puddingwrestler

Some time ago I designed a set of generic 1950s cars and pick ups for use in wargames and role playing. As such, they are not really to scale (they're designed to work in 28-30mm scale, but are not based on any kind of measurements of prototypes) and are pretty blocky since I wanted them to be easy for kids to build. In the end, I never ran the ATOMIC SPACE MUTANTS FROM MARS campaign they were designed for, but I thought you might like to see them anyway. These are the sort of models you can use on kids as a gateway to bigger and better things, they take about five to ten minutes to cut and glue, and you can even customize them using something like Photoshop. I used Inkscape to draw them. At some point I might put out a sheet of customizing parts - glue on alternate grilles, glue on side pipes, maybe a blower... More such nonesense (including the affore mentioned Atomic Space Mutants) can be found on my photobucket account.

A while ago I got into 15mm Sci Fi gaming using the GruntZ rules. One of the first things I thought was 'hey, we could play convoy escort scenarios!' for some reason. Being cheap, and not wanting to wait for weeks while models shipped to me from the UK, I ended up scratch building my own trucks. There's even a tutorial on my blog about building them, as well as more pics.

Behold it's awesome boot-li-ness: The 1948 Davis! And Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion. Which always looks like a slug to me, although I realise there are fans. I actually kinda like this one, but it can go either way. It's called 'The Phantom Corsair', but it apeared in a movie once under the name of 'The Flying Wombat' or some such nonesense... and I think the name on it's own qualifies. There are a few others, but I can't remember thier names - several have diamond wheel layouts.

Damnably cool! Thanks Sweptline for asking the question, and thanks to his cranky emminence for giving me a sweet new idea to play with. If only this happened a few weeks ago, I've just bought some scale motorsport decals, and if I'd thought of this technique, I might not have bothered

A Suzuki WagonR type RR? I must have one in time for talk like a pirate day!

Do my eyes deceive me or is that a 1976 Big Green Thing?

I'm glad to see what I'm pretty sure is a Triumph Mayflower. It proves that there are other people out there who think along the same lines as me!

Go back about three posts Torino and you'll see my fender plans. Ill try to shove pics of the latest masking tape mockup online this arvo.

Yeah, but Corillac sounds kinda like some sort of disease which turns your heart lillac And what happens if you are booked for speeding in one, is it a corillac arrest?

Here's some pics of the grille shell and grille. The grille itself is upside down so you can't see the big white bits where I removed the top part. I'll paint those silver so they are even less noticable before instalation.

I've figured out what to do with the rear in another of those flashes of inspiration. I was thinking about using cycle fenders over the wheels, but held the kit's stock fenders up to check them out anyway. THen I got hit by inspiration again. I will be using the stock fenders either side of a shortened pickup bed. The fenders will be moved forwards so thier leading edge is flush with the rear of the cab. They will also be moved upwards to clear the rear wheels, ending up flush with the underside of the lip around the bed. I actually toyed with the idea of removing the bed all together and using a plate over the tops of the fenders to form a car-like rear end with boot (trunk) but dropped the idea. The bed will be slightly shorter than the fenders so they project behind it a little, and the lights will be fitted to the bed, which will have a tonneau and rollbar. This is not the really big part of the idea. The really big part is removing the windshield completely and fitting a frame-less, very low 'roadster' style wind shield, similar to those fitted to various late 50s/early 60s concept cars. Just a flat panel of backwards angled glass really. Oh, and I've used my dremel to widen the grille opening ot get the chevy grille to fit nicely. As promised, pics tonight.

To be honest, I'm not sure what'll go on the back. I was originally intending fuel tank, but there's a fair bit of space back there meaning there'd be a lot of exposed chassis rail, which I don't really want. I'm not sure the stock bed would work. I might need to narrowit , shorten it and fit a tonneau or something. I'll get pics of the grille next time I update pics. It's a real mess at the moment since I hit it with putty, but have not sanded it back yet.

A while ago I had one of those blinding flashes on inspiration which reind me that I am a: a modeler and b: insane (a very happy combination!) The idea went roughly like this: In the early days of hot rodding, the T-Bucket was popular. It was the body of a model T roadster pickup, mounted on a hot chassis, with a socking HUGE motor out the front, and a shortened pickup bed or fuel tank pout the back. What would happen if you repeated this formula with a later ford pickup? Say an F1 or F100? The idea languished for a while due to my inability to find an F100 model, but I finally located one on eBay for $60. It came with three free models. (Okay, it's one of those AMT four packs, but since I only really wanted the F100, I like to say it came with three free kits - 67 Stand, 57 300C and 62 T Bird btw) So, the idea is as follows: turn the F100 into a roadster, remove all hood etc. leaving only the grille shell and readiator, lower it a lot and shorten the chassis. Place HUGE motor out the front. Refer to it as 'F-Bucket'. I have refused to allow my lack of any kind of grasp of the mechanics of chassis design stand in my way - I've Z'ed the front and back, channeled the body slightly and sectioned the grille surround. Originally, I was going to use the grille was an AMT 64 Mercury Marauder re-issue, but I sectioned the grille shell a little too far, and the mercury grille was too wide to start with, so now I plan to use the bottom part of a 51 Chevy grille which I also have spare. The F100 comes with buckets in a tasetful 70s pattern, but I want traditional seating, so the stock front bench fo a promodeller 48 Ford convertible is going in. It'll probably need minor modifications to fit. The interior is a bit plain, so I'll be fitting tuck and roll. Anyways, here's a rough mockup showing where I am at and how it'll be arranged. Probably.

The Cadvette is now completed and can be viewed in the 'under glass' section of the forum.

The Cadvette is now complete! Build up information is available here. Paint is 'Powerspray' auto touch up (I think it's basically the same as Duplicolour) metallic deep blue. The front grill insert has been sprayed with an aerosol chrome as a bit of an experiment, and because I was getting sick fo BMF Interior is a mix of Citadel and Tamiya acrylics.

You mean there are people out there who know not of the Crosley Farm-O-Road? Gadzooks sir, does thier ignorance know no bounds? I think I read about it somewhere... and the name is so silly it just stuck in my memory, although I had no idea what they look like until now! I salute you, your Crofton Bug, and your insanity.

Very cool! The decals on the hood look very familiar, but I just can't place them... I'm thinking ww1 french fighter plane, but I've been wrong about these thigns so often that I really don't trust my identification.

Very cool. I love those tail lights.

Interesting that you mention locked cabinets - the first time I entered Model Expo (Melbourne, Australia model show) they used glass display cabinets, but they were not locked as far as I remember. Possibly they locked them during the show and unlocked when it was time to collect builds, I know they were unlocked when I went to collect my stuff. This was in 2001. The second time I entered was in 2008, and they'd moved venues (the original burned down apparently, while I was not paying attention due to oving over to wargaming instead of modeling for a while). The new venue does not have display cabinets, so it's back to tables. I have not had anything pinched, but then again, I have not made anything really pinch worthy. I haven't heard anything about models bieng pinched from Model Expo, but I admit I have not been paying very close attention.

The body has been painted, foiles, polished and waxed. I still need to make the new grille insert, but after that final assembly can occur. I seem to have lost a tyre somehow, so I'm not using the stock wheel/tyre combo as planned. I'm using a set of white walls and wheels from AMT's custom 57 300C. They are a touch wider, so they are a tighter fit, but they work nicely. I should get this done tommorow.

Something about the reflections in the paint work just doesn't look right to me, so I'm going model.

Since I can't seem to find the engine for the Wasabi and the Ryuju was basically done apart from exessive amounts of very frustrating BMF work (now completed) I started work on my next porject a few days ago. The idea is to blend 1953(ish) Cadillac styling with a 1953 Corvette. Nothin really extravagent like adding the fins, but some reshaping of wheel arches and side trim work. I'm using Monogram's 1953 Corvette, and apart from the body things are basically stock. Chassis and engine are done, although I'm visiting my parents and didn't bring any black spray paint so the chassis is unpainted at present. So far I've fitted blanking plates to the front wheel arches to change the shape. There'll be a chrome side trim strip running across the top of the new wheel arch shape. I've also fitted similar plates to the rear arches, although these plates incorporate skirts on the lower portions (There's a second layer of plasticard on the top portion so it fits flush to the body, while the skirts are recessed). I've also added a full lenght running board-ish trim piece along the bottom of the body. When the blanking plates in the arches are fully blended in, I'll be fitting the new side trim. Interior paint has been started. I'm using deep reds (Citadel Red Gore and Scab Red) and will fit deep red carpets.

As mentioned earlier, there is a model of it. Arii (sometimes under the Micro Ace brand) produce on in thier 1/32 Owner's Club range. It's available in it's stock form, racing form, and porbably police form, as most of the Owner's Club range are available as police and taxi versions. Here's a link to the race version. As you can see, the model is tiny. Really tiny. I have one of the larger Mazda Carols, and it's under 10cm long.

I've just started to use a new type of stand made by taping straws together. You tape two pairs into X shapes to hold the body, and tape another between them to hold them apart, then tape it down to a solid surface. I use a potter's throw wheel (atleast I think that's what it's called) which is basically a wooden disc resting on three up turned castor wheels, so I tape it to that. I've used a coat hanger based thingee before, but I seem to have lost it.

I like the paint effects; particularly the sort of tie-dye look behind the black stripes on the sides and roof. How are these things achieved?