442xcar

You are right on the money. The Japanese kits sell at a premium, and the only diff is you get the bag...............

Just check any major Stateside retailer. All TTG GT-01 cars are being shown as OOP.

Just received word that delivery(?) has been moved back (again) to September. I now believe that we have seen all the Black Porsche's that will be delivered. None of my pre-orders have been delivered and all my venders don't have a clue here in the States. I believe that we have possibly seen history repeat itself with the tribute Porsche. Just as Tamiya released the original back in the late 70's, they cleaned out their 934 parts bins and even had to use 935 bumpers and speed controls to complete those kits. After that kit, Tamiya never released another 58001 kit. PERIOD! Flash forward to 2009. Based on the GT-01 TTG chassis, Tamiya fabbed a plastic body clip to adapt a retro Black 934 body to the modern chassis. Just by chance, this new tribute kit was released at a time when all Tamiya TTG GT-01 kits have gone out of production. Just a coincidence? I know some fellow club members will take offense, but I think Tamiya has pulled another "parts bin" clearance (again) by releasing the Black Porsche. I know some will say this is pure speculation, and essentially it is... But the speculation is based on the current status of the GT-01 chassis, and Tamiya's past track record with the special release(s) of the Black Porsche. Another indicator is that there have been no more kits shipped from Tamiya after the initial shipment. Kit #10016 is the highest number that I have any knowledge of, and that kit was purchased from Jason two and a half months ago. Has anyone seen a higher serial number? Has anyone heard of any kits shipped out of Oshika since June? For me, I have given up on any pre-orders and have gone to the open market. Maybe I'm wrong, but my gut instinct says "Limited" was far more limited than anyone believed...............

Any members out there still waiting for pre-ordered kits? None of my pre-orders have shown up and delivery dates keep moving back. Wonder if the well has run dry..............

Luke, As far as I know 01016 is the highest..... Tim D.....

Dwayne, The actual price was $195.00 shipped. That was if Tower had a kit, which is does not. From all appearances, the first batch was very limited and spread in dribs and drabs here and there. All of those kits were gone immediately. Now the question is, "How Limited" is limited?

Michael, It means you are waiting to hear just how limited this kit is (Tower does not have the cars and is waiting to see if Tamiya ships more). Tim D....

The real question is just how "Limited" this kit is going to end up. If Tower has shipped, but has oversold through pre-orders, then it only makes sense to get 'em where you can.

Just out of curiosity has anyone in the club received a kit from Tower? My preorders have been delayed to the point that I'm wondering if they will even get the kits to fill existing back orders.

Great looking paint. Can't wait to see the clear coat (and decals?). IMHO Black Porsches should be Black, although there was a post today of a very good looking Red body. Keep the photos coming.............

Sorry. The early kit referred to, kit #01016, was the first on TC to actually show the contents. In fact, My photo was used in the kit photo by TC. Purchased from Jason as soon as he put them up, this is the highest number I've seen so far. Note; None of my preorders from months ago here in the states has been shipped. I'm thinking now that the numbered run of these kits is going to be very very low.

Actually, it was Paul drinking beer and thinking about a vintage build that inspired me to bust this one out of it's box. Also got me working on some old 934 58001 chassis' for the new Black Porsche release. For a USA Big Block muscle car guy, you'd think I was more of a Zuffenhausen nut based on my Tamiya collection. It's all good..... Life is good!

I like to think of this as two separate kits in one box. I'm an "Old School" TC Guy, and most of my interest is in old pan chassis (stuck in the 70's ). The Black Porsche was and still is one of the ultimate vintage Tamiya kits. This tribute put Black bodies out there for guys like me. Is it a practical body for RC. No way. But park one next to the very best floppy body and you become a true believer in Scale Plastic. Put that body on an old chassis and you end up with something really special. The GT-01 chassis and body are pure off the shelf Tam Tech. Paint it black like Mick Jagger said, and run it till the tires fall off. That's what Tamiya intended. If they had tweaked out a special chassis, I think it would have really raised the price and narrowed the market.

The manual is a carry over yes, but I think it's remarkable that we have this kit in hand in 2009. The main point of the kit is the Black Body that can be displayed on the GT-01 chassis. Under all the smoke and mirrors ,the basic kit is a stock Valiant version of a TTG GT-01 (with a stock manual). Other than paint and decals there was nothing to justify the expense of an all-new manual. All that was needed was an extra sheet for the retro/tribute body.

[ img ]http://www.tamiyaclub.com/tc_userimages/17773/img27117_14072009180358_1_350.jpg[ /img ] Here is the result of reading Paul's loaded) post about a Lawn Mower, Beer, and the desire to build something really rare. Started with the freshh restoration of a vintage 936 chassis. Had to decide if I wanted to break out a NIB 936 bodyset, or one of 2 NIB 908/3 bodies. Only took about 2 seconds to decide.

Nice photos. It will look great next to the tribute. I've got a shiny 58001 chassis that is getting a new Black Body. Watch for pics.

Copyrights are valid for 26 years, and can be renewed once ( 26 + 26 = 52 years ). That means that Tamiya holds the intellectual property rights for up to 52 years. In the case of the Black Porsche, the body moldings were originally copyrighted under the static display 934 in 1976. Some RC specific parts were created in 1977. The static kit was re-issued in 2006 and new parts were created for the display body (Black Porsche) in 2009. After 52 years the copyrights terminate and the propert becomes "Public Domain" at which time anyone can legally copy the property without paying royalties. The way to extend the copyright is to make subtle changes to the original property, and file new copyrights. Tamiya made a new body mount for display of the body on the TTG GT-01 chassis, and that parts tree carries the 2009 copyright. Hope that clears up all the dates????? Remember; Life Is Good...........

Here is an interesting post left on the photos thread. Looks like kits are getting scarce in Japan already. Today, 03:18 PM Post #107 Member Group: Members Posts: 1,480 Joined: 11-January 05 From: Canada. Member No.: 8,889 Bad news, "if you snooze you lose" ! nless there are stock piles at cretain places (Jason's Store for example) I think you are out of luck for the Japanese Version: Dear Mr.G****** Hello,sir.I'm doing well,thank you for askng. Hope you are doing well too. Unfortunately the Tamiya 84057 Black Porsche kit got sold out already and it is limited edition item,so I don't think we can get it again. I'm sorry we can't help you,sir. If you have any question,please let me know,sir. Thank you. Best regards, RC Adviser Champ Hirotaka Suganuma Get 'em while you can !

Err, I think it looks like he is checking someones willy? lol........

I'm interested too. If you go to Tamiya USA, The kit photos still show a bag. My pre-order should be here soon and as soon as we open the boxes we'll know.

It was good to see that Jason had returned and listed 4 more kits in the wee hours of the morning. Sadly I missed a chance at another and they all sold in 1 hour..............

I was watching that one too Lars. Looks like he still has the twin that came in the case also. For a Japanese market kit with the bag, thats got to be a record. I just ordered another US kit for under $200.00 shipped.

The only serial number is on the tag. No other part of the kit has a number on it. Prices for a kit without the bag here in the US are running around $175.00. Now that TC is getting a fair number of kits on the site, it will be interesting to see some New Builds.......

Hedge, The only cure for the Taxman blues is to cancel the rest of your vacation and build it.

Thanks Paul. I went on the hunch that since Tamiya would be using existing molds for the tribute kit, the body parts would basically be the same. The hunch was right. Got lucky and found a good chassis off ebay, so I'll be building a vintage tribute also. I guess old chassis, wheels, and body clips will be a tough find from here onward. Enjoy your new kits and let us know what your observation reveal. Tim D.....