1:24 Honda Civic EG Hatchback/Coupe door panels

The side trim of the cabin of the fifth generation

The fifth series of the Tokyo compact, built between 1991 and 1995, is still the most sought after among builders precisely because it combined a light body with double wishbones at both ends. Alongside the three-door hatchback a lower two-door version was sold as well, and both share the same shape of door trim, so one package covers both directions of a build.

How the casting differs from the production part

Injection-molded kits usually carry the side upholstery as part of the floor tub. That creates a flat surface without depth, on which the pocket, the handle and the band of textile covering all merge into a single plane. Here the shapes are drawn out to real depth and the edges stay sharp even after spraying, which shows above all on a model with the windows lowered.

The difference against the production state is not merely decorative. On a compact with thin pillars and large windows the inside of the cabin is visible from every side, so a flat wall gives a model away sooner than anything else. The casting therefore deals with the inner offset of the window frame as well, on which the light breaks.

How close the model is to the real car

The cabin of the real subject was austere and clear compared with later generations, with a pronounced horizontal line across the whole width of the panel. It is exactly that line which a production model most often loses. Before gluing, rinse the casting in lukewarm water with detergent so that it is freed of any remnants of mold release agent, and let it dry thoroughly, otherwise the primer holds unreliably. Try the fit dry and level any excess material at the edges with abrasive paper.