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Tamiya Porsche 996 GT3


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Another build from over a decade ago - whilst I had built a few Tamiya kits in my youth (with only one survivor...), this was the first one I attempted since I took up the hobby again.  I don't usually build models of modern cars (this variant of the 911 was current at the time), however I had been a passenger in a GT3 whilst a friend 'exercised' it (for want of a better description) & the acceleration even when he wasn't trying was truly memorable !  As the saying goes though, pride comes before a fall, and I was a bit too pleased with myself over how well I thought that the Monogram Cord had turned out.  Whilst the paint was decent, and the black trim on the body & screen print on the glass was ok (hand painted, which took time and a very steady hand), over confidence meant that I didn't take the time to work out how best to treat the head & tail lights, and these didn't look right, which really lets it down.  In hindsight, amongst other things, I should have used a black sharpie on the edges of the lenses - on models I have built much more recently, this technique has worked really well and created a very realistic effect.  I may try to fix this one, or instead just do a decent job of the regular Carrera version of this kit that I now have in the loft.

 

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Looks very good. I'm with you on going around lenses (and windows) with a black permanent marker - I did that for the first time with the Countach and it does a good job of removing that highlight you get otherwise around the edge. A good result here I'd say

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I think that sharpie would sort the front lights, but I would certainly appreciate any tips for how to make the rear lenses look right.  The first 996s had more old fashioned style full amber & red tint lenses, which would have been much easier to do.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thank you.  I think the only thing I reckon that Tamiya didn't get quite right for the GT3 relates to the basis for this kit being their earlier model of the Carrera version.  The first 996s had full amber tint lenses for the front indicators, and full amber & red tint for the tail lights, and the Carrera kit does this well when the lenses are painted as normal on the surface with clear amber and clear red as appropriate.  However, as far as I have been able to find out, the GT3 arrived after the introduction of neutral tint (instead of amber) lenses, which aren't as easy to replicate with those same kit parts.  The front indicators aren't too tricky - thinned down clear amber paint on the back of the lense works ok, but the lack of any reflector detail at the rear means that leaving the lense clear as per the 1:1 just doesn't look right as that lack of any detail behind the lense is very obvious.  As and when I risk trying to remove the lenses on this one, in addition to lining the edge of the lenses with black sharpie (a technique that I didn't know about at the time but wish I had) I will probably repaint them as per the earlier spec, full tint lenses.  If I remember correctly, that is also what the instruction booklet says to do.  Whilst not correct to the 1:1, it will look much more realistic.  However if building the kit from the start, I imagine that it would be relatively easy to use a dremel or similar to reshape the solid plastic inside the recesses for the rear lights in order to create the reflector detail.

Edited by Paul H
typo
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