Aoshima Trueno

[Ken]

Okay, I have been on a bit of a tuner bender lately. While looking over a japanese model website, I stumbled on this kit. I plunked my money down and so enough, it was on my table. I believe that this is just a different boxing of the Aoshima Trueno kit that usually comes with an engine. This one does not, but that is not a problem for me. Okay, on to the kit.

Here is the box and the body parts for the kit. Not much to say here. The molding is nice and crisp and the details are delicate. I don't believe that they will be lost under paint though. Still, I will deepen the panel lines abit before painting.

Here is the body. Notice that the front and rear are not molded to the body. This makes adding the aero package easier than Aoshima kits in the past. It looks like a corolla... Pardon me, Trueno. I will have to play with the side skirts a bit to get them to fit the body a bit tighter.

Here are the interior parts. Nice roll cage that should assemble well. The tub is molded without a rear seat and such. There is though, molding replicating the steel stamping on the interior floor. Nice touch! Also, you will notice that Aoshima molded a thick protector ring around the steering wheel so that it was not damaged. Again, Nice touch!

Here we go with the undercarriage. These are all the parts.

First up is the actual chassis. Aoshima did a decent job here. There is not much detail as far as the bottom of the engine, but after checking the front pan, that is not much of an issue. Once the front suspension is in place, not much of the engine can be seen.

Next the interior and suspension

[Ken]

These are most of the suspension parts. There are alot of ejector pins, but not a lot of ejector pin marks. I appreciate this greatly, as the pins are easier to clean up than filling and sanding the marks. Also, there are two sets of side-rearview mirrors. I am not sure why as both sets look alot alike.

Here are more of the interior parts. Again, plenty of ejector pins, but not a lot of marks. Kudos to Aoshima. Notice, that there is only a JDM dash

Finally, the tail lights and such. Again, kudos to Aoshima as they molded the tail lights in three separate pieces. There are clear, red and orange parts that go together to make the tail lights and such. There are not chrome buckets though. The rims are TE-37 in 15 inches. I think they will look fine in this car. Lastly, the chrome. We have tiny rotors, mirror faces and two mufflers.

In all, this looks like a great kit by Aoshima that should build into a fine replica. Now I will have to start the hunt for a color scheme....

Edited March 27, 2008 by Ken

[Ariel]

hey ken check this site out. I came across it from another website forum.

http://pcman.dion.jp/link/puramoderu.html

[cruz]

These are nice kits, I have the fastback model as well as the shorter version of it and love them. I also have the one that comes with the engine!!!!

[Ken]

Lots of really cool ideas and stuff to gleam from that website. Some of those are just plain flat out cool!!!

[Gray Smith]

Ken,

Thanks for the review man, I'm a big fan of jdm cars myself. This looks like a good kit, very nice that aoshima went and tooled up a stripped interior for us. Only one question..do my eyes deceive me or is there no interior door panels? it looks like there are recesses there on the tub, but I don't see anything on the trees..otherwise though..great kit. I have their s13 silvia kit and its wonderful, I just wish they'd tool up a 180sx now.

Gray

[Nick F40]

COOOL! Love those Watanabe's!

Ken,

Thanks for the review man, I'm a big fan of jdm cars myself. This looks like a good kit, very nice that aoshima went and tooled up a stripped interior for us. Only one question..do my eyes deceive me or is there no interior door panels? it looks like there are recesses there on the tub, but I don't see anything on the trees..otherwise though..great kit. I have their s13 silvia kit and its wonderful, I just wish they'd tool up a 180sx now.

Gray

I am a BIG JDM fan, I always loved these cars. I got to work on one the other day at my CTC automotive class, it was a freind I work with theres' cousin, it was an SR-5 but it was still sweet, stock but it did sound good, they put the GT-S muffler on it and some other GT-S and random goodies!

I like those TE-37's

[cotto]

Ken, thanks for the review of this kit, very handy specially now that I have two of them on hold for me in the internet. I love Cruz's take on it also, where in the heck did you find those rims? They are perfect for this thing!

[cruz]

Ken, thanks for the review of this kit, very handy specially now that I have two of them on hold for me in the internet. I love Cruz's take on it also, where in the heck did you find those rims? They are perfect for this thing!

Thanks Jay, those rims are a resin copy of originals sent to me by a dear friend in Puerto Rico, I am saving the originals for a future special project. The rims are Alcladed with Aluminum on a glossy basecoat of Model Master gloss black enamel paint.

[Ariel]

I make the resin copies of these rims if you are interested PM me.

[Ken]

Hey, I just thought of this. If you have this kit or others like it and want door panels with correct stamping and such I stumbled across this in the salvage yard yesterday...

This is the passenger's door from an AE86 corolla. Shouldn't be too hard to fab something up out of sheet plastic. If you want the original pic let me know. It is much bigger and has a bit better resolution.

[Saturnine]

I was thinking about buying a couple aoshima kits that come with engines. 2 different AE86's. Are the engines included the ones that just display on an engine stand, or are they actually in the engine bay? Thanks.

[Rick Schmidt]

Engine fits in the bay on this one

the oil pan and such is molded in the chassis. You build it up and put on the pan

Dunno about other versions but mine built stock only

[Saturnine]

Oh man, you don't know how much help that was, that was the exact kit I was asking about. Thanks alot, really appreciate it.

[Rick Schmidt]

No problem The kit goes together real nice I thought only issue I have is one headlight .... It don't operate quite right but most likely thats my fault. It comes Molded with a red body brown interior black chassis and silver engine so be prepared for that if you get it Didn't matter to me I left it red lol worked out for the look I wanted I still need to put all the decals on mine

[FujimiLover]

My Lamborghini Countach model has a highly detailed engine, but has the option of being either inside the model, or outside on a display stand that you have to put together as well.

[Rick Schmidt]

Dave, I did not know that lol I just left it up cause it don't like to line up while closed I just went with the story its 20+ years old things go bad lol