908 body in 3D CAD

[Sid]

It's driven me half insane trying to do this, but I finally have managed to create a body in Solidworks. It's supposed to be a 908, but I'm not claiming any accuracy because the 'blueprints' I used were a 3 view drawing from an old slot car magazine, found on the web.

[Sid]

Now approaching completion after no end of further work and banging my head against what seemed like a brick wall. I'll probably release the Cad model into the public domain for scratchbuilders to use.

This must be the least popular thread on the whole forum, isn't anyone even slightly interested ?

[Randy V]

I'd say that she's coming along quite nicely Sid!

What are your plans for this?

[Jac Mac]

Originally Posted by Siddley

Now approaching completion after no end of further work and banging my head against what seemed like a brick wall. I'll probably release the Cad model into the public domain for scratchbuilders to use.

This must be the least popular thread on the whole forum, isn't anyone even slightly interested ?

Not all of us care to admit that we have similar symptoms to what you consider insanity Sid, we prefer to call it an addiction for which we require no cure.

[Fred W B]

Look great Sid, and I know how much work it takes - Well done

I'll probably release the Cad model into the public domain for scratchbuilders to use.

If don't know if the shape is set in stone now, or if you are still tweaking it? If you want to give someone who might take up the challenge the best possible chance of building a replica that "looks right" can I suggest that you spend some time comparing your shape to as many photos of originals , particlullary period shots, that you can find. Rotate the model to the same angle the car is in the photo and look really closely at the lines and other features. I did not do enough of this before I stared building my T70 spyder inspired plug and made lots of extra work for myself

Cheers

Fred W B

[Sid]

Thanks guys. My plan is to spend the winter months designing chassis and suspension and then next spring I'll try to find somewhere to build the buck.
My workshop would be large enough in theory, but it's full of machine tools ( and unheated )

I probably am insane

Good advice Fred, now I stopped cursing at Solidworks so much I'm starting to notice areas where the model disagrees with photos. The design isn't final, but it's a lot of work to remodel the body. You can't build it and then tweak it much because there are usually unintended consequences that break other parts of the model. really you have to go right back to the start. But every time I have to do that it gets a little bit easier and takes a little less work.
Right now I have maybe 30 or more hours invested in it and I expect a lot more.

[EGLITOM]

Sid
i discussed this once with a friend who works a lot on CAD. He told me that solidworks has his limitations in "free form surfaces". He said that actualy a surface model of Solidworks usualy has a lot of problems where the different lines meet each other ( overlapping) and thus creating issues for transferring it into the cnc milling programm for the buck. He recommanded to do it in CADIA.
Don´t know if this is true and relevant, but suggest you check this and transfer into CADIA before spending even more work.

Its coming along great . The "flunder" is clearly to identify.

Make a trip to the new porsche museum, Its worthwhile , and you could take pictures of your car from every angle and even hold a scale besides it.

TOM

[Trevor Booth]

Using Catia or Pro E in a true parametric model you can push, pull, stretch the surface into any shape you desire.

I doubt that the solidworks surface would migrate into Catia or Pro E correctly.

You could slice the model both longitudinally and transversely and form a series of sections, then migrate those section models into Catia or Pro E. Then blend a
surface over the sections.

[Bill Hara]

Great effort Sid

Look - lots of interest!

[Sid]

A good friend of mine ( who will be helping out on the project ) asked a relative who is an industrial designer about the best software choice.
He said " CATIA" as well.

I'm wondering if it might be worth contacting Gunnar to see if they have any other photo's of their own 908\2 than the ones which are currently on the website - I'm kind of hesitant though because I bet they spend a lot of the time they could be using to restore cars fending off requests like that.
I'd trade them something in return to make it worth their while, but I don't think I have anything to offer.

One absolute piece of stupidity I have only just realised is that I have committed all this initial effort to a body design for an aircooled motor, when a Porsche engine wasn't in my budget.
I'll have to either find an unobtrusive way to duct enough air to a radiator, or just bite the bullet and find a Porsche engine which is cheap because it needs a rebuild. At least I've got engine building skills already, it's not like I have to learn all that from scratch like the CAD.

[David Sturch]

Sid,
The ducting is easy for the rad in the front. Just add it. Here's a picture of my front clip.
Dave

[Sid]

Originally Posted by Fred W B

can I suggest that you spend some time comparing your shape to as many photos of originals , particlullary period shots, that you can find. Rotate the model to the same angle the car is in the photo and look really closely at the lines and other features.

After taking your advice Fred I'm really glad I took it ( does that make sense ? )

I was missing a lot of the 'coke bottle' aspect of the shape. Plus there are any amount of more subtle differences. I wan't really intending to do more than create a generic spyder shape, but what the hell, now I have come this far I may as well get it as correct as I possibly can.

Dave - Thanks for the front clip idea, you have made a great job of that.

[Fred W B]

Glad to hear it helped you Sid

I wan't really intending to do more than create a generic spyder shape, but what the hell, now I have come this far I may as well get it as correct as I possibly can.

That is what happened to me too, and also exactly the comment I made at the time.

Cheers

Fred W B

[Chris P.]

Ahhh - a fellow SolidWorks sufferer, I mean user. Or as I call it, SortaWorks. It's definitely an outstanding piece of software for the money, but also definitely has its limitations. Free form, organic shapes is a well known one. I have yet to find a way to make something as involved as a car body and easily modify it later without causing the whole thing to become useless. Nice job though.

[Olivier]

It seems, as far as I know, that for this kind of work, softwares like blender, 3DSmax, and others are pretty much "tolerants" for the modifications...

Pure surface design (with a CAD software, like solid, catia...) asks some strong knowledge of the soft.

Those softs (3dsmax...) seem to be very much "user friendly". And even if it's not a surface that is generated with it, you can import it in solidworks as a mesh...

Didn't took the time to learn using them, but there is a loooot of forums on the net with tutorials. Many guys are making cars to import into their favorite race game.

Anyway, great work with thi design!

Olivier.

[Sid]

Well I recently showed the 908 to some guys who model historic cars as a free addon series for a PC racing sim and they asked me to join their team Which is great because they are some of the best 3d modellers around and I'll learn a lot. I'm already a fan of theirs because they are very,very serious about realism, getting real world classic owners and racers to test for them.

But I mustn't lose sight of the purpose behind all this. I'm now at the stage where I could section the model and create full size templates for a buck.
But that will have to wait for warmer weather and a place to work, so it's time to look at chassis and suspension.

Chris P - do you have a build thread or a website for your project ? I'd love to see what you are up to

[Chris Melia]

Hi Sid

If you want to come see my 908c body drop me a line I,m in East Anglia.

regards

Chris.

[Chris P.]

Originally Posted by Siddley

Chris P - do you have a build thread or a website for your project ? I'd love to see what you are up to

Hah - nope - sorry. All I have right now is an engine, some brake parts, a steering rack, a tranny, and a windshield. I haven't had the time to work on this project. I probably wouldn't even keep a build log anyway, except my own photos for prosperity sake.

I have designed my own body and my own suspension (actually the suspension is part of it that still needs most of the work.) I was able to do some preliminary CFD work on the body while I had access to software, but don't now.

Good luck on yours; maybe you'll be able to get a lot farther than I have on mine.

[Sid]

Originally Posted by Chris Melia

Hi Sid

If you want to come see my 908c body drop me a line I,m in East Anglia.

regards

Chris.

Thanks Chris, I really, really appreciate that. I'll get in contact after the festivities.