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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 3, 2022 18:17:30 GMT -5
1966 Le Mans Finish: I remember the small town newspaper where I grew up had a large black and white image of this photo, or one like it, on the front page after Ford's win at Le Mans in 1966. It was rare for our paper to mention much about racing outside the sports section, if at all. I saw that image over a hundred times on Monday June 20, 1966, as I rolled the papers for my route and as I delivered them. It has kind of stuck with me. Even though I was a Chaparral fan, the Ford win was a big deal. The news about the controversial finish and Ford vs. Ferrari wouldn't cross my conscience for a couple decades at least. On that early summer day and for weeks after, that win was the talk at the slot car track and GT40's were revered like gods. I decided that it was time for me to make a diorama of the 1-2-3 Ford finish at Le Mans. It won't be as elegant as Jean's art deco Lego piece, but I hope it will be a suitable showpiece for the three cars involved. I am sure that given the popularity of the Ford vs. Ferrari movie, even non-race fans will know what it represents. The question is, what part of the finish to represent. Fortunately, there are many images of the finish taken from different angles and where the cars are in relation to the finish line. It also provides me with a variety of images to pick out background details. I am leaning towards the finish as depicted in the image below. Primarily because I want to fit the Esso man in somehow. :lol: I have started the layout process using a piece of Masonite as the base. I decided this piece was too small and ended up cutting a piece that is 16" wide by 12" deep (40.6 x 30.5 cm). I didn't want to go any bigger out of space considerations. In this layout, I am doing the primarily positioning of the cars, as well as the lines on the road surface. I think I am going to move the finish line farther to the right to give a better balance to the piece. I'm very visual when it comes to this, so a bit of trial and error over a couple days till I get it right. I've had a splint on my dislocated thumb the past month, which is now off and the doctor thinks this sort of project will be good hand therapy. I'm still limited in my range of motion, so this project will likely take some time depending on my progress. Stay tuned! 1966 Le Mans Finish - Pt. 2
I have painted the track surface since the last instalment (on the S143 site) and since the surface was wet at the end of the 1966 Le Mans race, I wanted to have a wet appearance to the track surface. This image is the track base before any work was done to "weather" the track surface.
In the next image, I've done some weathering to the track surface and installed the pieces which will be used to form the earthen barrier along the track. I will probably tone down the track surface a bit more at the end. I want it to have a reflective quality, but not a bright sheen. Next, work begins on the earthen berm.
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Post by JSB33 on Apr 4, 2022 5:24:21 GMT -5
What a difference a coat of paint makes. And it does indeed look wet.
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Post by jager on Apr 4, 2022 9:34:42 GMT -5
Great work Jerry. Years ago, I saw an F1 diorama of a wet race. One of the thing I remember is the model maker had made the track appear wet, but had created dry tyre tracks behind the cars which looked very effective. I guess this was done by applying thin strips of masking tape to replicate the tyre tracks on to a matte base, then applying the gloss and pealing off the masking tape while the gloss was still wet. You can see the dry tyre tracks behind the GT40's in this picture:
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Post by Tom on Apr 4, 2022 11:14:27 GMT -5
Very creative and indeed, you've managed to make it look wet. Looking forward to the rest of the project!
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 4, 2022 11:42:31 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind comments guys. It is and remains very much a work in progress. Once the diorama is nearer to completion, I will add additional elements to the track surface such as tire tracks. I usually d this with putting paint on the wheels of a model I use for this purpose and then run it over the surface where I want it. I will likely try this first using flat black and see how it looks. I will need to have the cars in their final position before I do it. I am thinking I will probably spray a matte clear finish to the track surface. That should take off any glossy sheen and replace it with one that is closer to reality. One of the things I enjoy about this project is trying to new things.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 10, 2022 15:19:44 GMT -5
Le Mans Finish 1966 - Part 3: One of the trademark features of Le Mans was the earthen berms which lined many parts of the track. These low berms offered a modest amount of protection to photographers, officials and even spectators who ventured near the track's active race surface. On reflection, its odd that a decade after the 1955 Le Mans disaster that they were still around. It was off of one of these berms that the Mercedes 300 SLR became airborne before landing in a crowd of spectators. However, these berms were often the markers of farmers fields for all but one week a year and were the French equivalent of stone walls lining fields in the UK and Ireland. So, there they are and often faced with a crude fence made from tree branches on the track side and at the start finish area, a concrete back retaining wall. It was a perfect place to hang advertising however, something Le Mans had no lack of. So, construction of the berm along the finish line at Le Mans is the next focus in my build of this diorama. I started with pieces of wood which gave the right looking height and width to the berm and glued it to the base of the diorama as seen in the last picture. The next step once the track surface had been masked off, was to use tile grout to "sculpt" the berm and give it the appearance of an earthen structure (as seen in this photo). If you look at photos, you can see that the made a bit of a jog at the finish line and I wanted to capture that feature. The next step after the grout had dried was to remove any unwanted edges, etc. from the berm. Even though the grout has sand in it, to give it more "earthen" texture, I painted it with beige/tan textured paint. Because the track and surrounding surfaces were wet from rain, I then coated the berm with a darker brown than I usually would use so that any bits of the berm that were exposed in the next step would look like wet earth. The final step was to use a white glue/water mixture and paint the berm surfaces I wanted to have vegetation on. I then applied a "grass" texture mix to the glued surface, letting it dry before knocking the excess material off the berm. Being late spring, the grass growing on the berm was green, with some brown spots on top which I will detail in later. This gives what at one time were strips cut from old shelving the look I was aiming for. The next step is to look at images of the area I am trying to duplicate to get the features right. In 1966, it looks like there were some signs hung as banners from the berm and others mounted on wood. One of the things I enjoy about these projects is the little details you discover when looking past the main subjects in those images. Stay tuned!
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Post by Tom on Apr 10, 2022 15:30:34 GMT -5
Starting to look very good indeed.
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Post by jager on Apr 10, 2022 20:43:32 GMT -5
Interesting tip to use tile grout to get the 'earthen' look Jerry. I would not have thought of that. That said, I don't think the banks were totally earthen. As this picture shows, for most of their length they were timber lined structures filled with sand, so only the tops were 'earthen', not the sides. This is a different arrangement to the thatched berms that existed a decade before from the 1955 tragedy.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 11, 2022 11:53:54 GMT -5
Interesting tip to use tile grout to get the 'earthen' look Jerry. I would not have thought of that. That said, I don't think the banks were totally earthen. As this picture shows, for most of their length they were timber lined structures filled with sand, so only the tops were 'earthen', not the sides. This is a different arrangement to the thatched berms that existed a decade before from the 1955 tragedy. I am having a rethink on that one Ian. Never having been there, I am at a disadvantage relying on old color and black and white photos. You are right, by 1966, most of the old earthen banks and fencing were gone but perhaps in a few places. One of the problems now is that some of the Ford vs. Ferrari movie stills are mixed in with on-line, so one has to be careful in not confusing recreation vs. real.. The way I try to tell, absent of captions, is the clarity of the picture. Are you positive it was wood? I'm still not sure they are wood unless you can confirm. I base my belief they were concrete on the fact that structurally it would be superior and not prone to rot, especially the start/finish straight section which was mostly permanent. I am sure they may have filled with sand, but using the existing berms would have been cheaper an djust as effective? In some shots it looks like concrete, in others like the one you posted, could be wood. I look at the height and thickness and it compares to the pit barrier walls, which were concrete. I also look at the back side which doesn't seem to have any reinforcement which would have been needed for wood? Clearly, some of the front facing had what look like wood/concrete retaining over the berm with curious sections without (unless they were overgrown). Since no photos focus on the berms, specifically its really hard to say. Here are some of the images I have been looking at. Would be curious your thoughts since you have great Le Mans knowledge, or anyone else for that matter. Easy enough to change anything in the diorama, just want to get it close to right.
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LM24HRS
Member
Paul - "Collecting Motorsport in Miniature; for the passion and its history".
Posts: 451
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Post by LM24HRS on Apr 14, 2022 1:36:14 GMT -5
This I will watch with great interest Jerry simply because I have a very similar idea myself. I'm not adavanced as you are but I wish to put the three finishers into a deep box shadow picture frame I have acquired giving a birds eye view of the scene when finished....hopefully. In the meantime I will enjoy your diorama build.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 14, 2022 11:28:40 GMT -5
This I will watch with great interest Jerry simply because I have a very similar idea myself. I'm not adavanced as you are but I wish to put the three finishers into a deep box shadow picture frame I have acquired giving a birds eye view of the scene when finished....hopefully. In the meantime I will enjoy your diorama build. That's a cool idea Paul! Right now the greatest challenge for me is figuring out how to put driver figures in the Spark GT40's. They don't come apart like old diecast and too expensive to screw one up being ham fisted. On another front, a friend sent me this small Michael Turner print which might make a good backdrop for the piece. I eventually want to mount it on a nice base and have an acrylic cover.
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LM24HRS
Member
Paul - "Collecting Motorsport in Miniature; for the passion and its history".
Posts: 451
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Post by LM24HRS on Apr 14, 2022 13:33:11 GMT -5
I fully understand the need to get the ESSO man in. I have not seen this particular Michael Turner print before. That will be very effective. The thought of driver figures in the cars also crossed my mind too.....work in progress on that subject I think.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 14, 2022 14:36:07 GMT -5
I fully understand the need to get the ESSO man in. I have not seen this particular Michael Turner print before. That will be very effective. The thought of driver figures in the cars also crossed my mind too.....work in progress on that subject I think. Yeah, I'm going to take a look at this afternoon or tomorrow. Up till now I've been focused on other aspects of the project and adding the drivers is one of those deals I'll either be able to or not. This weekend I think I will make the sign decals I don't already have. I'm in no big rush, but have already identified my next project. 😉
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 16, 2022 13:42:51 GMT -5
I fully understand the need to get the ESSO man in. I have not seen this particular Michael Turner print before. That will be very effective. The thought of driver figures in the cars also crossed my mind too.....work in progress on that subject I think. Yeah, I'm going to take a look at this afternoon or tomorrow. Up till now I've been focused on other aspects of the project and adding the drivers is one of those deals I'll either be able to or not. This weekend I think I will make the sign decals I don't already have. I'm in no big rush, but have already identified my next project. 😉 The Spark GT40's seem to come apart with three screws and a little gentle persuasion. Now to see if I have the driver figures, or need to order some.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 18, 2022 10:49:30 GMT -5
Alfa Romeo P2 & the 1924 French GP - We'll come back to the finish at Le Mans in 1966 shortly, but first something different. I have shown parts of this diorama on the S143 site, but it occurred to me I have never shown the completed diorama. I had intended to enter it into the next round of the Isolation Island Concours, but dont think that's going to happen. So here for the first time, in its entirety: The star: 1928 Alfa Romeo P2 - 1924 French GP - FB ModelsIntroduced by Alfa Romeo for the 1924 Grand Prix season, the P2 8C/2000 was the first creation by Alfa’s new designer Vittorio Jano. Six examples were built of the 2.0L (1,987 cc) straight-8 engined car with twin Roots superchargers ahead of the twin Memini carburetors. Power was delivered by a 4-speed manual gearbox and the P2 produced 140 bhp at the rear wheels during peak revs. As typical of the day, the P2 had a rigid front axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs; while the rear had a live axle also with leaf springs. Both ends had friction shocks to cushion the ride over the bumpy racing surfaces of the day. The P2 in the hands of Antonio Ascari, won its first race at Cremona. Over the next six-years, the P2 would win 14 major Grand Prix’s and take Alfa Romeo to the inaugural Automobile Championship in 1925. Its final triumph would be a win on the Targa Florio at the hands of Achille Varzi in 1930. In 1924 the P2 was the center point of the formidable Alfa Romeo team, with its principal drivers of Antonio Ascari, Giuseppe Campari. Louis Wagner, Ferdinando Minoia and Enzo Ferrari (whom you may have heard of). The team was led by Ascari, who began racing in 1919 and would join the Alfa Romeo team the following year. He would win four major Grand Prix’s over his career, a career which was tragically cut short in July 1925 when while leading the French Grand Prix, his car overturned, severely injuring Ascari. He was 36 years old, the same age as his son Alberto who would be two-time World Champion in 1952 & ’53; who ironically died behind the wheel of his race car at the age of 36. In 1924 however, fresh off the win at Circuit of Cremona, Ascari and the Alfa Romeo team were in force with four cars for the 1924 French Grand Prix. FRENCH GRAND PRIX
The French Grand Prix of 1924 has been labeled as one of the greatest Grand Prix races ever run by Motor Sport magazine. The event held on the public roads surrounding Lyon and drew the largest number of entries (22) of any French Grand Prix in the 1920’s. On race day, over 100,000 spectators gathered to watch over the next seven hours, a 35-lap race over the 14.38 mile (23.15 km) circuit. With many roads being unpaved at the time, the course was a combination of surfaces which transitioned from paved surface to gravel to dirt and back again. It was a true test of the endurance and stamina of both the machines and men driving them, both driver and riding mechanic. Entries at the French Grand Prix included the top makes and racing models of the day, including Bugatti, Delage, Fiat, Sunbeam, Miller and of course, the new Alfa Romeo P2. The cars were piloted by the best European drivers with the names of Segrave, Thomas, Nazzaro, Divo, Zborowski, Constantini and Benoist, among others. Alfa Romeo was there with four cars to be driven by Ascari, Campari, Wagner and Ferrari (who did not start the race due to illness.) Timed qualifying had not yet been invented and was done by a draw among the drivers instead for starting positions. Henry Seagrave drew pole position and was off at the start into the lead in one of the three Sunbeam’s entered. Ascari (in this car) pushed through past Divo’s Delage into second place at the start, with the first lap top five order being Seagrave, Ascari, Guinness (Sunbeam), Campari (Alfa), Bordino (Fiat). They were followed by Divo, Resta (Sunbeam), Pastore (Fiat), Benoist (Delage) and Thomas (Delage) rounding out the top ten. Bugatti, which had entered six T35’s for the race was waiting for attrition at the top to advance their positions. Bordino had moved into second place by the end of the second lap and took the lead on the third when Seagrave had to pit for new spark plugs. Ascari was able to keep up with Bordino, with both Guinness and Campari pressing from behind. On lap nine, with fading brakes, Bordino overshot a corner and handed the lead to Ascari. He was driving one of the P2’s which had the original cut-off body work over the longer, more streamlined cars such as Campari’s. Bordino took the lead the next lap and the pair dueled until Brodino was forced to pit a few laps later to repair his brakes and eventually retire from the race after 17 laps. Now again in the lead, Ascari made a scheduled stop for fuel and tires. Guinness took the lead but it was short lived as he blew a tire, which unfortunately a piece of flying tread hit Seagraves riding mechanic, taking both Sunbeams out of serious contention for the race lead in one incident. At halfway (17 laps), the order was Campari with a minute lead over Guinness and Divo, with Ascari another two minutes behind in fourth. By Lap 20, Ascari driving the #3 Alfa Romeo P2 had retaken the lead of the 1924 French Grand Prix. With the failure of the second place Sunbeam, Alfa Romeo now held the top two places, with Campari and Ascari swapping the lead on Lap 27 and again the following lap. While Divo in the Delage was pushing hard, he was no immediate threat to the Italians. With the two Alfas vying for race supremacy, Seagrave was also moving up from his early race setbacks, setting fastest lap of the race on Lap 29. On Lap 32, the race gods frowned on Ascari and his car began to slow, requiring him to pit. Unable to restart the engine, Ascari’s mechanic Ramponi attempted to push the car over the line, but collapsed, the Alfa Romeo was a non-finisher. Campari won the race in the #10 P2 by just over a minute over Divo, with Benoist in the other Delage in third. A great win for Alfa Romeo, but a bitter disappointment for Ascari in this car which led so brilliantly and who sadly lost his life in this race a year later.
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