1:24 Honda Civic EG LHD dashboard

The dashboard for left-hand drive

The dashboard decides whether a finished model reads as a European or an American car, or as the domestic Japanese version. The fifth generation of the compact was sold on both sides of the world and the layout of the cabin turned over as a mirror image: the steering wheel, the instrument cluster and the heater controls change sides, while the glovebox travels to the opposite edge. This casting brings the arrangement with the steering column on the left.

Why a production kit cannot do it

Japanese kits are derived from the domestic market, so they tend to be equipped exclusively with a panel for right-hand drive. Anyone who wants to build the car in the form sold in Europe or in North America has to either cut the panel apart laboriously or reach for a conversion part. The second route is quicker and keeps the correct angle and breakdown of the surface.

Closeness to the real car

The real subject had a low panel opened toward the windshield by a wide pressing, with the instrument cluster set deep into its tunnel. An injection-molded part usually shortens that depth so that it can be taken out of the mold. Procedure: degrease the casting, cut off the technological lug on the lower edge and try the seating in the tub before you start painting. The dials are best finished with a decal or a fine brush only after the base color has dried.

One more small thing separates a carefully built model from a quick build: the real panel was not one color. The upper surface tended to be more matte than the vertical front wall, and the center section with the heater controls had a different gloss. A difference of two degrees of matte does more for the credibility of a cabin than any further part added.