1:24 Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO-MR (1971)

Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO-MR (1971) 1:24 - a Hasegawa kit

An injection-molded plastic kit in 1:24 scale from the historic car line of the Japanese maker Hasegawa. The tooling is modern, so the parts have fine engraved detail and good fit. In the package you will find plastic sprues and a sheet of water-slide decals, and the model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The length of the finished model is roughly 172 mm.

The real subject

The Colt Galant GTO appeared at the beginning of the 1970s as the sporting variant of the Galant range and at first glance it declared its allegiance to the American style of its day, that is a long hood, a wedge body line and an upswept ducktail rear. The top version was the MR variant, powered by a 1.6-liter engine with a DOHC valvetrain. It is precisely this most powerful specification that the kit represents. The GTO-MR is among the Japanese coupes of the 1970s prized by collectors and in the modeling range it is not exactly a common subject.

Building and painting tips

First rid the body of mold seams and sand it, as with gloss finishes every irregularity will show. Apply a filler primer, then the color and several thin coats of gloss varnish, which can be polished once it has dried. The chrome trim of period cars is best done with chrome foil or with precisely applied metallic paint, which is worth applying at the very end, because it is hard to mask. Finish the interior and the chassis before you close the body up. Lay the water-slide decals on a gloss surface and use a decal softener so that they take to the detail.

Who the model is for

• collectors of Japanese car classics of the 1970s
• modelers who build road cars in 1:24 scale
• anyone interested in working with a gloss finish and chrome elements
• moderately advanced builders who want a less common subject

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.