Simca 5 (real world)

[Frank3k]

When Tamiya came out with the Simca 5 Staff Car, I got one right away (from Sprue Bros)


While I was there, I also got this set from Miniart:


The Simca 5 wasn't a particularly well detailed kit, but it went together quickly and it was an enjoyable build. I only made some minor additions to the interior. The doors are only tacked on - I still haven't decided if I want to open them or not. The paint scheme is similar to one I found on the web.

I finished the car last month:

I should either blow the dust off the models before photographing them, or try not to photograph them in bright sunlight...





I added two of the figures today; the Air Force officer is still missing some decals. I used the legs and skirt of the woman with the socks.


My wife really liked the figures and came up with a backstory - She insisted that this woman is not a woman of loose morals, but works hard at her parent's boulangerie, where she met the dashing American Air Force officer, who treats her like a queen. He bought her this cute little car to go on trips through the countryside.

[LemonJello]

Neat! Well done on both the car and the figures.  I like the color choice, too. I keep thinking about getting a bunch of the new 1/35 staff cars and other civilian-type vehicles that are coming out lately to put into some dioramas with the usual armor (real world and whiff-verse).

[GTX_Admin]

Cute.  Well done.

[Dr. YoKai]

 While all the Dr.s Yo approve of loose morals generally, they are also suckers for romance ( "Especially
 Clark..." " Oh...shut up Wen." )

 Really splendid little build- its the sort of car I probably wouldn't fit in, but I've always dug that period of
 styling.

[Frank3k]

Thanks, guys. It's good to have a few civilian vehicles among all the armor. The Simca 5 is larger than the TKS Tankette, barely wider than the inside width of the Leopard 2 tracks and would probably fit in the cargo area of a HiLux (with the rear hatch door down) or a Humvee.

Craig - you might fit; you would just have to wear goggles and push the seat all the way back.

[Brian da Basher]

It's like a Smart Car before there were Smart Cars!

Excellent work as usual, Frank! I really like the figures, too!

Brian da Basher

[Doom!]

Frank, this turned out great, I too love the color choice. Your figure painting is top notch!  :)

[jcf]

Nice Topolino.  :)

For those that don't know the Simca 5 was a license produced FIAT 500.

As to 1/35th civil car kits, the Tamiya Citroen TA is very nice.

The ICM Opel Admiral kits (closed and cabriolet) are nicely detailed but poorly engineered,
parts break down is like a typical armoured kit rather than a modern car model having a multi-part
body with limited glueing surfaces and tires built up by laminating together several pieces per tire.
 

I have one partially built and I've ignored the construction sequence on the instructions,
which I recommend to anyone wanting to build the kit. Following the instructions will lead
to frustration when it comes to aligning/attaching the body parts. Revell Germany has done
a rebox of the Admiral cabriolet with better decals (ICM's suck) and at a lower price.

Evidently the Bronco kits are well detailed but suffer from Bronco's parts-itis disease,
some folks have jested that Bronco's designers get paid by the part.

Tamiya is the only player in this relatively new niche that also regularly produces car models,
and their experience shows, they're kits are like a typical modern car kit, the other folks kits
are like a car kit from the 1950s.

[Frank3k]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Figure painting is time consuming - those two figures took or longer to paint than the car.  Changing it to a Topolino would only require a couple of minor external changes. The color scheme I picked is similar to one I saw in a Topolino picture. The Simca 5 and Topolino seem to come in a wide variety of paint schemes! It would be cool if Tamiya (or someone else) came out with a 1/35 plastic 2CV or a Tatra 87 - which would look good in some sort of 50's retro SF diorama:


Jon, those flat tires are designed that way to eliminate seamlines and provide a deeper tread. Bronco's method (most of the tire on one part, rear sidewall on the other then glued together) works well and one of the few places on a Bronco kit where assembly is fairly simple.

[jcf]

Hi Frank, I realize why ICM took that approach, however after assembling them they don't, IMHO,
look any more convincing than those moulded via other methods. Personally I'd rather have a modern
moulding tech vinyl tire. The tires in the new Revell '62 'Vette look far better than the ICM Admiral
tires.

[Frank3k]

Hi Frank, I realize why ICM took that approach, however after assembling them they don't, IMHO,
look any more convincing than those moulded via other methods.

I don't doubt it - but I think they're looking at it from their point of view and available technology. If you compare one of their new "sandwich" tires with what ICM, Zvezda (BA series for instance) and other Eastern Europeans had a few years ago, this new tech is a huge improvement.

The Simca 5 tires have almost no tread depth (they're injected plastic) and some people have complained, but that seems to be accurate. My main issue with the kit is that the tires are a single unit - tire, wheel and hubcap and were a pain to paint.

[Alvis 3.1]

Awesome job, it's a great little car! The figures are great as well. I've been hording 1/35 female figures for some time now, with intent of doing a retro-dieselpunk 40s sci-fi street scene, and the Simca will fit quite nicely.

Alvis 3.1

[Frank3k]

Awesome job, it's a great little car! The figures are great as well. I've been hording 1/35 female figures for some time now, with intent of doing a retro-dieselpunk 40s sci-fi street scene, and the Simca will fit quite nicely.

Alvis 3.1

Thanks! The females in this Miniart set are pretty nice - the women at least look like women (pretty, even) and not like men with skirts and boobs. They even match the box art (except the woman on the right doesn't have the socks)