Audi Ur-Quattro “canno-flage” street-rally

[Pete75]

This project is part of the 2021 Cannonball Run group build. The theme this year is "race cars in disguise": competition vehicles modified to travel the highways under the radar of law enforcement - in every sense! The '81 Audi Quattro WRC 1:24 by Italeri is my chosen kit:

 

My aim is to turn it into something similar to this (a later model, but you get the picture):

 

It must be said, from the outside, there aren't huge differences between rally & road cars once they've been to the spray booth. This led me to consider whether I should actively "dorkify" the thing (like some non-Quattro Audi Coupes of the era) but I concluded that I'm not prepared to spend time building something I don't think looks cool: it won't look like a race car, but I'm not going to turn it into a shopping trolley either! I plan to lower the high gravel suspension and switch the wheels, plus tint the rear glass (to disguise the rally interior) and remove the front windows (for display purposes). And, apart from upgrading the exhaust system, that's pretty much it for the exterior - the rest of my effort will be channelled into the interior.

I don't have the skills (or mechanical knowledge, frankly!) to be dropping an engine in, but I plan to extend my scratch building knowledge with some creative cockpit upgrades. While the exterior may easily switch to looking like a road car, I plan to make the interior "extra rally". Many of the techniques I intend to use will be a first for me, so any suggestions/tips from experienced builders are welcome.

First thing was to mock up the cockpit to see what's what. (The only thing I glued was the roll cage, but not before spending a LONG time sanding off all the flashing). After comparing it with my reference photos, I would say it's pretty accurate: it's not Tamiya, but it's not bad. I was keen to see how to go about fitting aftermarket seat belts.

The 1:1 WRC car had its belts tethered to a bar running between the rear struts, but the kit doesn’t have this rear cage section. I had hoped to be able to simply “weld” in a simple alternative, but no dice. The kit (accurately) has angled bars close to the headrests and in a position where the belts coming through the seats can only pass either side of them and anchor somewhere behind (like the 1:1 car), or the belts would have to be very short and tether immediately behind the seat. I didn’t like the second option so I gathered up reference pics and decided to try my hand at roll cage fabrication…

After taking measurements with the body shell on, I drilled fixed anchor points above the wheels then worked upwards from here, gluing several sections of 1.6mm rod together before then sanding off sharp corners & adding putty to neaten up. A candle was used to bend the small vertical sections, but I should’ve done it before I started assembly because I burned the horizontal bar!

I noticed from the mock up was that the kit seats are positioned too far forward on their runners compared to the typical position seen in my reference pics. A nice straightforward fix here using a razor saw/file to increase the length of the front notched section. (Also, I had to shave off injection nodes from the base of the seats to get them to sit right).

I decided that the designated position of the handbrake & gear shifter is too far back, even with the seats retracted. I’m planning on doing something non-stock here anyway, so best to just sand off the mouldings - together with the pitiful “pedals”. Whilst doing this, I noticed the foot wells seemed too narrow to put proper pedals in: it took me a while to figure it out, but I think it’s because they’re too deep, so I made some paper templates and laid some plasticard panels in:

Finally, I had a go at making styrene arms for some PE pedals. VERY fiddly, but I found it really satisfying! I’m thinking I’ll spray the assembly with black primer then sand the paint off the pedal faces? (If that doesn’t work, they’ll have to be all black – the chassis is silver so it’ll look cool either way.)

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Pete75

[Danno]

Nicely done, Pete!

??

[89AKurt]

I'll be following along, since we would probably be dicing between ourselves during the race since I'm doing a Subie.  ?  After seeing what that kit looks like, would spring for the Tamiya if I ever get the urge.  I already have a suggestion, hope you don't mind.  The pedal arm pivot point should be higher up, perhaps under the dashboard, you need to have travel space.  For example:

That kit needs so many scratch-built parts, like a shirt pin for a gear shift, etc.   Does it come with gauge decals?

[Pete75]

4 hours ago, Danno said:

Nicely done, Pete!

??

Thank you sir - appreciate it ??

4 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

I already have a suggestion, hope you don't mind.  The pedal arm pivot point should be higher up, perhaps under the dashboard, you need to have travel space.  For example:

That kit needs so many scratch-built parts, like a shirt pin for a gear shift, etc.   Does it come with gauge decals?

Thanks Kurt, that's exactly the kind of input I'm looking for, and the earlier the better! I had a great time reading through your "Celexus" build, although it made me regret including the word "custom" in my thread title... so I changed it!! ? The kit does have correct gauge decals: they're clustered and supposed to be laid over the multiple raised dials in one go, but I'll (probably) try to cut them out and lay each one individually. It may take a while... ?

Edited January 5, 2021 by Pete75

[kermn8r]

Another suggestion, if you don't mind is when you install the gauge faces rotate them as needed so that at normal operating conditions the needles would point straight up. The theory being a quick glance would tell a driver or co-driver during a special stage that something was Abby normal if a needle was not pointing up.

[Spottedlaurel]

Will be interesting to see your take on this, looks like you're mkaing good progress so far.

I only have experience with the Tamiya version, I merged a lightly started rally version with remnants from the road car I built back in the '80s to come up with this:

1:24 Tamiya Audi Quattro kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

[Pete75]

On 1/7/2021 at 6:25 AM, kermn8r said:

Another suggestion, if you don't mind is when you install the gauge faces rotate them as needed so that at normal operating conditions the needles would point straight up. The theory being a quick glance would tell a driver or co-driver during a special stage that something was Abby normal if a needle was not pointing up.

Thanks Walt, appreciate the input, and that would definitely be "extra rally!" I recall seeing that on in-car footage when I was young & not knowing why they did it ?. The likelihood is that I won't be employing it here, though, as the dash has embossed dials/needles to match the decals (see below). I'm not a fan of this, to the point where I've even considered drilling them out, but the effort/risk is pointing me in the direction of just playing safe. I am taking a lesser leap into unknown with the dash, however, in prepping for unbelievably small PE toggle switches: I've cut/sanded off three raised buttons in the centre & drilled holes with my very smallest bit ?. So far ok, I think...

15 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

I only have experience with the Tamiya version, I merged a lightly started rally version with remnants from the road car I built back in the '80s to come up with this:

1:24 Tamiya Audi Quattro kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

That's a real beauty there, Nigel! Definitely useful for reference too, as the Tamiya kit seems to have a more accurate front end than the Italeri one - which I'm currently doing some minor surgery on...

[89AKurt]

1 hour ago, Pete75 said:

[...] I am taking a lesser leap into unknown with the dash, however, in prepping for unbelievably small PE toggle switches: I've cut/sanded off three raised buttons in the centre & drilled holes with my very smallest bit ?. So far ok, I think...

I've used those too!  Really adds to the whole picture.  One for oil slick, two for back running & brake lights off, three for?  I was planning this on my project too.

[Pete75]

19 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

I've used those too!  Really adds to the whole picture.  One for oil slick, two for back running & brake lights off, three for?  I was planning this on my project too.

I must confess I hadn't thought of assigning the functions! I'll be adding a couple more to the centre console I'm planning to build but I imagine they'll all remain Top Secret. If the ultra-detailed tool kit in the trunk of your Ferrari 275 is anything to go by, your switches will probably be individually labelled!!?

[89AKurt]

4 hours ago, Pete75 said:

I must confess I hadn't thought of assigning the functions! I'll be adding a couple more to the centre console I'm planning to build but I imagine they'll all remain Top Secret. If the ultra-detailed tool kit in the trunk of your Ferrari 275 is anything to go by, your switches will probably be individually labelled!!?

Yes, don't tell everyone your secret weapons.  You're killing me!  ?  Not only labeled, but workable.  ?

[Pete75]

Got myself some 3mm steel tube to do some exhaust tips for the first time, but it wasn't going to look right on the end of the stock system which is puny and moulded to the chassis as far as the rear muffler:

I decided to do away with the whole thing (well, almost all) and set about it with a chisel blade & sand paper. The centre muffler turned out to be hollow and left a big hole to be filled...

When tidying up (above) I managed to sand away the rear muffler locator tabs, so I drilled them out and glued in some wire. Decided the easiest way to mount the mid section was to glue some 1.5mm angle strip to to the edge of the tunnel to sit under the pipe. Also found I needed to file/sand the corner section of chassis where the mid pipe meets the centre muffler.

For the pipe I used 2.4mm tube. I always planned to use wire in the ends as locators but discovered it was best to run it through the whole length of tube to support bending it. I made the replacement muffler by gluing together then shaping plasticard. The final touch was to add a flange towards the front (drilled/shaped plasticard) and close up any joint gaps with putty.

Back on the top side (above) I needed to build a bracket to mount the pedals, so got busy with plasticard & Milliput. Not the most elegant solution - it "evolved organically" -  but all is now set for the pedal arms to sit exactly where I want & at the desired angle. Finally, I've gotten ahead of myself slightly and finished a replacement steering wheel as the stock one belongs on a station wagon...

 

[Tortuga Kustomz]

Amazing work so far, looking forward for more cool stuff man

[Pete75]

On 1/17/2021 at 4:34 AM, Tortuga Kustomz said:

Amazing work so far, looking forward for more cool stuff man

Thanks Marcos - appreciate it!?

Some more first-time modification work completed. First up, I built a central console to sit under the dashboard as the kit doesn't feature one. After researching, it seems most rally Quattros had custom layouts and cars were seldom the same, which is cool because this is the first build where I'm allowing myself to go my own way! I based my design (loosely) on picture I found of a later Quattro S1:

The top section has holes for some more toggle switches; the middle will be a police scanner and the bottom a CB radio - the hole will house the handset cable. Below is a rear view of the structure which uses angle strip and tubing to brace it.

Next, some bodywork alterations. Here is a picture of what a box stock build is supposed to look like:

And here is a reference pic of the '81 era road car. Notice that the upper indicators are somewhat different in width, along with the depth of the bumper recess:

Not a big deal, perhaps, but as I have a chance here to experiment/learn I figured I'd try altering it. First I cut down the lights with my awesome new Zona razor saw:

I actually cut too much away (great start!) and had to build the indicators back up slightly with two bits of 0.5mm styrene. Next, I used 2.5mm angle strip to create a solid square edge up against the lights, plus I glued strips of 0.5mm styrene into the recessed areas beneath:

Then I shaved/sanded back the plasticard and filled the gaps with Millput. I also elected to get rid of the repeaters; an idea I got from Nigel's build (above) and because I've come to realise that no car ever had it's looks improved by them! (Where will this new found anarchy end?! ?)

Had to sand & re-fill a couple of times, but it's pretty close to where I want it now. I'm guessing the primer/undercoat might show up small imperfections but I plan to sort them with a little Tamiya putty - if it ever arrives from Poland!

Edited January 20, 2021 by Pete75

[Pete75]

I had every intention of adding to my list of firsts by lowering the ride height. However, the dry fitting revealed that the suspension isn’t set anywhere near as high as I had been led to believe by some pictures I’d seen online:

The out of the box stance is pretty typical and any lowering I would aim for would be less than 1mm so I reckon it’s best left alone. (More comfortable for a 25 hour trip too!) The mock-up also allowed me to check the fit of the Ronal tarmac alloys from Reji. Although marketed as being specifically for this kit, when put next to the kit wheels, they didn’t look like had a chance of being a match in terms of offset. Thankfully, I was completely wrong and they sit just fine - albeit after drilling the centres out. A BIG amount of work, though, cleaning up all the flash & cutting the width to fit the tyres:

Set about scratch building a replacement gear lever & linkage. My design ended up being a pick-n-mix of various reference photos; I used 2 needles, 1.6mm & 2mm rod, 2.5mm angle strip & 0.5mm plasticard:

Always one to put off bigger tasks if there's something nice and small to do, I've manfully tackled the issue of wiring... ? Below is the wiring loom I plan to run from the dash to the trunk, plus a curly cable (wire wound around wire) for the CB handset - all wire from Zero Design. Full disclosure here: 1) I might not have some of the equipment I'm planning (e.g. CB radio) if it weren't for the ideas within an article on real life Cannonballers posted by @89AKurt in the 2020 CBR build thread, so thanks to him. 2) The wiring is fully lifted from inspired by @lghtngyello03 and his awesome Pennzoil Skyline build ?: I did warn him I was studying his work carefully!!

Have also taken delivery of the photo-etch set from Reji:

I plan to use most of it & save the rest for other projects. The front grill (bottom of pic) has an embossed logo on it which is somewhat smaller than the PE version. Having paid for it, you can bet I'm using the PE one, so I've shaved of the raised plastic with a chisel blade & reckon the upgrade will cover it well enough. I'm still fairly new to PE & am undecided on which adhesive to use here. Any ideas welcome - preferably something from my existing range ?!

 

 

[lghtngyello03]

Going to be a great looking build!! Glad I could inspire someone lol. 

[89AKurt]

You are plugging away just fine!  Can hardly wait to see how you do with the p-e wipers, been there done that never again if I can help it.  I've not used any of those glues, but suggest trying the Gorilla or BSI, maybe the varnish if it does not react with whatever paint.   That p-e set has seat belt buckles, that's more than my set.

[Pete75]

A bit of progress. The bodywork prep has been a long journey that I didn't forsee, not just because of the front end modification but also because of all the cleaning up & scribing needed. First up, I finally got the Tamiya Basic Putty delivered so I could finish the front wings:

First impressions of the putty are favourable: it's quick to apply (and set!) & it sands down nicely. I had to fill, sand, then prime 2 or 3 times to get things right, but it's all good training😄

In altering the indicators/wings, I ended up studying the shell pretty closely and unearthed other significant deviations from the 1:1 car. (I'm not a Quattro afficionado, so I'm learning on the job). The most significant of these is the shape & size of the front bumper, but it's beyond my skills to do anything about & I'm content to just make the best of what I've got.

Although not visually obvious, when you pick up the shell you're in danger of cutting your fingers on every single edge because of all the flash! Had to get pretty busy with a de-burring blade before any sanding could take place. I also felt the need to deepen & widen every panel line with my new Tamiya line scriber (which I found to be great) although I got a bit carried away and messed up the boot line on the roof:

I tried a quick repair with the Tamiya putty, but found that the edge crumbled when I came to re-scribe. Ended up having to fill the whole thing with Milliput & start over. When I came to scribe this time I employed a trick I recently read & used Dymo tape to act as a guide:

Starting with a needle scriber I made a number of passes very gently before going to the line scriber:

Still went a bit overboard second time around (I'll have to watch this!) but it's tidy & I'm happy enough. It meant I could finally get the undercoat on!! 😅

Back to the small bits...

Weight saving is my weapon, so I did some carbon Kevlar decals on the seats & sump guard. I don't think the 1981 cars had Kevlar components (I'm happy to be corrected) but this is 2021 and it's MY car!

Finished up the pedals. I painted them black then sanded them a bit & decided on the used look. Also above is the front grill which I'm pleased with because I've now all-but-disappeared the embossed Audi badge with a chisel blade & scriber. Lastly, I've been working pretty hard on the custom dash and am now finished:

The PE toggle switches were a nightmare! I lost so many of them that I abandoned ship halfway & just used 3. I made a GPS (grey screen) & a tablet (white) and had fun repurposing old decals for the screens and the CB/scanner. Thanks for looking 👍 

[Belugawrx]

The dash looks Great Peter...like the Blaupunkt stereo 

Carry on Cannonballing !!

Cheers

[Steve H]

Great work here Peter. The dash looks fantastic!

Cheers, Steve

[Pete75]

5 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

The dash looks Great Peter...like the Blaupunkt stereo 

Carry on Cannonballing !!

Cheers

 

5 hours ago, Steve H said:

Great work here Peter. The dash looks fantastic!

Cheers, Steve

Thank you both, Bruce & Steve  - I did take a disproportionate amount of pride in the dash!!😁

[afx]

Nice work Peter.

[Mattilacken]

Looks good! nice details you are working on! I walk past one of these with BBS wheels, mint condition, every day when droping of the kids on kinder garden. 

[Pete75]

On 2/7/2021 at 12:52 PM, afx said:

Nice work Peter.

Thanks for looking JC 👍

2 hours ago, Mattilacken said:

Looks good! nice details you are working on! I walk past one of these with BBS wheels, mint condition, every day when droping of the kids on kinder garden. 

Thanks Anton. Don't remember when I last saw one - they're getting old! 😄

[Mattilacken]

14 hours ago, Pete75 said:

Thanks for looking JC 👍

Thanks Anton. Don't remember when I last saw one - they're getting old! 😄

Yes they are! 

[Pete75]

37 minutes ago, Mattilacken said:

Yes they are! 

Easy to lose your car in Sweden!😆 It has the blacked rear lights which I'm planning to do - I can't resist it because it looks too cool! Thanks for sharing 👍