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Fujimi1/24 911 - my worst car build ever!!


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So, this thing has just about broken me...!! There follows a tale of woe and despair.............

 

However, first I have to say thank you again to @Marco F. for really kindly sending me the steel wheels and hubcaps from a Porsche 356 kit after I mentioned I wanted to build an early 911 with them. Then I must apologise to Marco for them ending up on such an awful model. 

 

This thing has been a series of disasters since I started. I began by using a second hand 911S kit I bought at a show years ago - first mistake.The previous owner had chopped bits off the chassis, opened the front luggage cover ''boot'' (tbf for some reason Fujimi show this in the instructions even though there's nothing interesting in there in a road going 911) and eventually I discovered he/she had ground off (badly) all the detail from the door cards! So I decided to break open a new 911S kit - only to find one of the worst moulded kits I've ever seen - it had flash on just about every part, some so thick it looked like it was part of the part!! And nothing would fit. 

 

So just some of the 'fun' - resprayed twice in dark green. Couldn't get a finish I was happy with so sanded it down and reprayed it in Mr Color wine red laquer clearcoated with GX100 and then put it aside for a few weeks. Came back to find what looked like a 'cut' in the clear at the edge of the front hood - had to sand the hood back to primer, respray and re-clear. Left it again a couple of weeks and then it cut back and polished up nicely. But since then I've had 'pinholes' appearing in the clear....

 

Anyway got the chassis and interior of the 'new' kit together after much cutting, filing, sanding and test fitting so I moved on to trying to get the chrome/black trim on the windows/body done, but arthritic fingers, shaky hands and weak arm muscles meant I gave up after 5 or 6 attempts and decide that when he got the car restored the owner went for a black chrome look. So masked off everything that needed to be black and sprayed it with Mr Surfacer black primer. Removed the masking to find the clear coat had somehow 'rippled'. Polished it out the best I could and kept calm and carried on. Went to install the glass. Now I'm naturally clumsy so this is a part of the build I take the most care over that I can. And the rear screen cracked from bottom to top and fell in half!! Lucky I had a spare!

 

So, final assembly. I thought I'd got the cut off front hood back in place properly. Wrong. Trying to fit the front bumper was another mare and as it is is the best I could get - complete with the humungous gap between hood and bumper. 

 

Today I decided it just had to be finished. Put on a brand new nitrile glove to pick the thing up and give it a final polish. And I have no idea how but I'd managed to get some Mr Levelling thinner on the fingertips. Picked it up and found the glove stuck to each door - with the texture etched into the paint. I polished it out as best I could but I'd really had enough so decided to put the Porsche decals on. They broke up in the water....

 

Anyway, it's done (sort of) so here it is, warts, more warts and all....

 

(my apologies to those who have looked - I know, what's been seen,can't be unseen!)

 

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Right I'm going back to building aeroplanes for a while, they're less stressful.... (famous last words!! 🤣 )

 

Keith

 

Edit - I also used the 'wrong' headlight lenses, I admitted defeat trying to get the right ones to fit!

 

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Keith, don't knock yourself out! The interior looks good, the wheels look great. And, it's nice to see a change from Fuch's wheels for a change.

The black bits are black and the paint finish has a shine to it. All in all, you've triumphed over a kit that set out to beat you. We all get them sometimes.

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Thing is Keith you've captured the look of an early 911 mate...it looks absolutely period correct to me. Your build has a distinct vintage look to it and I think it's a great build 👍 

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Clearly, it fought you all the way, but I think you can claim this as a victory. 

I think it looks really good and can only endorse what Pete said.

Trevor

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8 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Many thanks Andy and Trevor, your really kind words have cheered me up no end! :)

 

K

Well it's a thumbs up 👍 from Mrs J as well mate.....basically because the colour reminds her of her favourite nail varnish 🙂👍

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Don't knock yourself down with that Keith, it looks fine to me and it'd be one I'd be happy to have in my cabinet (if it wasn't a Porsche 🤣)

Interior is super, colour is nice and shiny and the black trims look spot on, the wheels set it off as well :) 

The couple of Fujimi kits I have done have fought me all the way as well, don't think that their fit is anywhere near the standard of others. The last one I did, the Lotus 97t, the fit of the turbos etc was what beat me and beyond my skills and patience and it ended up as a kerbside kit

 

I've just finished the Tamiya Celica GT4 Castrol rally car and the difference was amazing, it has boosted my mojo back to enjoying it again, which is what the hobby is all about

 

Ian :) 

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If that's the worst kit you've ever built then I think you can be happy with how your projects have gone - yes it may have fought but it's still the sort of result I'd be happy to have in my cabinet.

 

Now if you want bad builds, just think of some of those from when I was a teenager which have appeared in my restoration threads...

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Keith you really should stop beating yourself up! That's our job! 😁😋

 

In a more serious note that is a really nice finish on the body and a tidy interior. To echo what the others have said if you hadn't told us there is no way we would have known the grief that model gave you!

 

Nick

Edited by Fnick
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You lot are really far too kind, thank you all for such great comments, you've made all the grief far more worthwhile! :)

 

20 minutes ago, Fnick said:

Keith you really should stop beating yourself up! That's our job! 😁😋

 

 

🤣

 

K

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This kit obviously took a proper dislike to you but you still beat it.  A very creditable result, especially considering it did it's best to break you!

 

The third kit I built since taking it up again was like that - a Bandai 1/16th scale Toyota 2000GT kindly donated by my youngest brother due to it being flattened a bit in it's previous (still unassembled) life.  I'll save the story for another time but believe me I feel your pain!

 

A lovely looking job in spite of everything.

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I agree with what all the others have said , Keith.  It looks good to me . Not being one to polish my models , the depth of colour you have achieved is great . And the modern look de chrome looks good too . Well done !

Gary 

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I love this shade of red and the wheels from the 356 really help. I don’t see anything to be ashamed of here Keith, the gloss finish is beautiful, the interior/ dash very nice and all the black trim details look perfect to me. I think this one compares quite favorably to some of the best 911 builds I’ve seen posted here.

 

I feel your pain on these Fujimi 1/24 Porsche kits, I’ve struggled through two of the 356 builds and if I ever built a third it would probably be just as stressful as the first two.. I’ve read the 911 kits are even worse which bums me out because I’d love to do an early 911 like you’ve done here.

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9 hours ago, Anteater said:

Now you see, if you hadn't have said anything we wouldn't have known.

 

Nice save. 

My thoughts exactly! 

 

Nicely done Keith, like others said, don't knock yourself out over this. That ain't half bad, I like it!

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Once again guys, many thanks indeed I really do appreciate your really generous comments :)

 

2 hours ago, nearsightedjohn said:

I’ve read the 911 kits are even worse which bums me out because I’d love to do an early 911 like you’ve done here.

 

Thing is John I built one of the S kits as a replica of a real rally car a few years ago for a charity auction on a full size Porsche forum and had no real problems whatsoever - this one (well both kits tbh) was the complete opposite. Having said that and seeing your marvellous 356 build I think you should have a go at one - I bet it would turn out a real cracker!

 

Keith

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