1:24 Honda Civic EK Sedan

The body that kits leave out

The sixth generation of the Civic was built from 1995 and on the Japanese market the four-door version was sold under a name of its own. Against the better-known hatchback it has a longer rear overhang, a different line to the side windows and a separate trunk lid. For a modeler that is a palpable difference, because it is the rear that determines how the car reads, and kits usually do not deal with this body.

Where the item stands in the range

A conversion of a whole body belongs to the most extensive things the workshop makes. Its range has four levels: wheels and tires, small accessories, conversion and detail sets, and at the very top four all-resin car kits. This part belongs to the third level and lies high within it, because it does not change a single area but the shape of the whole car. Its scope confirms that: it replaces the entire outer shell.

For the same model family the maker also lists conversions of other body variants. It is worth taking care when choosing, then, whether you are buying the sedan, the coupe, or parts for the hatchback, because the names differ only in the designation of the body.

What to watch out for

Large shells tend to be slightly warped. Before building, try fitting them onto the chassis dry; a small warp can be straightened by a short dip in hot water and fixing it until it cools. Only then does sanding the mating surfaces make sense. On conversions of this type the glazing usually has to be made from clear film to a template, because the shape of the windows differs from the donor kit. Prepare the template by taking an impression of the opening on paper and cut it a little larger, so that there is something to sand. Around the windows it pays to paint the frames in advance, because once the film is glued in a brush will not reach them.