Hasegawa first gen RX-7

[fumi]

Hasegawa's next new kit will be the SA22C RX-7 early version.  Target to be released in October.

Hobby Search is taking pre-order for it now.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10805330

[Jonathan]

I'm glad you pointed this out.  It looks really nice.

[64Comet404]

I wonder how much better it will be over the old Monogram kit; that one was nicely detailed, and still holds up well.

[Bainford]

Very interesting. I've been meaning to pick up the Monogram kit since it was reissued, but have yet to do so. But the Hasegawa will be a nice kit. It's now on the 'want list'.

[niteowl7710]

1 hour ago, 64Comet404 said:

I wonder how much better it will be over the old Monogram kit; that one was nicely detailed, and still holds up well.

I wouldn't get rid of mine, if nothing else than the idea of building a N.A. spec RX-7.  I don't know that this kit will ever come that way, at least not at first.  Also Hasegawa's kit is a SA22C FIRST Gen 1st Gen RX, I'm pretty sure the Monogram kit is Series 2 "FB" RX which has a different below the bumper air intake design than the SA.

Interesting thing is the description says it's going to be molded in green.  I wasn't aware you could order styrene pellets in baby diarrhea...

This interior tub that has no carpet, but is a steel stamping makes me think RaceKar!  I wonder if they'd re-do the 79 Daytona 24hrs winner...Aoshima has been carrying that water with the old re-branded IMAI kit they sell, and even went so far as to Cartograf up some new decals for it when it was put back into the catalog this last go around.  But that kit in general is so motorizingly bad I can't bring myself to actually buy one.  

[Rob Hall]

Sharp... hopefully they will also do a later Series 2 or Series 3 with the wider taillights. 

[niteowl7710]

9 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Sharp... hopefully they will also do a later Series 2 or Series 3 with the wider taillights. 

Given how the rear end of the body is engineered with the license plate surround being a separate part, it certain lends itself to the later Series 2/3/Turbo lights.  Besides Hasegawa always has like 5 variants planned before they get around to adding resin chin spoilers, window louvers, or female figures to a kit.

[Snake45]

Cool! I'll keep my eye open for one. 

This morning at Walmart I saw a Jada diecast RX-7 (I think it might have been a later version). But it looked huge--at least 1/22 scale, if not 1/20--so I left it on the shelf. 

[fumi]

1 hour ago, niteowl7710 said:

I wouldn't get rid of mine, if nothing else than the idea of building a N.A. spec RX-7.  I don't know that this kit will ever come that way, at least not at first.

There are indents for the pedals on both left and right side of the interior tub.  LHD is a given, just not sure if it would be street or race or both.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

YYAAAASSS!  Awesome.

I like picking these up just because new-tool Hasegawa, but I love me some first-gen 7.

oooh, lookit the pop-up headlights...

[Justin Porter]

Very excited to see this! The ex-Monogram kit always seemed oddly "bubbly" to me in the roof and the Tamiya Savanna kit is so moment of production specific with its rotor shaped wheels and sunroof, plus all the motorization compromises in the chassis. 

[Classicgas]

If anyone that gets one isn't using those wheels if they come in the kit, contact me,  I need a set of 4.

[Oldcarfan27]

14 hours ago, fumi said:

Target to be released in October.

I thought you meant it was going to be SOLD in Target!

I haven't seen kits there in decades!

[keyser]

3 kits, this, Monogram and Tamiya I haven’t seen in forever. All the separate bumper cars. 
need Series 1 facelift with smooth bumpers, GSL-SE with diff rotary. Looks like that’s plan for this with separate aprons.  

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Yup.

Seeing where the molds part at the rear of the body, I'm guessing/hoping they'd have another rear insert to smooth the license plate relief for the facelift cars.

Happy about the early one. REALLY want one of the later ones.

(think Tamiya's was a smooth-bumper; kinda "meh" about rotary wheels, motorization, and buck-plus auction prices...)

[Spottedlaurel]

Great to see, I look forward to this one becoming available here in the UK.

On 8/5/2021 at 9:43 PM, Justin Porter said:

Very excited to see this! The ex-Monogram kit always seemed oddly "bubbly" to me in the roof and the Tamiya Savanna kit is so moment of production specific with its rotor shaped wheels and sunroof, plus all the motorization compromises in the chassis. 

I've never seen the Monogram kit. Tamiya also offered this version, which I bought started but unpainted:

 

 

Green must have been a bit of a signature colour on the early model.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Spottedlaurel

[Ben Brown]

Oooo, I'm in for at least one if they do a left hand drive version! Like the others, I'd like to see a post-face lift version, too. I hope they include the alloy wheels and not just the steelies.

I built the Monogram kit last year. It does look a bit "off" to my eye, but I think the problem is with the wheels. They're 15" instead of 13" to fit Monogram's generic-size tires they used in that series of kits. The combo makes the model sit too high; it looks jacked-up sitting between my TR7 and Miata models.

Ben 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Ben Brown

[fumi]

3 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

I hope they include the alloy wheels and not just the steelies.

This version will actually come with the alloy wheels and not the steelies.  The real car Hasegawa took this picture for happened to have steelies, and they specifically said in the same pic that "the kit contents may differ from this particular car".

[Classicgas]

Bummer. My 82 had steelies and trim rings.

[martinfan5]

On 8/5/2021 at 10:34 AM, Chuck Kourouklis said:

YYAAAASSS!  Awesome.

I like picking these up just because new-tool Hasegawa, but I love me some first-gen 7.

oooh, lookit the pop-up headlights...

Indeed Chuck, new Hasegawa kits are very good, sometimes they get a little over complicate on some things( but is done for various versions), but just like Tamiya, throw the glue n paint in the box and out comes a completed kit.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

17 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Great to see, I look forward to this one becoming available here in the UK.

I've never seen the Monogram kit. Tamiya also offered this version, which I bought started but unpainted:

Wow, so they DID have an early car, okay.

I've only ever found this one, so I didn't have the complete picture:

 

[keyser]

13 minutes ago, Chuck Kourouklis said:

Wow, so they DID have an early car, okay.

I've only ever found this one, so I didn't have the complete picture:

 

I’ve not seen that version. Ever. Has cool trochoid wheels. Great rear spoiler too. 
US issue?

[Classicgas]

If they are going to do the 82-85 variant, I might wait. Mine was a 82, first year of the facelift cars. Is this kit curbside?

[keyser]

Link in first post shows trees. 
But yes. 

[Chuck Kourouklis]

20 hours ago, keyser said:

I’ve not seen that version. Ever. Has cool trochoid wheels. Great rear spoiler too. 
US issue?

Y'know, every single one I'm looking up seems to originate in Japan - maybe this one didn't make it stateside. C-note+ on auction sites right now...