CarolsHusband

Bored of halftrack now. / couple of outside pics for Fred.

Almost done. I'm either going to take some outdoor shots inc. background, or add some figures. Also, the care package arrived from Canadia, photo etch for the 1/25 AMT D8 Cat. I've been main-lining Diesel Creek videos on YouTube so it's going to be proper fucked. / I may have to build the PBY for a bit of a rust rest // pic

I decided to make the base a bit bigger as it was looking a bit cramped. On the home straight now.....

Chucked it all together to get a rough idea. Soz @tortron, no slightly iffy plastic fantasy women were exploited in the making of this diorama

In this context, yes. /FFS, it's like talking to myk00l.

Thanks Tori, that's not very helpful.

Nearly done, just trying to decide about doing figures. Just need to finish the base & tracks and then nail it all together.

That'll be fun. I'm yet to feel comfortable doing the 1/25 patina so I look forward to your results. Not sure if it should be easier or harder when the vehicles are bigger.

I had these masks left over from another kit. Pretty handy as they allow a bit of patina to be added unlike the decals & so fit in a bit better with my "style", shall we say... Should look ok once they're covered in shite. I'll have to start thinking about a bananarama for it next as there'll be tracks & wheels & stuff lying around.

Howdy. Got a bit more done.... Upper hull done, just needs some abuse. Nearly there I reckon....

Update, featuring pictures I can see as well as you. I spent a whopping 5 pounds on a set of Chi-an-eez detail brushes from Amazon. Best fiver ever. / An average workman credits his tools.

A bit more half-arsed, half-witted half-trackery

The nights ate drawing in so I'm looking forward to a bit more model time. Chevy got finished. It doesn't look too bad IRL, but you'd never guess from the pictures. Halftrack is coming along, very slowly. I got a late birthday present off the boy today, it's really nice and has so many optional parts it's unreal. Aoshima do four Hako kits so I'm guessing they supply either a 4 door or coupe shell & different wheels, and the rest is common to every kit. Cheap as chips too. /will trade again.

*It was a 302 apparently. I have sharns. / pic

@nels That's mint, I look forward to the 2025 version. Please make it brown. Back in the 80's in Sarf Lairndon we had the Harris brothers who built loads of Mk1 " Z Cars", mostly 302 powered. They mostly had that healthy rake until the pro street thing took off. & then they went all low & started dzus'ing the rear quarters on. Mate had a 289 MK1 Consul they had a hand in, it was a proper sleeper. Anyway, good luck with it

They don't down here because it never really freezes but the previous 33 years were in salt country. It's from the inside out, it was first used in a limestone quarry & the rails are full of dust which reacts with the water. I'll save it, I'm just not sure how. Or when. Got Mrs Shuzz's Fourtrak in bits too. / Daily driving the Skyline, living the dream.

.....Except for the rest, obvs. Reckon if I cut all this out in one hit the bloody thing will fold up. I can't find any patch sections yet, a new galv chassis would be nice but it only seems to be Land Rovers that are worthy of such riches. Hmm, reckon it's earned itself a trip to the corner of the barn while I make a plan.

Spent another hour or two on it this arvo. Good news is that the oil all over the rear axle is a busted shock, the half shaft seals are good & all the brakes are dry. Not so good is more rust, but I am sure that's all. Hoping to crack on with it as I miss driving it big time. If I don't get a new galv tub from Thailand, I'm going to make a longer flatbed at the very least. Gonna order some parts later, all the bits I didn't order 7 years ago when I last did this !

Here we go again.... Oh well, I s'pose 37 years is a fair rust-free innings for a Hilux chassis The rest seems good still so I'll probably replace it with a bit of box section. Interior & front end strip next and then engine out I guess.

Nearly bled the brakes, by which I mean I did three out of four corners but one nipple was seized & rounded off so it's going to be dualies off so I can get at it properly. I'm also going to need some bigger spanners. Not entirely convinced It's not actually the master cylinder letting by but here's hoping a big load of air comes out the last wheel cylinder Also had a look at the tomfoolery that is the tipper controls. It's a period bed, piston & pump but the linkages are all homemade & the levers are totally in the wrong place. They're s'posed to be tight against the seat base. They are currently where your foot needs to be for starting, driving, braking etc. Not ideal. and the hole in the floor is pure butchery. I'm going to move them. Maybe to the bin & just bolt the bed down, or go the whole hog & change it for a wooden cargo bed which is probably what it came with. I'll check serial numbers though & if it was an earlier steel one I'll just get rid of the tipper gubbins.

You vill ask zee questions

Nah, that's one I made up. It would have been green but with no markings originally, they only put stars on them to give the enemy something to aim at. If I can save the majority of the yellow by careful sanding I will and leave it at that. There's council emblems under the green too. I had a load of pics but they got lost in the great laptop disaster of 2024. It may have been one of these To be honest it's lucky it made it out at all. Rated at 1.5 tons...

G'wan, you know you want to.

As most of you know I've had my '42 Chevy dump truck for a couple of years. It's not the first time I've bought the right car at the wrong time but as with the Skyline, a good deal only comes up now & then. This one never saw any combat action (not that many made it out of America) but apparently it was used in the building of the Alaska Highway. After the war it became a council truck/ snowplough in Canada and the came to the UK in 2017-ish. This is what it looked like upon arrival The bloke who bought it was tempted by the silver screen & painted it back to army spec for the " Masters of the air" mini series. Bit of a shame really. He did some work on it but it was never really a restoration. Sadly I've lost a lot of pictures & videos but you'll get the idea. So the time has come to get it on the road properly. I've done some miles in it but it's a bit of a handful as is, especially with no indicators, brake lights & barely any mirrors. It still fires up fine And I've cleared some space & moved it over so I can get round it. Brakes need bleeding. wiring needs doing & hopefully the mirror situation is in hand. Having been under/over/inside it recently, it has become clear it wasn't originally a tipper. Various, but not all the right parts have been fitted but there's still stuff missing. I'm not sure if I should leave it or turn it back into a cargo truck. Biggest problem is that the levers for the bed are where your right foot wants to be for the starter & the throttle. I've got size elevens and it's hard work not getting caught up. Anyway, my plan is to civilianise it again. Nothing more than some paint & decent mirrors really. Maybe a couple of marker lights and an airhorn. I made a model of it with the intended paint jawb. I'll let the sea air add the rust... I'm hoping to get it out in the lanes & cause tourist mayhem before the summer holidays are over. Thank you for your interest.

There's hope for it yet. Might try & sort the roof, might resort to long term weather damage. Might have to buy a better camera.