The Porsche 962 is a sports prototype racing car designed and built by Porsche. Created to replace the Porsche 956, the 962 was introduced at the end of 1984 and replaced the 956 in the IMSA's GTP class in 1985 due to regulation changes obsoleting the 956. It was also introduced in the World Sportscar Championship's Group C category in 1984. Over its decade-long career, the car in its Group C form won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, with a derivative of the car, the Dauer 962 Le Mans, winning a further title in 1994. In total, the 962 scored nineteen total constructor's championships across various series. The 962's successor was the Porsche WSC-95, introduced for the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans, but did not receive factory backing or support.

Starter kits are so named as they are a good place for new 1/43 kit builders to get their start. They have a fairly low number of parts, but they do often rely on p.e. for detail parts. Resin is generally used for the body, interior, and underpan along with often times the wheel inserts. These come with aluminum wheels and metal axles. Frequently the axles will need to be trimmed to fit.

The resin casting on this one is superb, right down to the molded on seat harness. Generally one will have to remove some level of flash from the window areas. This one had a minimal amount compared to other kits that I have. Resin is also used for the headlights and while it is supposed to be clear, it has yellowed quite a bit over the years. The same can be said for the window piece though it is not as far along as some that I have seen.

As mentioned much of the detail is in photo etch. The large piece shown is the underpan of the car and is actually quite thick. The other fret is taped to the top of the box and includes the windscreen wiper, wheel detail, tow point and some other items. The rear wing and steering wheel appear to be injected plastic.

Instructions are non-existent, which could easily cause some issues when it comes to assembly. A three photo compilation is provided for decal placement and will have to do when it comes to trying to figure out where things go. This lack of even an exploded view will not be helpful to those who are not already well versed in the car and where things go. This kit has one livery and that is for Leyton House. Leyton House is apparently a hair care and coloring brand in Europe that has sufficient sales to have been able to sponsor various racing teams. The decals look very nice, but past experience is such that this sheet will get several coats of Microsol decal film prior to application.

Though I actually have this livery on a slot car, I don't have a 956/962 in my 1/43 collection. It will take a bit to get this one together as I'll need to pour over photos of the real deal to see where some of these parts fit. Aside from the lack of instructions, this one should be a fairly standard build.

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May 2025