Kit Choices

The kits available then from which a conversion could be produced - without resorting to expensive transkits - are the Tamiya 956 and 962C kits, the Hasegawa 962C kit, and the Protar 956 kit, all of which come in a variety of colour/sponsor schemes. After study and posing a number of questions to both the Porsche factory and GPMA members, my conclusions for the best way of producing the 1988 Le Mans Porsche 962 were as follows:
  1. The 956 tail is not the correct version for a 962 in Le Mans trim. The 962 bodywork over the rear wheels has a slightly more raked deck lid than the 956 and a larger lateral bulge over the rear wheels with a more pronounced dip behind the wheels to the trailing edge. On a 956, the bodywork gently rises to the rear axle line and then barely dips behind it. The 962C kit tail is probably the best start point for a conversion, as it is correct to the rear axle line and then is simply extended and deeper.
  2. The 956 and 962 wheelbases and nose sections are completely different. The 962 kits are only available in short-tail Group C trim.
  3. The IMSA web article is correct in assessing that the Hasegawa kit is of lesser moulding/detail quality and that the Tamiya kit has extremely shallow radiator intakes, to accommodate the old Tamtech origins of the kit. In addition, the Hasegawa cockpit area appears too narrow and high compared with photos of the real article, has a shorter windscreen and the tail is configured with IMSA-style scoops. The Tamiya kit is of better moulding quality and has a more accurate body outline, but suffers from having the windscreen and front light covers moulded in clear already incorporated in the bodyshell and the shallow intakes.
  4. I also looked at the Protar 956 kit, which has the correct cockpit shape, a separate screen and opening doors. At one stage, until realising that using the 956 tail would not work, I was going to use the Protar 956 tail (to be lengthened), with the Tamiya 962 front end, combined with the Protar cockpit/windscreen and the Hasegawa side panelling. Suggestions had also been made that the entire cockpit and undertray from the Tamiya kit could be grafted under the Hasegawa shell.
However, sanity prevailed and the final combination to provide the most accurate looking model seemed to be to accept the moulded in glass and use the Tamiya 962 kit as the basis, and to convert the tail and side-panels using plasticard, filler and the like as needed. Finishing the model will be the proof of my decision to use the Blaupunkt version moulded in white plastic, rather than the From A version moulded in yellow – although the moulded in glass may show some white edges I reckon that, if it does, any white still showing will complement the thin white stripe around the cockpit area.

The final kit combination decided upon uses the bodyshell and undertray from the Tamiya 962C (the Blaupunkt) kit, which produces the most accurately dimensioned and shaped shell as a starting point. The rear deck can either be left in situ, or separated from the shell to enable a fully detailed engine bay to be built. The engine, transmission and suspension from the reissued Tamiya 956 Canon kit form a straightforward basis for the 962 engine bay. The 962 kit cockpit is used, combined with the 956 engine bulkhead - the combination fits well with a little narrowing of the latter to fit the shell.    Wheel sizes generated a fair amount of thought and discussion, firstly to get the right diameter and type of wheels. I had wanted to complete the model without the white brake cooling discs, as it appeared in race qualifying, simply because I though it looked nicer! The rear wheels in the Tamiya kit are 19" rim diameter BBS wheels as a Group C car, whereas the factory cars ran at Le Mans with 17" rim diameter, 6-spoke Speedline wheels front and rear - 10.5" width at the front and 14" width at the rear. I have yet to find the right wheels for the front, so for the moment I am modelling the car as in the race, with the cooling discs. The wheels and tyres being used are the rears from the Tamiya 956 kit and the fronts from the Tamiya 962C kit. One small problem to overcome is that the centre hole of the cooling discs on the front wheels is too large and needs reducing in size – I have yet to work out how best to achieve that. The Hasegawa 962 kit can be useful in providing (either the parts or the ability to mould and cast copies) the correct radiators, decent fuel fillers, the rear brake cooling ducts and some rear suspension detail if building a fully detailed 962.