Aoshima 1/24 Suzuki Carry (ST-30)

The Suzuki Carry is a kei truck produced by the Japanese automaker Suzuki. The microvan version was originally called the Carry van until 1982 when the van was renamed as the (Japanese: Suzuki Every). In Japan, the Carry and Every are Kei cars but Suzuki Every Landy, the bigger exported version of Every had a longer hood for safety purposes and a larger 1.3-liter 82 hp (61 kW) 4-cylinder engine. They have been sold under a myriad different names in several countries, and hold the distinction of probably being the only car ever offered both with Chevrolet and Ford badges.

In March 1979, the new seventh generation Carry, the ST30 series arrived. The dimensions remained the same as before, as did the engine, although its was moved forward and now resided underneath the front seat. For export markets, the ST90 version was equipped with the larger four-stroke F8A engine of 797 cc. In the fall of 1980, the domestic market Carry became available with the new 543 cc four-stroke F5A engine (ST40), although the torquey two-stroke engine remained popular. By 1982, the Van part of the Carry range became separated in the Japanese domestic market and was now sold as the Suzuki Every. New for 1981 was a four-wheel drive version, originally only available as a pickup. This received the ST31/41 chassis code. 

This is another interesting subject from out friends at Aoshima. Like several of their car kits, this one is a curbside and not complex. It comes with a one-piece body, metal axles, rubber tires and a nice decal sheet. This is a kit that will need a bit of modeling skill to complete, despite it being such a basic build.

Originally released as some sort of food stand truck (perhaps ice cream), the kit comes with a nicely molded interior that has all sorts of gizmos that you would expect from such a vehicle. However, that will all disappear during the build so no need to bother painting it. Instead, the window frames will need to be removed and the sides and top replaced with sheet styrene.

Aoshima supplies the sheet styrene as pre-punched sections. This material is quite thin so one has to take care not to crease it. As mentioned, the extant frames will need to be removed and Aoshima supplies a section of 400 grit sandpaper to accomplish this task. I have to say that I have zero idea how anyone would get into this box, unless it is supposed to portray a load. Since the instructions are in Japanese, I have no clue as to what this is supposed to be so I will assume it is a load. There are also a few other areas of the vehicle that are to be modified and the instructions show exactly what is to be done.

There is minimal suspension detail though the inside of the cab is nicely done with a decal for the instrument. Front wheels are designed to be turned. Stub axles are provided as is a rather beefy and non-prototypical steering assembly. Colors are provided with the usual Gunze paint references. No overall color information is given so I have to assume it is supposed to be a boring white. The decal sheet provides all the various logos and plates. These are a bit thick but work superbly from my earlier experiences. There are a considerable number of parts that will not be used; most of them clear.

So here we have yet another neat Aoshima kit. This will not be a large vehicle when done (130mm - around 5 inches) so there will be lots of room on your shelves for more!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Carry

November 2011

Thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. Get yours at your local shop or have them order one for you.