Toyota Celica 4WD
Model Number: 58064
Released
28-Jul-87
Drive
Shaft Driven 4WD
Suspension
Four wheel independent double wishbone. Oil Damped
Chassis Description
ABS Monocoque/Bathtub
Body Type
Clear Lexan polycarbonate w/hard plastic details
Motor
RX-540VZ Technigold
Original Price
N/A
Width
172mm
Length
361mm
Height
137mm
Wheel Base
211mm
Tread Front
136mm
Tread Rear
136mm
Ground Clearance
25mm
Weight
1650g
Scale
1/12
Tires
front:26/70mm
Rear:26/70mm
Tamiya rebodied its Porsche 959 to create the Celica Gr.B rally special, and incorporated numerous changes to improve durability and handling. The most important changes are the addition of a front stabilizer bar and a center ball differential, both improving handling as if it was a totally different model. A stronger propeller shaft, improved front suspension and the relocated speed control resistor are other changes worth mentioning. An expensive kit when launched and at the time extremely complicated. Fitted with the rebuildable RX-540VZ Technigold motor. Parts are hard to find now and resale value is good. Also a bit rarer than the more collected 959. Try and get a complete one to save money on hunting for parts.
(Description originally entered by acprc)
(Description originally entered by acprc)
Reviews
acprc
Well where do you start? I acquired my Celica in a rough state and knew it deserved to be rebuilt. The car and it's Porsche big brother is an expensive car to restore. The chassis has a lot of metal parts and the original Technigold motor now commands quite a premium. That aside I set about getting all the bits I needed. Plastic parts came easily (Ebay) and the metal parts were found at a local model shop. The hardest parts to get were the wheels. They just don't seem to come up for sale very often. Assembly is straight forward you just need to take your time and things should go smoothly. The Tamiya fit and finish is the main reason for this. The chassis does however look superb when finished. The bodyshell can be expensive to source and I was quite lucky to get it for what i did. It is a single colour paint job but unusually requires painting on the outside of the clear shell as well. This takes some doing to get a nice finish but is worth it. I didn't, as the instructions state mix the black with anything as it seems to cover well without. The decals are best applied using a sharp scalpel and mild soap solution as there are some interesting curves (the red roof stickers). All in all a superb kit and one that will grace any collection. Now for the 959!