Aoshima Liberty Walk Nissan GT-R 1/24. Photographs.

Aoshima Liberty Walk Nissan GT-R 1/24 completed January 7th, 2022

Background:

Normally I'd not be into the Liberty Walk extreme overfender, slammed and stanced look, but my wife had suggested I get this kit as she thought it looked cool. It seemed like a good invitation to try something I'd normally overlook - although I had my reservations if I'd like it based on the box art. It spent a few years in the stash until I got some colour inspiration - Tamiya Candy Lime Green.

Pros:

Mostly easy to assemble and entirely great fitment with good proportions. Cleanly moulded with little cleanup necessary. Choice of left or right hand drive. Original GT-R suspension parts also included. All main Liberty Walk decals are printed in both black and white so you can paint the car whatever colour you wish.

Cons:

No engine, despite Aoshima offering the engine sprue in other versions of their GT-R. Some grinding away of original wheel arches neccessary (and detailed in the instructions) which might put off the nervous. Rear diffuser and aero parts don't have much in the way of positive mounting points. Some of the instructions are in an order no experienced modeller would follow. Overfenders on last? I don't think so. Some experience needed to deviate from the instructions to get a better result/easier build.

Verdict:

It's a great kit. Not for beginners, but otherwise very very good.

Build notes:

Because the kit also includes the non-Liberty-Walk suspension parts, I was able to use those instead, making the car's stance look normal. I also swapped the stretched/pulled tyres for some normal ones and painted the black wheels silver. All this greatly improves the look of the car (for my taste) - and I have come to really love the result. Other additions to the kit are the Hobby Design Photo Etch kit, some seatbelt retainers, the rear number plate and a small amount of carbon fibre decal. I've also intentionally omitted some of the less desirable Liberty Walk decals. Painted in Tamiya TS-52 Candy Lime Green and clearcoated with Tamiya TS-13 Gloss. Quite possibly the best set of photos I've taken of any build.