My latest build. I will be posting all the wips here.
Here is the kit and some wip pictures of what I have done so far. I’m working on the engine first.
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That engine is the stock engine. The next wip pic will be of the race engine, which has stacks and separate injectors.
This is a fun kit @MarkJK. I recently built this kit out too. Really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to following your build on this one.
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Thank you, Peter. I’m really looking forward to getting into this one for sure. Do you have a link to your finished model? I would really like to check it out.
Hi Mark, I just sent you a DM with some pictures of my build. Look in your messages from the forum.
finaly got some new wips.
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Looking good. Where did the race engine come from?
Peter, I made all the race engine parts from styrene rods, sheets, and tubes from Evergreen purchased at Hobby Lobby.. The items I made were stacks, fan belt, and a distributor, I will add spark plug wires after painting the engine. Thanks for asking.
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I forgot to mention that I made the exhaust headers as well. They are from tubes bent to the proper shape.
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I have a question about your description of it as a “fun kit.” What makes a car kit fun to build?
I’m asking because I haven’t built a model car since I was a teenager, probably 45 or 50 years ago. I’ve been slogging through some aircraft kits lately, and I’m not sure I’d describe any of them as particularly “fun.” Rewarding, yes. Interesting, definitely. But fun? I’m not so sure.
Is it the way car kits go together? Building and painting the engine and interior as separate little projects? Less filling and sanding and fighting seams? Or is there something else about building cars that makes them fun?
You’ve actually got me curious.
Okay, I’m even more impressed now. When Peter asked where the race engine came from, I was expecting the answer to be aftermarket or maybe 3D printed. “I made it” was definitely not the answer I was expecting!
Those exhaust headers in particular are impressive. Bending tubing into something that convincing is some serious scratch-building.
Very cool.
Wow that is incredible Mark. It’s next level for sure. Looking forward to watching your progress on this one.
Scott, what makes building car models fun for me… 1) Designing the build, researching the car (establishing a vision for how I want the car to look, picking colors, deciding on custom features or add-ons, determining if its going to be stock, pro-mod, pro-street, pro-touring, mild custom, heavy custom, patina or showroom, etc.): 2). satisfaction from problem solving (all builds have some kind of challenge like parts that don’t fit, like making modifications to fit custom parts i.e. wide wheels, different seats etc.). 3) Some kits are fun because they go together smoothly with great fitting results. 4) Interesting details that can be assembled, it’s cool to learn something about the subject I hadn’t known. 4) Good results, that look good to me. Sometimes fun comes from one’s attitude about the build and the results.
Thanks for asking, glad to share my perspective.
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You know, after reading that, I’m thinking maybe us airplane guys and car guys aren’t all that different after all. 
Granted, we can’t necessarily decide to paint an aircraft Bolero Red because we like the color and still claim historical accuracy the way you could with a '67 Chevelle, but a lot of what you’re describing sounds very familiar. Picking a particular version, researching it, deciding on colors and markings, figuring out what you want the finished model to represent, and then solving all the little problems along the way—that’s a big part of what I enjoy about aircraft.
I think a lot of what I find fun about building airplanes would translate pretty naturally into cars. That’s a more interesting comparison than I expected.
Cars do have one advantage, though. I could build a yellow '69 or '70 Barracuda because we had one when I was a kid and I remember riding around in it. I can’t say that about too many (any) of the airplanes I build.
Thank you so much for the very thoughtful and complete reply.
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Sam, i haven’t built an aircraft kit since the seventy’s but if I remember correctly, I had fun building them too mainly because they were balsa framework covered in paper models. Pretty much scratch built all the way. I’ll try to get the best one I have still hanging from the spare bedroom ceiling and take a photo of it to show you. Thanks for the props on the making of the exhaust headers. I’m still working on them because it’s pretty tedious work.
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Now you’re bringing back some memories. I used to build balsa aircraft too, although mine were kits, so I definitely can’t claim the scratch-building skills you have. Most of mine were gliders, although I built a few control-line airplanes as well.
I remember cutting and assembling all that balsa framework and then covering it with the heat-shrink plastic film that we ironed on. I haven’t thought about doing that in years.
Knowing that’s where you came from as a modeler also makes those scratch-built Porsche parts make a little more sense! I’d definitely like to see a photo of one of those old airplanes if you can get it down from the ceiling.
Here is the target engine picture I am trying to make. Its the actual engine in The Mark Donohue first IROC championship car. the other picture is the balsa paper models still hanging in my spare bedroom. Pardon the poor quality of this photo but it gives you an idea of what they look like.
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It’s pretty amazing that you still have those airplanes after all these years. Mine disappeared somewhere along the way a long time ago.
But seeing the photo of the actual Porsche engine really puts what you’re doing into perspective. Even in 1/24, there is a LOT going on in there. The plumbing, intake stacks, exhaust, wiring—all of that looks incredibly complicated to reproduce from scratch.
I was impressed before. Now I’m even more impressed that you looked at that engine and thought, “Yeah, I can make that.”
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Thanks Sam. We shall see if I can do a passable job. Some of the items might be too small to duplicate with any success.
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Here are the latest photos of the engine. Added the stacks and some pulleys and a fan belt.
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