So before I start this review, I am aware that it’s been a while since I was last active in terms of content. The reasons behind this will be made clear in an upcoming post. Apologies for the down time but it brings me great pleasure to dust the cobwebs off and take a look at these recently released wheels from a StreetBlisters!
Let’s start with the wonderful packaging StreetBlisters decided on to showcase their products. Simply slide the inner case out and you are greeted with an unusual but very much welcome sight. The inner case comes with inserts for the wheels to remain seated during their journey from Spotmodel to your letterbox!
I’m a sucker for nice packaging, SB (StreetBlisters) have really thought out the box here and not only kept the size of the box to a minimum, but the crisp tyres are already mounted to the wheels.
As with many aftermarket wheels not made by the big model kit companies themselves, the wheels don’t come with a sprue, which is surprising considering they are plastic.
Yes they are plastic aftermarket wheels!
Already we are off to a great start with these, and it just gets better. There is pretty much zero flash on the wheels and the details around the bolts/lug nuts are as crisp as you will see on the flagship models from Tamiya such as the LaFerrari and the LFA.
As you can see the fitment of these wheels suit the Aoshima and Fujimi staple by allowing the kits poly-caps to be inserted to allow for them to be mounted securely to the car. One thing I did notice was that the caps from the Fujimi Integra I have used for some test shots later on didn’t fit tightly enough. I had to raid the parts box and find some slightly thicker/larger poly-caps usually found in the Aoshima kits.
Don’t be put off by this however! Simply get a tiny amount of superglue or epoxy and simply glue the caps in. Unfortunately the wheels do not come with their own set.
Usually in my wheel reviews I tend to take a look at the decals first so let’s get onto those before we go any further. Only these wheels don’t come with decals…
That’s right, these are stickers. I will admit at first I was somewhat hesitant until I saw the photos and videos SB posted of them being applied to the wheels. The blue rings sit flush and fit perfectly inside the wheel and give a fantastic effect. Because they are stickers you get a realistic gloss finish and gives you plenty of options of painting the wheels in a matt or satin finish if you wanted and adding the stickers will add a nice contrast and touch of realism.
The other stickers can be used however you wish. You’re given 2 sets of number plate options in a standard Euro or Japanese/US size configuration. A nice set of Advan stickers will complete your JDM styled build perfectly too!
Let’s go back to the wheels now, or more importantly the tyres that are included. If you’ve seen any of my previous reviews of kits or wheels, 99% of the time the tyre ratio is always completely out of scale to the wheels themselves. Aoshima fixed this issue with their recent range of 18″ wheels and I’m pleased to say that SB have followed suit!
The tyres themselves have a very small amount of stretch and a very low but perfectly in scale sidewall. The options you have to fit wheels to a smaller hatchback or coupes in the model world whilst still looking realistic are slim. SB have seen the lack of options we have and are filling that void with their 3 new wheel sets. More wheels will be coming soon too but I’m sworn to secrecy. You won’t be disappointed though!
I struggled to find any flash on both the inside and outside of the tyres too. They fit the wheels snugly and cover the entire wheel width too. SB also sell these tyres separately and I will have a more in depth review of these next week showcasing how they transform other wheels.
Do we have a set of wheels that can be used out of the box for the first time?! I know out of the box is a naughty phrase but let’s be honest, a quick build can be had with these wheels if you wanted.
So what do they look like under a car? Well I decided to get two Hondas out to show how effective these wheels are under the smaller cars of the 90’s. First up we have the Integra DC2. Starting on the standard and somewhat laughable standard ride height followed by a more welcome lowered ride height.
As you can see by the first set of photos: the wheels look a little bit lost in the arches. Given a little drop however and the look of the car is transformed.
Finally we have a Civic EK9 to showcase with both standard and lowered ride height.
And to echo what’s been said before, I think you’ll agree they look brilliant, especially with a slightly lower ride height.
So are these wheels perfect? Almost!
There are a few points I’d like to mention such as the lack of centre caps across the wheel range. Whilst this isn’t a deal breaker it would be great to see SB bring these out in future wheel sets and maybe even a separate set we can get to add them to the current range.
As mentioned earlier a set of poly-caps included would be a welcome addition. I find the stickers in place of the decals a nice change as they work on the particular wheel sets in the range. If we do get some centre caps then a corresponding sticker would be a great finishing touch too.
Finally I would also like a set of different coloured ring stickers, maybe as a separate product to really make the wheels unique and give us the option to colour code them with the car.
So what more can be said about these wheels apart from giving a huge shout out and thank you to StreetBlisters for providing these wheels for review!
You can find StreetBlisters on social media and online at:
The wheels are available from Spotmodel.com with worldwide shipping.
StreetBlisters have arrived on the model scene with a huge impact, a great company to work with and their products ooze quality, great stuff!
I hope you enjoyed this in depth review, it’s been great to get back to reviewing and I look forward to some more content coming soon!
Keep Modelling 🙂
ELP Modelling 