Marine’s AE86 Build So Far — Issues 1–48

Marine has been building the DeAgostini 1/8 AE86 from France and has now reached Issue 48.

She has been receiving her issues from DeToyz in regular batches, so I recently asked if she would share a few thoughts about how the build has been going so far.

I was expecting a short comment. She ended up sending me a full review instead. 😅

Together with a few photos from her build, I thought it would be much better to keep this as a proper article rather than reduce it to a few lines.

The review below is published in Marine’s own words, without editing.

DeToyz Review Issues 1-48

Since I started the AE86 building project on May 5th, the car has indeed, quite evolved - and quickly. I must say that is mostly due to a special arrangement kindly made to Chong and Detoyz. Therefore, I am able to retrieve a 12 issues parcel every month due to my geographic location (France). Now, I am currently at issue 48 and here’s a few words about the building so far.

Overview

First and foremost, when you gently approach issue 50, the AE86 is looking more and more as it should be. The engine is now set in the engine compartment with most pipes fixed. Also, the four wheels are added to the chassis which give more stability to the car. Another major point is that starting from issue 43, the light system is to be fixed as well on the chassis. THIS is where it’s getting serious and funny as you also build the remote control that allows you to play with the car like a boy who’s got his car toy for Christmas!

Specific points from assembling experience

There are some points (I promise not many) I’d like to underline when you reach the Trueno building as far as I did.

The pipes on the engine

You may think that you’ll remember which pipe is to fix on specific parts out of the engine based on their length like me but in fact, you probably won’t. It even becomes harder to manipulate them without damaging or even breaking tiny parts (e.g oil pump, compressor…) once the 4A-GE engine is set on its compartment. ALSO, what I thought a little bit useless was in the end, something I do every time from now on - enlarging the pipes with a toothpick. Struggling less means being more efficient for what comes next. Labeling the pipes (e.g 41-L, 37-D, etc..) may also be useful…

Car supports

A little feature that is quite significant in your assembling is - or are - the car supports. Delivered with issue 42, they revealed themselves quite convenient when working on another part or on the engine not to damage the whole chassis. A simple good-looking and yet, essential to ensure a nice and smooth assembling.

Light system and remote control

I always apprehend the electric system when building a car model or any other kinds of models. Fortunately, the AE86 light system isn’t that complicated as long as you remain meticulous and you’re not rushing things. The cables are pretty colourful - I admit it looked almost like Christmas lights - and they help you to better recognize them. They are ALREADY labeled so do not throw the labels away… I personally don’t read Japanese for the instructions (or at least a few words) but numbers are international so you can get over and know which cable goes where. Once you’ve sorted all the light cables, you have to build the remote control and at the end, you want only one thing: buying batteries to test all the electronic system! At that precise moment, you definitely feel excited and you want to test all buttons over and over again!

Conclusion

I don’t even regret a single coin spent on this model as when you look at the quality of the parts (real metal parts for some, the chassis is quite heavy) and all the details you have to assemble to make the Trueno as realistic as possible, you do enjoy the assembly. Moreover, the light and sound effects included in the building of the AE86 add an even cooler dimension to the building project!

Thank you to Chong and DeToyZ company for making me live this amazing experience!

— Marine · France

A Note from DeToyz

One thing I like about Marine’s review is that many of the things she noticed are also things I came across during my own build — especially labelling the pipes and wires, supporting the chassis properly, and taking more time once the electrical system starts to become crowded.

She is now approaching Issue 50, so there is still quite a long way to go. I’m looking forward to seeing how her AE86 develops from here.

If you would like to follow my own build or find out how the AE86 issues can be arranged through DeToyz:

Explore the DeAgostini AE86 Build Project →

Read the AE86 Purchase Guide →