WIP: Rally Legends Garage Diorama

allwheeldrift

01-30-2009, 09:49 PM

Hi All,

My name is Chris. I just joined and posted earlier today in the "real name
and age" forum in which I included a little about myself and a couple pics
of my long-term project. As a long-time rally fan, I originally started buying
up the Tamiya Rally kits when Makinen retired, then again when Richard
Burns passed away, and I just kept going from there. Before I knew it, I had
enough cars to fill a garage so, not having a garage, I decided to build one.

The pictures below portray a mock-up which, at a scale area of 3,500
sqft, turns out to be too small for my ultimate goal so, the final scale area
will increasing to about 5,000 sqft (30"x40"). The structure will be made
entirely of wood and will feature electric lights, hinged doors and roof,
and I'm wondering about the best way to do the roll-up doors but they're a
long way off. I'm hoping someone here will have some suggestions. I'd like
to do small electric motors and chains, if possible. You know, flip a switch
and the lights come on, flip another and a door rolls up.

The cars currently "in house" are as follow:

Richard Burns, 2001 Subaru, Rally GB
(winner of the rally and the WRC driver's championship)
Richard Burns, 2002 Peugeot 206 (#1), Rally Corsica
Richard Burns, 2003 Peugeot 206, Rally Monte Carlo
Collin McRae, 2001 Ford Focus, Rally Monte Carlo
Markko Martin, 2003 Ford Focus, Rally Finland winner (not pictured)
Tommi Makinen, 1999 Mitsubishi Evo VII (#1),
Hans Stuck, 1977 BMW 320i Grp 5, Jagermeister Livery
Bjorn Waldegaard, 1979 Ford Escort RS1800, Lombard RAC Rally
("Restoration in progress" of first "official" WRC champion's car)

Also represented will be: Carlos Sainz's 1993 Celica, Petter Solberg's 2004
Subaru (Rally japan) and a Seb Loeb Citroen, if I can find one. I'm
considering the Subaru and Citroen kits which include a rally car plus the
service truck and trailer. This is the only 1/24 contemporary WRC Citroen
I've been able to find but $100 is pretty steep.

Additional classics will include: a Lancia Stratos, Michèle Mouton's 1982 Audi
Quattro, Renault Group B, Alpine Renault, and we can't forget the Mini or a
few other "must haves".

I also ride motorcycles so, of course nothing less than a 1954 Vincent Black
Shadow would do for a shop bike. This is a die-cast piece that I will
weather/age accordingly.

I expect to be working on this project for the next 12-18 months and will
update the thread as progress dictates, which will most likely be once or
twice a month. I encourage your comments and feedback as I'm always
open for better (more efficient/better looking) ways to do things. I have
endless patience and will re-do a piece until I'm happy with it. I also have a
Unimat lathe which I will use to make shocks or anything else that seems
worth the effort. If anyone is familiar with these old lathes, feel free to PM
me for info exchange.

All the best!

C.

This is the first set of pics I took. I'll post the next group separately.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0016.jpg?t=1233370679

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0017.jpg?t=1233370617

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0021.jpg?t=1233370160

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0025.jpg?t=1233371121

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0018.jpg?t=1233370341

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0019.jpg?t=1233370308

"This site has gone _0_ days without a job-related injury."

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0029.jpg?t=1233370842

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0028.jpg?t=1233371065

The Subaru is much further along but I need to re-paint the body as it's far too dark

And finally, the latest edition (apologies for the poor image)

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip1/PICT0001.jpg?t=1233371241

Thanks for looking! I'll get the next set up over the weekend the weekend.

Cheers!

AustinMartin

01-30-2009, 10:06 PM

Wow! Very excited to see how this build progresses!

ajrichar

01-30-2009, 11:15 PM

This is a very ambitious but exciting project. please keep us updated with plenty of progress pics! It will be a 'WRC Legends Rally Museum' type of thing when finished.

mrawl

01-31-2009, 03:32 AM

Wow, what a concept! It looks like Griot's Garage ;) just needs that barn door or whatever he has up there...

endac

01-31-2009, 03:11 PM

Looks really good, nice collection of cars and great idea for a project.

allwheeldrift

02-01-2009, 01:06 AM

allwheeldrift

02-05-2009, 02:36 PM

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for all the encouragement. I had a chance to do a little work
and snap a few pics. I'm working this weekend but will hopefully post some
more next week.

The boys needed a few fixtures so we broke out the raw materials. The
shop also saw the addition (finally) of Martin and Park's 2003 Rally Finland
winner and a Testor's metal car trailer (already undergoing modification). I
apologize in advance for the first shot (hand-held w/flash :shakehead) but it shows
all the vehicles etc. in place. I promise better pics next week.

I also made a decision on my next build, which you'll see at the end
(assuming you start here).

Cheers!

Let's see, which one should we load on the trailer today?

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0033.jpg?t=1233861429

Some new additions to the shop

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0034.jpg?t=1233861484

The table looks big because it is. Scale size is 4'x8' and will eventually
recreate a solid steel welding table similar to one I once used. 1" plate steel
surface, 4" square tube frame, and and expanded mesh steel shelf from
leg-to-leg. It had 1,000lb casters and could barely be moved by one
person. We estimated it's weight at well over 1000lbs, if not closer to 2000.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0037.jpg?t=1233861523

When I get short on time, I make stuff like this. I found 1/24 wood palettes
on that auction site for $3ea! :screwy: (and, if I may say, not half as good
looking). I may have to go into production...

The piece of brake ducting on the bench was scratch-built using a tutorial I
may have found on AF. It's just wire wrapped around a rod (like the springs)
then covered with teflon tape. The shaped styrene rods are prototype
exhaust pipes for the 320

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0039.jpg?t=1233861641

The palette is pretty straight forward...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0035.jpg?t=1233861692

The stairs take a little more time... :confused:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0036.jpg?t=1233861723

The trailer is nice and heavy, but far too shiny. I tried a little wash on it but
I'm not convinced. It wasn't built five minutes and I lost the foot for the
jack :banghead: Of course, now I need something to tow it...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0040.jpg?t=1233861754

A little short on styrene so we went for the small race box (with tire rack)
for now. Probably enclose the whole thing at some point.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0041.jpg?t=1233861795

And finally, the next build! I've decided to start this while I strip the Subaru
and sort out my plan for it. I'm a big Evo fan so the choice was easy.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0032.jpg?t=1233861824

That's it for now, thanks for viewing! Comments, questions, suggestions are always welcome.

.

Dingo1

02-06-2009, 06:51 PM

Man, Chris that is great work well done and I hope it's finished soon. I know where there's a garage just like that near where I live in Adelaide, Australia but instead of it being full of rally cars which I like as well it's full of V8 race & drag cars.

Dingo :cool:

allwheeldrift

02-07-2009, 04:08 AM

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the kind words, Dingo. This is a long-term project that will take
at least a year or two. The current building is just a temporary mock-up and
too small for my final goals. As you'll see from the latest pics, a scale shop
tends to fill up with "stuff" just as quickly as the real thing.

Well, it's pouring rain so I decided to take a break, get caught up on some
photos, and dive into the next build.

I've recently acquired an airbrush and plan to use it extensively from now
on so, any advice in that area would be most welcome. I just need to get
everything set up and practice a little more then I should be off and
running. I'll just say here that painting isn't my favorite part of modeling so I
tend to "batch process" as much as possible. I'll spend a number of sessions
prepping as many parts as I can manage then prime them all at once. Then
sort it all into color groups and go at it again. Right now, I'm mostly
prepping and scratch-building but I hope to have the airbrush set up and
parts ready to prime in the next week or two.

A little more about my build style. My primary production modes are:
research and design; scratch-building; prep and alteration of molded pieces;
primer and paint; and finally decals. I bounce around regularly though I do
tend to build in the following order: engine; chassis; running gear; interior;
other additions/modifications; and finish with the body and decals. Saving
the body until last allows time to consider any changes/improvements to it
or the rest of the model and prevents the body and/or decals from being
damaged while the rest of the model is completed.

Two of the things that got me re-ignited about models were SPEED
channel's WRC coverage in the early 2000's and the potential for reference
photos on the Web. Of course, the only good one I have been able to find
of the current project is included below so, if you happen to have others, or
could point me in the direction of some, I would be eternally grateful.

As for recent progress, pretty much just the scratch-built stuff (structure,
palette, stairs, bench, table, trailer box) and the very beginnings of the
current build. The Evo body and parts are very clean (thanks Tamiya!) and
will require minimal work so I dove right in on the suspension mod's. The
wheel-wells will be red so, while probably not "correct", I'll go with white
springs for contrast. Everything else will most likely be as is, but you never
know.

Thanks again for your encouragement and enthusiasm for this project. As
always, questions, comments, and suggestions welcome.

Cheers!

Some exterior shots of the "finished" prototype structure

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0004.jpg?t=1233997917

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0003.jpg?t=1233998095

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0002.jpg?t=1233998643

The panel to the left opens to reveal the bathroom etc but I spaced getting a shot :loser:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0005.jpg?t=1233998184

Open sez me!

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0007.jpg?t=1233998210

All our ducks in a row...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0008.jpg?t=1233998261

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0018.jpg?t=1233998384

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0006.jpg?t=1233998951

The shop bike has her new pipes, though they seem a little big...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0012.jpg?t=1233998995

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0016.jpg?t=1233999165

Nice to have that stuff off the floor...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0011.jpg?t=1233999237

No more climbing the walls...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0015.jpg?t=1233999283

And some more new fixtures...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0013.jpg?t=1233999346

She's got a few miles...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0010.jpg?t=1233999420

More ducks in a row...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0017.jpg?t=1233999491

And the next "victim"...

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/tommi.jpg?t=1233999590

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0024.jpg?t=1233999640

You can see the template for the stairs and some extra (tarmac) parts from the kit to the right.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0021.jpg?t=1233999669

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0020.jpg?t=1233999724

"Shocking"... apologies for the washed out pic but hopefully you get the idea.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p19/renofoto/fun/hobby/crmotorsport/wip3/PICT0022.jpg?t=1233999764

OK, I know these aren't the best pics but it's late and the light is marginal at best. Hope you enjoyed them anyway!

Cheers!
.

.

Dingo1

02-08-2009, 12:12 AM

Chris, this has inspired me to build a dio I have sitting waiting to be done please tell me what is U'r walls made of as this is the only thing stopping me, U'rs looks like a kind of plastic packing card of some sort.

Dingo :cool:

endac

02-08-2009, 04:47 AM

This is really taking shape nicely, I'd love to do something similar if i had enough space.

allwheeldrift

02-09-2009, 06:43 PM

Wow! I'm flattered! Thanks for the kind words and enthusiasm!

Dingo1:The walls are made of what is essentially styrene(?) cardboard. I found it at a local art supply in 20"x30" sheets for about US$5. It has "embossed" lines where the internal structural elements meet the outer sheets, cuts easily with a hobby knife, and glues with styrene cement. The only downside is it's translucency but otherwise, it's a great medium.

The "roof" is just foam-core art board and the base is a piece of 3/4" plywood (I had laying around) covered with contact (shelf) paper. The final structure will be made mostly of wood and will have a floor of individually laid "tiles". The exterior walls will be framed and covered and the roof framed and trussed like a 1:1 structure. Interior walls will be 3/16 ply. This is just one of many reasons why it's going to take me a year or more to complete this project.

endac: One way to deal with the size is an approach I'm considering which is to split it into two parts. This layout is about 20"x35"x11" (about the size of a large suitcase) but I want more room for enclosed space, cars, and figures. The obvious, simple solution is another layout that's the same size, or a little smaller.

As previously mentioned, this is a long-term project so I have plenty of time to consider options. This structure is merely a proof-of-concept effort and visualization tool so, from this point on, most of my time will be devoted to finishing the cars and various fixtures etc. which will go into the final structure.

Thanks again for all the interest and enthusiasm for the project. I'll try to get more pics up in the next week or two.

Cheers!

Dingo1

02-09-2009, 07:49 PM

Chris, Thanks for the info ont he walls, this is going to make my diorama a whole heap cheaper than my first idea for material. Although mine will be a lot bigger (not in overall size but in use of models as I have a 1/24th scale ariel crane that I plan to use as part of the contruction of the dio. Man I can't wait to see this finished and I know it's a 2 year project for U but boy it's tweaked my interest. dingo

blwnrtr93

02-10-2009, 11:02 AM

i think one of the names for the wall material is coroplast, or something similar to that. we used it as a backing material to thin metals when cutting them on a water-jet, when i worked at a job shop.

Dingo1

02-10-2009, 04:50 PM

Thanks Chris, late last night while I was working on one of my cardstock models I thought of the materail which I was going to use for my diorama and it is called "MDF" it is a very dense wood made of compacted wood shavings, glue and water but when you cut it, it doesn't crumble like chipboard, we actually use it to make speaker enlosures and it's very good for that but for my model work it would end up too heavy. Thanls again Chris U've been a great help.

Dingo :cool:

AustinMartin

02-10-2009, 05:52 PM

This has to be one of the best builds on the site! All it needs is a Ferrari!

allwheeldrift

02-11-2009, 04:51 PM

Wow! Thanks AustinMartin, that's quite a compliment and a pretty big bill
to fill but I'm glad you like it! I'll do my best to keep the updates coming as
often as possible.

As for the Farrari, I'm all for it but the shop budget's a bit tapped right now
so, if someone has something they'd wish to donate, the boys would be
happy to build it :biggrin:. Of course, it would need to be a rally version(?):

http://www.carsandtuning.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/puras360modena.jpg

or perhaps and early open-wheeler:

http://www.lapcr.com/1947Ferrari.jpg

Otherwise, sorry to report that I haven't made much progress as I've been
"researching" structures so if anyone has pics of shops, or related
environments, please feel free to post 'em here or PM me for my
address. I've got some interesting ideas brewing for the interior and roof...

Thanks again for the encouraging words! Keep the comments/questions
/suggestions coming!

Cheers!

PS: If you enjoy this, check out the Steampunk Garage and other amazing
dioramas here (http://s13.zetaboards.com/B_n_B_Auto_Builders/topic/6516920/).

.

Eejii

02-12-2009, 12:40 AM

Perhaps you could find some reference here www.mat.fi Their workshop is really amazing and there's a Ferrari too...

BTW your diorama is going to be very amazing too:thumbsup:

Bigfoot23

02-12-2009, 10:15 AM

Very impressive, great concept you're working out.

Tom

allwheeldrift

02-15-2009, 04:55 PM

Hi All,

Thanks for the compliments and words of encouragement! Definitely inspiring
me to stay motivated but, unfortunately, there's no real progress to report.

On the other hand, the boys have been busy shopping for a new location
and, thanks to the link provided by Eejii, there may be an unexpected
addition to the garage. The guys all agreed that the red, white, and green
308 ice car would look pretty sweet sitting next to a Lancia Stratos. Who
would argue? The MAT facility was also a great source of inspiration and
gave everyone a lot of ideas for the new digs. Thanks again Eejii for the
awesome link! :thumbsup:

And big thanks to blwnrtr93 for the name of the wall material. "Coroplast"
does appear to be the product (or very similar).

Dingo1: Your diorama sounds very interesting. I'd love to see some pics of
the crane! The more I think about it, the more I lean towards a two-part
layout. If for no other reason than ease of transport or storage.

Thanks again, everyone. I'll try to get the boys back on the Evo this week :wink:

Cheers!

.

AustinMartin

03-25-2009, 02:18 PM

Any updates? BTW, I think I've found a ferrari that would be worthy of this amazing diorama.

Raceman

03-26-2009, 07:21 PM

still a lot of work to do,keep it up.

Dingo1

04-06-2009, 08:33 PM

The Ferrari sounds good but would be out-of-place in this dio, please don't put it in, this is a WRC & classic race/rally dio and to me that's how it should be.

Dingo :cool:

AustinMartin

04-08-2009, 03:58 PM

The Ferrari sounds good but would be out-of-place in this dio, please don't put it in, this is a WRC & classic race/rally dio and to me that's how it should be.

Whats wrong with a Ferrari? There have been quite a few Ferrari Rally cars!

Dingo1

04-08-2009, 06:20 PM

AustinMartin I didn't say there was anything wrong if U read it right all I said was that it would be "out-of-place" as this dio looks like a WRC & classic rally car dio, not for the modern Ferrari, please don't put words into my writings this is how I got kicked-off of other forums by people writing things that I quoted but didn't I would like to remain a member of some modelling forums

Dingo :cool:

Add your comment to this topic!

Our Community is 940,000 Strong. Join Us.

WIP: Rally Legends Garage Diorama