Aoshima Nissan Pulsar EXA 1/24 | Model Kit Index

Background:

I bought this kit on a whim when I saw it on the shelf (6 years before actually building it) - I'd never heard of the car before but it looked 80s. It'd be a prime candidate for the Festival of the Unexceptional*. Online research led me to two things: It shares a lot of parts with the Nissan Cherry, and when known as the Pulsar NX, they were really popular in Australia. One of the reasons it sat so long in the stash was deciding what to do with it - several more radical treatments came to mind but eventually I thought "If I saw one in real life, what would I want to see?" : Stock. Unmodified. Period wheel trims. Then it was just a case of discovering the right colour.

Pros:

Two choices of wheels and two choices of rear-view mirrors - door or wing. Body is a good shape, and it's easy to assemble. The interior door cards are seperate and detailed, the dashboard is nicely moulded and the decals are good. The glass is nice and clear and there's only a moderate amount of cleanup to be done on the parts.

Cons:

The in-box tyres are too big and make it look and ride like a tractor. I changed those. Like all kits that were designed to be motorized, the underbody is no great shakes. The rear seats are unrealistically high too in order to accomodate an AA battery underneath. The steering geometry is wrong - the hub's fulcrum is too inboard, if the wheels are turned by more than a little they move into a place that looks weird and unrealistic. There are no brake hubs or discs, no engine and the wing-mounted rear mirrors don't really stay on easily. (enough that I gave up and used the door ones). The windscreen wipers break easily when trying to remove them from the sprue.

Verdict:

Easy to build kit of an uncommon car. Good results are possible without having to battle the kit.

Build notes:

Completed during July/August 2020 and painted with Halfords rattle-can Land Rover Storm Grey (which is a bit green). Clearcoated with Mr Hobby Top Coat gloss. The tyres used are more realistically sized and are from the unused wheels of the last kit I completed, the Tamiya Carina ED. I've also trimmed down the solid-plastic-cylinder exhaust and fitted a proper hollow end from brass tube. As the interior is so clearly seen through the non-existent side windows, I added seat belt retainers. This build has less end niggles than usual for my standards and I'm very happy with the result.

*The Festival of the Unexceptional is a real thing. You can Google it.

---