Steyr 1500a (Tamiya 1/35)

 

Tamiya 1/35 Steyr 1500A #35255 with CMK 3013 resin engine set and Eduard photo etch set #35196

 

After having already built Tamiya's Steyr 1500a out of the box, I decided to build another, only this time I would spend a little more time adding a few additional items, such as CMK's engine kit and an aftermarket PE kit from Eduard.

I decided from the off that the wheels would be articulated, and the suspension would be compressed on one side due to how it was to sit on the groundworks I had planned. The steering angles must be cut and re-attached as they are not adjustable. It’s not difficult to do but it is worthwhile checking where on the actual vehicle they do articulate, as it’s not obvious. A few reference pics remedied the ambiguity and all that was required was to cut and re-position the steering knuckles.

Next up was to compress the suspension on one side. This involved shortening the spring/damper set up which was a simple cut and shut affair. Once completed the steering linkages and track rod arm can be carefully adjusted to match the change in wheel angles.

As the vehicle was to be displayed sat in a ditch the front nearside fender received some damage. I first cut it off the body moulding and inflicted the damage using various tools. I remedied a few overzealous marks with putty and sanded back. The fender was then attached back to the body looking missaligned. 

CMK's resin engine kit has been out for a long time, so I decided to take a stab at fitting it. You get the engine (obviously) and the fuel tank, which sits atop the bulkhead along with an additional resin bonnet (hood)

 

 

This aftermarket kit requires you to sand and cut back some of the existing engine bay area, so it fits to the profile of the engine shown below the chassis rail line. To cut a long story short and following the instructions to the letter, the engine still sits too high. A great deal of fettling, filing, and re-positioning was required to make it fit, and it’s a far easier job (as I discovered) to complete without the bulkhead fitted. 

The pic below is the lowest I could get the engine to sit without the timing belt pulley touching the chassis. It just about sat low enigh for the bonnet to close!

A stretched piece of sprue runner was used for the timing belt.

 

To utilise the CMK supplied resin bonnet/hood you will need to cut and remove the original, as the kit lower panels and bonnet/hood come as one moulding

I do like the black Eduard PE. Its easy to bend and really stands out. A small length of copper wire was used for the Notek electric feed.

I planned to have the back doors open so I placed various bits of aftermarket kit, along with some items rendered with Green Stuff inside. The gaps between the tilt canopy and tilt bars were also filled with Green Stuff

Ready for primer

The model was primed with Tamiya rattle can red oxide and the engine, seats, tyres, and accessory colours were blocked in with their base colours. I do this partly as a shadow coat to prevent any bare plastic showing through. Adding a coat of harspray beforehand means I can simply remove any overspray on these areas using H2O and a paintbrush.  

I also airbrushed a little dark grey acrylic over selected areas so that any chipped basecoat paintwork would show a little variation in underlying colour.

Two fine coats of hairspray were then applied and left to dry. A Tamiya acrylic base coat mix of dark yellow, deck tan, and white, were mixed with water and airbrushed on. Once dry the first stage of chipping begins. 

Any over spray is easily removed with a dampened painbrush. A dark yellow has a dusty tone so any areas of base colour left can add a nice patina over other colours. Additional paint can easily be added at a later stage to neaten up any areas requiring attention.

 

Not all the base coat was removed from the engine components as any remaing dark yellow leaves a nice initial dusty worn look, to which more weathering effects can be added. 

Scratches and scuff marks are kept to areas that would suffer most wear. This is only the first stage of weathering but one that is easily controllable and gives a realistic scale appearance.

 

The Eduard dashboard mask and micro-detailed dials look really nice behind the painted dash cover plate.

 

I then attached all the various parts I had painted separately. I added a few more items to the interior including a framed painting and some draped clothing. The next step was to add some dust and wear and tear to the interior. This was done with both pigment and oil paints. The exterior received a dust coat with a few light airbrush passes of Tamiya XF57 over a coat of hairspray. This was then worked on with a damp brush to remove areas and highlight areas where crew movement will have disturbed it. 

I then proceeded to check the fit on the base I had prepared. It took a few attempts to get the Steyr to sit naturally on the base. Next up is to affix the rear doors and windscreen. Once I'm happy it’s time to start work on the Kubelwagen I have planned to accompany it.

To be continued......