Gulf Porsche 917 Page

Subject:
Gulf Porsche 917L
Kit Used: Fisher Model Pattern 1/24

Review & model by:
Frank Resciniti
Pictures: R. Forys

History: The Porsche 917L was first developed for the 1970 Le Mans race. The 'L' stood for langen, which is German for long or long tail. It was hoped to be a more aerodynamic version of the 917K, the short tail. In '70 two factory 917L's were entered with seven 917K's. Two different size engines were used, the 4.5 litre and 4.9 litre. The fastest car that year was a 4.9 litre long tail that was just under 240mph on the Mulsanne straight. Even with it's greater speed it was only 1.3 seconds quicker in lap times than the short tail. The 917K was the better handling car and won the race that year. In '71 Porsche did extensive aero studies to make the 'L' handle as well as the 'K'. They were successful and entered three 917L's for the race, the factory backed #21 "Martini Racing Team" car and two "Gulf" John Wyer Racing 917's numbers 17 & 18. In qualifying, the #18 car (this model) posted the fastest time. This car was powered by a 12cly. 4.9 litre engine that produced 630HP at 8300RPM, and used a 5-speed gearbox for Le Mans.

The Kit: This kit is a resin "curbside" kit made by a company called Fisher Model Pattern. It was built out of the box with no after market products. The kit quality is good and the instructions are OK. The model is very accurate, and even though it is not an easy build, the overall impression of the kit is good.

Even though this is a curbside kit, there is enough detail to be visually interesting. This along with a very nice interior, and the overall accuracy are the best things about this kit. The biggest problem with the kit was that the axle placement had to be modified to obtain the proper ride height. Also, the fit of the windows is critical, and the fact that they must be hand cut with scissors, and attached with white glue made this very difficult. Even with these issues, the most time consuming aspect of completing this kit was getting a smooth glossy finish.

After a lengthy search for the perfect color, the kit was painted with Testors light blue enamel, and over-coated with Testors gloss lacquer. It was then polished with 2500 to 10000 grit sanding pads, and waxed using "The Treatment" modelers wax. The decals were supplied with the kit and were of excellent quality. The car is displayed in pre-race condition, therefore weathering was minimal.

References: History and pictures are provided with the kit.