Belkits 1/24 Fabia S2000 Evo 2012 Barum Czech Rally BEL-004

This was my first experience of Belkits and have to say I was impressed with the quality of moulding and fit of parts. No flash to trim off and only minor trimming needed as I would expect with any make of kit. It really does make up into a very nice representation of the real thing. Frustratingly but typically, when the car is assembled, it's hard if not impossible to see a lot of the detailed work you've put into the interior of the car, but then that's to be expected at this sale. The box top artwork is an accurate impression of the finished article. A nice touch is the option to use the included fabric ribbon for seat belts and spare wheel retainers along with the photo etched buckles etc. There is also the option to finish the car with full lighting rig or in the standard daytime setup. Two things I didn't like were firstly the instruction leaflet. The diagrams are reproduced in greyscale and for some of the views where there are darker structures shown, it's rather like trying to decipher a photocopy of a photocopy! Difficult to see fine detail. The positioning of the decals is pretty well shown on colour pictures but there were minor errors where decals are numbered wrongly (on the picture) or not at all. This isn't a big problem as its all rather obvious anyway. Secondly the decals themselves. Slightly thicker than I would have liked which makes it tricky to get them to mould to the various contours of the body. They are a very good fit but you'll need plenty of Micro Set and Micro Sol (or whatever system you use for decals) to get them to mould satisfactorily. Annoyingly I still ended up with some creases particularly on the rear wheel arches. Nothing an experienced modeller won't have experienced before I'm sure and I wouldn't let any of these 'complaints' put me off having a go at what is a very nice kit. I shall certainly be having a look at the other cars in the range.