Porsche 550 Spyder

[GeeBee]

High accurate resin kit for Porsche 550 in scale 1/24

Represents late type 1955-1956 (serial numbers 550-0044 and till the end of production)

Contains resin, photo-etched parts, and vacuum formed windows.

Kit contains some version

 - two types of windshield (one or two-seaters)

 - tree types of headlights

 - KMH/MPH Dashboard

http://uscp-ua.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=779

[Bennyg]

Very nice! Wouldn’t mind one.

Ben

[Gramps46]

Looks like a very good model of this iconic racer.  Thanks for sharing the photos and the link.

[Phildaupho]

This looks like a very impressive kit. I have an built Model Factory Hiro version with driver and decals to build a James Dean replica. This USCP version looks superior in many respects like the interior, headlights, extensive photo-etch and chassis bottom detail. I like how you can see the spare tire under the louvers.

[afx]

Might have to scape together the money for this one.

[Ralph Henderson]

Oh my...  I can see that on my wish list..  they have a few cool things...  wonder if their cosworth would fit in the Tamiya Lotus 7.....

[89AKurt]

I've been looking at this too.  Says full detail, but no engine.

[Oldcarfan27]

James Dean would approve.

[Rodent]

Multicar kit? Include a '55 Country Squire, a trailer, and a '50 Ford Tudor?

Sorry, bad taste......

[Bainford]

It’s a fantastic looking kit. Thinking of pulling the trigger on this one. 
 

Yes, very tempting indeed. 

[Draggon]

No worries on the quality or customer service for this one, Misha does fantastic work. ? Everyone should ck him out.

[Erik Smith]

I just received my Porsche from USCP today. It is a great looking kit. Overall casting is very nice. There is a little clean up on the panel lines and usual stuff like flash but appears no major work. Shipping from Ukraine March 1 and arrived March 8.

I'll post a couple photos when I get the kit down to the hobby room.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Erik Smith

[afx]

10 hours ago, Erik Smith said:

I just received my Porsche from USCP today. It is a great looking kit. Overall casting is very nice. There is a little clean up on the panel lines and usual stuff like flash but appears no major work. Shipping from Ukraine March 1 and arrived March 8.

I'll post a couple photos when I get the kit down to the hobby room.

What is your plan for attaching the PE scripts, emblems, etc. to the body?

[Erik Smith]

3 hours ago, afx said:

What is your plan for attaching the PE scripts, emblems, etc. to the body?

Plan is to use Future for Porsche and Spyder scripts. The engine vents hopefully will contour well enough to also use Future. We will see. 
I have a lot of research to do...
 

[Erik Smith]

As received. 
There are a couple spots (the holes for rear engine vents) that need some delicate clean up from resin over flow or something. The dash/firewall assembly will need to be installed then body smoothed - in the photos it’s sitting loose and too high. You can see a little debris in panel lines. There is one very thin spot in the resin body - you can see the light through the front fender on driver side. 
The wheels and tires and brake drums are very nice. They could probably sell them separately. 

[Erik Smith]

Few more:

There are two PE cards  this is the smaller of the two and is a little bit of a gold hue, which it appears the real cars had/have?

nice little instruction  book  

Edited March 9, 2021 by Erik Smith

[Ace-Garageguy]

There are significant proportion, shape, and line problems with the kit shown in the photos...the one with the odd dash insert.

Though the maker could possibly have pulled his dimensions from an unusual-bodied or rebodied post-crash car, the "standard" 550 Spyder looks rather different.

Just FYI: I've had a full-scale replica since 1995. The molds for my car were pulled from a real one that had never been wadded up.

A further FYI: I also have the Fernando Pinto kit, which actually looks like my big one.

One more FYI: The Jimmy Flintstone version is wonky too.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[Randy D]

Hi Guys,

  My 2 cents.....1: 1  Porsche is a 1955... kit instructions say car was modeled as a late 55-56

Obviously not a scientific comparison but wanted to see how it looked.

That dashboard insert thingy is a bit of a bummer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yup. Serious proportion and line problems, particularly evident in the last shot just above.

But hey...it's no skin off my nose.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Dare to compare... (it has an engine, too).

Edited March 12, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[Gramps46]

Just for what its worth some old time 1/24 versions. Left to right:

Flintstone resin

UMI resin - same as Flintstone

John Johnson - Teapot Graphics resin kit

CMC Diecast - w/ engine, doors, and bonnet opening

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

The Flintstone version isn't terrible shape and line-wise, but it's got several symmetry problems, and the real cars were pretty well built as far as symmetry goes...much better than say, Cobras.

The Flintstone / UMI version also has a somewhat unusual bustle on the rear deck...not really "typical".

And though the Fernando Pinto version I have is a slightly later car with the gills on the rear quarters, the lines and proportions are very close to correct.

The Teapot Graphics version appears to be pretty good, but the length of the front hood opening and its relationship to the headlight buckets is entirely wrong on the CMC diecast.

[Gramps46]

Hey Ace, I seem to recall the bustle on the Flintstone/Umi version is based upon a 550 in a museum in Japan.  The Teapot version was said to have been based upon a Japanese toy.

[Erik Smith]

I really appreciate all the feedback and critical eye on this subject. I am not at all familiar with the 550, so being able to see some of things through other eyes is great. 

Looking over the USCP product closer, it definitely has some funky lines. Some angles make them much more evident - I am thinking it is the rear fenders and the slope of the "trunk" lid. The very rear of the kit also appears to be a little too abrupt. As seen in some of Randy's photos above, it comes close at some angles. I will build it as is and try to focus the photographs of the better angles of the kit.

That Fernando Pinto kit looks very well proportioned.

[Kraftwerker]

I can add some history to this.

The ACME 550A was a bootleg product. Long ago, (before internet) it was very difficult to acquire garage production resin kits from overseas. Japanese transactions were difficult due to language of course, and the prices were extraordinary, by ANY measure. Mike Q. and I made reproductions of resin bodies sourced from Japan. These were made available to a small circle of enthusiasts. The baseline subject 550A was indeed unique (rear deck bump) to a car in Japan.

The Flintstone product can be traced to ACME origins. Similarly, John Johnson (Teapot Graphics) developed his 550A kit from ACME origins.