# Johannsen Audi R8 (Le Mans 2001)



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Since the DeWalt TVR is now history as far as projects go (the body was ultimately destroyed from overwork), and I'm now racing for a real slot car team, I figured you guys would like to see the first new team car in progress.










In 2001 Gulf revisited Le Mans on the skin of an Audi R8 driven by Steffan Johanssen. The car actually was campaigned with the #7 and #18 in racing pictures I have found, and Patto’s has both the #7 and #18 car decals, which I have on the way, and I’ll decide once they get here as to which it will ultimately be. 



















The SCX R8 is the only R8 I’ve found available. Carrera makes the R10, which I may also do in Gulf colors very soon, but since the decals fit this model the R8 it was my first subject. After taking the car apart and sanding it I primed it in flat white and began dusting on Testors Light Blue #1208. This color has been around forever, I have models I built as a teenager still that were painted in this color. And, coincidently, it’s a close match to the Gulf Racing blue. 



















Right now the hard part is done; the car has its base coat on, and I can put it back together once its cured. The decals will have the stripes and all the rest of the markings, making this a very simple project and just a matter of a repaint. The decals will arrive sometime next week so I have that long to cure the car and put it back together….after I go some driver detailing too. One thing of note; The rear wing of the SCX car is different than I found for the Gulf car in that in has longer outside side plates that come down the the rear body work. I didn't change that on this car but if I do another R8 I will.

This is the first of 3 planned cars; The R8, an Audi TT and the DTM A4. Like I said I’d like to do an R10, and possibly the Dallara but I need to do my team cars first.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

I really love those cars Pete! Awesome project to replace the TVR for sure bro! And in one of my favorite color schemes! They are going to be awesome looking!!

You are on a slot car team you say? Which team or tell me more details about how you got this team together and what the setup is like - interested to hear about that, as well as the car build up.

Congrats on the new team and the new project! Awesome stuff!!

PD2


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

PD, I was approached by a guy I raced HO cars with "back in the day" to join him to create an LMP team. After talking a bit with him we decided to do two cars minimum each, an LMP900 series car and either a DTM or IMSA GT car. We wanted to keep the same brand and it came down to Mercedes, Porsche or Audi. The Porsche 997's from Carrera do OK, but we just wanted something different. Since the Mercedes CLK GT car isn't approved Audi was the only other choice. We then looked at making all the cars the same team colors, and after some research thought that the Gulf Racing scheme would be easy and look good. So far it is both. I personally plan on doing the R8, A4 and possibly a TT for shorter tracks. I also have to paint my team mates cars, which isn't that big of a deal, but we're dealing with switching numbers on both cars now too. 

This morning I had to sand the tail light lenses to get the paint off and will be painting them clear red (Tamiya colors) before reinstalling them. The paint is drying pretty slow due to rain and fog here in central California but I'm hoping to have it all put back together by the weekend. After looking at the patto's decal sheet and pictures of Johansen's helmet I decided not to super detail his figure, and go with how it origninally came.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I got the car back together and, no suprise, the lights didn't work. I hate SCX cars to be honest just got that reason. I prefer wires over the nickle plated runners that they use basically because if you take the car apart you almost never get them re-aligned. But the overall look is great:



















Everything is completely ready for the decals at this point. In the near future I may make a lighting kit for the car but I don't believe there are any darkness races coming up soon. The car has yet to turn a wheel on a race track, I may do some testing this weekend before I get the decals on it, otherwise it will be the first weekend in November before it see's track time.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Looking good Pete! And thanks for the explanation there on the team build up. That sounds pretty cool! Sounds kind of like what we used to do when I was running R/C. Hook up with someone and race the same cars and setups so that you can help each other out. Cool deal!

Congrats and keep posting those beautiful car pics!

PD2


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Great color scheme. For some reason that always seems to work with any body.


:thumbsup: :thumbsup: rr


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

*Late Team Development*

This morning I got a call from my team mate. Seems he's had a "change in heart" and decided to re-sign his old team mate. I'm sure this decision had a lot to do with the fact I told him last night that he needed to pony up half the cash for the paint and decals. After placing a $60 order with Patto's and about $10 in paint it seems I'm the one stuck with the entire bill now. 

I still have plans to do the Audi's, I have firmed up plans for the Carrera A4 DMT and the Team Slot Audi A4 IMSA. I've dropped the Audi TT from my planned line up. The next choice I have will be to find a local team mate for some of the longer races, one that understands team expenses and that they should be shared.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Pete McKay said:


> This morning I got a call from my team mate. Seems he's had a "change in heart" and decided to re-sign his old team mate. I'm sure this decision had a lot to do with the fact I told him last night that he needed to pony up half the cash for the paint and decals. After placing a $60 order with Patto's and about $10 in paint it seems I'm the one stuck with the entire bill now.
> 
> I still have plans to do the Audi's, I have firmed up plans for the Carrera A4 DMT and the Team Slot Audi A4 IMSA. I've dropped the Audi TT from my planned line up. The next choice I have will be to find a local team mate for some of the longer races, one that understands team expenses and that they should be shared.


Integrity in character.....just something to be said about individuals that commit and then back out because they thought it was a free ride. I'm real sorry to hear about this development Pete. If I was local, I'd tried to hook up with you as a team member, if you thought my driving was worth a darn. HA! I hate to see that happen, but glad it happened now rather than later when race fees were due or he wanted to get into larger purchases.

I'm sure with your racing history you will find someone to hook up with quickly. Minor setback that will change in time.

Good luck with your search for the next team mate!

PD2:thumbsup:


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

oooooooooooooo...........illegal use of a usps priority box, I'm telling the post office police.
Lucky for you their really slow getting to places, and (at least with my grouchy old fat mail man) if you just run about 15 feet they tire, grumble and get back in there trucks.


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

very nice car, even if I don't race gargantuan scale


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

ROFL!!!! I have probably 50 of those boxes we use as elevation changes on temporary rally courses. We tape them together and then throw an old Army blanket over them, works great. Since I don't have my paint table anymore those are the next best thing.

I'm not too concerned about losing a team mate, the team is still sound. Garrison decided to go with a different paint shceme so I can still do the Gulf cars, and Audi is well represented in 1/32nd scale. But I'll get this one done before deciding to do more of them.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Save those boxes Pete!*

OMG!

When I'm in a hurry and run out of regular boxes I use the little priority boxes instead...Just hose them down with cheapo primer and ship it regular...

The old post office Crone gives me the "poop eye" and asks me, "Anything hazardous or perishable?" ...and across the fumes I say, "just the box!"

Then I snicker like Muttley all the way out of the post office.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Yeah, and the Priority Shipping tape is great for masking too, huh Bill!!


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## Martin Simone (Feb 21, 2007)

I knew he was going to flake out on you. He did the same on me after I placed a $150 order from Scale Auto once, then expected me to give him the parts anyway. And that was 15 years or so ago.

I talked to David, and if you want to be a member of TRB then we'll come up there and race when you need a co-driver. Finish the one Gulf car then start getting the Red Bull cars. Right now there are 7 that we get that are listed on the Cincy Slots website:

Scalextric Seat Leon
Carrera F1 (3 cars)
Carrera BMW Z4
Carrera Audi A4 DTM
SCX Audi A4 DTM

Patto's also has a basic Red Bull logo and lettering sheet for just $8AUS, you can do your own cars from that sheet but you'll need to get another sheet for all the little sponsor decals. I believe Patto's also does a NASCAR Red Bull sheet if you want to get that too. 

The Gulf car looks great and you'll do great finishing it. Just leave it at that one, and we'll bring you into TRB with us, your cars are already painted.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Or I can just start my own Red Bull team and piss you off. I found a few cars you missed: Carrera's Maserati MC-12 #27107 (Limited Edition), and the killer schemed Toro Rosso F1 from Carrera (#27184) which I think is one of two in that scheme. One project at a time, I still need a LOCAL temmate for my own grassroots racing when I can't give you guys a weeks notice to show up.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

OK, here's the final picture of the Audi R8










Patto's decals arrived yesterday and as usual they are superb!!! I ordered two different sheets for the car, not knowing which version I wanted. The orange part was darker on the #18 car and it matched my paint better so I went with it. 

I haven't found any specific research on the car Patto's modeled this sheet for, the decals are missing the orange stripe along the bottom of the body sides. There's also a few other little differences but none worth mentioning. Overall I liked this scheme better as it complimented the blue instead of overpowering it. The front stripe wasn't quite long enough so I spliced in sections of the second set on the same sheet. Same with the back stripe, it ended right where the rear scoop is before the pinion bulge and I spliced in more decal there as well. All of the deal was laid down using Micro-Sol and Micro-Set. 

The car isn't perfect; there's a couple of placed I had to apply some paint where the decal didn't cover or where it cracked. Not Patto's fault, but be careful how much Micro-Sol you use if you try getting unsealed decals around a compound curve. I applied two coats of Future over the decals and paint once it set. The overall look is great, and at 350 MPH scale I don't think the few flaws will be noticeable.

The last thing this car will get will be a Ninco lighting kit, but that won't be for sometime. My LMP1 and LMP2 rules don't require lights so in the GrassRoots Circuit it'll be fine. This is, unfortunately, a one-off car since the team it was built for broke apart. But it will be raced when necessary, and I'm sure it will turn a few heads along the way.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Awesome work Pete!! The car came out great! I really like that Gulf paint scheme! I don't think you can even seen anything at all from the pic, so I'd assume any flaw or imperfection will only be caught because some one is closely scrutinizing it and going over it with a fine tooth comb! HA!

Let us know how she runs out on the track once you get her to the track!

Congrats on a great finished product!
PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

The miracle of digital photography. 










Top of the stripe at the cockpit edge and the left fender vent. I can fix the fender vent but right now it's not a priority.










Right side of the stripe right where the rear cowling line is I touched up with orange paint. Also you can see the line where the stipe continues across the ring gear bulge and some paint touch up there as well. And in the vent just in front of that gear bulge I touched up with paint. 

There's a couple of other places I scratched the blue when putting it back together and retouched it. I need to continue the orange off the back stripe into the cockpit, again not a high priority at the moment.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Those are not that bad. Plus, this proved my point - from the distance that most guys you race with will be seeing it on the track, no one would ever notice. From that distance and at race speeds, its totally concealed. Gotta love that!

PD2:thumbsup:


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## cagee (Apr 20, 2007)

I agree. Wizzing down the track that would be the least of they're worries. If they got a problem just show what that baby will do. That'll shut em up. LOL I think it looks great.


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

Very nice.

But I must of missed something cos I have no idea why you switched scales.


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## Martin Simone (Feb 21, 2007)

Montoya, he needed quick cash when his ex-wife locked up their accounts and sold all of his HO stuff. I gave him some 1/32 scale stuff and he's built on that. The pictures of this car do not do it justice, despite the few flaws it is pretty amazing looking, almost a factory paint job. And on the track you don't notice the flaws anyway. The only detractor is that the lights don't work now but a Ninco lighting kit would fix that. I can't wait to see some Red Bull cars start rolling out of the workshop now.


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## cagee (Apr 20, 2007)

Martin Simone said:


> Montoya, he needed quick cash when his ex-wife locked up their accounts and sold all of his HO stuff. I gave him some 1/32 scale stuff and he's built on that. The pictures of this car do not do it justice, despite the few flaws it is pretty amazing looking, almost a factory paint job. And on the track you don't notice the flaws anyway. The only detractor is that the lights don't work now but a Ninco lighting kit would fix that. I can't wait to see some Red Bull cars start rolling out of the workshop now.



Can't keep a good slotter down.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Martin Simone said:


> Montoya, he needed quick cash when his ex-wife locked up their accounts and sold all of his HO stuff. I gave him some 1/32 scale stuff and he's built on that. The pictures of this car do not do it justice, despite the few flaws it is pretty amazing looking, almost a factory paint job. And on the track you don't notice the flaws anyway. The only detractor is that the lights don't work now but a Ninco lighting kit would fix that. I can't wait to see some Red Bull cars start rolling out of the workshop now.


If that is the only flaw then that's not much of one. I'd just call it "expected detail that completes the car." ;-) That's awesome that the car looks that great in person - I knew Pete has some paint skillz!

PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Sat down last night for some "me" time with Forza (the original), and I'll be danged if the R8 in #4 Gulf livery isn't one of the cars. So I quickly bought it and set off for Laguna Seca for some racing. I've never lost there....until now. I got beat by another R8 on the last turn of the last lap. MOV was under a second. Unfortunately no Reb Bull cars though, I do think there are some in the subsequent versions though.


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