Model: Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0
Release: #6 Kremer Racing Wallys Jeans 1975
eBay link: Para64 Wallys Porsche
Why I’m featuring it: Para64 (Paragon Models) doesn’t issue new castings with the frequency of Mini GT, but I always feel like the brand tries to do things properly. The model choices are interesting and licensed, the renderings usually accurate, and the deco choices a step away from the predictable Gulf-and-Advan norm.
I’ve written here before about the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, while my buddy Bryan @beardedmugmedia regularly shares the latest Para releases on this blog. My latest Para64 acquisition is from the new, late-2024 batch of Porsche racing models, which have sparked lots of discussion among Bryan, myself and the other Lamley contributors.
I have a bunch of different 1:64 racing 911s from different brands. In fact, Porsche race cars were the subject of one of my first Lamley articles and I wrote about some others a couple of years back. But until now I didn’t have a 3-liter Carrera RSR. It’s an interesting car. For more on its history (and the interesting tale of the Wallys machine), check out this Motor Sport article by Andrew Frankel.
In short, the Wallys car was raced by Dutch driver Cees Siewertsen in a couple of German championships in 1975. The distinctive denim deco is a great choice for Para64 to reproduce, but an inherently tricky one, especially in 1:64 scale. Their solution is to use large, waterslide decal pieces instead of pad printing, and it’s here that the project comes a little unstuck (literally).
As you can see, the quality control leaves something to be desired. Glue residue, decal edges that haven’t been properly sealed, decals over the top of glue residue…without wishing to labour the comparison, it’s not at Mini GT’s level, and frankly, not great for a $20 diecast.
To make matters worse, the tires on my 911 (and those of a friend’s – so I’m sure there are more out there) weren’t sitting cleanly on the rims when I bought the car. They were then flat-spotted where the model had been screwed down on the lumpy tire. In search of a fix I unscrewed the chassis, removed the rear tires, flipped them inside out and carved out a bigger central groove with a hobby knife. On remounting they then sat much better over the ridges around the rims, and, having reassembled the RSR, hey presto! It rolls!
The weird thing is that despite all this, I really like the model. Nice proportions and details, eye-catching deco, rolls well (eventually).
It’s pretty cool, just poorly finished. For all the quality issues, the feature I dislike most is probably that the blue shade of the plastic whale-tail doesn’t quite match the body!
Happily, Para64’s management has a track record (no pun intended) of listening to collectors’ concerns, and I know they’re already taking the feedback on board regarding the issues with these latest Porsche models (some 935/78s have similar problems). Hopefully the next set of releases hits the mark. In the meantime, you’ll also find this RSR in the classic Vaillant and Jägermeister liveries.
Happy collecting!
(follow me on Instagram @diecast215)
(the Porsche 911 also features in my children’s book, 20 Great Race Cars)
(find me on Facebook @Graham Heeps Author)