Porsche 956 (1/8 Update - Engine / Interior)

[hot-wheels]

Here is my latest project. This is an older kit. It was given to me as a gift/hand-me-down that was slightly started. I picked up the PE set for it, stripped & disassembled the parts started by someone else and have the body almost fully prepped for primer.

<img src="http://images52.fotki.com/v1566/photos/9/1473019/7876535/IMG_7010-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://images52.fotki.com/v1567/photos/9/1473019/7876535/IMG_7012-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

I installed the kit glass and surface sanded it to the body. Next, I will remove it and polish it back to clear with a set of polishing pads. This should level out reflections and improve the too-thick appearance kit glass has.

<img src="http://images112.fotki.com/v173/photos/9/1473019/7876535/IMG_7203-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Along the way, I intended to open this grate on the side. I used my dremmel at a slow speed and took my time but the stupid thing caught & tore out. This has caused quite a bit of stall on the build trying to decide how to repair this problem.

<img src="http://images41.fotki.com/v9/photos/9/1473019/7876535/IMG_7206-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Thanks for looking, crits welcome.

Edited January 8, 2010 by hot-wheels

[crispy]

Jay, nice work so far. I look forward to your progress on this.

As for the vents that got hooked, do you think you could just cut them out and make some from small bits of styrene(evergreens strip) stock? Or, could you find something in scale as far as a vent through photo etch?

Either way I don't think it should stop you too much. It appears to be an easy fix from what I see. Just time and patience.

Keep us posted.

Chris

[Chillyb1]

I am very happy to see this build. I recently got the Repsol version of Tamiya's 962C with the photoetch set and have been wanting to see a comparison with the 956 kits. Though you had to sand down the clear parts, at least they aren't molded directly into the body as they are on the 962C! I had to sand down the injector marks from the inside and that was no fun at all.

I was just about to open up those side grilles with my Dremel when I saw what happened to yours, so maybe I'll rethink that step.

Not to hijack the thread, but does anybody know why the bodies are so different in Tamiya's 956 and 962 kits?

Edited October 13, 2009 by Chillyb1

[Foxer]

First, very interesting glass treatment .. that should really improve the lot!

Not to hijack the thread, but does anybody know why the bodies are so different in Tamiya's 956 and 962 kits?

I am not an in depth expert, but the 962, even though it's a modified 956 for for the States, is a different car. The bodywork changed on both over the years they were in service. It sounds like Tamiya really did them right if they don't match!

[Nick F40]

The 956 and 962 were pretty much the same, just like he said, european and american.

Well, I have this same kit and am building it soon so i'll be watching this

[chris coller]

The 956 and 962 were pretty much the same, just like he said, european and american.

Well, I have this same kit and am building it soon so i'll be watching this

My friend you are close to what he is asking, but the 962 is based on a slot car. That is why the windows are glued in already. I had the Shell 962 and was none to happy with that. I took the car back to the hobby shop and traded for something else.

[ScaleCentral]

The 956 has the short wheelbase. The 956 started out in 1982 with a mechanical fuel injection. In 1983 they developed electronic fuel injection and started working on developing the short track car (shovel nose). In 1984, they introduced the 962 for IMSA competition. IMSA rules stated the driver's feet must be behind the front axle centerline, so Porsche added 6 inches to the wheelbase without adding to the overall length. Porsche developed the 962 into a single turbo version for the IMSA version and a dual turbo for the European series. Overall the 956 lasted until 1986 winning LeMans in 1982, 1983 (both Rothmans), 1984, 1985 (both Team Joest NewMan). The 962 won Lemans in 1986, 1987 (both Rothmans again), and 1994 (FATurbo Express). The 956 and 962 won several races in the US and Europe including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Outside the Audi and it's derivatives, the 956/962 has been the most successful line of cars at LeMans.

Nic

[hot-wheels]

Thanks for all the comments guys. As far as the torn out grate goes, I have cleared out the opening completely. I've been searching for a PE replacement and researching how to produce home-grown PE to fix the problem. So far I have not found anything pre-made.

I have made a first attempt at my own PE, however several things went wrong before even getting the metal into the etching solution. Transferring the printed image to the metal with a resist backing was not as simple as my research implied. I'll have to get a picture of the final product but basically the chemical ate into the resist and what was left was a partial print and extremely thin (about .001).

Here is a pic of the first attempt to transfer my print to .005 stainless steel.

After the third try, still not perfect but I thought it was good enough.

I'm going to try to etch one more time only in .005 brass this time, then I'll give a styrene solution a harder look.

Wish me some luck. I really want the home-grown PE to work.

[crispy]

Wow Jay! Great to see you working through the problem and with your own photo etch. Impressive. I hope it works for you. Keep plugging away!

Chris

[crispy]

Jay, I know this would be a tedious process but I was wondering if you had maybe thought outside the box? I was looking through some photo etch and realized that maybe you could utilize photo etch from say, armor/ships? I suspect that would be a heck of a lot of p.e. to have to look through, but I just wanted to put that out there for you. I suspect by the time you have read this you'll have already gotten what you needed.

Chris

[CAL]

The 956 has the short wheelbase. The 956 started out in 1982 with a mechanical fuel injection. In 1983 they developed electronic fuel injection and started working on developing the short track car (shovel nose). In 1984, they introduced the 962 for IMSA competition. IMSA rules stated the driver's feet must be behind the front axle centerline, so Porsche added 6 inches to the wheelbase without adding to the overall length. Porsche developed the 962 into a single turbo version for the IMSA version and a dual turbo for the European series. Overall the 956 lasted until 1986 winning LeMans in 1982, 1983 (both Rothmans), 1984, 1985 (both Team Joest NewMan). The 962 won Lemans in 1986, 1987 (both Rothmans again), and 1994 (FATurbo Express). The 956 and 962 won several races in the US and Europe including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Outside the Audi and it's derivatives, the 956/962 has been the most successful line of cars at LeMans.

Nic

Pretty much.

IMSA was scared that the 956 would dominate the series and didn't think Porsche would actually build a new car to meet the requirements.

For over a decade it was the most dominate winningest sports car the world had ever seen.

[hot-wheels]

A small update but a BIG smile on my face.

I have the body primed. Every thing looks smooth.

But the reason I'm so happy is that I have successfully etched a replacement for the side grates that I screwed up.

They are a little double exposed (the back resist did not align perfectly with the front) and I will probably take another swing at it before I attach anything to the car but

I MADE MY OWN PE

two styles: one rather simple the other designed to fold back louver style

[crispy]

Jay, that's awesome work! You'll have to clue us in to what you used to make them. Is it a kit or are you purchasing the stuff separately and following some internet link? Cool stuff though! That's the way to solve a problem.

Chris

[ScaleCentral]

Here's an older article from FSM on how to do it.

1st Page

2nd Page

3rd Page

4th Page

Principles have not changed, but some of the techniques may have. You can probably use an inkjet printer with transparencies instead of getting negatives or positives. A lot of the chemicals can easily be found online or at some older film places. I am hoping to try this myself soon. I'm trying to learn a few programs.

Nic

[crispy]

Hey Nic, thanks for posting that. I know that there is a resource out there that provides a kit to do this. This article can only help. Again, thanks for posting that.

Chris

[ScaleCentral]

Hey Nic, thanks for posting that. I know that there is a resource out there that provides a kit to do this. This article can only help. Again, thanks for posting that.

Chris

I think Micro Mark has a kit for something like $130, but I have yet to see anyone do anything with one yet. I think they have all the chemicals as well as sheets to do this. I remember that they or someone out there even had rubber backed sheets for those that don't want "trees" on their PE albeit more expensive.

Nic

[hot-wheels]

Thanks for the comments guys. Now that the how-to article from 1993 is re-posted I hope to see several others share their home made PE success stories. I did not follow any part of the one posted here by scaleCentral although it looks like a complete well documented solution. I did not use the micro mark kit either (I think there is a reason little has been heard about it). In short I used a two sided resist applied with a laminator and press-n-peel-wet image transfer paper. As for the etching solution I went with a much cleaner and cheaper cupric chloride solution. (ferric chloride is brown and every tiny drop stains) You can find information about cupric chloride under copper etching but since brass is a copper alloy it works just fine. The lamimator cost me $80 everything else totaled about $25 worth of supplies that should produce about 20 - 3 x 3 frets.

Now that the little problem is fixed, the PE grate installed, I have given the body its color. I'm using testors enamels. I could not fine a good midnight blue to match my references so I mixed my own. It seems too dark although it is a good match to the blue in the Rothman decals. I'm going with it.

I went with the louvered vents

crit welcome

[hot-wheels]

Just for giggles here is my second PE design

and assembled using square plastruct up the center.

[crispy]

Great work Jay! Looks great.

Chris

[hot-wheels]

Just dropin in to post some progress on this one. DECALS !!! Shown in a rather crappy picture, sorry!

They did not lay out very smooth. Solvaset made them crinkel in places. Right or wrong the body is getting a coat of clear next.

and Dunlop tire logos with some more of that home grown PE.

Thanks for looking.

[Brendan]

Awesome job. Wish I'd seen this earlier. I would have followed along sooner. Nice job on the P/E. I was wondering the same thing about the blue being too dark. But it looks good with the decals.

[hot-wheels]

It has been a while since any progres on this. Holidays and such you know. Here is what she is looking like. I had great visions when I started to do a bunch of extra detailing. I have let that thought go in order to get this one off the bench. Thanks for looking.

[vizio93]

Wow that is looking good ! I love the paint, it came out beautiful

[Raul_Perez]

...I had great visions when I started to do a bunch of extra detailing. I have let that thought go in order to get this one off the bench...

I thought that I wrote the book on that story!! That's what happened with my last build, the '40 Ford coupe. It stalled for a while waiting for a few parts I needed for the engine. By the time I got the parts and got back to building it, I had lost most of my interest in the model and was already off building something else...

The detailing you've done looks really good. This was always one of my favorite Porsche race cars!!

Later,