Fujimi Enthusiast Series Kits. Still the rabbit to chase.

[Exotics_Builder]

4 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

The same goes for the EM Lancia Stratos kit: box stock with rally decals (Chardonnet in my case) - I wanted to apply these decals onto a Hasegawa rally Stratos and found out, that Fujimi's body is much wider than Hasegawa's: I had to trim the decals and had big troubles placing them on the Hasegawa body.

Yep.  Forgot about those.  Have these two in the stash (unbuilt)

 

[356nut]

On 11/21/2021 at 11:30 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Is it supposedly a one-piece body, and how old are we talking about?

As an aside, back in the '70s I had a gorgeous rust-free Karmann B hardtop shell (T5), acquired with no engine or gearbox. The plan was to swap all the pristine SC guts from a "restored" but structurally ruined SC cab, but the SC burned to the ground when a moron was working on it, and I lost the hardtop body due to the machinations of an unscrupulous business partner.

The T5 started life as a cabriolet, with the rounded hood of the 356A and B series cars, while the T6 was built on a dedicated line, and used the slightly squared off hood like the C series.

I'd kinda like to build a model of what might have been...so if there's a true T5 kit floating around out there, I'm quite interested.

 

Good luck, my friend! I actually wondered if the 356b hardtop model was printed on the inside of the box but maybe never actually made it into production until I recently corresponded with another Porsche model lover who said he had once held it in his hands at a hobby shop a very long time ago but didn’t buy it because he had bills to pay. Said he went back at a later time to get it and it was gone. So, yes, it definitely does exist. I just don’t get why it’s nowhere to be found online. Nowhere on the entire world-wide-web. Crazy. Thanks for the compliments on my models! Like I said, I’m currently trying to do a restoration on a 911 but, unfortunately, in the process of removing the old paint, part of the body broke around the inside of the driver side headlight area & it wasn’t a clean break. I’m trying to patch it and smooth it but it’s not looking very promising. 

[356nut]

10 hours ago, Exotics_Builder said:

I've gotten a bunch of these over the years, especially early on.  Never liked the style of the Countach, so never got any.  Sold a few off but still have some to build (more than one of a kit in a few cases).

Very nice! I’ve had my eye on one of those 911 RS 3.0s for a while. Waiting to find one for a decent price. 

[356nut]

11 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I know what you mean. You've got me on the hunt for the elusive B hardtop now.    

Thanks for the shot of the catalog list inside the box, too. Apparently the unicorn is a real animal after all.  

Your models do look great, by the way. Certainly an inspiration to me to build a few when I have more time.

If you find the B hardtop first, would you post a pic here? I’ll do the same if I ever get one.

[peteski]

Is this the kits you guys are looking for?

I had it for years in my stash. Back then those Enthusiast kits were priced at 1800 Yen. The instructions have 1988 date on it.  I bought it at AAA hobby shop in Wakefield, MA (long gone).

 

[MrObsessive]

I do believe this is the one you're looking for. Yes, this kit is tough as nails to find. I have one.....in fact I remember buying it at our yearly toy show in York PA a number of years ago.

No.....I do NOT want to part with it!

I learned that once something is let go as far as models, they can be all but unobtainium in the future if you want it again. Either price wise or availability.

[peteski]

3 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

I do believe this is the one you're looking for. Yes, this kit is tough as nails to find. I have one.....in fact I remember buying it at our yearly toy show in York PA a number of years ago.

That is a later release of the kit "27" in my photo.  I didn't know it was such a rare kit.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, peteski said:

Is this the kits you guys are looking for?

 

3 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

I do believe this is the one you're looking for.

No, and no.

The Porsche 356 Karmann T5 and T6 "cabriolet hardtop" body style is about the most rare of the factory-built 356 cars in reality.

The body shell is essentially a cabriolet with a notchback hardtop welded in place...not the common fastback represented by Pete's kit.

The T6 is represented by Bill Geary's photo, a kit that, while not common by any means, can still be found with a little effort.

The T6 has the C nose, with slightly squared off hood corners and two grilles on the engine cover.

The T5, the subject of the "unicorn" hunt, has the B nose, with a narrower, round-front hood like the A-series cars, and a single grille on the engine cover.

This is a T5.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 minutes ago, peteski said:

That is a later release of the kit "27" in my photo.  I didn't know it was such a rare kit.

Nope. See above.

[peteski]

Ah, a notchback. Got it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

29 minutes ago, peteski said:

Ah, a notchback. Got it.

Yes, but let me emphasize that the particular kit that is so elusive is the "B" version, the T5.

The T6 kit, as in Mr. Geary's photo, is nothing but a B/C cabriolet with one additional clear sprue that has the hardtop and windows molded as one piece.

The hardtop has to be glued in place, seam-filled, and masked very carefully (I have one).

I assume the T5, the B, the unicorn kit, has the identical clear sprue, but I could be wrong.

There are subtle differences between the B and later hardtops in reality (as the T5 started as a cabriolet body shell, subsequently modified, but the T6 was built as a notchback from the beginning), and I'm really curious now to know if they got them right.

Other T5 and T6 differences are glaringly obvious (see below for a major example).

 

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

356 A and B front hood (as should be represented by the unicorn T5 kit):

356 late B and C front hood (as appears in the T6 B/C kit):

Edited November 24, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[MrObsessive]

6 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yes, but let me emphasize that the particular kit that is so elusive is the "B" version, the T5.

The T6 kit, as in Mr. Geary's photo, is nothing but a B/C cabriolet with one additional clear sprue that has the hardtop and windows molded as one piece.

The hardtop has to be glued in place, seam-filled, and masked very carefully (I have one).

I assume the T5, the B, the unicorn kit, has the identical clear sprue, but I could be wrong.

There are subtle differences between the B and later hardtops in reality (as the T5 started as a cabriolet body shell, subsequently modified, but the T6 was built as a notchback from the beginning), and I'm really curious now to know if they got them right.

Other T5 and T6 differences are glaringly obvious (see below for a major example).

 

 

Aaaahh............OK! I learned something new today! I never paid much attention to the front ends of the B/C cars, particularly the differences in the trunk. The hardtop come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen in person as far as the 1:1. Interesting that Porsche made those that way........pretty much the way the American 1:1 manufacturers did their early hardtops. They were nothing more than convertible bodies with the roof welded on. The '51 Ford Victoria comes to mind. 🤔

[356nut]

Through my searching, I found these pictures from an old Fujimi catalog. Every 356 kit is pictured except the unicorn T5. This is strange and a bit mind boggling for an OCD collector. 

[356nut]

I also have an old Fujimi catalog from 1989… here’s what it shows as far as the 356 kits… Very convenient, eh?🙄

[356nut]

Now, I’ve had this idea - I could take one of my B Roadster kits and a B/C Hardtop Cabriolet, do a custom job and build it to be the 356B hardtop but that would be pretty costly since the B/C hardtop kit is pretty expensive these days too. I’d hate to spend a ton just to get the top. I don’t want to strip my B/C hardtop for it and, really, it just wouldn't be the same as having the actual kit in the original box. 

[356nut]

Hey, off-topic question… does anyone have the ‘73 911 EM kit, opened & unbuilt, with an uncut decal sheet? If so, would you be willing to scan it (if you’re able) and send it to me? I want to put some Carrera decals on the 911 I’m working on. I’d do it myself but I don’t have that ‘73 kit. 

[Can-Con]

38 minutes ago, 356nut said:

Hey, off-topic question… does anyone have the ‘73 911 EM kit, opened & unbuilt, with an uncut decal sheet? If so, would you be willing to scan it (if you’re able) and send it to me? I want to put some Carrera decals on the 911 I’m working on. I’d do it myself but I don’t have that ‘73 kit. 

Like this?

[Can-Con]

I picked up the reissues of the '67 911R and '69 911S over the summer.

Super happy they've been reissued. One thing though, the small chrome tree with the headlight buckets, door handles and, IIRC, wipers is no longer plated.

BTW, anyone have or know where I can get a pair of PORSCHE side decals in orange? I want to do the '67 in light grey with orange decals but the kit only has black.

[356nut]

2 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Like this?

YES!!! You rock, my friend!! Thank you!

[356nut]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

I picked up the reissues of the '67 911R and '69 911S over the summer.

Super happy they've been reissued. One thing though, the small chrome tree with the headlight buckets, door handles and, IIRC, wipers is no longer plated.

BTW, anyone have or know where I can get a pair of PORSCHE side decals in orange? I want to do the '67 in light grey with orange decals but the kit only has black.

I’ve got the ‘67… give me a day or so and I might be able to make that happen for you. 

[Can-Con]

35 minutes ago, 356nut said:

YES!!! You rock, my friend!! Thank you!

No problem. I just copied the pic from "Hobby Search" Japan's on line store. 

They have a lot of pics of instruction sheets, decal sheets etc.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/car/

[Can-Con]

38 minutes ago, 356nut said:

I’ve got the ‘67… give me a day or so and I might be able to make that happen for you. 

Thanks, that would be so cool. 👍

[356nut]

11 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Thanks, that would be so cool. 👍

 

11 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Thanks, that would be so cool. 👍

Just to confirm, you’re talking about the Porsche decals along the bottom of the sides, like this, correct?

Edited November 27, 2021 by 356nut

[Can-Con]

51 minutes ago, 356nut said:

 

Just to confirm, you’re talking about the Porsche decals along the bottom of the sides, like this, correct?

Yes, exactly.