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Showing results for tags '1/20 eidai/ahm'.
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Did the bodywork and painted this awhile back. Ti8me to finish it. This is Nissan's R381 coupe which was a test version of their highly successful R381 group 7 machine which won the Japan GP in 1968. Not much information on the web although several companies make models of this car in various scales. This one is 1/20 and is made by Eidai and imported into the USA by AHM. Color is Tamiya TS7 racing white. Several working features include the steering, opening doors and rear deck and the kit was motorized. The original R380 had and inline 6 motor by Prince and it was later swapped out for a 5.5 litre Chevy V8 in the R382. Later versions (R383) used Nissans own V-12. More comments on the model in the picture captions. Comments welcome. I chose to go with the kit engine even though it is totally wrong. Too much work to find a suitable 1/20 Chevy V8 and Hewland transmission. I has a bit of interesting detail but the model will be display with the cover closed. Thise wonderful working gullwing doors. The hinge had to be re-worked and much filling and sanding to get them to fit. They work quite well though and stay shut. Side veiw. Much fitting was done to get the body to this point. Extra tabs glued on, pins fitted. That latch a the rear works and hold the cover down tight. Rear veiw shows the hydraulically operated split wing which was a feature of the R381 can am. It was never raced in the Can-am as working wings were banned. The original car had dive plane type wings at the front but wern't included in the kit. I would have omitted them anyway as I didn't like the looks. Front suspension had to be lowered by almost 3mm. Ther battery box slid up into the chassis from the bottom and held the front suspension and wheels. Not very well engineered BTW. My whole tribe of Nissan R380's. In the back Tamiya's version of the 381 open top car in 1/18, The R380 6 cyl car in 1/16 by Eidai/Grip, yellow group 7 v12 version (R383) by Otaki in 1/28 scale and the same in 1/64 diecast by Tomica.