After posting my intentions earlier in the year to get busy completing the numerous shelf queens, guess what? Procrastination set in yet again! 😳 A bunch of new purchases distracted my plans, and I set about building those immediately! Models started are Dragon's medical version Kubelwagen, Miniart's Mercedes Typ 170V saloon, and my second Tamiya Steyr 1500A. All are ready for a coat of Tamiya fine primer.
There is a plan afoot I promised myself. After inspiration from a series of photographs, the plan is to display each of these recent builds on a series of interlinking bases showing a stretch of road with a single or several models on each base.
Dragon's relatively old Medi Kubel is a lovely little kit and apart from some additional sculpting of the canvas roof, fitted together painlessly. I found the styrene quite soft so removing small items from the sprue and sanding was very easy. The engine door, driver’s seat and wheels will be left off to aid painting and the all in one clear screen will require some masking on both sides before painting commences.
Miniart's recently released Type 170V is a little gem and again fitment is perfect. It’s a shame the styrene is a little brittle, so care is required removing small items off the sprue gates. The wonderfully delicate and fragile rear springs are rendered as one continual spiral piece and the suspension alone is quite an undertaking! The bodywork is thankfully moulded in one piece so no unsightly mid roof joints. This also benefits interior painting as both the chassis and bodywork can be painted separately then simply joined together. The bonnet top has nicely rendered hinges and can be positioned open to show the nicely detailed engine bay hidden underneath. This includes the fuel tank and all the engine bay bracing. There is a small photo etched fret which includes front grille, wipers, bonnet catches, and number plates.
The Steyr 1500A was the first kit I started when I got back into the hobby and although it is most definitely an ancient kit by modern standards it’s still a competent affair and reassuringly snaps together in typical Tamiya fashion. This time it was pimped up with the Eduard photo etch No.35196 set. This comes in their black plated brass and includes wipers, semaphores, dash clocks, brackets, gun rack holders, and number plates.
I also purchased CMK's resin engine set as Tamiya do not offer an engine with the kit. This includes the bonnet should you want to display it opened. Although I followed CMK's instructions the engine is set too high. A serious amount of tinkering is required to get it to fit as it should and unfortunately this required removal of the resin exhaust pipes. Fortunately they can be re-attached from under the wheel arches once the engine is located. The top belt pulley required an extra length to fit and I employed stretched sprue for the task. This was gradually softened with glue and bent around each pulley. I cut off one of the kit front wings, inflicted a series of bends and re-attached to replicate damage.
The kit front wheels do not articulate so a little fettling is required to display them statically turned. As the plastic is quite soft the steering linkages can be bent easily to accommodate this. I also articulated the suspension slightly to show the vehicle in a ditch. Again this was easily accomplished by careful bending of the rear leaf springs and at the front end by adjusting the shock (damper) lengths. Green stuff was utilised to show various items of military paraphernalia strewn about the abandoned cab. The rear doors will be shown part open, and this will be filled with various aftermarket items. The front end assembly and seats will kept seperate to aid painting of the engine and interior as will the PE dash dials. Masking fluid will be deployed on the windscreen.
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