Box stock buildup: Original issue Heller Ferrari 4 Full Detail Kit....

[tim boyd]

Here follows a collage of photos of my buildup of the original issue of Heller's 1/24th scale Ferrari P4 kit.  I built this kit box stock way back in 1974, with Pactra Red as the paint color. 

While many feel this kit was/is difficult to assemble, to the best of my memories from 49 (Ouch!) years ago, I did not encounter any real issues with this kit. (Now as to Heller's 917K, that's a whole 'nother story!)

Thanks for checking this out...TIM 

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi Tim!

Nice build. Tempus fugit, as they say!

CT

[Kolu]

Lovely model, sits and looks just right. I know it is a difficult kit , you beat it , all those years ago. Thanks for showing.

[David G.]

Absolutely gorgeous!

David G.

[Pierre Rivard]

It looks beautiful and it has not aged at all. We see the occasional Fujimi but rarely a Heller build of this car. It's good to see that Heller builds well and offers an alternative to the hard to find Fujimi.

[Gramps46]

Thak you Tim for sharing your P4.  Reference photos were not easy to come by back then, 1974.  I always regretted not getting the mirrors right for 1967 Le Mans on my  build.

[vamach1]

Looks fantastic and it has held up very well.

[Jim B]

Great looking Ferrari.

[bbowser]

Having struggled through a few Heller kits this is amazing work, especially for49 years ago!  Tube glue and enamel paint, no decal solutions?  Well done.

[1959scudetto]

17 minutes ago, bbowser said:

Having struggled through a few Heller kits this is amazing work, especially for49 years ago!  Tube glue and enamel paint, no decal solutions?  Well done.

x 2 - Nice model, has held up well over time!

[afx]

The P4 is one sexy race car - nice work Tim.

[drodg]

That kit has held up well.  If I posted my pictures of my builds from high school you may not be that impressed.  Great job!!!

[Hoffman]

Tim, that looks great! The P4 is such an awesome car. It's kind of the final encore for sexy, beautiful race cars from the sixties. Many designs up to this point were just intuitive, aerodynamically speaking. The Chaparrals and GT40's were transitional, with lot's of wind tunnel time. Everything that's followed since then has become more functional, but not necessarily pretty- especially compared to the P4. It's just gorgeous!

So, when you built this cool model going on 50 years ago, did you ever imagine you'd have your own personal computer sitting at your desk, that you shoot photographs with your Tricorder.....I mean cell phone...... and that you'd instantly share it with thousands of people around the world with the click of a few keys? ?

-TIM-

[tim boyd]

On 11/13/2023 at 3:39 PM, Hoffman said:

Tim, that looks great! The P4 is such an awesome car. It's kind of the final encore for sexy, beautiful race cars from the sixties. Many designs up to this point were just intuitive, aerodynamically speaking. The Chaparrals and GT40's were transitional, with lot's of wind tunnel time. Everything that's followed since then has become more functional, but not necessarily pretty- especially compared to the P4. It's just gorgeous!

So, when you built this cool model going on 50 years ago, did you ever imagine you'd have your own personal computer sitting at your desk, that you shoot photographs with your Tricorder.....I mean cell phone...... and that you'd instantly share it with thousands of people around the world with the click of a few keys? ?

-TIM-

Hi Tim....thanks for the comments.   As regards those questions, back then I never thought about the future in any terms, much less those involving modeling or the technologies that we enjoy today.  Kinda makes you / me wonder what the next round of "the future" might hold for us, doesn't it? 

Your comments about beauty in race cars are spot on, too.  Formula 1 cars from the 1960s and 1970s vs. those things that race today?  No comparision, either!   

Best...TIM 

[Phirewriter]

I wonder if Heller still owns the tooling or did it disappear with their F-1 kits and all those IMC kits into Japan and Union Models back in the 80's. 

[Bainford]

Beautiful Ferrari, Tim. Very nicely done. Many of your old builds have held up very well over the years. Cheers.

[slusher]

Gorgeous Ferrari!!