Testors 1:24 scale"Super Tuners" Honda S2000 Kit Review

January 18, 2004
By Tony Wootson

Ever get a completely spontaneous urge to just buy a model, rush home and build it? I'm sure you have.

You know the scenario: you visit a hobby store, browse up and down the isles and see something that catches your eye. You move closer to it, pick up the box and closely scrutinize the kit.

Even though you have about a bazillion UNBUILT models at home, for some insane reason you decide that one more won't matter all that much. (Right???)

This happened to me once several years ago, when making a trek to a local Toys R Us Store. I spied a number of new, 1:100 scale Bandai Gundam kits. These are snap-tite models with many, many parts molded in multiple colors. The parts contained some exquisite detail and unrealistically good fitting characteristics.

This happened to me once several years ago, when making a trek to a local Toys R Us Store. I spied a number of new, 1:100 scale Bandai Gundam kits. These are snap-tite models with many, many parts molded in multiple colors. The parts contained some exquisite detail and unrealistically good fitting characteristics.

This just occurred once again a day before Thanksgiving. On my way home I dropped by a local Hobby Store, (M&G Hobbies), to see what I might see. When approaching the car model section I noticed some very kewl and colorful car kits. Yep, a CAR MODEL! (For those of you who don't know, my modeling interests have tended to be in the sci-fi vehicular and comic book figure realms over the past couple of years.

The kit that caught my eye was a Testors metal body model of a Honda S2000. For several years now Testors has been releasing very reasonably priced metal body car kits that are pre-painted and have a pretty good amount of detail built into them. (This is probably an attempt on their part to try to attract and retain younger model builders.) I picked up one of Testors' Black Viper kits 2 years ago.

This go-round the model that grabbed my attention was a small, very kewl looking brown and black two-tone two-seater convertible that resembled the old Datsun 200 series.

Scrutinizing the box I noticed that a detailed engine was included, along with real rubber tires and a hood, trunk and doors that could be opened.

The fact that the box had the listed characteristics: "…Prepainted body. Minimal gluing/no painting required. Most parts screw or snap together…" helped out a bit. The description "Assembles in about 1 hour..." also helped to firmly grab my attention. Finally, the fact that this model was heavily discounted succeeded in pushing me over the cliff (and into the deep, dark modeling abyss.)

After arriving home I promptly opened the box. I was VERY PLEASED with things like an aluminum colored and chrome plated exhaust & muffler system that was already attached to a black chassis, chrome plated wheels already inserted into rubber tires, a multi-colored partial engine compartment "top" along with two clear light parts (that already had the corresponding red colors painted on) and two light chrome parts (that already had a clear, amber color applied).

All told there were 12 parts molded in black, an additional 4 black axle parts ingeniously designed to attach into the back of the wheels and allow them to spin, 2 black parts that allowed the two front wheels to turn together, the 4 chrome plated wheels and 4 rubber tires, 2 silver colored seats, 4 clear and 2 chrome light parts, two small intricate decal sheets (that included a metal foil sheet to be used as the rear and side view mirrors), 11 small screws and the chassis.

You know the scenario: you visit a hobby store, browse up and down the isles and see something that catches your eye. You move closer to it, pick up the box and closely scrutinize the kit.

I was once again impressed with the very nice two-tone color and markings that had already been applied to the car. Although I haven't seen them, it reminds me of a car that would appear in one of the Fast and Furious movies.

After salivating over my newly acquired custom car I decided to wait until the following day before building this sleek racing machine. (This would also enable me to take my "before" pictures.)

The next day after waking up I started worked on the kit. Ironically, even though it was Thanksgiving I was able to get this baby buil before the end of the day. (Who needs visiting relatives when there's a model to be built?)

The model went together very quickly, although there were a number of "problem areas" with the instructions. First, there were no directions that pertained to the attachment of the small speedometer decal nor the smaller rear-view and side-view mirror metal decals. (These should be attached as soon as possible, due to some difficulty that will exist if done after the model has been assembled.)

In addition, some of the pictures of the parts did not jive up completely with the shape of the actual parts.

The inner rear trunk compartment did not seem to align up with any internal guidance areas and the front two screws and one rear one could not be attached up through the car's chassis to the body, (because the screws were too short and the associated holes did not go completely through the chassis.)

All in all though these discrepancies did not present all that much of problem and I was able to work through them pretty quickly.

I ended up using a drop of Zap-a-Gap super glue on each of the adjoining parts to help them remain tightly attached to one another.

A plus about the instructions are that they list a number of advanced modeling techniques that can be used to add some realism to the model. Drybrushing, applying washes, painting the back of the clear light parts silver and scuffing the tires with sandpaper were listed.

I ended up skipping all of these options, since my intention was to build this model straight out of the box, (unlike what ended up being the case with that unsuccessfully built Testors Viper kit. It's still waiting to be painted after I stripped away the pre-paint black finish.)

I hoped that this model would help to get my dormant, (hardening) modeling juices flowing once again.

This actually succeeded, since later during the Thanksgiving 4-day weekend I dusted off my airbrush along with several on-again/off-again modeling projects and started worked on them.

The Honda S2000 was a BLAST to build, (despite the discrepancies in the instructions). I really, REALLY like its very unique, attractive coloration and markings.

Heck, I even ended up attracting the attention of my 12 year old son and my 3 year old daughter so much that I had to promise to buy one for each of them to get them to stop playing with mine.

Every now and then I think all of us modeling folk need a fun, quick build to help remind us why we got into modeling in the first place.

I've had so much fun with this car that I'm going to go back to M&G's to pick up a different Testors "Super Tuners" car, (in addition to the two more Honda S2000's for my kids).