), I'll be first in the queue.

SB

Good advice! Go amazon....... (and sure go out munny......)

This is just amazing work, not just the practicality of building it; as an engineer I can understand that but the time & patience required. You're clearly brilliantly insane!

Cheers!!

Wow! Hard to find the words to describe this! really impressive model.