Porsche 959 Body / Different Manuals / Parts

[Bjoern]

Hi,

first, sorry for my bad English. I hope you understand me anyway.

I bought a NIB body (Porsche 959) but there are NO pre drilled holes and the wheel housings are not cut. I am unsure whether it is an original body. I have the body compared with an (known) original body. I could see no differences, but the missing holes surprised me.

Were there original bodies without holes?

Are there different versions of the manual? Some parts have been changed (e.g. drive shaft).

Please tell me which of the following parts are older and which are newer.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Thanks.

Regards

Bjoern

[DavidKY502]

I know the NIB body I got last year had the wheel arches and holes pre cut in it and took look at the old runner body that ones was precut also. I also have the same parts with the same differnces too. I just think might a early and later production run that the stoppers and webbbing was added. My shelf queens parts are different than my runners both are 959s. Even some the spares I picked up in auctions are like that also. Think Tamiya might added it later in production or something not sure of it but did notice that too before. Also noticed that there is two front arms. Look at the pic below and where the pin goes threw the arm one has a v shaped bump the other one doesnt.

The body with no holes troubles me more. I dont think I seen ones on EBAY or anything that didnt have the holes pre drilled that was orginally Tamiya. Did the body come with all the instructions and parts or somebody slipped a repo body in a box on you. I know my NIB body set came with set instructions for the body kit and all the parts were wrapped in plain clear baggies. This is a pic of my body thats being painted to look at for reference. Think the painter cut the rest the arches off but that pretty much only thing was cut off in this pic. Hard to see in the pic but most the repo bodies dont have the under tuck around the bumpersand sides. The repos are not blow molded like the orginals and dont have the same undertucking on the body of the body.

[Gruntfuggly]

Surely a repro body would be simple to spot - none of them will have the lower inner curves - all the repros I have seen have been vacuum molded - not blow molded?

[Bjoern]

Can you make a picture of the "lower inner curves"? I don't exactly know what you mean.

Bjoern

[mansellpants]

The body with no holes troubles me more. I dont think I seen ones on EBAY or anything that didnt have the holes pre drilled that was orginally Tamiya. Did the body come with all the instructions and parts or somebody slipped a repo body in a box on you. I know my NIB body set came with set instructions for the body kit and all the parts were wrapped in plain clear baggies. This is a pic of my body thats being painted to look at for reference. Think the painter cut the rest the arches off but that pretty much only thing was cut off in this pic. Hard to see in the pic but most the repo bodies dont have the under tuck around the bumpersand sides. The repos are not blow molded like the orginals and dont have the same undertucking on the body of the body.

Dont know about other repro shells but the kamtec ones dont have the lights on the roof as seen in the above picture (little blue bits).

[DavidKY502]

This is couple close of pics of the old runner body rear area. How the body folds under on the bottom edge around the bumper and notice the wheel arch area that tucks under too.

[Bjoern]

The body came in the original Tamiya box with instructions and parts. It also has the lights on the roof.

What is the meaning of "under tuck"? The parts that are cut off? My body looked exactly like this. I have already cut out.

[DavidKY502]

Wanted to add this had to see if there was one listed on ebay. Even the latest and greatest repo from Teambluegroove does not have the folding of the body in the rear bumper area. Front on their new one is pretty much dead on when compared to the orgianal from what I heard. The rear bumper area and how the orginaly folds under is the main way to tell the two apart. If you look on ebay they have pics of it and look how the area around the bumper is does not tuck under like the orginal but it has the lights also. It is a very nice repo the best one available from what I understand but its not an orginal body. Would it be possible to see some pics of the body you are talking about. Has no holes its not even a the teambluegroove one I am thinking about that one comes with body mount holes in it.

[DavidKY502]

Look at the runner body and how the body folds under in the rear bumper area. That fold can only be made by blow molding which they did with the orginal. Not talking about where the body line is cut out which you have traced in the pic. Its how it tucks under itself around the bottom edge.

[homerboi]

Another part of the lexan body to look at to determine whether it's an original is the the rear deck corners where the rear spoiler mounts to the body (just above the rear lights). The orignal lexan bodies on these corners have very thin lexan and in most cases, they are paper thin and could either be cracked or slightly damaged due to the method in which they were formed back then.

[Bjoern]

OK, I think I know what you mean. I saw the TEAM BLUEGROOVE body listed on ebay. As a result I can say that it is an original Tamiya body - without holes. I cut it off and drilled the holes manually (much work). The holes were (difficulty visible) indicated. That was all. The pictures in the manual show the body with holes

At the moment the body is painted (painter). Therefore I can not make pictures. I will post pictures after the painting is finished.

Thanks a lot for your fast reply.

You mean this area:

[DavidKY502]

That is the fold over I am talking about. Cant for the life me figure why it didnt have holes in it already. I seen numerous new ones on ebay and such they all had the holes predrilled even the instructions show them to be there from the factory.

[Bjoern]

I think the body is one of the first produced or it was an production error. A production error would explain the right instructions.

As I said, I will post some pics (2-3 weeks). I drilled "all" holes manually except the hole for the antenna. There you can see that the body had no holes. The missing hole makes my car unique .

The body has the fold, is very thin in places and has tiny air bubbles on the bonnet area (blow moulded).

Thanks to all of you for the first class support!

Bjoern

[Bjoern]

Hi,

which of the following two drive shafts is the latest version?

1.

2.

Thanks

Bjoern

[Bluefoot]

Parts in pictures 1 and 4 are from the Porsche 959, parts in pictures 2 and 3 are from the Celica GrB. The propshaft with the plastic ends is from the 959, the other is from the Celica.

The 959 came first (58059) and the Celica later (58064).

I'll check my spare bodyset tonight to see if it has the holes cut.

Cheers,

Don.

Hi,

first, sorry for my bad English. I hope you understand me anyway.

I bought a NIB body (Porsche 959) but there are NO pre drilled holes and the wheel housings are not cut. I am unsure whether it is an original body. I have the body compared with an (known) original body. I could see no differences, but the missing holes surprised me.

Were there original bodies without holes?

Are there different versions of the manual? Some parts have been changed (e.g. drive shaft).

Please tell me which of the following parts are older and which are newer.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Thanks.

Regards

Bjoern

[Bjoern]

OK, I found all the newer parts in the Celica manual - thanks. I bought a 959 Chassis and it has all the newer parts from the Celica (Uprights, drive shaft). Mount parts, Chassis plates are 959, it doesn't have the stabilizer. Is it an original 959 (later one) or is it a real Celica which was rebuilt?

Did the later 959 kits also include the reinforced parts?

[Bluefoot]

Hmmm... I don't think they mixed 959/Celica parts in any of the kits. It's either a 959 that someone has upgraded with Celica parts, or a Celica that someone has decided they want to turn into a 959. I think the first is more likely.

The ball-ends on the uprights tend to wear and so might have needed replacing (you need to replace the whole upright).

The previous owner might have installed a Celica centre ball-diff, and upgraded to the stronger prop-shaft as well.

I had a look at my new 959 bodyset - all the holes are punched.

[DavidKY502]

Main thing to tell Celica is where the resistor mounts. On Celicas the mount on the left side behind the front body mount. On the 959 it fits in the front bumper. Here are some pics of a 959 I know thats not been molested. My shelf queen. This link is to older post where I posted some pics of it. I spent alot time on this one with one goal in mind. I want to make mine a pristine example of a 959. Shouldnt be too hard to figure it was Celica or 959 could see pics of ypur the car. I havent seen any fake 959s but bet there were people that got scammed. Take a Celica and add some 959 bits and try to pass it off as a 959. 959s are worth more than the Celicas. Especailly not sure what too look for before you buy it could get scammed. Sure 100 people on ebay will look at it and know its fake but the 101 person that dont know any better will buy it. I have never really seen a fake 959 yet but heard that was done before.

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?...c=45713&hl=

[homerboi]

....959s are worth more than the Celicas. ...

?? I beleive it would be the opposite. Celica Gr.B worth more than the 959s (based on availability).

I've seen very few good examples of the Celica Gr.Bs up for sale (including ebay). Bodies (& Bodysets) are very hard to come by.

Interior cockpits are as rare as hens teeth.

I've been lucky enough to have found a complete NIB Bodyset as well as a used complete interior cockpit for these Gr.Bs

959s have shown up on ebay much more than its Gr.B brother.

[DavidKY502]

Value not based on availbilty its more about popularity of the model makes 959 worth more than Celicas. Celicas I seen arent fetching as much as 959s would. I know am more biased for the Porsche but thats the one I wanted back in 80s when it first came out. Its the one people remember and want from back then. Theres higher demand and higher prices for it. Heard somewhere before they printed twice as many Micky Mantle rookie cards than anybody elses that year but yet its still worth a small fortune compared to the others. It not the amount of spares or rarity its the demand for the car the makes it more valuable. I know the GRB had center diff stabilizer bar and other improvments make it better car but its not the 959. Figure GRB would be worth more but it isnt doesnt have the Porsche name attachted to it and the collectabilty of something with that name. Also has the prestige of the real Paris Dakar rally car adds to the demand for it also. Why you think a set of Rothmans decals are worth 30 0r 40 US more than the Racing ones. Always see set of Rothmans decals on ebay but at times no Racing ones. Its the other factors other than availbilty of parts that make a 959 worth more than a GRB.

[Bjoern]

Tamiya mixed 959/Celica parts. Today I got a second manual of the 959. This manual shows ALL reinforced parts from the Celica (Uprights, propshaft, front arms, reinforced A-Parts).

[DavidKY502]

I went looking at my two manuals after this sure enough one shows the reinforced parts the other one doesnt. I didnt notcied that before till you mentioned it.