Fujimi Enthusiast Series Kits. Still the rabbit to chase.

[Rob Hall]

I need to get some of the ES Porsches...I have several of the Ferraris.

[jbwelda]

i built one of the XJS hasegawa kits:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19454&hl=%2Bjaguar+%2Bxj

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55015&hl=jaguar

fun build and if the chassis is simplified i didnt notice it...though i probably wouldnt know correct if i saw it. very nice kit and kind of a challenge to build.

[Mike_G]

I built one of the Porsche 930 kits for a guy who owned the real car back in '87

It was a really detailed kit and turned out quite nice if I say so myself- I painted it Guard's Red and detailed the engine compartment with the aid of some Polaroid photos the guy took of his car. I think I charged him $65 + the price of the kit IIRC

I currently have the LP400 and Lancia Stratos kits in my stash

[jbwelda]

is it correct to think none of these EM kits approach the 356 in its various guises for complexity and detail? thats been my experience so far, those other porsches in the line its hard to tell exactly what makes them "EM" as opposed to a normal kit.

and someone said the fit of the 356 kits were near perfect? i have not built the entire kit but i have built a couple of the quad cam motors and transaxles and i found that things kinda didnt fit together all that well out of the box, a lot of fiddling and relocating of guide pins and adjusting was necessary to get a good look out of the motor and even then the finned cylinders had a horizontal seam going through them that has to be h e double hockey sticks to get rid of.

[Sam I Am]

I have never built one, and I get the feeling that I am missing out, I think its time to get me a few to build

Jonathan, I guarantee that you wont build it as quick as you do all your stuff. lol

I had one back in the late 80's but never built it. Shortly after getting married in the early 90's my wife wanted to build a kit, so i told her to take her pick of my stash. She pulled out the Enthusiast kit, and I told her what it was all about. She did it. and did an AWESOME job with it. Is it perfect? nope, but what an awesome job with an awesome kit. Watching Geofff build his, I went and bought a few more. Now I get my chance. Yes, I think they are the most detailed kits built, and their parts count are unrivaled.

[IMSANUT]

I have quite a few of the 911 and 356 variants, as well as a 635CSI Bimmer. They are wonderful kits in many ways. I have always questioned the slightly flat top look of the 911 wheel arches though. Not quite correct. And as for the BMW, the roof looks slightly chopped in comparison to the Tamiya and even the Monogram kit. So, kit bash the Tamiya and the Fujimi and get the best 625 possible!

And the 356 is a great source of parts for various other Porsche models, like the RS 60 and 550 spyders.

[WizPorsche944]

Just picked up the BMW kit today, I also have several of the Porsches original & the re-boxed testors versions. Anyone else working on one currently ?

[dantewallace]

Just wanted to bump this as I feel the Enthusiasts series is well worth it. Any updates?? I built this back in early 2015.

[1959scudetto]

On 18.3.2016 at 7:08 PM, dantewallace said:

Just wanted to bump this as I feel the Enthusiasts series is well worth it. Any updates?? I built this back in early 2015.

Very nice 356 Speedster - those are really highly detailed (almost over-engineered) kits that need a lot of patience but are worth it - as your Porsche shows!

- I have several EMs in my stash (all different versions: 5 Dinos, 4 Daytonas, 4 Porsche 911s, 4 Porsche 356s, 1 Countach LP400 S and 1 Stratos) but built so far only one Dino 246 GT about 30 years ago!

[Oldcarfan27]

On 6/14/2012 at 3:39 PM, Guest said:

Was not this kit when in Fujimi packaging part of the Enthusiast series?

$4.99 Wow, great score on the price too!

[Oldcarfan27]

I have quite a few of these kits, bought them when there was a glut of them everywhere and places were marking them down!

Haven't finished any of them, but I'm still excited to have them. I want to do them right, that includes researching all the details.

Hopefully someday. 

[MrObsessive]

BEAUTIFUL Speedster!

I too built one of these years ago, but it got ruined by a BIG 20 lbs cat I had that knocked it off the shelf. I may have tossed it during a move as I can't find it anymore, but I since got a few more of those EM 356 Porsches including another Speedster.

Yes, they can be mighty fiddly (I restored a '63 I originally built a couple years ago here), but as was said with patience they can be very nice models when done.

Edited May 4, 2019 by MrObsessive

[randyc]

I tried the Testors boxed Countach in the early 90s.   Sold the remains recently.  My patience and skills were not what they are now.   Just finished this one over the weekend.   This is apparently not one of the real skill testing kits.  Or my abilities have come a long way (they have).   There are LOTS of tiny pieces.  Door handles, side markers.   I did manage to get them attached without losing them.   With lots of "calming breaths" too.  LOL.  Tip:  be very carefull cutting the parts from the sprue - fine details like steering column stalks will snap off easily.  Only had one that needed fixing.   Lesson learned.  

I even managed to get the interior mirror together and in the car successfully.   A very rewarding build.   If you are considering this and have more than one kit that was thrown against wall in last 12 months, you should probably pass.  LOL   Even this one may test your patience.  I only work on stuff like this when I have time to concentrate.    Really need to think about some of the assembly process to get best results.  Moreso than other "standard" kits.  

I have a 911 Rally car to complete.  I started it but got to the body paint and stopped at some point years ago.  Time to drag it back out and see if I can get it done.  Will look better now because I paint better now.  

I also did the BMW 635.  It came out okay for my skills at the time.  Tires were too wide if I recall.  Also sold it recently.  

[MrObsessive]

Randy, that is simply BEAUTIFUL and your patience paid off! Yes, these kits are NOT for the faint of heart and I wouldn't recommend them except for those that have some patience and skill to pull them off.

I'd like to tackle one of these again but I've got so many projects rolling around in my head, heaven knows when that'll be.

[randyc]

3 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

Randy, that is simply BEAUTIFUL and your patience paid off! Yes, these kits are NOT for the faint of heart and I wouldn't recommend them except for those that have some patience and skill to pull them off.

I'd like to tackle one of these again but I've got so many projects rolling around in my head, heaven knows when that'll be.

Thanks.  That's as high a praise as I could ever expect.   This has made me look for a few new projects.  Not much new stuff that excites me and the old stuff I have done enough.   So this has been fun building for someone else.   Fortunately, I have enough projects to find plenty of things to do.

[Sam I Am]

On 3/16/2013 at 8:24 PM, Sam I Am said:

Jonathan, I guarantee that you wont build it as quick as you do all your stuff. lol

 

 

I had one back in the late 80's but never built it. Shortly after getting married in the early 90's my wife wanted to build a kit, so i told her to take her pick of my stash. She pulled out the Enthusiast kit, and I told her what it was all about. She did it. and did an AWESOME job with it. Is it perfect? nope, but what an awesome job with an awesome kit. Watching Geofff build his, I went and bought a few more. Now I get my chance. Yes, I think they are the most detailed kits built, and their parts count are unrivaled.

Realized I posted this six years ago, added a couple more to the stash and have yet to build one. ?

[89AKurt]

Thanks for bumping, had not seen this nice completed 356.  I have several Porsches and Ferraris in my stash.  For some reason, the crude by comparison kits are getting my attention.

[gtx6970]

Might be.

But nothing in there lineup interests me.  

[afx]

I compiled a fair amount of information on the EM kits here, including some of the curbside alternative releases:

http://race-car-models.proboards.com/thread/1173/fujimi-enthusiast-kits

Edited May 8, 2019 by afx

[Tommy124]

I did the Fujimi EM 911 turbo Cabriolet back in the mid-90's. One of the few finished ones of the many started kits I did back then. 

Still looking okay to me, but I am considering to do a resto on it one day. The paint (done with Testors enamel clearcoat back then if I'm not mistaken) is not up to the required standard and the interior has bleached out during all these years.

In my stash I have 17 more EM kits to go... BMW 635, Countach, 356, 911, Daytona... 

[randyc]

Still looks good to me.  Nice build.

[Tommy124]

19 hours ago, randyc said:

Still looks good to me.  Nice build.

Thanks Randy.

Btw., the Stratos may be the "forgotten" EM kit, but I am sure there is one most have never even heard of - as far as both, 1:1 and model kit are concerned: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/fujimi-082424-dome-zero--210116 

Yeees, that is an EM series kit...   But there is also a curbside version. I got hold of the EM kit some months ago on a slot car fair. Reasonably priced, and the kit in shrink-wrapped condition...

[afx]

1 hour ago, Tommy124 said:

Thanks Randy.

Btw., the Stratos may be the "forgotten" EM kit, but I am sure there is one most have never even heard of - as far as both, 1:1 and model kit are concerned: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/fujimi-082424-dome-zero--210116 

Yeees, that is an EM series kit...   But there is also a curbside version. I got hold of the EM kit some months ago on a slot car fair. Reasonably priced, and the kit in shrink-wrapped condition...

I'm fortunate to have these versions of the EM Stratos

As well as the Dome Zero which includes the infamous Ford DFV engine.

[Tommy124]

9 minutes ago, afx said:

I'm fortunate to have these versions of the EM Stratos

Nice kits, JC. I'm more a fan of the Turbo Stratos. So I only have the Hasegawa Stradale kit, and the re-released Italeri (formerly Esci) kit, I couldn't resist buying it because it came very cheap while carrying the rallye parts and Alitalia decals. And I have the Turbo Stratos kits from Airfix and the re-released Tamiya one. The latter being one of my next projects, in order to replicate the #539 car that hardly ever raced or finished but sure looked cool: 

https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1977/Giro_d_Italia-1977-06-16-539.jpg

[afx]

26 minutes ago, Tommy124 said:

Nice kits, JC. I'm more a fan of the Turbo Stratos. So I only have the Hasegawa Stradale kit, and the re-released Italeri (formerly Esci) kit, I couldn't resist buying it because it came very cheap while carrying the rallye parts and Alitalia decals. And I have the Turbo Stratos kits from Airfix and the re-released Tamiya one. The latter being one of my next projects, in order to replicate the #539 car that hardly ever raced or finished but sure looked cool: 

https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1977/Giro_d_Italia-1977-06-16-539.jpg

I have the Tamiya kit but not the Airfix, which do you prefer Thomas?