Okrasa Special

[Pandora]

I now have a windscreen. but it's made of paper.........

[Pandora]

I'm nosing ahead......



Al

[911hillclimber]

Please:
What foam block is that and where did you get it from?

[Pandora]

http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/p ... -50mm.aspx

Al

(buy a mask!)

[haasad]

Ha, exactly what I'm using on a little project for another DDK'er. A mask and a good hoover are requisite, reminds me of old days shaping surfboards in dads garage.. foam dust every where..

[911hillclimber]

Thank you Pandora, perfect for what I have in mind.
Graham.

[steve wright]

Right, slow out the pits and a rubbish start to the race, but hoping to overhaul Al in the next few days...

The model has proven a tremendous asset in mocking up different body designs and seeing what does and doesn't work. Having it one fifth scale also means a whole lot less work as you're obviously only having to shape 20% of the surface area to get the same result.

So just as a reminder, here's the beautiful model Barry built in all it's glory:


So we start with a block of foam, and draw the rough shape on it:


Then fashion them roughly to get broad dimensions sorted into relative blocks that work:


Before sculpturing them to get curves that work. You have to be so gentle as a single wipe of sandpaper can take off a lot of material, especially if you're going across an edge or sharp point:


Then it's a case of refining, refining, refining, in exactly the same way you would when flatting paint work or prepping filler before priming:

[steve wright]

Then it's a case of playing with different styles to see what works. I liked the door, boot and wing, especially as it flows towards the rear of the car, but from behind it looks a little "baboon's arse" as Barry described it. So it's time for iteration two on the rear end, leaving everything other than the very rear the same. Interestingly the issue we had with the car not having a rear (what I called the "Keira Knightly" effect, pretty but no arse) has gone, principally down to widening the rear arches slightly and giving more haunch to the rear wing.

Iteration two simply lowered the rear valance a bit, but this created even more of a "baboon's arse". So here's iteration three which is a Kamm tail, and a really aggressive one at that. I wanted to accentuate the fact that it was a hill-climber and mid-engined.

Started with a large piece as always...


Before cutting and sanding it down until I was happy with it:

[Pandora]

Great work that man! Bit disapointing that there's not a hint of a Beret or smock to be seen in the reflections though!

Interesting progress, and I can already see a few tweeks which might be interesting to play about with......

Ready when you are!

Oh, and I'm in the garage all day tomorrow, so will have to work on regaining my lead!

Al

[steve wright]

Not finished yet Al... interrupted upload by lunch! Great if you can see refinement and issues that will improve it

Then onto a bit more refining and painting of parts - filler to lessen the effects of the foam, primer and then paint to get as close to Barry's red as possible:


Then re-assembling the bits. I started out trying to make it in one block (by sticking multiple blocks together, before I quickly realised that it was better to deconstruct it to as many component parts as possible to allow for refinement and "mix and match" of parts. I've used pegs to mount the foam components onto the model and between the foam parts so they can be attached and removed over and over. You'll also notice that I've dropped the flat across the top of the rear arch, it just didn't look right. Funny how it worked on the 356 Abarth GTL but not here. I've learnt a lot about why and how one thing works on one car and not another...:

[steve wright]

But it's probably a bit too aggressive in side profile:


But at least the rear of the car finally works!


Barry suggested adding a bit of length but keep the rest of the profile, so we started with too much (always easy to chop it off till it looks right):


before cutting it down to a length that really works:








So this is where we've got to. Just filling and priming the new piece and touching up the older parts as they could be improved. What's frustrating doing this online is that the photos really don't do it justice. It actually looks great in the flesh! I remarked to Barry a few nights ago that if we built the model in real size now I'd be thrilled. It's been wonderful being able to express in three dimensions my ideas on how the car should look for the first time. I'm sure Al will make my attempts look like they were made by a three year old though!

I'm hoping to finish painting it and put it back together over the next week. Then I've two more ideas I want to try, before sending it to Maestro model builder and design Al for Christmas

[Ferry Man]

That looks superb. Well done everyone.
Barry was correct about adding length to the tail, I think your chosen option is the best version.
Call a halt at that and build it!

[Pandora]

Stopped for Lunch??????

the additional length you've added is one of the obvious things I would have suggested, adding much needed volume behind the wheel drom the earlier version.

I can certainly tweek what you've done without loosing the general theme. As has always been my plan, I want to leave as much of Steve & Barry's design as possible, rather than coming in like some clever dick and saying " oh no, you want it like this....."

It does remind me a bit of something though.

Oh yes, that's it.......



(Back on page 56)

Al

[911hillclimber]

Excellent progress now, keep the momentum up please!

The door could be too short? iirc there is an angled rear bulk head if you 'open' the door so i guess that would be a natural line for the rear edge of the door panel. Would that door gap line change the general 'picture' of the car? Also, the car will not have side glass?

Have you ordered the aluminium sheet yet.

[cubist]

Excellent work all. I know it's padding and unpainted but that white wrap stripe works very well...