MFH Porsche 917 Le Mans Winner 1971 in 1:12 Scale
Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2017 5:11 pm
Hello Porsche 917 Aficionados
this is my first WIP on this forum. After finishing the Daytona winning 917 of 1970, it's time to start with the next project - another 917K.
I will build the legendary winner of Le Mans 1971 (917-053) and once finished, it will be again presented after race weathered with the help of my friend Jochen Kieslich.
The build can be also followed on my Blog: https://uhakenjos.wixsite.com/racinghistoryalive/blog
This is my 4th build of a MFH Porsche 917 in 1:12 scale, so I've gained some experience about where the tricky/critical issues are and how to minimize the risk of (potential) matching problems afterwards.
The key to a successful build of the MFH 917s is (based on my experience) a different building sequence than layed-out in the MFH building instruction. So I'll not start with the engine, but with a comprehensive temporary assembly/adjustment process instead.
Also some details in this kit (like with the other 917 kits) are not there at all or deviate from the original car. Examples are the seat belts, different oil tank for the 917-053, routing of hoses from oil cooler to engine and oil tank, ignition wiring scheme, etc. I'll tackle this during the building process and fix this accordingly, so the model will get as close as possible to the original.
The temporary assembly starts with this main body parts, which are made of perfectly casted Resin. Only the Rear Cowl had some minor warping, which could be easily corrected as we'll see later.
In order to improve the fit/connection between the lower part of the chassis with the Front Cowl later in the final assembly stage, I've replaced the molded mounting pins on the Door Sills with turned brass pins. This ensures a perfect and tight fit between the Door Sills and the Front Cowl.
All main body parts have been temporarily assembled with tiny screws and the brass mounting pins.
The Rear Cowl had some warping issues leading to a significant mismatch at the joints between the Front- and the Rear Cowl and between the Rear Cowl and the Side Sills.
With tape, the Rear Cowl has been forced into the correct position. To fix this position permanently, heat was applied to the entire Rear Cowl (from inside and outside) with a heat gun. Key is to set the heat gun to a relative low temperature. I highly recommend to test this with a spare part or sprue of the same material beforehand.
Already in this very early stage of the project, the stunning shape of this iconic sports car can be clearly seen.
After the Rear Cowl has been cooled down to room temperature, the tape was removed. As you can see, the fit looks perfect now.
The next step of the temporary assembly process was to test (and correct) the fit between the bulkhead (between Cockpit and engine bay), the lower part of the Rear Frame and the Engine. Dimensional accuracy is absolutely critical to ensure a perfect fit during the final assembly process. As you can see from this pictures, some adjustments/corrections have been necessary to fix some issues.
Well, that's fine for today. Next time I'll continue with the temporary assembly process, including the doors, front hood and the complete rear frame.
Hope, this WIP may over time also encourage fellow modelers on this forum to start building their 917s.
BR,
Uli
this is my first WIP on this forum. After finishing the Daytona winning 917 of 1970, it's time to start with the next project - another 917K.
I will build the legendary winner of Le Mans 1971 (917-053) and once finished, it will be again presented after race weathered with the help of my friend Jochen Kieslich.
The build can be also followed on my Blog: https://uhakenjos.wixsite.com/racinghistoryalive/blog
This is my 4th build of a MFH Porsche 917 in 1:12 scale, so I've gained some experience about where the tricky/critical issues are and how to minimize the risk of (potential) matching problems afterwards.
The key to a successful build of the MFH 917s is (based on my experience) a different building sequence than layed-out in the MFH building instruction. So I'll not start with the engine, but with a comprehensive temporary assembly/adjustment process instead.
Also some details in this kit (like with the other 917 kits) are not there at all or deviate from the original car. Examples are the seat belts, different oil tank for the 917-053, routing of hoses from oil cooler to engine and oil tank, ignition wiring scheme, etc. I'll tackle this during the building process and fix this accordingly, so the model will get as close as possible to the original.
The temporary assembly starts with this main body parts, which are made of perfectly casted Resin. Only the Rear Cowl had some minor warping, which could be easily corrected as we'll see later.
In order to improve the fit/connection between the lower part of the chassis with the Front Cowl later in the final assembly stage, I've replaced the molded mounting pins on the Door Sills with turned brass pins. This ensures a perfect and tight fit between the Door Sills and the Front Cowl.
All main body parts have been temporarily assembled with tiny screws and the brass mounting pins.
The Rear Cowl had some warping issues leading to a significant mismatch at the joints between the Front- and the Rear Cowl and between the Rear Cowl and the Side Sills.
With tape, the Rear Cowl has been forced into the correct position. To fix this position permanently, heat was applied to the entire Rear Cowl (from inside and outside) with a heat gun. Key is to set the heat gun to a relative low temperature. I highly recommend to test this with a spare part or sprue of the same material beforehand.
Already in this very early stage of the project, the stunning shape of this iconic sports car can be clearly seen.
After the Rear Cowl has been cooled down to room temperature, the tape was removed. As you can see, the fit looks perfect now.
The next step of the temporary assembly process was to test (and correct) the fit between the bulkhead (between Cockpit and engine bay), the lower part of the Rear Frame and the Engine. Dimensional accuracy is absolutely critical to ensure a perfect fit during the final assembly process. As you can see from this pictures, some adjustments/corrections have been necessary to fix some issues.
Well, that's fine for today. Next time I'll continue with the temporary assembly process, including the doors, front hood and the complete rear frame.
Hope, this WIP may over time also encourage fellow modelers on this forum to start building their 917s.
BR,
Uli