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Totally LOVING this build! Is it okay if I make a tiny suggestion.... BIGGER rear tires for all that power up front

Great job on the wood grain. Quite an art to doing it right!

I totally agree with you. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can find thinner piano wire and replace this one. Thank you.

My son recently upgraded from a 2003 Jeep Rubicon to a 2023 4 door High Tide, and I decided to give him a 1:18 scale model of his vehicle as a gift. The closest I could come to his "Sting-gray" hardtop was a resin 2019 Jeep Rubicon in yellow made in limited numbers by GT Spirit (it amazes me that there are no other 1:18 scale models of the 4 door Jeeps, nor really any in other scales either). To get there, I had to take the entire model apart (do-able if you're careful as these resin builders use hot glue to bond the rudimentary parts together). The body went into an isopropyl alcohol bath for four days (the paint is super hard as though it is baked on, but luckily the resin is also quite tough). From there: - the hood vents were filled in with bondo and hood reprofiled. - interior repainted in tones of medium and dark gray, as well as black. - body painted in Tamiya gray TS-66 (the OEM Sting Gray was both too hot for the resin, and too dark in scale) - custom made High Tide and Jeep Wrangler decals on body. - antenna added with piano wire. - scratch built gas cap and inlet instead of filler door. - tires and rims from a 1:18 Maisto Ford Bronco (the rims looked very similar to the ones that came with my son's Extreme Recon Package, and the tires were the taller and wider profiles needed for the proper look) It came out pretty much right on the money when compared to the 1:1 vehicle. The only issue was that this was my first experience with a resin body, and I could not get it as smooth as I would have liked for a glossier paint job. Overall though, I am very pleased and will be looking forward to giving it to my son as a birthday gift in a couple of weeks. Here is the full size: And here it is in scale:

Such a beautiful car to build Hanjo, and a place for you to showcase your artistic abilities beyond just assembly. Thank you for sharing!

Wicked cool, Michelle! I like yours much better than the Hot Wheels version - - - especially your stance.

Totally digging that paint job.

Totally classy and classic Joe. Well done!

Totally love the "stink" you put on it!

Your two tone is gorgeous, and the way the lines of the car are accentuated, it looks downright Italian

Great looking build. Cannot go wrong with gloss black and bright red!

Add one more to the list of those who love your color combo! On that car, it looks totally rad

You sir, are an artist! The weathering is just too awesome

Aside from a great build, I am learning SO much from you! Thank you for posting as you go

Great artistry on a wonderfully rare build. Keep up the good work!

I'm digging your build! And I'm with you; I don't care if it's a 50 year old model in a sealed box going for $200 on ebay, it was meant to be built!

Not only a sweet build, but a great set of instructions for the rest of us to follow. Fantastic!

Totally digging the vibe on all three - the car, the figure, and especially the hut!

No wonder it looks so sexy!

Stunning beauties, the both of them! What is the story with the blue and black top? Did they offer vinyl tops, was it a paint scheme from that era, or just a wild creation all your own? In any event, looks awesome!

BTW; did you lower the windshield and top, or is this stock?

Absolutely FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for posting your build. I particularly love the two tone paint job, and obviously the attention to detail.

I'm getting ready to do this one. Man, I hope it comes out one third as nice as yours!

Very cool!

Thank you much for sharing! Both a slice of history, and a bit of new learning rolled into one.