Faust Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 When most people think of a collection of vehicles from the mid 1950’s, they think of T-Birds, or Tri-Chevies or at least something with fins. Barring that, at least most people think of something with four wheels! However, I am not most people. For me, while they’re visually interesting and neat in real life, cars of the Fifties have never really “done it” for me as modelling subjects. No, I like the weirder stuff, so when I got a collection of vehicles from the mid-‘50s, it was a bunch of Japanese three-wheeled commercial vehicles! Thanks to LS (and Arii thereafter), my lust for oddball automotive subjects can be at least somewhat appeased! Check out my collection of 5 three-wheelers from the fun and simple 1/32 “Owner’s Club” model series. You’ll never see a Big Wheel the same way again! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/arii-1-32-owners-club-three-wheelers/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Smith Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Those are neat little kits. I have one that may someday be built like the moving “truck” from Miyazaki’s “My Neighbor Totoro” movie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Used to see similar vehicles buzzing around the streets and roads of Thailand and Korea. Never thought of modeling one though, although I would love to find a Dhiatsu 1-ton in 1/25 scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom q vaxy Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 I have the Mazda version.....It's big enough that if you change the steering wheel it looks 1/25 scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 Oh man, that's cool! I haven't watched Totorro in ages, and I forgot that there was a Midget in it! Now I want to do mine that way too, but I don't have the right amount of junk to put in the proverbial "trunk". I didn't think the Mazda looked too big - I mean, it's smaller than an EXP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike999 Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 Thanks for another great review! I have several of these, and planned to use them in Vietnam-era dioramas. Other builders have done that, usually with the three-wheeler heavily rusted, weathered etc. Not sure if I should encourage this obsession...oh, of course I should! Some of these kits also came in a "Diorama Club" series. I have one of those, the '55 Daihatsu 3-wheeler. But they came with some neat extras. The Daihatsu has two large pipe sections to go in the bed. Also a traffic sign, a garbage dumpster, a dog house(???), a telephone pole and a section of metal fence. Plus a black diorama base to put everything on. Here's the Mazda 360 from the Diorama Club series. It seems to have a fountain/water pump, a red Japanese postal box, a statue, a phone pole and a wooden fence. And a tree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 Oh man! I love the dio accessories that come with that R360! It is a hideous little car, though. Maybe one day I'll find it, however! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike999 Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 (edited) All those neat 1/32 accessories also came in a series of ARII kits called "Memorial Showa Saijiki." I just did an eBay search and quite a few came up. They were 1/32 diorama kits of life in Japan: a milkman, postman delivering mail, carpenter, food stands, etc. (YODEL did the same kind of Japanese-life diorama kits in 1/24 scale). One of the neatest ARII dioramas is kit #55113, "Quick Bath - A Washtub." It shows a woman in her back yard, in a bathtub. She's drafted her younger siblings (or her kids) to bring her hot water. Look closely and you'll see a Peeping Tom behind the fence! Edited February 4, 2019 by Mike999 error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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