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1/24th Posche 917K - This project might just be about to begin!


Mark

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My Porsche 917K project is almost about to begin! Or at least I think it might...

I now have the Union / Heller Porsche 917K and the Fujimi one too. The idea was to combine the best of the two kits to create a much more accurate one than the Fujimi will allow on its own.

But then disaster struck! I visited the Hiroboy website and ordered the Model Factory Hiro Porsche 917 engine. It is exquisite and bloody well should be for the price! But then I started thinking about whether the actual MFH Porsche 917 kit (a Long tail) could be converted to the K (Short tail) using the resin Renaissance rear engine covers designed for the Fujim 917K? Would that be possible with a little re-working of the rear frame?

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Come on guys.... HELP!!!

p.s If this was a question about the interior colour of the tailwheel doors of the Spitfire Mk.XVIe, I'd have had a thousand replies by now!

Edited by Busdriver
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Most of the body work is different between the LH models and the K cars so...no? The L cars from '69 were converted to K models (or crashed, or renumbered or converted into spyders or....) but I don't think any of the K chassis were converted to LH. I'm not sure what differences under the skin there are but I think you could use the chassis back to the "bulkhead" where the engine meets the trans. That's a lot of wonga for the few pieces of resin and plastic you would be able to use.

http://962.com/registry/917/index.htm lists all the chassis numbers and they have pics of most of the cars. It gets kinda messy.

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Wow and thank you! That is exactly the sort of info I needed and makes me realise that if i want to make a particular 917K, then it has to to be kitted exactly as it was (probably by Studio 27 or MFH) and no amount of cross-kitting will get me an exact replica. Oh well.....

Edited by Busdriver
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Which car did you have in mind? The '71 cars had an extra roll bar bolted(!) in place and the Gulf cars had their own modifications to just about everything. The tails are their own special hell because the wheels kept getting wider so the cars evolved quite a bit in the few years they ran.

Lemme find a link, won't be a moment.

http://www.gunnarracing.com/project/917-021/917-021-Index.html

The restoration of 021

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I have always loved the 917K, I think because it was around during my impressionable pre-teen years in the early 1970s. My own build was originally going to a Gulf car, but having researched this topic I have learned that the Wyer Gulf 917Ks were never successful at Le Mans, so I have had a re-think.

1.) Do I build the 'famous' scheme of orange and blue disregarding the fact that I wanted to do a Le Mans winner?

2.) Build the red/white striped 1970 winning car, no. 23, driven by Attwood and Herrmann?

I will still try and justify (Darling, it's nearly Christmas and you remember asking me what I want.....?) spending the huge sum on a Model Factory Hiro 917L, the Martini Racing 'Hippie Car' driven by Larrousse and Kauhsen to 2nd place in the 1970 Le mans behind Attwood and Herrmann.

So, hopefully I have a plan.

For the Porsche 917K, couple the Fujimi kit with the Union kit and MFH engine with a Rennaissance resin rear engine cover.

The 917L will be a straight out of the box using the MFH kit.

That'll keep me busy until next Christmas. "Darling, can I have a Ferrari 512 now...?!!"

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All the interior detailing is much crisper. The rear engine cover by Rennaisance is in the post and it is designed for the Fujimi kit, I'm hoping that it will fit the Union / Heller front section though, will let you know. Other than that, the MFH engine is just a thing of sheer beauty!

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