GD3 - Project Daily
 

I’m going to tell you, online shopping is dangerous. there’s so much interesting stuff online and retailers have really made it easy for vulnerable people like me to take their bait. while I was browsing parts for my GD3 I stepped into a set of Tamiya 1/24 kit then next thing I know it’s already on my front door! talk about impulse buying :p

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The package arrived straight from the land of the rising sun.

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I immediately opened the box and checked the content. looks like Christmas came early!

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the Tamiya kit comes with Fit factory style wheels but of course, i will not settle with that, a set of my all time favorite wheel, Rays TE37, has been added to the shopping cart as well. the scale wheels were manufactured by Aoshima but it came with an adapter to perfectly fit the Tamiya kit

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Initial mockup of body and wheels. the internals are not yet installed on this photo that’s why it’s sitting low but it would be nice if i can slam it like this.

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The non motorized Tamiya Honda Fit kit is only available in red version so painting is a must if you want a different color.

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Since I’m going for a replica look of my car i used a spray paint with the same color code as my Fit.

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While waiting for the body paint to dry I started adding details to the wheels. A set of decals came with the kit, it’s not pre-cut so you would need to trim it according to your specs. I would say this is one of the part which consumed most time, it involves water when working with decals and it gets really tricky for a size like this. I learned that this is the standard process for scales with the same size.

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Next on the task list was to paint the borders of the glass but things didn’t went well. in my attempt to cure the paint a bit faster I placed the painted surface on a small oven and baked it with 40 degrees Celsius. it worked well with the body but not with the plastic glass. the glass developed bubbles and became frosty. I stopped documenting at this stage and just went on with the build.

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On the positive side, since the inside is barely visible I got the chance to be more relaxed on assembling the interior and now I have the room to push the wheels further inside to give it a lowered stance.

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Apart from the glass incident, i think the whole project went well. I would admit it was harder to build than what I anticipated, most of the parts are not designed to clip on together. it requires plenty of trimming and adhesives to make sure the panels would fit together. steady hands and shitloads of patience are also a must. This is not to discourage anyone, I actually want to recommend you to build one for yourself, it will give you real satisfaction one you finished your kit.

That’s it for now, more update on real cars next time. Thanks for looking!

Very nice! The Volk's are an excellent touch! Nice job.

We have one of the motorized versions, but have never put it together. If I ever do, I need those wheels!

Also have an Ebbro 1:43 scale Mugen Fit. It's pretty cool. I wish our real one had a sunroof like the little version.

thanks, it's actually the Aoshima Volk wheels that convinced me to go on with the purchase

and now with the full scale build.
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Here’s the blank canvass being inspected by my old man. it took us a while to find the right one, it has to be GD3(1.5L) and in Manual gearbox! we’ve managed to find a fresh JDM import from a local dealer. it’s not on the list of my favorite colors but the condition of the car makes it really hard to resist.

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the factory sway bar end link does not fit with BC coils so I had to order a shorter one.

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Regamaster painted with black to give it an sw388 look.

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:thumbups:

Where were you able to order the wheels from?

i ordered the Aoshima Volk wheels from Amazon. i chose the TE37 Gravel as it's the only one which is available in small diameter = 16inch scale.

Back to TE37 with more drop. i want to lower the rear a bit further but this is the lowest i can go with the rear perch

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Looks great!

I'm surprised the rear doesn't go lower. Any chance those coilovers are for a GE and not a GD? What would you guess is the drop in the rear? Looks to only be an inch or so?

I'm curious because I plan on getting BC Racing coilovers for mine, but I think I'd want the rear slightly lower as well. Don't get me wrong...looks great!

you made me curious as well if this is GE or GD coils. to be honest i cannot confirm as:
- i got this as a used item from my local dismantler(only took their word that this is for GD)
- i cannot find any marking that this is for a GD
- i have never seen a GE coils for me to compare mine.

as for the drop measurement, i wasn't able to get a before & after height. but i'm sure it's more than 1.5 inch.

i really want to drop the rear a few mm more so i decided to remove the locking ring. what i did is tighten the height adjustment ring against the base and add a few drops of thread locker just to make sure it will not move. i think im now happy how the car is currently sitting.

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Heck yeah! Looks GREAT! Nice and level and LOW!

New ride height looks worlds better.

too bad these guys are out of stock on these!

you'd be all over them, yes? :D

ABC HOBBY USA - Grid RTR

That's cool! I wish our Fit looked like that RC version. Our wheels are similar, but everything else on the RC is cooler.

Here's our mini me version...

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Also better looking than the big version, but neat to have.

Thanks! now i appraciate it more that i chose a base body GD3 so i can slam it

cool look like that's the Mugen concept!

i was eyeing on one of this before but im unable to find one with the same color as my gd3

now in digital version:D

Gran Turismo Sport was released last Wednesday and it is a big disappointment, well at least for me. I've always loved the series for their vast selections of Japanese cars but now it's only limited to roughly 150 cars and not a single Fit in sight:mad:. i guess i'll stick with Gran tursmo 6 for now
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