1:24 Grade Up: Honda Civic EF9 [Gr.A] '91 Idemitsu

A photo-etched set for the Group A Honda Civic EF9 in 1:24 scale (Beemax)

An accessory for a kit, not a standalone model of the car. It is a set of photo-etched parts, that is thin metal pressings, with which items are replaced that cannot be molded from plastic in a matching thickness. On a racing car these are typically the meshes, the brackets, the hood clips and the small sheet-metal items of the interior.

The real subject

At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s the EF9 generation of the Honda Civic was among the most successful cars in the smallest engine class of circuit racing under Group A rules. It was a light front-wheel-drive hatchback with a high-revving four-cylinder engine which, in a dense field of larger and more powerful cars, drew on its agility and low weight. The form given in the name refers to the 1991 season and to the colors of one of the team partners of the day.

Fitting and painting tips

Separate the photo-etched parts with a scalpel on a hard surface rather than by twisting, otherwise they will deform. Make the bends on a bender or at least on the edge of a steel rule, so that a sharp edge is formed. Degrease the metal with alcohol before painting and spray a base coat for metal, otherwise the paint will come away at the first handling. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue applied in a minimal drop, and fit the parts that are visible on the finished car only after the body has been clear-coated and polished, so that they are not damaged while the clear coat is sanded. Small meshes look better if they are painted separately and fitted at the very end.

Who the set is for

• builders of Group A racing cars in 1:24 scale
• modelers who want to see thin metal meshes on a model instead of thick plastic
• more experienced builders used to working with photo-etched parts
• anyone interested in Japanese circuit cars of the turn of the 1980s and 1990s

The set is an accessory and does not contain the base model. Glue, paints and the kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.