Tamiya - Honda Ballade Sports Mugen CR-X Pro

[89AKurt]

It's becoming a tradition of mine, to look at the pathetic finished project count for the year, and get a wild hair to start, and more importantly FINISH, at least one more model for the year.  The trick to becoming motivated is to take a low part count, curbside kit, which doesn't require a bunch of decals (eliminates carbon-fiber exotics), has no photo-etch included or has an aftermarket p-e detail kit (small exception here), and is a high quality mold that doesn't require a bunch of fixing and corrections to make it look right.

I thought building this airplane, a 1/72 scale DFS-194 experimental rocket-powered plane that has no decals, no camouflage pattern, would suffice, but it was too easy.  I tried out a new technique for the canopy frame, which I will do on this CR-X.

I found this rare kit on Fakebook, just had to get it.  I have built the regular flavor CR-X years ago, as well as the contemporary Civic.  It's a JDM so it's RHD, parked my OCD in making it LHD.  Looking at pictures on line, I didn't see any with the racing exhaust that exits out the right side, there is a dual tip system, not going to duplicate that!  Saw some pictures with these cool disk wheels.  Didn't see any pictures of the unique roof vent, there are 3 choices to do, closed, open rally style, and a cool mini Formula 1 scoop.  There is a slick door mirror option, going with that.  So I should be able to finish this!!!!!!! 😬

First day:  Usually the seats have the worst mold lines, I don't care what the subject is.  That was the first thing I did to feel good about tearing into this rare kit.

The only sub-assemblies was the rear suspension, and the RHD dash.  Found some places that needed putty work, the body is well done other than above the doors.  The first thing that disqualifies it from Box Stock was filling the front license plate holes.  I consolidated parts onto the whittled down tree, the white Mugen parts that will get painted semi-gloss black are glued on.

Puttied the giant ejection pin marks on the cargo floor.  Removed the locating pins for the stock muffler.  Something I do on every Tamiya kit is remove the inner lip on the wheels, that drives me nuts.  Another thing that is driving me bonkers is the back of the seats.

Glued on 0.20" sheet styrene onto the seats, super simple thing to do.  Another thing that drove me nuts, why couldn't Tamiya add one more part, the pedals?  Made the arms from aluminum sheet, will use photo-etch pedals.  If there was only one thing to do, was the exhaust tip, thin wall stainless steel tubing is used.

Usually it takes weeks (and in too many cases years) to get to this stage, paint!  This kit doesn't have parts that require several colors, which means masking.  Only the engine block will need that step.

The seats have a pattern that is supposed to be brush painted, don't like brush painting so am thinking of another design using Scale Motorsport decals.  Body will be painted with nail 'polish'.  So far, so good, I might get 'er done!

[89AKurt]

Got most of the painting done.  Pearl white on the body, aluminum engine and back of wheels, gloss white center of seats where the decal will go, polished aluminum exhaust.

Chassis is assembled.  Interior mostly done, the seats will take some time.  Self adhesive black carpet  makes an awesome contrast for the photo-etch pedals.  Added gauge decals to the pod on the dash.

[cobraman]

Looking good.

[89AKurt]

Not much progress, had something else to do with my daughter. 😊

Just the decals on the doors, and Scale Motorsport upholstery decals.  Can someone tell me if Scale Motorsport decal solution actually works?  I didn't see anything happen, so used Solv-a-set, which ended up melting one seat at the creases.  Sprayed Dullcote on the seats, and Scale Finishes gloss clear.  I just wet-sanded the body with the first grit of emory cloth in the Detail Master polishing kit, and sprayed a thicker coat of clear, I'm not into doing the whole polishing routine on this project.

[kelson]

Nice progress so far,i've always wanted to buy this kit,but being right hand drive only kinda kills it for me.

[Joe Handley]

Never caught onto this one having a side dump exhaust before!

[Russell C]

On 12/23/2022 at 8:30 AM, 89AKurt said:

....parked my OCD in making it LHD. ......

I'm so hopelessly right-handed that back in the day when I built my CRX, I could not force myself to leave it LHD. If I ever end up in a British / Australian driving area in a stickshift car, I'll probably end up plowing into a tree or a building or another car while trying to figure out how to shift gears.

[89AKurt]

Well, I lied about polishing. 😬  I did just the roof, hood, and above the belt line on the sides.  I kept telling myself 'not a contest model'.  Something that is annoying, the rear window appeared to have a crack, but I happened to have the left over window from my CR-X convertible, and found that there was a mold blemish, all these kits will have this defect.  (the camera couldn't pick it up)

The red stripe worked out okay, used a balsa stick to get it into the groove, so it's just a little marked up.  Bare-Metal foil just for the headlights, painted silver for the other lights.  Messed up the gloss black between the taillights, sanded next day and sprayed again.  In my rush, forgot to draw the black pen in the panel lines at the primer stage, it looks better to have the color painted over it, but it's done.  Even though I hate brush painting, did the window trim, and got a nice fuzzy look to it, for real projects I would mask and airbrush.

Didn't bother taking pictures of each step after this point.  Painted the lights with Tamiya clear enamel, this is still a pet peeve of these kits.  That roof vent sure is a funky detail.  I know the red background on the Honda badge isn't period correct, but I think it's cool and think they would have done it back then if they thought of it. 😅  Undecided about weathering it a little.  Spent only 22.25 hours whipping this together.

BTW: Was thinking one reason I wasn't motivated to build, the light I had recently installed is a circular florescent bulb with the magnifying glass, it just isn't bright.  So I shopped at Office Max, and Staples, figured an LED type of bulb would be better, looked for the brightest lumen number and design that I could stand, and bought this Bosch unit.  Much happier now.  I couldn't believe all the variety of stupid lights there are.

[89AKurt]

On 12/26/2022 at 8:53 PM, kelson said:

Nice progress so far,i've always wanted to buy this kit,but being right hand drive only kinda kills it for me.

Thanks!  That's the reason I didn't back in the day.  I built the other CR-X kit, and did major surgery to it, such as the LHD dash.  And making it a convertible.  Detailed the door panels.  Made flush headlights.  Also painted with nail 'polish'.  To do the kit justice, it requires a bunch of work.

[David G.]

Excellent work for a quick build!

David G.