Tamiya 1/20 scale Vaillant Kramer Porsche 935

[Peter Lombardo]

Kremer Vaillant Porsche 935 Turbo ‘76

I am willing to wager that most of you are not familiar with this kit.

This is a 1/20 scale Tamiya kit number GC2008 from 1976. This is a kit that was, in my estimation, a fore-runner to Tamiya’s desire to enter into the radio controlled field. Back in 1976 Tamiya built a number of 1/24 and 1/20 scale kits that had small electric motors and room for two batteries so that these cars could be built and raced. The original version of even the Tyrrell 6 wheel F1 kit had a motor and room for the batteries under it. I find it hard to imagine one of us today building a vintage Tamiya race car kit, putting a motor in it and allowing it to be smashed and crashed.

Anyway, this kit gave you the option of either adding a nicely detailed flat 6 cylinder turbo power plant or installing a “plate†in the rear that housed the motor and batteries along with an on/off switch that had the engine engraved on the lower side. It was a different time back then. Tamiya produced two variations of this kit. This kit could be built as the Vaillant (A German boiler manufacturer) sponsored car which had two versions of this car, one in a very unique and interesting green color with either number 4 or 51 or the white livery version. The other kit (kit number GC2005) with a slightly different body (mainly omitting the “ground effects†in the lower center of the car and smoother rear fenders) could be built as the Martini version in the beautiful white with blue and red stripes or in the stunning Orange paint scheme of the familiar Jagermeister livery ( I have this kit, but only have opened the doors and front hood so far ).

This kit is basically a scaled down version of the famous 1/12 scale model of the Martini Porsche that is still available today. Obviously the 1/12 scale kit has plenty of detail with full detail under the front hood, opening doors and a highly detailed engine. There are photo etched super detail kits available for that kit if your wallet and temperament are up to it. Back in 1977 I built that kit (gave the finished model away to the kid next door when we moved out of our first house, I was such a jerk…..I gave away 5 built Tamiya 1/12 F1 kits too)long before we had even heard of photo etched detail parts.

Ok, back to this kit. I built this kit about 15 or 16 years ago right after I transitioned back to model cars after a 10 year or so diversion to HO trains. When I started this kit I knew I would have to open the doors and hood, which I did, but that meant that I would have to scratch build all of the under hood details like the giant gas tank, the oil reservoir, battery, overflow tank, structural cross bracing and plumbing. Having built the 1/12 version of the Martini Porsche many years earlier, I always thought that the two best features of that kit were the details hidden under the two removable hoods. The beautifully detailed turbo 6 and the great gas tank and under front hood details were my favorite parts and I wanted that on this 1/20 scale version too. The 1/20 version comes complete with a driver figure and I wanted to make it easier to see him so I opened the doors and fashioned hinges from brass rods.

Next, I opened up the front hood and built a new floor and side bulkheads. The tanks were all scratch built from sheet styrene based upon the box art cutaway pictures of, and my memory of the 1/12th scale kit I built years earlier. The bracing was built from aluminum rod and various wires were used for the plumbing. All of the bolts are from HO train detail parts. The kit was lacking just about all detail in the front end, especially in the wheel areas so I revamped the front suspension and built the brake disc’s and rotors from scratch. Each disc was hand drilled and air ducts to cool the brakes were also scratch built. I added the 5 bolts to hold the wheels on and drilled out the matching holes on the wheels. In hindsight, I should have added a miniature screw in the center and had a nut to hold it on. Actually, as I am writing this, I am thinking that I can still add that detail to the wheels with a little retro work and I think I will add that detail soon. Glad I thought of that. Anyway, I wired and plumbed the engine adding all of the coolant lines and the major details. It is a shame that most of the great topside engine detail is lost because the body hides it.

Inside the car, I added the driver and built a complete roll cage from aluminum tubing. Back then the real cars were a whole lot simpler and did not have all of the computers and telemetry electronics so the inside is rather sparse but I included the fire suppressant system along with the major wiring.

Because I built this model as I was transitioning away from model trains, I still had many of the supplies from that hobby lying around. One of the unique model railroad items I had was the paint. Because I airbrushed all of the paint schemes and decaled most all of the railroad cars I built, I used Floquil paint for that and still had many bottles hanging out. Floquil paint, if you are not aware, is the primary model railroader’s paint. It is what they call, “Micro paint†because the pigment in the paint is refined into a smaller diameter so that the paint is thinner and will not cover up the smaller details on 1/87 scale train cars. Also, the paint is flat, meaning that there is no gloss added to the paint, which also makes the paint thinner appearing on the model, and besides, freight train cars are “flat†so the gloss is not necessary….in fact, I used to paint the cars in Floquil flat colors, spray on Testers clear gloss, decal the car (decals need a smooth flat surface so that the decal adherers completely without the “white†glue ghost under the decal) and when dry, spray on Testers clear flat to return the car to the accurate flat finish. I also used to “weather†the car with rust and dirt before the final flat clear coat so as to seal in the dirt and dust.

Anyway, I mixed up a custom batch of Vaillant Green that matched the box art from the leftover Floquil paints and sprayed it on the Porsche. I then followed with clear gloss Testers and applied the colorful decals. Once dry, it was again clear coated with clear gloss Testers and final assembly was completed once the clear was dry.

This car sat in a display case that was not very air tight for the past 15 years. It was very dusty when I pulled it out the other day to have a look at it so I cleaned it up and added a coat of Future to bring back the shine. After looking at the car and how neat it looked with the shiny green paint with purple and orange decals I thought I should take a few digital pictures and post them as I think this is a rather unique build. I now have the desire to complete the Martini version with more under hood scratch built detail and have a mate for this one. I have not seen many 1/20 scale versions of these two cars and they have been out of production for so long now that I need to complete the other kit while the decals can still be used as the white sections are looking very yellow now.

I realize that most of you guys don’t “get off†on race cars but I thought it would be nice to look back at a kit that is long out of production and not very often even seen.

Lately I am getting the urge to build a few of my stash of older Tamiya 1/20 F1 cars too. Now that I just picked up 3 new productions of the Fujimi and Hasagawa 1/20 scale Ferraris’ just released, I am feeling the need to build some of these.

[FujimiLover]

WOW! One of my favorite Porsches, although I prefer the Martini version myselfe. Awesome job on the brakes! Beautiful paint work, decal work, and superb detail work!

Edited May 15, 2009 by FujimiLover

[Raul_Perez]

Yes, Peter, I do remember this model!! I also remember the tires that had raised Dunlop lettering on one side and Goodyear on the other.

I built this version, along with the Martini and Jagermeister cars...but that was a long time ago. It was so long ago that I'd have to scan some very old color photos to share the builds with you guys!! I also built 3 of the 1:12th scale Martini Porsches, one of the 1:12th scale Jagermeister Porsches and several of the early 1:20th scale F1 cars. I sold all of them several years ago...

You did a GREAT job opening the hood and detailing your build!! As I recall, these models had really nice body detail, but everything else was pretty simplistic.

Thanks for the memories and thanks for sharing an old classic!!

Later,

Edited May 15, 2009 by Raul_Perez

[curt raitz]

Yeah, I remember this model...built a couple of Tamiya's 1/20th Porsche 935's, including this one.

Great job on this car

I too are enjoying the latest 1/20th Formula one releases from Fujimi and Hasagawa...beautiful kits!

Built the Ferrari 126 C2 Long Beach Car...posted on the forum quite awhile back, just picked up the Ferrari 312 T2 and the 248i

again...really nice build, paint, decals and detail quite nice

Edited May 15, 2009 by curt raitz

[Peter Lombardo]

Thanks, guys, and Kurt, you and I are thinking the same way. I have the same new 1/20 kits that you listed. I really love the job they did to the 312T2...I am looking forward to building that car. I am also looking to see if it is possible to retro fit the 312T2 back to a 312T, which is my favorite of all of the 312 series cars. Years ago I built the 1/12 scale 312T, didn't you just complete that car????...I think my memory is still good enough to recall that, any way, I have all of the 1/20 Tamiya cars, a few built and about 25 to be built, I now have the Fujimi and Hasagawa kits and I have the two Modelers 1/20 cars, a Ferrari and the Footwork car, both are just beautiful kits that rival the best Tamiya 1/20 F1 kits. I want to build them all.

Years ago I built the 1/12 Tamiya Tyrrell BT44 which I thought was a great looking car, I would love to see that one also done in 1/20 by one of these companies. And while I am at it, I never did understand why Tamiya did not do the Williams FW14B a in 1/20 scale assembly kit. I know they offered that car in that scale years ago as a pre built very expensive display model, but never as a kit...always seemed strange to me, especially because it was offered in 1/12 scale and most all of the other 1/12 scale cars were produced in 1/20 scale too....Hasagawa did a nice model in 1/24th scale but I sure wanted it in 1/20th. I always thought that the Williams FW13 that was done in 1/20 scale was a strange choice...that car did not impress anyone back then. It wasn't until the FW14 and FW14B came along that Williams began to win again. Oh well, I guess I should just be thankful for what they did produce rather then complain about what they did not.

[Foxer]

Great build, of course, and unusual subject, which I love, Peter.

[Nick F40]

Wow, this is well built, very nicely done.

[FujimiLover]

Doesn't have much ground clearance upfront there does it? Look's like it'll scrape the ant off the track!

[ZIL 111V]

Really nice work.

I remember building the same kit back in 1979,as well as the factory Martini 935, was really desapointed by the lack of detail & simplification of the kits; basic engine, cockpit, suspension, brakes, toy like BBS mags, "2 faces" tyres, but then again a few of these 1/20 th kits where aimed at the younger modeler crowd for fast build, & of course the typical "motorized" "play toy" option parts so common in Japan back in the days, really ,really nice detail work on this Kremer Team beast...Always tought that the Kremer Team Porsches where the beeter looking ones at Lemans or other Road Races.

.......Can't beat Tamiya's 1/12 th scale 935...still the best plastic kit of a 935 ever made, after nearly 30+ years.

Nice early kits in this 1/20th scale serie are the Ferrari 312T3 1978, Tyrrell 6 wheeler, Renault RE20, Ligier Gitane, and the not so bad Porsche 928.

The Lauda's 1975 312 T world champ, was another great kit from tamiya in theyr 1/12 scale series, back in the 70's, but the kit has a few low points: decals where a bit "translucide", no belts hardware & no rivet head details on fuel cells. still a very nice kit after 30+ years.....now with many photoetched parts included in box.

Italian: Protar also made the same car in 1/12Th scale, the kit is nice, but a few aligment problems when assembling, did prefer the Tamiya kit, the mold are now owned by Revell AG (Germany).

In recent years Tamiya did slow down on F1 kits, looks like Hasegawa is slowly taking over, those Hasegawa & Fujimi kits are excellent: Villeneuve's 126C2

[brandolsx]

Sweet Build! I have one of these and I am trying very hard to find a set of the decals. I am missing them! I wish I could find a good scan of the decals so I can just print them off.

[slusher]

Real nice build..

[ZTony8]

OK,I'll toss my two cents in on this old thread.I've got both the versions in my kit stash.The Martini car is missing the decals,the Vaillant car is complete.I think I paid $10 each for them.That green plastic of the Vaillant car is reallllllly ugly.I might have to do the white version of the car just to save my eyes!Studio 27 made a few different decal versions for these kits but for the most part they're unavailable.I'm hoping to be lucky and find a set.

[Silver Foxx]

Looks real nice , I always liked the look of this car , nice paint and decal work.