Tamiya Simca 5 Staff Car finally completed.

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I picked up the Tamiya Simca 5 staff car today. It is an interesting looking little car.

Lets start with the good:

-First time this subject has been done in plastic.

-Kit seems well engineered.

-Markings for 3 vehicles - 1 gray WH, one gray WL, and one black civilian.

Disclaimer: If you do not wan’t to hear anything bad about a kit, or from a “Rivet Counter” then don’t read any further

The bad:

-Lots of ejector pin marks (underside, inside body, inside doors, on suspension parts)

-No option for closed roof

-Soft suspension details

-Solid front grill

-Lackluster interior details (Blobs for pedals, no door handles)

-And worst of all - NO TIRE TREAD

I know that aftermarket will eventually appear to correct these items, but I believe they should be in the kit to begin with.

I will be building this this weekend, and will post in progress pictures.

Here are the sprue shots.

Lack of tire tread is evident here:

2

Interesting choice of subject, look forward to seeing what you do with it.

3

Never seen this kit before I will be watching to see how it comes. I agree there should be a option for closed roof in the kit at the least.

4

Wait a minute… I can see a few squiggly lines that might be intended to be tire tread. I had to get really close to the monitor, but there was something there. [:|] Now I’m blind!

5

Is that a new Tamiya kit or a really old one? I’ve never seen that one before.

6

It is tamiya’s newest.

7

I thought this car was familiar, as I have 3 of these in resin sitting in the process of being built. The Simca 5 was a French license built version of the FIAT 500 A Topolino. The FIAT 500 A was very common in Italian military use. Model Victoria has had that vehicle in resin for several years in 3 vesions - Civilian, Military and North African, I am building all 3 versions. The Tamiya version would be of course less expensive.

www.modelvictoria.it/…/fiat_500_topolino.htm

Mike T.

8

Yeah, looked like some tread there to me. Perhaps even in scale!! At first blush, I would think an attempt at a closed top would be fabbed up with some brass rod and tissue paper. If not tissue paper, perhaps some foil. Just a thought. Looks like a cute kit, begging for detailing.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

9

Got all of the underside ejector pin marks filled, all 19 of them!

10

I had a lot of interest in picking this kit up so will be following along. Agree those details should be present in these new kits. What are your plans for the solid grill?

11

Not quite sure yet. Probably will try thinning it out from behind, if that doesn’t work just scratchbuild a new one.

12

[Y]

13

I almost picked this kit up this evening at my LHS… [^o)]

14

I just ordered 2 of these on Monday. I am in for watching, Espicially what you do for the grill,

15

Is it a real Tamiya kit or a rebox kit? The sprues does not look Tamiya to me.

16

It is a real Tamiya kit. It is typical moldings for them - simplistic details but great engineering.

17

Contructor…it’s a Tamiya kit, as stated previoiusly. I just might get it for KB vehicle.

18

Brett Green’s review of the Tamiya Simca 5 http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/german/tamiya35321reviewbg_1.html

19

Reading that review makes we wonder if we are even building the same kit.

20

I was looking at some real Simca 5s on U-tube and the closest thing to a door Handle was a small lever on the inside and outside of the “suicide” doors. The widows slid opened so it there are no hand cranks on the inside doors. The pedals really look like oval blobs.

They could have included a spare closed roof cover but the Tamiya kit is a very good simple model of a very simple car. Also there does seem to be faint treads on the tires which may be accurate for the full sized vehicle.