1980s classic Honda Prelude XX Tamiya 1:24

[johnlambert]

This is the last of my long-term builds; started over ten years ago and stalled due to house moves and other priorities.

 

This is the WIP topic:

 

As a Tamiya kit it goes together pretty well, except for the front bumper, which needed a lot of hacking about to make it fit and it's still not quite right.  Although I started the build before I'd even heard of this forum, I picked up a few tips and ideas that encouraged me to add a few extra details as a result of reading the forum.  The main thing was going find pictures of real Preludes and trying to replicate what I saw.

 

Other issues were trying to get a decent finish on the paint, clear coat and the chrome and black trim.  Anyway, I'm sure you want to see some "pretty" pictures.

 

I'm glad I picked out the centre caps on the wheels (not called out in the instructions).

 

The sunroof makes it easy to see the interior details, I added black pieces to represent the clips where you would fasten your seat belt.  You can't tell that I changed the shape of the seat bolsters (which is probably good) but they looked a little under-nourished before (probably to make them easier to mould).

 

Front end, it would take a lot of work to reposition the front grille.  The pop-up lights are a nightmare too.

 

 

I'm glad I added seat belts, it doesn't quite line up on this side but it's not too bad.

 

 

Mirrors done with chrome pen and even give a bit of reflection.

 

 

I think the rear 3/4 view might be my favourite.

 

Profile isn't bad either.

 

Underside, the white putty is supposed to be the windscreen washer bottle.

 

Under the bonnet.  I've added wires and vacuum lines, not necessarily all that's there but there wasn't any in the kit.  I also added the windscreen washer filler on the left with the blue cap (a piece of plastic rod with a blob of filler on the end and painted blue).  Radiator cap had a blob of yellow added to replicate the warning label.  I also fabricated a power-steering pump out of a bit of sprue with a masking tape drive belt and another bit of sprue as the PAS fluid reservoir.

 

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, as a fan of 1980s and '90s Hondas, in particular the Prelude, I had to have this in my collection.

[Spiny]

Very nice, I have to say that I for one can't see where you chopped up the front bumper. Been a good one to watch come together, and I bet it's a relief to get it off the shelf of doom.

[johnlambert]

Thanks @Spiny thankfully the changes I made to the front bumper were mostly on the inside although you can just see a missing piece if you know where to look.  To get it properly aligned would require more radical surgery.  It certainly is nice to see it finished at last.

[Anteater]

I like how this looks like the type of thing you used to see every day at one time. A no nonsense car, tall profile tyres, nothing flash, just smart design. Years since I've seen one in the wild, or anywhere come to think of it...

[FunkyChiken]

I am a really big fan of these old Hondas, in the 80s & 90s, I really liked both this Prelude & the Accord - which probably shared a chassis.

 

great build of a car that takes me back a few decades!

[CliffB]

It's really nice to see a sunroof John