Improving the scale model kit Tamiya Porsche 910 1/18

Porsche 910 Tamiya 1 :18 completed

As I said in my presentation of the finished model, the general line is perfect. However, at the time these 1/18 scale models were released, Tamiya probably wanted to present models that were easy to build and therefore lacking some details. What's also interesting to note is that these models were equipped with a small electric motor and a gearbox for wheel drive; "Fully motorized" as it was mentioned on the box of the first versions. I think we can see these first editions as the ancestors of today's Radio Controlled (RC) models. However, the reissues were no longer marketed with the engine, but some details like the bosses under the side tanks, to leave enough room for the batteries, still betray this heritage.

To make my model closer to reality, here are some details that I retouched:

The air intakes on the rear fenders are very rudimentary on the original kit. I modified them by gluing a part I made in aluminum sheet metal. All that was left to do was to putty, sand and paint.

Here's the result on the fuel tank side.
The filler hose and fuel cap are not included in the kit. They had to be created from scratch.

Original air intakes

The air intakes on the nose of the car were too wide, and not very similar to the original. I filled them completely with putty and then reworked them.

Modified air intakes

Front air intakes for cockpit and brakes

The bottom contour of the front fender was also unsatisfactory. Here too, I filled the missing part with 2-component putty, and then created the contour true to the original (aesthetically much better too!).

The intake ram tubes delivered in the kit are chrome plated, whereas in reality these parts are made of fiberglass reinforced resin. So I rebuilt them in transparent polystyrene which I then painted with a semi-translucent color.

I made the rear hood hinges out of brass profile.

The front hood fasteners are molded into the mass. Keeping them in good condition during sanding and painting operations is virtually impossible. I preferred to sand them completely and rebuild them from scratch. I cut pins out of 1.2 mm diameter round polystyrene (3/64″), which I drilled with a 0.5 mm diameter drill bit to pass a small silver wire loop. The whole thing is chrome-plated with Molotow liquid chrome.

Finished front hood fasteners.