[Tamiya] Porsche 959 - WIP

1
October 6, 2025
Washed.
2
October 6, 2025
I plan to remove the side blinkers and make them by cutting out transparent pla-plate.
3
October 6, 2025
The taillight's surface wasn't in good condition, so I sanded it down.
I was afraid it would break if I sanded the entire thing, so I only sanded the wide center area.
4
October 6, 2025
And because the curvature isn't right, it doesn't fit snugly. Even when I pressed it down to make it fit snugly, it was little bit short.
5
October 6, 2025
I scraped off a lot of the reflector area with the tool shown below.
The length is no longer short, but the curvature is still off, so I'll have to use some glue later.
6
October 6, 2025
Maybe it was because the mold was old, but the headlamp didn't fit snugly against the body, and was so loose that it just passed through. The photo was taken while it was barely hanging on, but the headlamp housing is buried in the body.
7
October 6, 2025
After kneading the epoxy putty and applying it to the body, I applied Vaseline to the headlamp housing parts and pressed them down.
8
October 7, 2025
For some reason, the rear cowl doesn't fit snugly against the body. A gentle press ensures a smooth fit, so I suspect the cowl is bent.
9
October 7, 2025
I decided to attach the wing later because I thought that if I attached the segmented, integrated wing in advance, I would end up cutting off the marked area when fitting the cowl and body.
10
October 7, 2025
The fact that it fits well when pressed lightly suggests that the body and cowl would have the same effect if pulled together. So, I attached a neodymium magnet to the inside of the wing and...
11
October 7, 2025
And I glued neodymium on the inside of the body so that it would be pulled together with the cowl.
12
October 7, 2025
Here are the results
13
October 8, 2025
I painted surfacer.
14
October 8, 2025
The area around the headlamp was almost trimmed up in one go.
15
October 8, 2025
The cowl was too tight and awkward, so I modified it to be similar in thickness to the surrounding panel lines.
16
October 10, 2025
The space in the indicated area is too wide, and seeing that it is wide in other works as well, it seems that the original mold was shaped like that.
17
October 10, 2025
Slice the thin plastic sheet into thin strips and...
18
October 10, 2025
Attached like this and sanding...
19
October 10, 2025
The width is now the same as the adjacent panel line.
20
October 11, 2025
Now it's time for some serious sanding.
It's really tricky to sand concave areas like the ones shown.
21
October 11, 2025
The roof shows signs of rough scraping with power tools. The parting line marks on the front fenders weren't completely erased, so I kept resanding them. The area in front of the headlights now only needs finishing.
22
October 11, 2025
I painted the surfacer again.
White surfacer to wheels and seats.
23
October 12, 2025
I don't think the front part needs any further work.
24
October 12, 2025
I think the rear cowl part needs some more work.
25
October 12, 2025
The roof has a very faintly uneven surface.
26
October 12, 2025
Sanded.
27
October 12, 2025
Sanded.
28
October 13, 2025
Next, I attached the wings and applied poly putty generously.
29
October 13, 2025
The inside of the wing that touches the cowl was protruding a lot, so I roughly cut it off with electric tool.
The outer surface also had subtle curves that did not look natural, so a lot of carving had to be done.
30
October 13, 2025
Surfacer once more.
31
October 14, 2025
Putty once again.
32
October 14, 2025
Sanding the concave area inside the wing was quite a pain.
33
October 14, 2025
Last surfacer(maybe...). Almost done.
34
October 14, 2025
Finally, I polished it a bit more and finished it.
35
October 14, 2025
I was wondering what body color to choose, but surprisingly, the 959 rarely comes in black. So I did a search for black...
36
October 14, 2025
It wasn't a solid black, but a black that had a metallic look when reflected.
And unlike regular metallic black paint, it seemed to have a characteristic of having almost no particle feel.
37
October 14, 2025
So I decided to make the black color by overcoating.
1st. I painted the black surfacer, and I was planning to paint the wheels white, so I painted them white with a white surfacer.
38
October 16, 2025
I thought it would be best to use the darkest metallic as the base, and I was debating between gunmetal and metallic black, so I ended up using IPP's metallic black.
39
October 16, 2025
And then I overcoated it with IPP's clear black.
I sprayed it on too many from the beginning, so the metallic particles underneath became unstable, but I figured it wouldn't matter since I was going to paint it dark enough to almost look black anyway.
40
October 16, 2025
The color felt a bit blue, so I overcoated it with Tamiya's smoke.
You can see some areas where the paint is a bit clumpy because I had to apply too much to make it black.
41
October 16, 2025
The result was a color that was almost identical.
42
October 16, 2025
I like this color. 😉
43
October 16, 2025
I sanded and cleaned the surface once before coating it with the final clear.
44
October 16, 2025
Painted Super Clear III
45
October 16, 2025
I coated wheels too.
46
October 16, 2025
While waiting for the paint to dry, I trimmed the other parts.
47
October 16, 2025
Masking...
48
October 16, 2025
I painted Metalic Gray, Clear Orange, Black Surfacer.
I like to put car logos on license plates, but this kit only included the logo in black letters. So I repainted the black license plates white.
49
October 17, 2025
The paint flew off and stuck to the opposite side. I think I need to replace the filter in the spray booth.
50
October 17, 2025
Masked.
51
October 17, 2025
Painted clear orange and matte/gloss aluminum. The red disc seen behind is part of another kit.
52
October 17, 2025
I masked the taillights and painted them Clear Red.
53
October 17, 2025
I painted the three steps of gray on the seat with a brush. I thought I was done, so I washed the brush and cleaned the workbench. Then I realized I should have painted the marked areas, so I ended up painting them again.
54
October 17, 2025
Masked again.
55
October 17, 2025
I was wondering what color to paint the interior, and since I saw a lot of examples of red-brown and chocolate colors, I decided to paint it a milk coffee color.
56
October 17, 2025
I mixed the paints shown below and painted them. I mixed them under the LED lights at dawn, so the colors didn't quite match, but I still like them.
57
October 18, 2025
I assembled(?) the side winkers I had made.
58
October 18, 2025
I had to glue two sheets together, but they were so small that I had to use an electron microscope to make sure they were glued together properly.
59
October 18, 2025
It's hard to see, but the winkers are painted clear orange and the housing is painted matte black.
60
October 18, 2025
The tail lights were painted over several times after masking them so that they appeared to be of various shades rather than a single color.
61
October 18, 2025
Last sanded.
62
October 18, 2025
Polished.
63
October 18, 2025
It has a nice shine thanks to its unique roundness. But.....
64
October 19, 2025
Although not very visible, The Tamiya Smoke layer in the marked area appears to have been worn away due to a bit of over-sanding.
65
October 19, 2025
This part is the same, However it's okay because you have to look up from below to see it.
66
October 19, 2025
The biggest problem is that the same problem occurred in the wing.
It's too late now to do anything about it, but the good news is that it's not easy to spot if you don't tell me when you actually see it.
67
October 19, 2025
Another problem is that the rear cowl is attached with magnets, so it's easy to just toss it around for fun. However, the magnetic force is so strong that the paint on the impact-marked area is slightly chipped.
68
October 19, 2025
Anyway, I masked it to paint the rubber seal on the windshield.
69
October 19, 2025
I don't usually mask indoors, but I did so because I thought it would be visible through the rear window.
Since it has rounded corners, I punched holes in the masking tape and then cut it into four pieces and attached them.
70
October 19, 2025
I handled it very carefully, but unfortunately, it just broke without any strength.
71
October 20, 2025
I was worried that it would break again if I kept masking it, so I decided to paint it first and then attach it instead of attaching it now.
72
October 20, 2025
It seems impossible to completely repair it, so I tried my best to glue it without spreading the adhesive and without it appearing warped or bent. (The marked area is where it broke)
73
October 20, 2025
Painted with paint brush.
74
October 20, 2025
Ready to assemble.
75
October 20, 2025
I started assembling it according to the assembly instructions.
76
October 20, 2025
Engine complete.
77
October 21, 2025
Mounted.
The parts didn't fit well, so I had to use various adhesives to secure them.
78
October 21, 2025
I kept blowing on the glue to dry it, so I got dizzy and had to use a tool.
79
October 21, 2025
Assembled front axel.
80
October 21, 2025
I forgot to color the marked area.
81
October 21, 2025
I roughly painted it in with a marker.
82
October 21, 2025
Adhesioned the decal.
The license plate was carefully placed in the right direction so that it did not become 656.
83
October 21, 2025
Assembled interior.
84
October 21, 2025
Another view.
85
October 22, 2025
Removed the mold marks from the tire.
86
October 22, 2025
The tool used was a nail clipper, and the blade is curved, making it very easy to remove.
For this reason, I often wander into nail art supply online stores.
87
October 22, 2025
I saw these 959 wheels on Google and they looked pretty so I tried them.
88
October 22, 2025
The lower body and internal assembly are complete, now only the body shell remains.
89
October 22, 2025
Because it's an older car, the rearview mirror is designed to be attached to the windshield. If I just stuck it on, it would leave adhesive marks and look messy, so I measured the dimensions first. And then...
90
October 22, 2025
I cut and pasted the Hasegawa sheet.
I'm going to attach a rearview mirror on this.
91
October 22, 2025
From the outside, it will look like this.
92
October 22, 2025
I made a robot kit on the mirror part and attached the remaining silver foil stickers.
93
October 22, 2025
For the side mirrors, if you stick thin silver tape on them, the reflective surface may not be flat, so I cut the thick metal tape that came in the Tamiya case and stick it on.
94
October 23, 2025
Attached side and rear window.
95
October 23, 2025
The windshield was supposed to be attached from the outside, but the temporary fixing proved tricky. Furthermore, the adhesive surface was insufficient, and it was difficult to apply the adhesive from the inside.
96
October 23, 2025
I painted the reflectors of the headlights with AK's Super Chrome.
97
October 24, 2025
The transparent cover was glued using a Micro-Scale's Krystal Klear.
98
October 24, 2025
Reflective film was applied to the rear fog lights and front turn signals.
99
October 24, 2025
Attached front winker.
100
October 24, 2025
Attached rear lamp.
The marked area is where it broke. Fortunately, it's not that noticeable 😉
101
October 24, 2025
The top and bottom need to be fitted, but I hate that method of fitting them by spreading the sides apart. I'm worried it might break or the paint might chip, but the one consolation is that it's easier than the Hasegawa Stratos.
102
October 25, 2025
Assembling side blinker.
103
October 25, 2025
It was too small and my eyesight was getting worse, so I ended up using an electron microscope.
104
October 25, 2025
Attached.
105
October 26, 2025
Finally, I painted the '656 badge' with an AK marker.
106
October 26, 2025
It's done.
107
October 26, 2025
I also forgot to put the Porsche emblem on the nose.

Thanks for watching.
See you next time on the finished album. 😉

Comments

44 6 October 2025, 07:02

Sander de Volder
Lovely car, I'll be watching this build as well. Have fun!

6 October 2025, 11:40

Guido
Following

6 October 2025, 12:11

Christian W
Me 2 . I'll follow that definitely.

6 October 2025, 13:02

Martin Oostrom
The gang is assembling here, I see

7 October 2025, 08:19

berni
Following 2 🙂

7 October 2025, 09:34

Christian W
That solution with the magnets is great!

10 October 2025, 07:04

Michael Kohl
Joining

11 October 2025, 14:53

Spanjaard
following!

13 October 2025, 08:49

Christian W
Man, this is perfection on the body work!

13 October 2025, 09:31

Christian W
Good color choice. It looks like, that you love sanding and polishing 😉 The color code should be 691, the color is called "Graphite Metallic". Did you know, its believed that there are only 31 built of 292 (+ a limited tiny series of 8 cars in 1992) in this color?

15 October 2025, 07:25

MS K Author
Oh really? I had no idea.
I was just about to name the color Graphite Black, but it's really interesting. 😮

1 15 October 2025, 12:02

Sander de Volder
Looks stunning, but what's the but?

18 October 2025, 16:41

Christian W
Great work on the body! When you can live with the tiny imperfections, it is good. I could life with that easily. I would't make so many rounds of painting anyway. So your result is fantastic.

Pretty interesting, that you changed the interior color. I only know 2 959 with a brown interior. I didn't find a black 959 with brown interior like your proof on your picture. But it looks, like the interior was painted over with this brown color. Take a look at all the handles in the door or the vents in the dashboard. Originally those parts are black. Or the housing of the instruments.
[img1]
[img2]

Nevertheless: it matches.

20 October 2025, 06:42

MS K Author
[img1]
This is the photo I used as a reference.
Actually, I don't really care about perfect realism. Instead, I like sharpness molds and details, and a CG-like feel when finished. 😉

1 20 October 2025, 10:17

Christian W
By the way: I'm looking through some galleries of the 959 (and wondering, that there is only one kit registered on scalemates - I know that there are a minimum of two different boxes out there). Give you that: on this build, the rear lights boke on the same point: MyAlbum | Album by Craigus (1:24)
That is strange.

20 October 2025, 12:22

MS K Author
Porsche 959 (Academy 15103, 1:24)
Porsche 961 (Tamiya 24071, 1:24)
[img1]
Could this be it?
Anyway, Hahaha, you broke it same point too? 🤣

20 October 2025, 12:46

Paul Eden
Excellent project

22 October 2025, 12:09

Christian W
Sweet detail with the red stripe on the rim. I didn't look it up in detail, what the meaning is. I thought, it possibly can be a sign of the rims for the Sport model line. I know, there are small differences between the Comfort and Sport, but it's not clear, where the different on the rim is. I saw it too and I like it also.

Btw. to the boxart of the model kit. There are three different boxes of the Tamiya kit out there. I'm going to integrate them on scalemates. I have the box art but I'm still looking for the (c) of them.

22 October 2025, 12:52

Christian W
The base for the rear view mirror is a pretty good idea!

24 October 2025, 06:32

Simon O'Gorman
Pass the popcorn

24 October 2025, 08:15

Yngve N
I'm in

24 October 2025, 09:15

Stefan
Sorry not to place more comments on your work, every step you publish deserves a thumb up!
Thank you

1 24 October 2025, 17:22

Sander de Volder
Spreading the body to fit or mount it is always a bit scary. Luckily I've never had any issues with things breaking or paint chipping. As Stefan said, everything you post deserves a thumbs up!

24 October 2025, 21:17