Small update

This morning I received some more models for my various 1/32 Japanese projects.
Directly related to the cars themselves is this set of 1/32 East Japan number plates for cars and commercial vehicles produced by Fujimi.
The set consists of dark green and white rub-down transfers and a small selection of white and dark green waterslide decal number plate backgrounds.  These will come in very very useful for the car models which don't have appropriate decals (and are sharper than even the best laser printed plate), and for non-Japanese cars I may wish to depict in a Japanese context.

Next up, also from Fujimi are these beer crates... yellow being appropriate for Kirin lager.  I have no idea when the Japanese started using the crates, so I will need to research that a bit more before deciding which vehicle to have them in the back of.  Certainly not the Midgets or the big T-2000, as I'm pretty sure it wasn't the 1950s.
The set also includes some large steel drums, along the lines of the fuel drums produced by the likes of Tamiya and Italeri in the past.
The crates are single part mouldings, while the drums come in two halves with a lid, the bottom being moulded with the sides.

Finally, I couldn't resist starting on the Mini.
The radiator grille on the kit doesn't look right... it sticks out too much.  I checked the internet for the early Minies and sure enough the grille is a lot more recessed.  So, I removed the central strut from the opening and carved away the sides of the opening, following the moulded line indicating the shape of the grille.  After a test-fit I was overjoyed to see that the remedy worked a treat.  I added a new pair of plasticard supports so I could add the grille after painting the body shell.
I also rummaged in my Arii spares and came up with a pair of wing mirrors.

I was also fed up with the way the clear parts looked... too thick and just terrible.  So back to the spares box and to my joy the windscreen and rear window of the Arii Toyota Publica fit!  Now THAT was a stroke of luck.  They will need some trimming away of things like side windows and ceiling excess, but that will take mere minutes.

More updates soon.