Honda City Turbo II

[Toftdale]

After the Caterham took me over a year, which even by my standards is a glacial pace I thought I'd plump for something quick and easy.  The Aoshima is that basic and within 5 or so minutes I already had a mock up.

 

 

However that's were the joy ended as I quickly realised that the fit and finish of this kit can be described as vague at the best.  Also there's also going to be some tricky masking around the door handles and rear quarter vents.  So while I procrastinate about that I took a remarkably similar approach to @chrisrope and started with the seats which suffer with the perennial problem of a hollow back despite their blatant visibility from the rear of the finishedmodel.  Spookily Chris and I also came to the same resolution (I'm sure they say something about great minds 😅🤣).  Also whilst Googling for interior colour options I came across a photo were one off the rear head rests was raised,  which I've replicated as I thought it would look interesting,  however my OCD is really struggling with this.

Thanks for stopping by on my forth Britmodeller build-  Andy

[Spiny]

I thought it was just Tamiya did this as a kit, didn't know there was an Aoshima one too. I'm guessing this is one of those kits which says on the box it was designed in the 1980s and may not be up to modern standards?

 

Can't believe you already have it mocked up though, it usually takes me 2-3 months to be able to get to that stage.

[Pete in Lincs]

Interesting kit. I too only knew of the Tamiya.

I've seen old pictures of a City as a Maschinen Kreiger jeep/tug with the top cut off. Something I've wanted to build for a long time.

[galaxyg]

I had seen the Aoshima kit before and wondered if it were the same or better as what is by now a very old Tamiya kit.   Seems probably, not better. I'll be following along anyhow as it's not a subject that comes up often for one thing.

[Toftdale]

11 hours ago, Spiny said:

I thought it was just Tamiya did this as a kit, didn't know there was an Aoshima one too. I'm guessing this is one of those kits which says on the box it was designed in the 1980s and may not be up to modern standards?

 

Can't believe you already have it mocked up though, it usually takes me 2-3 months to be able to get to that stage.

 

10 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Interesting kit. I too only knew of the Tamiya.

I've seen old pictures of a City as a Maschinen Kreiger jeep/tug with the top cut off. Something I've wanted to build for a long time.

 

33 minutes ago, galaxyg said:

I had seen the Aoshima kit before and wondered if it were the same or better as what is by now a very old Tamiya kit.   Seems probably, not better. I'll be following along anyhow as it's not a subject that comes up often for one thing.

Thanks for the interest Gents,  I saw the kit when I was placing an order with Plazajapan.com,  it cost me about £8 and didn't increase the postage which was an absolute bargain.   However I have seen it for sale i  the UK for about £40 definitely not worth it.  The wheels are connected via a metal rod (hence the quick mock up) so I don't think it has any relation to the Tamiya kit. - Andy 

[keefr22]

12 hours ago, Spiny said:

Can't believe you already have it mocked up though, it usually takes me 2-3 months to be able to get to that stage.

 

Takes me that long to open the box...!! 🤣

 

Do they do a race version of this too? I've been tempted by one (or a very similar car) but thought it would probably need a complete interior build - and I've already got enough of those to do!

 

Looking forward to progress Andy!

 

Keith

 

edit - looking at the pics again doesn't it have the look of a baby Metro 6R4? Or the Metro looks like a grown up City Turbo II...?!

[galaxyg]

The do make a race version, though it's quite an odd looking car with it's big arches and tiny wheels.

 

[keefr22]

I thiink that looks really cool - no accounting for taste is there?! 🤣

 

Keith

[Windy37]

2 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

Takes me that long to open the box...!! 🤣

 

Do they do a race version of this too? I've been tempted by one (or a very similar car) but thought it would probably need a complete interior build - and I've already got enough of those to do!

 

Looking forward to progress Andy!

 

Keith

 

edit - looking at the pics again doesn't it have the look of a baby Metro 6R4? Or the Metro looks like a grown up City Turbo II...?!

To me , Keith  , it's looks like the early prototypes of what became the 6R4 . 

Gary . 

[Toftdale]

On 01/04/2023 at 11:47, galaxyg said:

The do make a race version, though it's quite an odd looking car with it's big arches and tiny wheels.

 

One of these popped up on ebay the day after I started this one, so I thought it would make a nice double build.  It went for over fifty quid (not to me I hasten to add)! 

 

[Toftdale]

On 01/04/2023 at 09:35, keefr22 said:

Do they do a race version of this too? I've been tempted by one (or a very similar car) but thought it would probably need a complete interior build - and I've already got enough of those to do!

 

My kit comes with the additional sprue for the racing seats, roll cage and fuel cell. - Andy 

[Anteater]

I'll be tagging along for this, I love these things. Last saw one at Vintage Stony the other year, if I recall correctly. I'm surprised Honda didn't market these here during the hot hatch boom, would have been a fine alternative to an XR2 etc. 

[Kiertomäntä]

On 01/04/2023 at 13:47, galaxyg said:

The do make a race version, though it's quite an odd looking car with it's big arches and tiny wheels.

 

 

Had and did this race kit few years back, very simple kit. Not much bad to say about it but not much good either. Will be interested to see the road version finished.

[Toftdale]

On 04/04/2023 at 20:15, Anteater said:

I'll be tagging along for this

You company is always welcomed, as ever just don't expect fast results😁.

[Toftdale]

On 08/04/2023 at 15:46, Kiertomäntä said:

Had and did this race kit few years back, very simple kit. Not much bad to say about it but not much good either. Will be interested to see the road version finished.

Cracking result, its just a shame that the racing version is silly money otherwise I'd get one to keep this one company - Andy 

[Toftdale]

Just come back from holiday and managed to get some time on the City.  Still continuing to build it in the wrong order and working on the interior.   The centers of a honda city seats are made from a completely different fabric to the rest of the seat, which I tried to replicate using micro balloons.   The result is slightly overscale, however for a first attempt they have actually come out quite well.  Also added some decals to the seat bolsters to replicate the different fabric patterns between the bolsters and the sides of the seat, again slightly over scale, but more than acceptable. 

 

The rear seats got the same treatment 

 

As did the side panels which have an inlay the same material as the centre of the seats.  For ease of painting I cut off the door handles and made them separately. 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by - Andy

[keefr22]

That all looks good Andy, some tidy work there!

 

Keith

[Windy37]

The seats look good enough to sit in !  Don’t forget the camera makes everything look overscale and once in the car you’ll not notice as much . They remind me of Renault seats from the 80s , think 5 GT Turbo or Fuego . 
Gary . 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Windy37

[Toftdale]

The only upgrade I've made to the underside was to make a new exhaust tip by spinning some brass tube in a drill chuck.  I should have paid more attention to the underside as I never noticed the hole in the spare wheel well!  I think its a hangover from the kits motorised origins, its where the switch would have been located.  Unless I can think of a cunning plan to hide it, it will be staying.  I used zero textured charcoal paint, hoping it would replicate an underseal type finish,  which I'm actually quite please with.  There is something slightly wrong with the photo as it makes the wheels look like there all toeing in, where as they are actually fine.

 

On my reference photos the car has some very funky 80s style floor mats, which I've tried to replicate using 100 grit sandpaper (thanks @galaxyg for the tip) and some of the most complex masking I have ever done.!

And with the seats installed 

 

Thanks for looking - Andy 

 

[Spiny]

That masking looks like a real test of patience, but an extremely good result in the end.

 

For the hole, could you make up a 'bung' to fill the hole, sort of like a big drain hole?

[Neddy]

I love those carpets, well worth the effort put into the masking.  Clever idea, too.

[keefr22]

Those floor mats are brilliant (in more ways than one!!) - really good masking job that Andy!

 

1 hour ago, Spiny said:

For the hole, could you make up a 'bung' to fill the hole

 

Try some of the kit sprue Andy - I've just had to fill a similar hole on a 1/72 Spitfire (Supermarine, not Triumph!) and a piece of sprue fitted perfectly, didn't even need glueing!

 

Keith

[Stickframe]

Very fancy interior!  looks great - 

 

Cheers

Nick 

[galaxyg]

The carpets look great. The masking is incredibly neat given it's onto a rough surface.   

[Anteater]

Incredible masking. 

 

As for the hole, most spare wheel wells have a big drain plug in them. Hard to tell the exact scale but a household hole punch and some thin plasticard or cardboard should do the trick.