24 Hour build during the race: 2 Porsche 904's

[Zoom Zoom]

In conjunction with the 24 hours of LeMans, a group of ACME members met at one member’s home and spent the time during the race building models of LeMans racers. Nobody DNF’ed; everyone finished by the 21st hour. My 904’s were finished at the 17th hour when the decals were applied at about 3:55 AM.

I picked Monogram’s simple 28-piece curbside (ex-slotcar) Porsche 904. Originally I was going to build a red 904 for the race, but decided at the 11th hour to build two. I also had a restorable original 904 model missing a couple of wheels that I decided to build as well. 30 minutes in an alcohol bath removed the decals that were placed over the silver plastic. We were allowed to bring the models prepped and primed. I could have done that during the race, there was plenty of time (but perhaps not stamina). I painted the red car ahead of time due to my change in liveries. I saved the polishing of the red car until the race.

Modifications included the use of Fujimi slotted Porsche spare wheels from their 911 Enthusiast kits (we have plenty due to a club project building IROC cars). I had to drill out the centers and re-drill some vent slots that had filled in during the years. I also cut away the styrene side glass and made the side glass from clear styrene sheet, mounted from the outside. I opened up the scoops behind the doors, and used craft-store cabachons (think bargain-basement MV lenses) for headlights. Interior-wise I added aftermarket seat belts and hardware to the otherwise simple 4-piece interior.

No drama ensued building these cars at all. I was impressed with Tamiya’s new Mica Silver; it applied perfectly in a few light coats over the gray primer, and the clear glossed it up just right. The red car is Tamiya Italian Red sealed w/clear. Next year I’ll pick something a bit meatier to work on. I love how these cars look and they look great together; there’s a lot to be said about Monogram’s simpler curbside kits from the past-they certainly look right, especially w/a few tweaks. The other builds from other group members were quite impressive; a Fujimi Gulf GT40, a Fisher resin Ferrari 312 Berlinetta, and a Revell C5R.

Following pics taken by Matt Wadlinger. I've been told I look like I've already been up 24 hours in this photo that was taken within the first hour

Time of photo: 01:30:

The finishing lineup. C5R by GTMike400, Ferrari by Wayne Webers, Gulf GT40 by Matt Wadlinger:

More pics of the mayhem provided by Wayne Webers and others:

http://public.fotki.com/ACME-IPMS/modelpal...ours_of_lemans/

[ChevyAsylum]

Very kool way to spend the LeMans weekend. Great builds. Ya gonna do it for next year's Daytona 24?

Speakin of LeMans stuff...I just ordered my weekend pass for the ALMS race at the Tooele, Utah (pronounced two-willa...I can hardly wait to see how the tv commentators pronounce it) track (Miller Motorsports Park) and I'm lookin forward to seein the Audis, Corvettes and Aston Martins running there. They say they'll run the Audi R-10 diesel cars for that race and I'm hoping to get some pics from the paddock area as well as the track. And the price wasn't bad: $70 for a 3-day ticket, including the paddock (pit) pass. I may get the inspiration to build a C5 or 6 to "commemorate" the occasion.

[Zoom Zoom]

Not sure if we'll do one for Daytona or not, IIRC we were going to do a Daytona-palooza this past winter but there was a schedule conflict. Hope we can do LeMans again next year. We met some guys from Canada at the NNL East that are also LeMans builders and part of GPMA, and we patterned ours similarly (though we allowed primer before the build, they don't). This was our first year, but they've been doing LeMans builds for several years with impressive results.

Those Audis were impressive, as were the Astons and C6R's and it was nice to see a customer Panoz win GT2. We saw the Astons up close last year at the Petite LeMans and at the dealership beforehand; they had the Aston on display at the dealership on a Tuesday night; on Wed. practice it crashed/burned and it was rebuilt by a flown-in factory rep before the race.

[PatRedmond]

Great concept and builds, ACME!

Bob, you must mean Evan and Rob from Guelph Modelers in Canada [and GPMA] who did the same concept.

I'd like to get a few together for something like this, but there's little endurance/road racing interest here near the Motor City.

7-8 second quarter mile times are not conducive to build sessions :roll:

[MonoPed]

Those a really cool!! Neat idea, and all the builds look great. Have you built the ex-Aurora 1:25 full detail 904?

Brian

[Zoom Zoom]

Thanks guys, it was Rob and Evan that we talked with @ dinner at the NNL East; we were talking racing and we found out that both of our groups were planning similar builds around the race. I've been around sports car racing since high school autocrosses, and thankfully a good number of ACME members are also sports car fanatics-thought we also equal it out w/the Atlanta Dragwa and Atlanta Motor Speedway crowd :wink:

I looked at my Monogram ex-Aurora kit and while it should build okay I didn't think it was a good "speed build" subject. Parts fit looks a bit tricky, some body details need tweaking, looks like more TLC required. With a speed build you need to pick something that you actually think can be finished in time (like picking a car to race at LeMans that you think can make it the duration). The C5R was a good one as the hood doesn't come off, so no engine detail, and the body was so clean that polishing the mold lines was easy and Tamiya paint takes to shiny white plastic like it's made for it; no polishing necessary at all.

[Ken]

Those 904s look great. I just re-started my monogram kit as well as the old Revell Speedster kit. The 904 got put back in the box for now as I realized I had lost the front pan. I found the rear pan in a different box, but I can't for the life of me find the front pan. Started a viper instead... still in porsche colors though. Metallic silver with a red interior...

[jbwelda]

those look great! ive still got an old monogram 904 slot car i need to restore using the reissue kit one of these days! or at least i believe its the same thing...

not only that but nice work setup there too! i love the way you organize your paint cans. too much spare time?

heh heh

my place is a mess so im just jealous

[MrObsessive]

Great Builds Bob!

Which kit is the GT40 in the one pic? I had started a Lemans Miniature '69 Lemans Winner.................but the kit (particularly the resin) was so fiddly, I gave up on it.

Maybe I'll try to tackle it again someday. :shock:

[Zoom Zoom]

Great Builds Bob!

Which kit is the GT40 in the one pic? I had started a Lemans Miniature '69 Lemans Winner.................but the kit (particularly the resin) was so fiddly, I gave up on it.

Maybe I'll try to tackle it again someday. :shock:

Thanks!

That GT40 is the Fujimi kit; Matt painted it in the #11 paint scheme so he wouldn't have to mask/paint the nose orange like the #6 or #9 car; all the orange was on the decal sheet. He cursed it several times (especially the rear suspension) but as you can see he did just fine with it.

You never know w/resins. I have a Profil 24 Gulf McLaren F1; it's a horrible kit to clean up but I really want to build it. Their newer kits are far better, the McLaren was their first kit and it shows.

[MrObsessive]

Thanks Bob!

What shade of blue did he use? My friend Dale Beaver and I were racking our brains trying to figure out what 1:1 car used that shade of blue.

I'd like to have it mixed locally if I can get the vehicle color and paint code.

[Zoom Zoom]

Thanks Bob!

What shade of blue did he use? My friend Dale Beaver and I were racking our brains trying to figure out what 1:1 car used that shade of blue.

I'd like to have it mixed locally if I can get the vehicle color and paint code.

It's MCW's 2064 "Lt. Blue" aka Gulf Blue. Don't know of any hobby paint that's an exact match. I have no idea of the code nor of a production car that was painted that color. There's no way I would have gotten the color right mixing by memory. The blue that Fujimi molds the kit in is nowhere near the correct shade of blue.

[ismaelg]

Bob,

Thanks to you I now have a new appreciation for those old monogram simpler kits. Both your 904s look great as well as all the others.

The concept of "speed building" is so mind boggling for me it hurts

I mean, it takes me about that long just to sand the mold lines on a kit and the instant I rush something, I screw it up and have to start all over again. :roll:

Looks like you had a ton of fun!

Thanks,

[Wildrice]

Very cool idea for builds and spending time with friends. They all look great.

Bob your building space is way too neat and tidy. LOL. Looks like you have everything you need at your disposal.

[Zoom Zoom]

Very cool idea for builds and spending time with friends. They all look great.

Bob your building space is way too neat and tidy. LOL. Looks like you have everything you need at your disposal.

I wish that was my workspace! The workspace belongs to Wayne Webers, the guy who built the Ferrari. I was just a visitor

[Steve H.]

That sounds like a fun get-together! I just don't think I could handle 20 hrs of building, anymore! I was going to comment on the paint rack, also... I wish I had space to be that organized!

[IMSANUT]

Wow. I had NO idea the old Monogram 904 would build up so nice. And brilliant idea on using the Fujimi 911 spare tire wheels for the rims!

I have a question though.....how did you get the windshield chrome AND black rubber so cleanly??

Beautiful builds!!!

[unclescott58]

Another beautiful Porsche 904.

[250 Testa Rossa]

Currently working on three of these Monogram 904s. One of them will have a scratchbuilt "Kamm" tail. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[oldcarfan]

As far as the Gulf blue, I built one of these years ago and found that Krylon made a baby blue that was a very near match to it. Don't know if it is still available though.