Background:

The S12 Nissan Silvia seems to be the forgotten Silvia, but I love its 1980's wedge shape and elegant sharp lines. With suitcases nearly full this was a last minute purchase at the end of a Tokyo holiday in a "what else can I get it that is very cheap and therefore possibly expendable?", as I removed all the parts from sprues, packed into a bag in the corner of the case and flattened the box for travel. Cheap it certainly is.

Pros:

The proportions looks right. The dashboard is quite well detailed and there are seperate decals if you want to call it a Nissan Gazelle (Australia market for the saloon S12). There's also an optional body kit as shown on the box, although it's quite ugly. Headlights have options for open versions.

Cons:

More or less everything. Body is badly moulded, needs a lot of cleanup. Chassis is terrible, lacks details and isn't wide enough. Interior is OK but has few glue points. Wheel track is a little to narrow at the back and lot too narrow at the front (see WIP photos). Lots of incidental details like windscreen wipers, brakes and side windows are not a part of this kit. In-box wheels are ugly. Rear seats are a weird size - you'd need short legs. Rear lights don't fit that well.

Verdict:

Utter crap. This is the worst quality kit I've ever built, so far. And yet.. with considerable effort, a satisfying result can be found within it. Only for those that love the S12 saloon version or a challenge. There's certainly some satisfaction to be gained from taming this turd of a kit that you don't get from building something that just works.

Build notes:

Reworked chassis width, strengthened and augmented interior of chassis. Added brakes, wipers, side windows. Changed number plates and exhaust tip. Changed wheels and tyres. Reworked both axles to a useful length and fixed front steering. Filled seat backs. Painted in Tamiya TS-76 Mica Silver and cleared with Tamiya TS-13.

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