[Dave7872]

The #18 / #1 car was a test version Red.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-917K-Gulf-Lm-1971-Oliver-Siffert-Bell-1-18-Norev-NV187582-Model-/301956332880?hash=item464dfffd50:g:ZYYAAOSwRjNXNqeJ

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Norev-Porsche-917-K-24h-LeMans-1971-GULF-1-18-Dealer-in-Rinteln-/322180943020?hash=item4b037b0cac:g:mrcAAOSwYmZXKK0q

CK still has the cheapest one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-917K-18-1-Training-24h-LeMans-1971-Oliver-Siffert-Bell-1-18-Norev-/252282761051?hash=item3abd396f5b:g:Ri4AAOSwKtlWjoB8

I have so many versions of the 917, And some aren't even on display lol.

 

[CreepyVanMan]

I knew about that damn Gulf #17, I watched an eBay action go through the roof with that puppy early this year, it's insane haha. Thank you for getting all the info in one easy place for me! I will bookmark this for future efforts if I choose to do em. I am mainly limited with space right now. I have 5 display cases and they will fill eventually, which is always scary haha. You can't stop ya know, just got to get more cases haha. When I get to settle in a place I hope to have a man cave with wall cabinets, life goal right there

 

[Jersey_Devil]

Preachin' to the choir, CVM

. I hope my next home has the same so I can FINALLY display mine!

 

[triggerhappy]

One of the few posters where the typing actually outclasses the pictures

And they're gooood!

Perfectly said. Seriously Red, I really have enjoyed your collection thread. Not only is the writing just perfect, the pictures match it. And congrats on the Salzburg Porsche 917L. It's a rare gem to see for me. I gave up my hunt for it long ago. While I'm a huge fan of the 917 short tail the 917L are just eye candy for me, even in the movies - just the lines are fascinating.

Looking forward to your next review!

 

[Jersey_Devil]

Thank you, Sam - like I've said previously, the fact that people are enjoying my posts is the reason I put in the work on them (finding the right archived pics to illustrate my points is both a pain and a joy!).

And I agree with you 100% about the Langheck 917s - they are beautiful in a way that the Ks are not; it's a shame that they garnered so few race wins (or finishes), with their win in the 1969 Zeltweg 1000 Km. the only victory (and which wasn't really a long-tail, it was just a slight modification of the original 917 body configuration before JWA came up with the K and L versions when Porsche gave them the keys to the vault):

The only long-tail 917 (and not actually a 917LH but an early development of the original 917) to win a race, the #29 Jo Siffert/Kurt Ahrens car won the 1969 Zeltweg 1000 Km. on the old Österreichring. On the right, it's leading the pole-sitting JWA Gulf Mirage M3-Cosworth Ford driven by Jacky Ickx/Jackie Oliver, which DNF'd.

The fact is, even the evil-handling 1969 version of the 917 and the 917Ls of 1970 and 1971 dominated Le Mans each year only to fail, usually within striking distance of the finish (1969 - four hours; 1970 - 6 hours; 1971 - 13 hours). The difference was that in the latter two years there was a 917K to take up the mantle and win.

 

[CreepyVanMan]

Man I just love the history lessons and archive photos, just had to say thanks once again!

 

[Jersey_Devil]

And the 917s just keep coming on! Friday I took delivery of my Minichamps 1/18th Martini Porsche 917/20. The 1:1 was a one-off car created as a test-bed for low-drag concepts and for parts that were intended for future Can-Am cars; the development was farmed out to the French aerospace research company SERA (Societe d'Etudes et de Realisations Automobiles) rather than Porsche. Though it shared the 1971 917LH's front end, it was lower and wider than the other 917s and the wheels were inset deeper into the wheel wells.

It's stubby shape inspired any number of nicknames - "Der Trüffeljäger von Zuffenhausen ("The Trufflehunter of Zuffenhausen" - home of Porsche)", "Big Bertha" and, of course, "The Pink Pig" - and that inspired Porsche designer Anatole Lapine (later lead designer of the 924, 944 and 928), to create the pink livery labeled with the various parts of a pig, butcher-style. Although the car was entered by Martini, the owner was so repulsed by the ridicule the car received that he refused to let the company's name appear on it! Officially it was entered by Porsche Austria, but that was in name only - it was definitely a Martini International entry.

The car's design was effective, achieving the fastest trap speed in the Le Mans test days before the race weekend. That it qualified seventh for the 24-Hours was impressive considering it was a brand new car from the bottom up. Driven by Willi Kauhsen and Reinhold Joest (yes, THAT Joest), it was in fifth third place after 12 hours when Joest crashed during the night. Although Joest was initially blamed for the crash, many years later the wreck was examined and the brake pads were found worn to the bare metal. The Pig was faster in a straight line than the other 917s and therefore harder on brakes but was kept on the same pad replacement schedule as the other, non-porcine 917s, leading to brake failure. Its drivers reported it was more stable at speed than the 917Ks and cornered better than any of the 917 variants.

Though the car never raced again, it was the direct ancestor of the open-cockpit 917/20 and 917/30 that would dominate the Interserie and Can-Am championships in the next few years.

This Minichamps model has similar quality of construction as the 917L versions by AUTOArt, with some more detailed touches under the rear hatch. The paint job and tampos are beautifully executed and appear to be accurate. The details such as the headlight configuration, an actual screen in the nose and the small open and larger covered NACA ducts on the rear deck are well-executed. As usual with these cars, the windshield wiper could be done better as a photo-etched add-on. There are two large gaps on the roof to accommodate the doors' doglegs, which is somewhat of a distraction. Also, in the engine bay, the flat-twelve engine intakes should be visible according to photos of the 1:1 but are not, with somewhat primitive-looking black covers that aren't present in the few pics I've seen of the 1:1 that show that part of the car.
But that's a minor quibble compared to my only REAL complaint: the battery is dead - the box doesn't "OINK" when I open it

! I'll see if I can fix that eventually...

 

[preisman]

Holy crap, that is a fat Porker. Such an awesome model!!! Easily on top of my most wanted all time. Congrats!

 

[Dave7872]

As always my good friend, Great history lesson, I sadly let this one go, And mine oinked, Do you know that after the oink, There is an actual sound recording of the 1.1 gearing up to roar down the Mulsanne straight?

I had loose wires on mine, But did fix it. Its not a massive deal if they dont work tbh.

Thanks Red, You now have me looking for a replacement hahahahaha

 

[StratosWRC]

Thanks for the back story, didn't know all that. Can't believe they were repulsed by it cause it's one of the coolest 917s ever. I see that detail wise it's on par with the autoarts.

 

[Evil Z06]

Great add Red....Nothing like classic pork

 

[Jersey_Devil]

Thanks for the kudos, guys! I had always been only mildly interested in this car since it had such a short and relatively unremarkable history, but when this one came available at the lowest price I'd ever seen, I had to try to snag it and got it with a last-second snipe at 3 a.m.

. I knew most of its history already but the news about Martini & Rossi not appreciating the attention the car got cracked me up! Didn't they realize that nearly all publicity is good publicity for sponsors? I did more research on that and the story (backed by an article in "Motor Sport" magazine) is that Count Rossi saw the car and called it a "fat pig" and didn't want the Martini Racing name on it, thereby inspiring Lapine to create the livery. In addition, I corrected my note about the car's placement at the time of the accident that put it out - it was in THIRD, not fifth place.

By the way, as I noted in the "What Did You Buy Today" thread, Minichamps is coming out with three (not two) more versions of this car: in Le Mans test days white:

and, as it appeared in practice for the 24-hours in pink but without the pork parts labeled:

and a "dirty" version (presumably before it crashed):

And for one last Count Rossi note, here is his one-of-a-kind, only street-legal 917 in the world:

 

[Josh]

You know you do not have to stay up until 3 am right, just place your max bid whenever you like and sleep.

 

[Dave7872]

Where is the fun in that Josh?

 

[drivinghermad]

Yet another brilliant addition and History of this Beast,shame it didn't oink straight out of the Box LOL.So enjoyable to go though,thanks again Red.

 

[Jersey_Devil]

Thanks, Darren!

Josh, if I put in a max bid, then other people have time to counter it. I'm a professional sniper: I watch the flow of the auction and if the bidding has not exceeded my desired max, I wait until less than 10 seconds are left and then POUNCE. There's nothing I can do about others' max bids that are higher than mine; my goal is to beat those who, like me, don't have unlimited funds and consequently have to actively think about how much they are willing to spend before bidding - again, like me. Sometimes the numbers go up past what you originally decided was your max and then you have to reconsider: "Do I really need another purple Aventador?"

...That moment of hesitation is my opening!

My record is entering my winning bid at what the counter said was ZERO seconds

...

 

[Jersey_Devil]

As I continue my never-ending education about the history of auto racing around the world, I am constantly alerted to new (to me) categories or series that feature cars that fascinate me. The current DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters - German Touring Car Masters, started in 2000 - and its immediate predecessor, Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft - German Touring Car Championship, 1984-96) are the German equivalents to the NASCAR Sprint Cup series featuring cars that are racing versions of street cars (currently featuring Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW).

But much like NASCAR and IMSA GT and Trans-Am, the DTM was created because the previous touring car series had, due to lack of entrants or excessive expense or just demand, morphed into competitions featuring full-house race cars that had never seen a street. The DRM (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft - German Racing Championship) began in 1972 for Group 2 Touring cars (Ford Capri, BMW 2002, BMW 2800, Sunbeam Imp, Fiat 128 Coupe, Alfa Romeo 1300) and Group 4 GT cars (De Tomaso Pantera, Porsche 911S). Every year, though, the ante was raised as more and more advanced and powerful cars were being introduced, starting with the BMW 3.0 CSL (AKA "Batmobile"), then the Porsche Carrera RSR.

In 1977 the DRM was opened up to Group 5 cars and the nuclear war was on. These "silhouette" cars (Porsche 935, BMW 320, Toyota Celica Turbo, so called because they were permitted extended wings and fenders that surrounded the original cars' silhouette shapes, though hardly resembling them anymore) were far more powerful and popular in this series than in the World Championship of Makes endurance series they were intended for. In answer to those cars, Zakspeed, the German Ford factory team, created a silhouette car of the Capri III Turbo to compete in the Division 2 class. This Mampe-sponsored car was fast but fragile and the drivers finished 7[sup]th[/sup] and 8[sup]th[/sup] in the championship (a BMW 320i Turbo won); here's the 1/18[sup]th[/sup] Minichamps version below:

In 1979 a Kremer Porsche 935 K3 took the title as the Capri Turbos started to proliferate through the series. In 1980, the champion drove a Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo, but in 1981 a Würth-sponsored Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo driven by Klaus Ludwig, the 1979 champion, finally prevailed (Minichamps below):

In 1982 the DRM was converted to a Group C series (primarily featuring Porsche 956's) and Zakspeed split its efforts between a Group C Ford C100 for reigning champion Ludwig:

and a Capri Turbo for Klaus Niedzwiedz (Minichamps below):

After Niedzwiedz earned a win and a 3[sup]rd[/sup] in the first two races while Ludwig DNF'd both, in the third race Ludwig switched back to a Capri Turbo (like the C100, in Jaegermeister livery):

Niedzwiedz won again while Ludwig finished 3[sup]rd[/sup].

But the writing was on the wall as Porsche 936's were dominating most of the races. Ludwig went back to the C100 and won two of the last three races (both times followed immediately by Niedzwiedz, still in his D&W-sponsored Capri Turbo). That writing also applied to the DRM as it lasted only another three years, the last two of which saw only a handful of actual series races being held.

Minichamps offered multiple versions of the Ford Capri Turbo in 1/18[sup]th[/sup] diecast, but I could not resist the lure of Ludwig's 1982 Jaegermeister liveried one, despite its relative lack of success compared to his 1981 Würth-sponsored championship Capri. The execution of the model is excellent, still typically well-done Minichamps. The paint job is exquisite and the engine and interior detail outstanding, down to the Zakspeed engraving; love the hood aero strakes and the rear ground effects skirts as well - this car may not have been a winner, but it works for me!

Next - my Exoto Penske Sunoco Porsche 917/30 Road America #6!

 

[StratosWRC]

I love these Capris. Can't decide which livery I want though. So far I'm not a big fan of the ones that have been released although if I was to get one, it would be the Mampe car. I'm just not sure what their decal quality is like. Had terminal issues with decals on Minichamps models before, specifically cracking/fissuring.

 

[Jersey_Devil]

You'll certainly have a lot of choices, Wes - Minichamps has or will release seven different race liveries and one un-liveried all-red version. To my knowledge, the Jaegermeister is the only one people are paying premium for, though.

As for the decals, I've seen elsewhere suggestions on applying clearcoat to models to preserve decals and paintjob. I'm sure that in one of the hobby threads here there are details.

 

[drivinghermad]

Another Amazing read.This is a shining example of how to go about putting a thread together,really is the cream of Threads.I look forward to going through your latest updates and it leaves me with a big smile.Thanks for taking the time to put this together,you are a top Guy and this is just Fantastic stuff,keep them coming please.