Considered one of the best classic Porsche vehicles, the 911 Carrera 3.2 was available from 1984 through 1989. With a little more than 70,000 sold, it’s also one of the most successful of the 911 series.
This all-new tool from Revell is available in two different body styles: the coupe (No. 07688) and the Targa. Packed in the end-opening flat box, you’ll find several sprues of parts. Moldings are flash free and have nicely engraved details. Decals are provided for all the necessary engine-bay markings, dash gauges, badging, and several options for European license plates. Instructions break the assembly process into 55 clearly illustrated steps with excellent paint callouts for Revell colors.
Building the engine is the first order of business. While somewhat simplified, it’s more than adequate for what can be seen in the tightly packed engine bay. Some of the molded details are a little soft, but, again, not detrimental considering what is visible.
I used Alclad II Dull Aluminum for the block and picked out the rest of the details as instructed. I deviated slightly from the instructions by gluing the engine cradle (Part D11) to the chassis and painting the assembly before installing the completed engine.
All the suspension components are separate, so detail painting is relatively painless. Some of the parts are a little simplified, but it does make for easy assembly. The front wheels are posable, but the fit of the upper pin into the chassis is tight, so watch for paint buildup. The overall fit is very good, and the rest of the chassis assembles without problems.
I started the interior by painting the side panels, rear seat, front seats, and dash with Tamiya NATO Black (No. LP-60) and the floor German Gray (No. LP-27). Detail painting and decals were added as instructed, and then I moved on to assembly.
The dash decals disappointed me. While the decal sheet reads “printed in Italy,” they didn’t seem like Cartograf decals: not as crisp as you would expect. They went on OK and settled well with a generous application of Micro Sol.
The only part of the build I did find a bit fiddly was constructing the interior tub. Holding the side panels and rear-seat panel in place while gluing them to the floor is best handled by gluing short sections at a time.
Prepping the body for paint requires minimal cleanup of mold lines, the worst spot being between the headlights. I shot a couple of coats of Mr. Surfacer 1000 gray primer straight from the can before airbrushing Tamiya Titanium Gold (No. LP-62) thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner as my base color. When dry, I masked and painted the black trim before adding the rest of the body parts.
There should be a small section of the taillight panel that remains clear but is not shown in the instructions. I had a slight scuff on my windshield that mostly went away with a little buffing using a soft cloth.
Overall, I’m pleased with the final product. The Revell 1/24 scale Porsche 911 3.2 Targa plastic model kit has a good balance between detail and ease of assembly, and it looks very much like a 911 should. I ended up with a slight teeter in the chassis that I can’t figure out, but I haven’t spent too much time looking into it. Could improvements be made? Sure. Is it good right out of the box? Absolutely.