WIP : Porsche 935-78 Turbo - Ickx (Tamiya 1/24)

Now that the Subaru is finished, it is time to start a new project.

This time I chose a car that only raced 4 races in total before they rolled it into the museum : the Martini-Porsche 935/78 "Moby Dick" in which Ickx won the "maidenrace" in 1978 at Silverstone (6 hours), and that was entered furthermore in Le Mans, Vallelunga (6 hours) and the Norisring. In Le Mans it finished in 8th place, in Vallelunga it broke down 10 minutes before the finish while leading the race and it they got braking troubles during the sprint race at the Norisring.

I'm planning on building the Silverstone-car because it won there while my compatriot Jacky Ickx was driving it.

This is how the Porsche looks like today :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78real_01.jpg

And this is how it looked during the Silverstone race :

http://www.sennake.be/tamiya_1_24/24010b.jpg


Here the sanded body is ready to be sprayed in a first coat of white Tamiya primer :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_01.jpg

Here the body was sprayed in white primer and already got a first layer of white paint (Tamiya TS-26) :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_02.jpg

The rear radiator cover that came with the kit, doens't seem to have the right shape, although it probably did when the kit was first released, but here it looks like the form has been injected with a lack of plastic at the edges. Anyway, the edges are to short. So I made a new one out of some strips of plastic sheet.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_03.jpg

The driver that comes with the kit, which I intend to build in the seat, carries the wrong (standard) helmet. Back in 1978 Ickx used a helmet with a visor, consisting of 2 small looking holes. So I left out the standard head and I went looking in my spare parts box, for a more convenient helmet. I found one between my Hasegawa-figurines. The helmet is still wrong, but it's a lot easier to build in the piece between the eyes because the helmet consist of 3 parts : 1 for the face, and 2 pieces for the helmet. Here I built the piece between the eyes in the helmet front part :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_04.jpg

I first painted the face-part. I used "flesh" for the skin, some white for the eyeballs then some blue for the pupils, and some brown to accentuate the eyelines. Then I applied matt black to the eyelashes and the eyebrows, and matt white to the belaclava. Last but not least I painted the matt black upholstery helmet interior. To put things in the right perspective, I added some measurements to the pictures...

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_05.jpg

I admit that the face didn't get the same level of detailling as some car parts, but it all depends what it will be used for. In this case the largest part of the face will disappear behind the helmet visor, and even this helmet will be barely visible once the figurine is seated inside the model and you will only be able to watch it through the car windows...

Here you see a picture of the face behind the visor, the helmet parts were glued together and brush-painted in the base color...

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_06.jpg

Comments are welcome :smile:

Beautiful project - promising start. Moby Dick is one of my favourite race cars of all time!
Happy to see it built.
Is it really 1/24? I only know other 935 by Tamiya in 1/20.

Beautiful project - promising start. Moby Dick is one of my favourite race cars of all time!
Happy to see it built.
Is it really 1/24? I only know other 935 by Tamiya in 1/20.

I don't think Tamiya ever released this car in 1/20, only in 1/24. I should know what I'm talking about since I made a complete list of all 1/20 and 1/24 Tamiya cars on my homepage.

Tamiya released the 935 in their early line of 1/20 cars (Code 20008) along with the Fiat 131, although I think it's the '77 version. I build one in green Valliant livery. Later they introduced the 1/12 Martini version and the 1/24 935/78 version you're building.

Hey man, and your own list on your website indicates you have already bought both the 1/20 Martini and Valliant 935's :-) You're getting old, hey? ;-)

Hey man, and your own list on your website indicates you have already bought both the 1/20 Martini and Valliant 935's :-) You're getting old, hey? ;-)
Not at all, but we were talking about the 935-78 "Moby Dick" here...

Or at least I was.

Not at all, but we were talking about the 935-78 "Moby Dick" here...

Or at least I was.

So I have to agree, the 935/78 was never moulded in 1/20 scale...
How do you compare the 935/78 in 1/24 to the 1/20 kits of the 935? I assume it is a motorized kit, too? If it originates from the Tamiya "Motorized" era, the detail level should be almost the same...

The "Moby Dick" was always impressive, just like the 917 "Pink pig"...

Hi,

looks good so far.

Do you intend to improve/detail the interior?

I once bought the Moby Dick from another Japanese company (Aoshima?). The body was o.k., however the interior was just a relief to have space for the electric motor. It was too much work for me at that time and so I sold the kit again.
If I ever build a Moby Dick it will be a Tamiya kit.

I´m looking forward for your progress ...

Micha

Do you intend to improve/detail the interior?

Certainly. I'm not sure yet about the level of improvement, but at least I will add seat belts and extra details to the dashboard and interior. Only trouble is the lack of good reference pics...

Here is a list of RSR Turbo/934/935 kits, with comments and photos:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~robdebie/models/911-935.htm

Enjoy the building.

Very nice!
Looking forward to watching this one!

Chris

Yet another spectacular project from you Guy. I will be watching with great interest!

Ok, we did a bit more work.

I started building the interior, and I noticed the rollcage which comes with the kit (and which is only half complete) is to short : after fitting it with the body the top of the cage comes about halfway the side windows. So I had to adjust it : I added the white parts.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_07.jpg

The rear spoiler has been built and spraypainted.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_08.jpg

Then I started to complete the rest of the missing rollcage. After days of fitting and cutting and starting over and try and a lot of error I come to this result, which finally looks like it's about right? The white parts are new, the black parts are adjusted :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_09.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_10.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_11.jpg

Also the figurine has been painted. This blue layer will only serve as a basic coat, to give the deeper seams a blue tone when the figurine will be drybrushed in matt white. Ickx' overall was white and not blue by the way.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_12.jpg

To be continued...

Hi,

looks good so far, great job on the rollcage.

Micha

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_12.jpg

on the last pic (^that one^) i hope your going to do a better seat for poor Mr Ickx, because that one looks mighty uncomfortable.


jokes aside, a great build so far.

after seeing your Sti, this is gonna be amazing

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_12.jpg

on the last pic (^that one^) i hope your going to do a better seat for poor Mr Ickx, because that one looks mighty uncomfortable.


jokes aside, a great build so far.

LOL!!! I got the same remark on a Belgian forum :iceslolan

How do you compare the 935/78 in 1/24 to the 1/20 kits of the 935? I assume it is a motorized kit, too?

The lever of detail in the 1/20 kits is better than the 1/24 kit. But as you can see I try to pull the level of detail to a higher level. It is indeed a motorized kit but I don't intend to install any electric part, and where nessecairy I'll replace the blank spots by scratch parts...

I started decalling the body. Holy sh*t! The decals fit nicely, no problems there, but they react very strangely to any kind of decal softener : they curve upwards! And the more softener I apply, the more they curve up. And once they glue against itself, there is no way that you can separate the parts anymore, and on top of that your decal is to small and white (the inside of the decal)...

Very annoying, and the right way to do it in this case seems to be the following : apply the decal without any softener, let it dry a day, and then apply softener to the spots where the decal isn't shaped how it should. This works, all other methods are worthless. This is the first time I ever encountered such a problem.

You probably won't see it in the picture, but I really had to paint a lot of spots manually. Right now it looks like sh*t because the decal is kinda matt and the paint is glossy but once I applied 2 layers of clear coat it will look just right (I hope).

Still it was a real shock...

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_13.jpg

Sweet car and I'm sure it will look great when you're finished with it.... Your builds always do !

Sweet car and I'm sure it will look great when you're finished with it.... Your builds always do !

Lol! The ones I put online yes :iceslolan

But there is a lot that I don't show hehe...

Nice decaling around those wheel vents.

Update :

the Martini-striping has been applied to the other side of the body, and to the front. Now that I know how to proceed, it went a lot better. Still I had to retouch bits and parts with paint...

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_16.jpg

Next to the driver.

After the blue primer coat has dried I put a coat of matt white over it, after which I accentuated the seams with blue again. It looks like this :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_14.jpg

Of course this is to heavy, and that is why it had to be "downtoned" again with a matt white drybrush : (here the white paint is still wet, that is why it looks so glossy)

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_15.jpg

Next I painted the gloves and shoes, the seat belts and buckles, and the Martini-striping on the arms. That was a pretty tricky job...

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_17.jpg

Last but not least I applied the white striping to the helmet, and I applied the matt black upholstery. The Martini-decal was set as well. Still missing are the vizor and the connection for the on-board radio.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_18.jpg

To be continued...

Fantastic work dude! Can’t wait for more progress on this masterpiece.

I finished the driver figure, with this reference picture in mind :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/1978_01.jpg

So this is how the in-scale driver looks (the seat still has to be painted) :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_19.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_20.jpg

Looking good.. I know how you feel when you use setting solution on decals and then they curl up on you. I have done that, but I think it was due to me not using the products correctly. But it does make you feel a little bit mad, once the panic has gone away, and you know there is nothing you can do..!!

Driver looks cool..!!

The striping-decals are all set now. I'll let the body dry thouroughly and then I can apply the sponsor-decals... :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_21.jpg

Will you include the wooden box of wine in the front seat area?

Will you include the wooden box of wine in the front seat area?

I was asking myself this question too. And I think it served as a counter weight to balance the car (very primitive, but effective), so I guess it should be in the model as well...

I'll give it a try :)

The driver looks awesome. Great as usual. Please show us also the work you originally didn´t intend to have it on the net. I want to see some screwed up work by you as well. Makes me feel a lot better, when even guys like you have some models that don´t come out as they want them to be. :evillol:

Soo clean... I like the driver. great details. Good job on the decals so far

And wham! All the remaining decals have been set. After 3 layers of clearcoat to seal the decals which obviously don't like to be sealed with solvents, the body looks like this :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_22.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_23.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_24.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_25.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_26.jpg

This must be the very first time I'll own a model that is this shiny. I gotta admit : it has something special. Less realistic, but a lot more "presentation"...

This must be the very first time I'll own a model that is this shiny. I gotta admit : it has something special. Less realistic, but a lot more "presentation"...


You are right, usually race cars are not so shiny, but it is a model and yours look V E R Y good so far.

Micha

Very nice. I'm glad the decals didn't react badly when you applied the clear.

Hello Sennake

It shall be glossy and your paintjob looks SUPERB. Congratulations.

Best regards

Allan Nielsen
Denmark



------------------------------------------

This must be the very first time I'll own a model that is this shiny. I gotta admit : it has something special. Less realistic, but a lot more "presentation"...[/QUOTE]

Looks nice so far. And about the model not being "realistic" with its shine; Think of it as its at the photografer taking PR-shots !!

this is a great project. i have a few reference pics of this car... interior, under-hood, under trunk etc... if you think they would be useful let me know and ill scan and post them.

this is a great project. i have a few reference pics of this car... interior, under-hood, under trunk etc... if you think they would be useful let me know and ill scan and post them.

I could use some interior shots please. The other pics are always welcome, but since it's a curbside kit I won't use them as reference.

Great progress.

Just love tha car.

The clearcoat looks stunning even if not prototypically correct. What clear do you use over Tamiya laquers ? The Tamiya clear ? The only time I've ever used Tamiya clear was over Tamiya silver lacquer and it crazed after about two years..... Your car is gonna look sweet, just like everything you put together :)

Mick Sz.

What clear do you use over Tamiya laquers ? The Tamiya clear ?

No way. Tamiya Clear TS-13 ruins your decals. I have been searching for a good clear in spraycans for over 10 years, and I finally found it :

Mr. Hobby Topcoat by Gunze Sangyo is a brand new and perfect product. It comes in spraycans, it is absolutely clear without becoming yellow and it is harmless on any kind of undercoat or decals.

I tested it for the first time on my Celica, then on my Subaru and now on the Porsche. It's a sweet product that I'm gonna buy a lot of in the future...

That is very good to know. Thanks for the info. Now I need to find someone in Canada that stocks it :) Keep up the sweet work man !
Mick Sz.

Impressive work indeed! I did the Gunze Sangyo back in 1997 when I return to modeling. What paint stand you used to hold the model?


The lever of detail in the 1/20 kits is better than the 1/24 kit. But as you can see I try to pull the level of detail to a higher level. It is indeed a motorized kit but I don't intend to install any electric part, and where nessecairy I'll replace the blank spots by scratch parts...

What paint stand you used to hold the model?

That is one of the latest tools by Tamiya : the "Spray-Work Painting Stand".

http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/74522stand/top.jpg

More info? Look here : http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/74522stand/index.htm

wow your progress is stunning, the driver came out very good, and the shine on that is just magnificant. Make sure to keep us posted.

While the clearcoats are drying, I continue working at the interior.

First I wanted to know if I could model the counterweight-box. With some plastic sheet I made a box, and I found some leftover-wood-foil that I spared from an old-timer-truck kit (Ford-T).

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_27.jpg

So I used it on the box, and I photoshopped the decals that you can see in the reference pic. I printed them on some blanco decalsheet and put them on the box :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_33.jpg

I painted the underside and the wheels as good as possible with this kind of curbside kits, to create the impression of an engine and real wheels :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_28.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_29.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_30.jpg

Next I could put the model on its "feet" to work at the interior. I still need to do some weathering and drybrushing at the underside though.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_31.jpg

I spraypainted the rollcage :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_32.jpg

I removed the seat supports and replaced them by more realistic ones :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_34.jpg

I mounted the gear lever :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_35.jpg

I scratchbuilt the door panels :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_36.jpg

Then I could mount all the parts together :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_37.jpg

I dryfitted the driver :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_38.jpg

And I dryfitted the counterweight-box :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_39.jpg

Then I weathered and glued all the parts, and I "streched" the seat belts so I could attach them to the floor and the rollcage :

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_42.jpg
http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_43.jpg
http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_44.jpg

To be continued...

Excellent progress. I'm watching this with great interest. Keep going!

The counterweight-box has been glued in place and the belts keeping it in place weren't forgotten. I also added the fire extuingisher.

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_45.jpg
http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_46.jpg
http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_47.jpg

Looking fantastic Guy, the paintwork is stunning. Is that clear coat a water based acrylic?

i wish my decal work on my xanavi skyline looked 25% as good as your decal work, interior decal is awesome

Still missing in the interior were the dashboard and the steering wheel. I painted them manually (not a single decal was used here) and I added a few details such as the emergency switch and the back+wiring of the most visible meters to give the whole a little realism. If it will be visible at all once the body is attached of course...

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_48.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_49.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_50.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_51.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_52.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_53.jpg

http://www.depaddock.net/sennake/models/935-78_54.jpg

Wow that's insane :iceslolan ... The Dashboard looks so amazing (and the rest too) BTW How did you do the switches ??

sorry about the wait but heres that interior shot. its the same angle as the one you have but your pic seems to be in the testing and developing phase. this shot is how it was raced. hope it helps.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/77057porsche.jpg

AWESOME work!

I remember this was one of the first Tamiya kits I built in the 70s - needless to say I didn't quite realise its potential as you have! Fantastic.

sorry about the wait but heres that interior shot. its the same angle as the one you have but your pic seems to be in the testing and developing phase. this shot is how it was raced. hope it helps.


Thanks! Apart from the air tubes, my version looks pretty accurate. As you say, I made the interior from a test day pic. I don't think it would be a good idea to mix interiors of different events, so I will leave my interior the way it was. Thanks to your pic I have the confirmation that it's close to the real thing :)

the interior mechanics of your model are correct and i love the "wine crate" ballast. im glad i didnt post the pic sooner... as your theme is great! keep it up!

I've just discovered this forum and subsequent thread on the 935. I've just picked up this kit and hope to either scratch build or find an engine to drop in this car along with the fluid tanks in the front. What a solid build!

Great work and attention to details. Nice to follow!

When I building this model, I noticed the door behind the fender is missing, need to add back.

very interesting how you applied the decals, i am also building this kit, very similar modifications to yours to bring the interior up to scratch. i ruined a front stripe decal yesterday (later cartograph decals), very annoying. i may have to go for a patto replacement set, as it only needs decals really to complete it.