After having already built Tamiya's Steyr 1500a OOB I decided to build another only this time I would spend a little more time on this one 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 groundwork I had
planned. The steering angles must be cut and re-built as they are not
adjustable. It’s not difficult to do but it is worthwhile checking at which
point 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 along with the wheel hub.
Next up was to compress the suspension on one side. This involved shortening
the spring/damper set up on one side 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 shown in a ditch the front n/side fender received some
damage. To do this convincingly using the kits fender I cut it off completely
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.
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 and also another bonnet (hood).
The aftermarket resin kit requires you to sand/cut back the existing kit’s plastic, so it fits to the profile of the engine shown below the chassis rail line. To cut a long story short following the instructions to the letter the engine still sits way too high. A great deal of fettling, filing, and re-positioning is required to make it fit and it’s a far easier job to complete without the bulkhead fitted (as I discovered) The pic below is the lowest I could get it without the belt wheels touching the chassis. This JUST fits with the bonnet closed!
A melted and stretched sprue runner is used for the timing belt.
Although CMK supply an engine hood if you are to use it you still need to cut the existing kit's front end as the lower panels and hood come in 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 electrics.
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 Mission Models red oxide and then the engine, seats, tyres, and accessory colours were blocked in with their base colour. I do this partly as a shadow coat to prevent any bear plastic showing but also as I will use hairspray to chip the Dunkelgelb base coat. I will remove any over spray on these areas at the same time. Once the final coat goes on these parts will be detail painted and a nice smooth patina will result in any colour transition areas.
I also used a little dark grey over certain areas so that
the chipped paintwork would show a little variation in colour.
Two fine coats of hairspray were then applied and left to dry. A Tamiya base
coat mix of dark yellow, deck tan and white mixed with water were then
airbrushed on and once dry the first stage of chipping begins.
Any over spray is easily removed and as the Dunkelgelb has a dusty appearance
any small or awkward areas of base colour left always adds a nice patina on the
first blocked in colours as per the pics of the engine and wheels below.
Additional paint can be added at a later stage to neaten up any areas requiring
attention.
Scratches and scuff marks are kept to areas that would suffer most wear. It does seem a lot of effort to achieve this effect so sometimes I will just prime the individual areas that require chipping but in the case of the Steyr there are so many areas that would show signs of wear in combat I decided to prime the whole model with two light coats. 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 face plate is very effective once the base coat is down.
After a break from the project, I returned in January and attached most
of the various parts I had already painted separately. I added a few more items
to the interior including a framed painting. The next step was to add
some dust and wear and tear to the interior. This was done with pigment and
oils and the exterior received a few light coats of Tamiya XF57. With the
benefit of hairspray (once again 😉) this can be agitated in places to show where movement of personal will
have removed the dust on edges and moving parts. 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 so next up
is to affix the rear doors and windscreen. Once I'm happy it’s time to
start work on the second vehicle I have planned to accompany it.
