Before
the upper and lower body sub-assemblies were fixed permanently together the
interior required a few parts to be painted and added. The largest items
being the kit supplied wooden benches. Along with the steering wheel these were
kept separate for painting. I had long since removed the kit fire extinguisher from
the driver’s side wall as it was pointed out to me that it was of an early
design. In its place now sits a 3D printed late style empty bracket. Two other
features that look peculiarly placed are the MG ammo box and its leather pouch. As
these were already fixed in the vehicle as per the instructions, and well bonded, they were left
to avoid damage. They have yet to be detail painted.
I have to admit that matching both paint and weathering to the existing interior was a little tricky to accomplish. The inside of the rear doors being the largest surface I had to coordinate, plus feathering in the effects to the newly painted fire extinguisher bracket. A little wear has been imparted on the bench seats where they will have no doubt been continuously stood on, but I kept them largely free of any heavy weathering effects. The gear and track floor mounted control handles were detail painted as was the steering wheel which was then mounted. Additional light weathering has been added to the floor with oils and enamels with a smidgen of earth-coloured pigments and crushed sea grass pushed into the corners.
Closing up the interior
The time had finally come to connect the upper and lower body sub-assemblies. This was done with both styrene and CA glue and with the assistance of elastic bands to ensure a nice tight bond, left overnight to fully cure.
Chapter 7
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