#157 Subaru 360 Young-SS
Building the Hasegawa 1:24 kit of the Subaru 360 Young-SS with figure.
Notes
The Subaru 360 is a rear-engined, two-door city car manufactured and marketed by Subaru from 1958 to 1971. It was the company’s first mass-produced automobile, with over 392,000 produced.
The Subaru Young SS variant was a second “sports” model, featuring:
- upgraded EK32 “S” engine with chromed cylinders and dual BS32 Mikuni Solex carburetors
- upgraded transmission (4 gears instead of 3)
- bucket seats
- tachometer
- a black, white striped roof with a dent along the middle to put one’s surfboard
The Kit
I don’t normally build cars, so this will be fun (and challenging)!
The Hasegawa No. 52291 is a 2021 re-boxing of their 1997 tool 1:24 Subaru 360 Young-SS, this time including a female figure.
I bought the kit in Dec 2022 for ¥2,100 at Yamada Denki LABI Shinjuku.
See instructions
Paint Scheme
| Feature | Color | Recommended | Paint Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| instruments | black | C2/H2 | H2 |
| body | red | C3/H3 | H3 |
| body undercoat | H24 | ||
| muffler | silver | C8/H8 | SM204 Super Stainless 2 |
| bumper and fittings | chrome | SM206 Super Chrome Silver 2 | |
| undercarriage, window trim | flat black | C33/H12 | H12 |
| rear view mirror stand | IJN gray | C35/H61 | H61 |
| interior body | RLM74 gray green | C36/H68 | H68 |
| gear shift knob | wood brown | C43/H37 | H37 |
| steering wheel | wood brown | C43/H37 | AK RCM019 |
| rear brake lights | clear red | C47/H90 | H90 |
| indicator lights | clear orange | C49/H92 | H92 |
For the figure
| Feature | Color | Recommended | Paint Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| shoes | white | C1/H1 | H1 |
| dress | light blue | C20/H67 | H45 + H15 shadows |
| hair | mahogany | C42/H84 | H84 |
| dress neck line | flat white | C62/H11 | H11 |
| lips | pink | C63/H19 | H3 |
| skin base | flesh | C111:C112 (3:2) | H44 |
Build Log
First thing I did was strip the chrome from the chrome parts. I used Mr Muscle Bathroom Cleaner (Stain Remover), works well in 24-48 hours.
Figure
Rather than use acrylics for the figure, I decided to use Mr Hobby Aqueous. I mostly used airbrush but with some hand-painted details. I used decals for the eyes, but painted other details such as eyebrows.
Final Gallery Pics
Haven’t decided on a base yet, but here it is. I learned a lot - very happy with the chrome stripping, but I need more practice on getting a nice smooth gloss finish.
Credits and References
- this project on scalemates
- Subaru 360 Young-SS w/60’s Girl’s Figure Hasegawa No. 52291 1:24
Research References
- スバル・360 - ja.wikipedia
- Subaru 360 - wikipedia
【スバル360】”直して走り出す時がたまらない！”名車を30年愛し続ける男性に密着【おとなの秘密基地】
[Subaru 360] “It’s irresistible to fix it and start driving!” A close look at a man who has loved this famous car for 30 years
YouTube by 極上ライフ おとなの秘密基地│テレビ愛知 @otonano_himitukichi
How The Tiny Subaru 360 Almost Killed Subaru
YouTube by Timeless CT
