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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 27, 2021 17:41:37 GMT -8
I just received a giant Porsche box-o-parts which I “won” on eBay. The box was a Fujimi Porsche 356 B/C 2000GS Carrera 2 Cabriolet. It belonged to the late husband of the seller, and judging from the items she was selling, and her description of them, he was one serious modeler, who, among other things made 1/24th scale resin casting masters of some pretty significant and rare sport racing car subjects including the 1962 Ferrari TR LeMans winner as well as the 1963 rear engine250P. She was selling resin copies of these as a set of 3 (2 250Ps and a ’62 TR) that eventually went for $225.00 after some spirited bidding, far too rich for my blood. But the Porsche box-o-parts was more within my reach, and I prevailed for the low end of the price range for a complete used Fujimi 356 kit. Her pictures and description promised a huge assortment of parts and she wasn’t kidding! The box was bulging but well packed and everything inside was intact. Included what was essentially one complete 200OGS Cabriolet including motor, chassis, suspension and interior, the parts for at least 2 more Carrera 4 cylinder motors, 4-5 sets of wheels and tires, ,both chromed Fujimi items and various resin castings the builder had made for himself and chassis and suspension parts for most of another 356. Here’s the box: Here’s the Cabriolet body, immaculate in as-new condition: But here’s the real motivation for bidding on all this stuff. A complete RS60 body, which, from the eBay pics looked thin and smooth enough to perhaps be styrene. Now that I have received it, it looks like styrene to me. I’m far from expert on Porsche scale model lore but an internet search showed only 3 1/24th scale RS60s, a Herb Deeks transkit to adapt the Aurora/Monogram 904 kit, a full detail kit from Model Factory Hiro and a slot car body from Revell. The Deeks and MFH bodies are resin, and this body is definitely not resin. You can see the mold marks and parting lines on the inside. The copy I received is pretty far along in terms of prep. The inside of the body is silver and looks like bare styrene to me. From the headlight buckets it looks like it might be the Revell body with the headlight lenses molded in and painted over. If it’s the Revell body he also opened the front boot cover and engine cover and removed the tonneau cover and cut out the dashboard area. I figured there must be an expert on this stuff here on the forum. What do you think, is this a very well prepped Revell slot car body? The pictures I’ve seen of them feature opaque plastic, rather than vacuum formed clear. Were they styrene? Inquiring minds want to know.
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Post by tatocorvette on Jan 27, 2021 19:16:26 GMT -8
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Post by afx on Jan 28, 2021 3:30:37 GMT -8
Yes the RS60 is the Revell slot car body.
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jan 28, 2021 7:16:43 GMT -8
That is definitely a Revell Body , Herb Deeks did 2 RS60 kits One a curbside and One a full detail conversion using the Monogram 904 kit, I have both I mostly built the Full detail kit and its nice but when I went to put the tires and wheels on the final assembly there was a clearance problem. The Curbside remains in the box. I took a online poll of builders who would buy the Full detail kit ( many and I mean many would) and since Herb has been a good friend since I was 8 years old, I convinced him to make a run of the kits but it seems he has misplaced the white metal molds and the vacu-form molds, the vacu-form molds include the front bonnet and two rear hoods, one with head rest and one smooth. I will talk to Herb about it again but he is getting on in years and well You know how that works... Chris
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Post by afx on Jan 28, 2021 7:48:21 GMT -8
I was watching that ebay auction Bernard - glad someone within the "family" got it.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 28, 2021 8:39:31 GMT -8
Thanks for confirming my suspicion. If it's styrene that means if I want to repaint it I can strip it rather than going the sanding route. I'm not a big fan of the current 70's-ish green. I am considering building it, but since it's so wide open with the front and rear lids opened up I really should take advantage of that and build it full detail. Lord knows I have enough "Early Porsche Parts", as the label on the box says. I'll need to research the RS60 to see if that's feasible from a full an accuracy perspective. Things like a full wrap windscreen (if I leave the tonneau cover off) would be challenge for me. Frankly the quality of the work so far tempts me to lleave it as-is, since it's really very good - perhaps above my humble level of skills... BTW, I heard from a member on MCM (gramps46) who informs me that the builder was John Johnson. The member told me he had built several of Johnson's resins and included pictures of beautifully rendered examples of a Ferrari TRI61 and an RS60.
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jan 28, 2021 11:31:47 GMT -8
If it is the same John Johnson who recently passed, He owned Teapot Models, excellent resin models. Very few and hard to get . He made great molds and the like. I have his Lotus 23b in 1/24 scale. It features a top and bottom body that is Vacu-Formed and also a Twin cam Ford resin engine, the bulkheads and a layout in scale of the tube chassis to follow in building the model. quite complete, but a hand full to build. You are very lucky to have picked that box up on auction. Chris
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 28, 2021 11:38:54 GMT -8
If it is the same John Johnson who recently passed, He owned Teapot Models, excellent resin models. Very few and hard to get . He made great molds and the like. I have his Lotus 11 in 1/24 scale. It features a top and bottom body that is Vacu-Formed and also a Twin cam Ford resin engine, the bulkheads and a layout in scale of the tube chassis to follow in building the model. quite complete, but a hand full to build. You are very lucky to have picked that box up on auction. Chris Yes, that's him. His wife has gradually been selling his modeling items on eBay. She seems quite knowledgeable about his work and, as a result, gives excellent descriptions and service in her sales. I wanted to buy the resin bodies I referred to earlier but I was far from the only one who understood what was on offer. I think $225 was more than reasonable for them, just not a number I was willing to outbid. The box-o-parts, while hardly cheap, was more of a pig-in-a-poke unless you took the time to examine her photos and trusted her description that there were "many, many" parts. It was the RS-60 that clinched it for me, although the front cover panel wasn't visible in the pictures. Needless to say I was thrilled when it turned out complete. I hope that I can eventually do justice to the fine work Johnson had started on it.
It's also nice to learn about those Revell slot car bodies.
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jan 28, 2021 11:46:11 GMT -8
What was the seller ID? I would like to watch for additional items.. Chris
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 28, 2021 12:01:20 GMT -8
What was the seller ID? I would like to watch for additional items.. Chris teapotgr
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Post by grandsport3 on Jan 28, 2021 13:14:03 GMT -8
I saw this also eBay and was a "Watcher" for a day,then realized that I have far too many "Projects" and will be lucky to complete half before I Croak. I hope I have someone like Mr. Johnson's wife who will put my kits on eBay and someone else can compete when I go to the Big Mid America Raceway in the Sky!
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Post by arcticwolf on Jan 28, 2021 15:16:51 GMT -8
I bid on the 3 Ferrari's she had for sale but it got way too out of reach for my tastes. Too bad, I would have loved to have them.
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jan 29, 2021 13:12:24 GMT -8
OK I spoke with Patrick G. and he helped her get the stuff sorted or something, she gave him several built ups, one was a beautiful Cobra Daytona Coupe and all his photo etch and misc parts. Patrick was going to bid on some of it but it went sky high mostly. Good to know she had some competent help with this stuff.. Chris
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jan 31, 2021 11:04:07 GMT -8
I finally got the photo program straightened out and here a few pics of the Herb Deeks RS60 Curbside, the curbside has a molded in head rest, separate seats , windshield, both sold and clear headlamp covers white metal steering wheel, exhaust shifter and mirrors. I couldnt find the box of accessory parts mentioned ..yet. the full detail has vacu-formed bonnet and 2 rear hoods, one flat and one with headrest. Enjoy the pics..
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Post by clowncar on Feb 1, 2021 14:18:43 GMT -8
Funnily enough, I did the same thing when I mailordered my Herb Deeks RS60, back in the age of fax machines: Bought a Fujimi 356 kit for its wheels and tires and stuff. ONE DAY I will muster the courage.
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