thebeerbaron

Yes, apparently the stretch of Broadway right below my 23rd story window can only be repaired at eleven at night. Jackhammers, large trucks with hydraulic pumps and backup indicators. A wonderful cacophony of stuff I can't sleep through.

Here then are some snapshots of the current state of the model.

The nose. I've done a lot of work here, but the main design element is not done yet. Since I want this car to reflect my personal goals for the 818, I'm going with a very short front overhang. Interestingly, this necessitates a very quick rise from the nose to the top of what I envision as the frame. There are going to be suspension pickup points somewhere in here and probably a radiator. A low, sloping nose is probably unrealistic. I'm thinking of some very compounded curves here, but the design sort of petered out once I got to the top of the front frame. I've added in some clay to create a cowl area (envisioning an aeroscreen instead of a full windshield), and I think this buildup will help. Only time and further carving will tell. If I feel frisky, I may eliminate the "frame" I've assumed and carve out something far more extreme.
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Profile. It's getting closer. The main line that connects the "hips" of the design is getting close. It's not done yet, but it's on there. I've established the lines for the side details, and thought of the faceting that will happen in there. Those lines you see are not very deep, yet look how much shadow they pick up. This is one great reason to work with clay, you can see how the light actually falls on the design.
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3/4 view. You can see where I've globbed on some new clay, specifically in the cowl area and over the rear wheels. I've found some of the old clay patches I've applied are coming off when I try to carve them. This is not good. Where I need to add clay, I've been reclaiming it from the carving scraps and heating it in the toaster oven again. This time around I think the clay is a good 5-10F hotter than it was the last, so I'm hoping it really attaches well. It certainly applies better. I've also given up on the fire-alarm activating heat-gun, which I may have used to attach the unsuccessful patches. The new technique is far superior. And quieter.
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Finally, the rear. I haven't done much since that first run of inspiration. It's nowhere near right yet. Very, very heavy.
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The jackhammers have blessedly stopped. Maybe they're on lunch. Or maybe someone smarter than me offered them a beer if they'd just pack it in for the evening. Either way, I'm going to bed now. I'll have more progress to report soon, but I'm working on a very large announcement that'll happen some time in April.

Also, looking at these pictures reminds me I should get some mirror so I can start seeing the "full width" car. I think that will become very important soon.