Decals
Decaling was relatively straightforward, using Microset, a mixture of the after-market decal sheet I already had and the Tamiya decal sheet.   Beware using the hairdryer technique on cellulose-based paints that have not fully hardened - the paint shrinks even more, revealing unpainted edges - I only did it once!   Although the painted finish included the white circles for a direct application of the race numbers, reference pictures showed that white adhesive plastic circles were applied over the paint finish, so the decal number backing circles were used before applying the race number 17.   The number backing on the front is a particularly complex compound curve, so painting this in the first place was particularly useful.   A small point to note was that, presumably as an aid for pit crew identification, on the front right wing of the number 17 car above the headlamps, the Shell symbol above
the Shell logo was omitted for Le Mans.   For anyone using the Tamiya sheet to provide the red/yellow sponsor’s logos at the bottom of each side, note that the alternative supplied on the decal sheet is the correct one for Le Mans and the ones attached to the white line decals stretching back from the side number circles are for a WSC car.   Although I had painted it, the black/white lining around the windscreen area and the black lining to the side windows were used from the Tamiya sheet, to match the finish shown on reference photographs and provide a completely clean, flat edge to the windscreen and side windows.   The paint finish had done a brilliant job of covering the visible plastic edges resulting from the moulded-in glass, but this really finished it off to a 'T'- the only area that this now remains visible at all, and then only slightly, is on one side edge of the headlight covers.  
The final finishing jobs to do are making a roof aerial, painting ID lights and attaching the door mirrors, tow ring and windscreen wiper.  In summary, this was a project that germinated, grew steadily and took, on-and-off, about 9 months
from starting to research the idea fully to completion, fitting in with work, family life and other modelling projects to provide some variety.   The end result used: a Tamiya Canon 956 kit which donated the engine, rear suspension, wheels, tyres, rear wing and minor detail parts; a Tamiya 962C Joest kit, which donated the chassis, bodyshell, cockpit and other detail parts, such as rear suspension supports and rear brake cooling ducts; a Hasegawa 962 Omron kit, from which cast copies of the radiators, fuel fillers were made.   The remnants of the two Tamiya kits plus a few parts from the “spares box” will easily form what is needed to build up into a nice kerbside kit of a Porsche 956 kit.   On a final note, my grateful thanks to:

The contributors to the myriad of websites scoured in the search for photographic references

Friends in the GPMA modelling e-group for their encouragement, help and contributions to reference information.

Jurgen Barth of Porsche AG for supplying copies of original outline drawings for the Porsche 956/962 in short and long tail configurations.

Please e-mail me at markwilliamsmga@aol.com if you have any comments or questions on the model.