fumi

The Tamiya Evo VI was made before the simplification period, and around the time they started to do platform style interior. It still has the detailed chassis with pin style wheels. For Evo VI it is the best choice. The simplification period started in 2001 with the 350Z and the Bugeye WRX and lasted until around 2010. As for the Evo I and II, I would not be surprised if Hasegawa re-issue them in the very near future. They are on a run with model cars right now and even the unthinkables like the entire XJS series got reissued. The Evo IV was reissued not long ago and the Evo III is just around the corner.

Here is one. Not my listing, but I have bought from him before. https://www.ebay.com/itm/TAMIYA-F-Parts-24154-1-24-Jeep-Wrangler-Open-Top/151721978188?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 You will need to come up with the rest of the parts. The black sprue was sold out a while ago.

The next logical move for Hasegawa would be either the Starlet or the B110 Sunny coupe. The Sunny coupe in particular can share some of the tooling with the Sunny truck, and there are several race variations for them to release with at least 2 famous Tomei liveries that are guaranteed sellers in the Japanese market. The R31 will also spawn several variations. Right off the bat I can foresee a Tommy Kaira edition as well as Reebok, Ricoh and Diesel Kiki liveries for the Group A racer. Also the Nismo livery that raced in the European Touring Car Championship if they are feeling adventurous. I think this is a wise strategy for Hasegawa, to kit something that is not in direct competition with Tamiya while getting at least 3 variations out of the same tooling. Word was they got severely burnt in their foray into the classic F1 market when Tamiya got wind of their Lotus 79 development and released their own kit of it. While the Hasegawa kit is arguably more detailed, the Tamiya kit outsold them so badly that Hasegawa practically withdrew from that market.

Doyusha has an ex-motorized coupe with a half-seat interior plate. No two door sedan yet. Given the two door sedan was not a particularly big seller in Japan, I doubt it would be kitted soon.

It shouldn't be too hard to fit the Aoshima RB20DET top half to the Hasegawa R31 if it is like their recent releases, and I would imagine a lot of people stuffing RB26s into it as well. From the CAD drawings it also looks like it would have decent interior side panel for a change. Aoshima is also going to release the Levin in 1.5 SR trim with steel wheels, and the Sprinter with stock alloy wheels.

FIA has put up their homologation database online. You can check if your favourite car was ever homologated with FIA, and look up its homologation paper and any special parts that were homologated. It would be helpful for building period correct race cars. https://historicdb.fia.com I am intrigued that GM actually homologated the C4 Corvette for Group B, and the 3rd gen Camaro for Group A.

Very nice build. I especially love the colour, it captures the period very well.

Yeah I am aware of the current situation, I was referring to the potential contract issues between Hobbico and Ford causing the product withdrawal, which someone else also raised back then but was quickly silenced by "those that seem to be in the know". Ford seems to have hinted that Hobbico still owes them backpayments and late fees on the licenses, and their attitude certainly do not appear to be easy to work with.

Is there any concrete proof that "Chicom" seized Danbury's molds other than some very vague statements in mailing lists and rumours on Internet forums? Danbury's official statement was that the 2 factories that cast their car had closed and the diecast car business had become too unprofitable for them to continue. Frankly, "Chicom" does not want your molds. It has no business in the plastic molding industries. None of the 100 state run businesses have anything to do with plastic model kit production. But if some foreign companies contract with a local company to mold several runs of plastic kits then fails to pay the fees afterwards, wouldn't impounding the mold be the local company's only recourse? They cannot pay their workers with model kits and they certainly cannot eat plastic sprues for dinner. I have worked for non-hobby related companies that contract out manufacturing to China. Many hobby companies also do that. I have never heard anyone else had such issues with "Chicom". The Japanese guy who stations in China for Interallied (parent company of Modelers and Hi-Story) continuously writes about the difficulties of retaining workers by their contractors in the Japanese "Model Cars" magazine, but they never had their molds confiscated. So is this the real reason those Model A Fords mysterious disappeared from the catalog a while ago? Yet those claimed to be in the know have kept their mouth shut all along and let the "Chicom chopped up the molds" rumours run wild.

Judging from the parts breakdown and Hasegawa's practice, if the Gemini sells reasonably well we will see more variations of it. I think the Handling by Lotus package is a likely candidate, the dual tail pipes are already on the chrome sprue. All it needs are new bumpers, new muffler and new wheels, which are conveniently molded in separate sprues. Down the road they might release the irmscher Turbo with the hood scoop.

There are specifically marked "left steering" versions of the Fujimi Mini. Also, all Italian Job versions are LHD.

Revell is LHD only . Fujimi has both LHD and RHD in separate boxing.

For anyone wondering why Hasegawa kitted the Gemini, the car has quite a following in Japan, especially with the generation who grew up with their "Street Stopshort" TV commercials: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=街の遊撃手+ジェミニ One could get DOHC or turbo options, as well as tuned versions by Irmscher and Lotus.

No issue with it at all. Do you have issue with other web sites? Maybe try pasting it to something like notepad first and then copy and paste again from there, and see if it works.

This is the best I can find. https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/koukichikun/24940520.html

The sensible choices for them would be subjects that would definitely sell in Japan, which also appeal to foreign (not just the US) markets. I asked for 1st/2nd gen Integra, Starlet and Swift GTi. The Starlet in particular has quite a following in Japan.

Gio has just re-released this kit. You can find him here: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1152729

I actually prefer I would outlive them. The volunteers I know receive cases from time to time where the pet owners suddenly passed away. The pets would refuse to eat for days, in some cases starving themselves to death.

I adjust my side mirrors to see the "blind spots" instead of the sides of the car since 10 years ago. Once you get used to it you will find it much safer when changing lanes. http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~gdguo/driving/BlindSpot.htm If properly adjusted, the car approaching you in the lane beside you should just disappear from your inside mirror when it appears in your side mirror.

Aoshima's Soarer shouldn't be too hard to find, it has been reissued not long ago. Hobby Easy is listing it in stock for around $22. I remember Fujimi initally released it in ABS plastic along with the Prelude and Diablo. Subsequent re-releases were in styrene.

The gallery sections are still very active.

I found these on Hobby Easy: http://www.hobbyeasy.com/cgi-bin/i8_user_page.cgi?a=advance_search_result&page_size=10&page_number=1&keyword=mesh&category_code=AUUP

With all the issue with warped bodies can Moebius just use flatter, wider boxes that do not require the body and the sprues to be packed in a bunch?

For Cadillac valve covers, RMCM also casts the earlier style with the Cadillac script.

Nice work. I think old school 14" wheels fit it best, the Fujimi Panasports or their newer 3-piece Mark II and Techno Phantom wheels are quite nice. I particularly like the 3-piece wheel as it makes painting the wheel faces a breeze, and you get extra wheels and tires as Fujimi threw in enough parts for different big-and-little and camber combinations. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10074897 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10179377 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10179376 The twins were named Levin and Trueno. The Corolla got a lightning and the Sprinter got a thunder.