Fujimi 1/24 Ferrari 330 P4

1967 was a banner year for the Enzo Ferrari motor company, as it saw the production of the mid-engined 330 P4,^[ a renowned V12 endurance car meant to replace the previous year's P3. Only four Ferrari P4-engined cars were ever made: one P3/4 and three 330 P4s. Their three-valve cylinder head was modeled after those of Italian Grand Prix-winning Formula One cars. To this was added the same fuel injection system from the P3 for an output of up to 450 hp (335 kW).

The P3 won the 1000 km Monza in 1966, and the P4 won the same race in 1967. The P3/4, one of the P4s, and one 412 P electrified the racing world when they crossed the finish line together (in first 0846, second 0856, and third place 0844) in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, for a photo finish to counter Ford's photo of the Ford GT40 Mk.II crossing the finish line together First, Second, and Third at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Since then, the fate of the these four nearly legendary cars has been the subject of much attention. All of the P4s built are accounted for.

Due to the great fame and sleek appearance of the original design, more than a hundred P4 replicas of various design have been built. A high-quality P4 replica built with genuine Ferrari engine (e.g., a 400i V12) may command as much as $200,000, but simpler ones (often with Rover engines and Renault drive-trains) fetch around $50,000.

Let me start by stating that I'm not sure how old this kit is, but it has been done in several boxings, one of which comes with a resin engine. However, this kit is a curbside and includes a rather nice p.e. fret. The date of this one is 2015 so it is the most recent pressing.

I am quite attracted to sports racers of this era as it was the time in my life when I followed automobile racing with a real passion (typical of a teen age boy, I guess). Despite the successes of Ford during this time, I was always and still am to some degree, a Ferrari fan. Fujimi is pretty much the 'go to' company for racing cars from this time unless one wants to get very expensive and go with resin kits.

This kit is molded in white plastic with an aluminum plate sprue which is mostly the wheels. Five very nicely molded rubber tires are included (one is a spare tire, required by the rules). Very similar to the Chaparral 2D I built a few years ago, this one is not complex. The instructions start you off assembling the wheels. The fronts fit through the brake piece and are held in with a stub axle. The rears have a regular metal axle and are installed later in the build.

There is a fairly nice cockpit that includes interior panels that fit to the edges of a full tub. Into this tub fit the seats, shift mechanism, dash and steering wheel. There are decals for the instruments. The kit also comes with a seat harness and ;you have photo etch bits for the buckles. In the very front is a radiator front and back.

The upper front suspension piece fits to the cockpit tub and when this is glued to the pan, it traps the wheel assemblies. There is a snap tie rod so that the wheels can turn left and right. In the back, the suspension fits to the engine assembly and one then threads the axle through it before attaching the wheels. The body itself is a single piece with a lower front pan. THere are housings for the rear view mirrors and once those are attached, the body can be painted. The lower splash guards have to be painted separately as the chassis won't fit with them glued on. Also to be painted the body color is an engine cover that fits under the rear glass. This car also sports some small front spoilers.

This boxing includes a photo etch fret that includes the foot pedals, radiator grilles, brake discs, small spoilers, that spare hold down strap, a seat harness in case you don't want to thread your own, review mirror, and a number of other small bits. A separate instruction sheet is included for placement of these parts so you need to use that sheet in conjunction with building the model. The regular instructions are quite good and provide Gunze paint references. There are markings for one car and in this boxing, it is for the 1967 Daytona 24 hour winning car. The decals are nicely printed and the side numbers have cut-outs for the lights that were used to shine on the side number during the night. There are also special decals for the tires.

This looks like a great kit. I'm so pleased that Fujimi has been doing racing car kits from this particular era. Their line of curbside GT-40s is quite extensive and not that difficult to build. I am hoping that this one follows suite. Now to locate the proper shade of Ferrari red.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_P

March 2016

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