model car


Hot Rod 7s

I recently got, from Ebay, this kit of a BMW Dixi.

Dixi

The Dixi was basically an Austin 7 made under licence in Germany. I’m thinking of turning it into a rod, so this post about hotrod Austin 7s was interesting. I may use some of the stuff available from Scale Link in 1:24th, which includes a Rover V8, the quintessential british rodding motor.

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Ratty T is finished


Ratty T, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

I completed the rat rod T bucket a few weeks ago, but have only just got the photos uploaded.

Ratty T engine

The engine wiring is fairly basic, just the wires going to the spark plugs, no fuel or coolant lines. The exhaust pipes are aluminium tubing trimmed and superglued to the block, a bit more realistic than the plastic pipes that came with it.

Ratty T interior

The interior is basic. I didn’t add any extra detailing. All the gauges are sporting a very ratty black on black look.

Ratty T rear end

The fuel tank is a drop tank, probably 1:72nd, from the spares bin.

Ratty T

And here’s the T from the side. I’m looking for interesting new ways to display my models, this one’s going to be mounted in a picture frame, so it can be stood on someone’s desk like a photo of the family.

There are a few more photos of the build in the Ratty T set.


Ratty T


Model T chassis- front Z, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

I’ve become fascinated by rat rods in the last year or so, so when I got a Lindberg model T in 1:32nd scale it seemed natural that I should make something old school.

It’s a simple model, so I’ll try to keep my modifications to it simple. The first step was to drop the body nearer the ground. As in the real thing, this was done by Z’ing the frame. The chassis is cast as a single piece incorporating the sump and some of the front suspension. The trailing arms helped me line everything back up when I cut through the rails just behind the radiator mount. The thickness of the cut allowed me to insert a section of plastic strip into the gap which gave a firm mount for the step. A similar process was followed at the rear.

The frame rails and suspension have been painted Games Workshop Chaos Black, my flat black of choice. The sump and trailing arms will probably be Boltgun Metal. Everything will get a light coat of rust before the car goes together.


Oxford Diecast 1:76th Ford Pop

I may have got a little too excited when I found out Oxford Diecast were doing a Ford Pop in 1:76th scale. And I don’t think I was the only one. When I went to pick some up today I got the last two in the shop.

The first thing I did was take one of them apart to see what the prospects are like for customising. Oxford’s cars are held together with screws rather than the rivets that so many others use, so this was easy enough. The bumpers are moulded as part of the body. They’ll have to be filed off and there’ll need to be a bit of sculpting to make that convincing. The interior is a pretty basic tub. I’ll probably build a whole new one, particularly if I go with early plans to build a drag or Pro-Street car.

It’s time to dig out the old copies of Street Machine and Custom Car for inspiration.


Post Apocalypse Pony


Post Apocalypse Pony, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.
Post Apocalypse Pony
Post Apocalypse Pony

The Mustang is now finished and mounted on a base, which I painted a combination of gunmetal and rust because I thought it would complement the finished.

You have to peer in to see the weapons and other kit, so it’s a little undercover as a post apocalypse ride. Future dark future motor cars will have weaponry mounted for firing on the move.

The gunge seems to have pooled heaviest at the back of the boot. Perhaps this was the dampest patch and the lichen and moss grew fastest there.

More photos can be seen in the Post Apocalypse Pony set.


On the modelling table- Post Apocalypse Pony

Post Apocalypse Pony- front view with grunge

I mentioned my plans to make a bunch of cars inspired by Mad Max, Car Wars and the upcoming Death Race remake, so here’s the first. This is the Post Apocalypse Pony, a 1980s Ford Mustang that’s seen better days and has been kitted out to survive on the grim highways of the future.

It started out as a Monogram Snap-Fix kit. I haven’t made many modifications to the body or interior, just added a cache of weapons and equipment. Only after finishing the weathering did I think that it should have had some battle scars or dents. Oh well, the driver’s just very good at avoiding things but crap at cleaning his vehicle.

Interior-

Post Apocalypse Pony- interior

The tub was painted Tamiya Buff with detailing picked out in silver and flat black. The seats are Games Workshop Snakebite Leather. The dash is flat black with white and silver detailing. The passenger seat has been sacrificed to make space for supplies and weapons, all of which came from an old Airfix multipose set of US Marines. There’s a knife on the back of the driver’s seat, a pistol in a holster on the doorb and the submachine gun propped up on the back seat as well as binoculars, a water bottle, ammunition clips and an entrenching tool. Before fitting the tub into the body I may add a few more bits and pieces because I don’t think it’s cluttered enough. The interior was given a wash of Games Workshop Badab Black to pick out details.

Body-

Post Apocalypse Pony- From above Post Apocalypse Pony- right side Post Apocalypse Pony- Rear view with grunge

I’ve made no changes to the shape of the body. The bonnet has been painted a nice dark blue, a Games Workshop foundation colour but I forget its name, and the trim is flat black. There were no instructions on the colour of the lights in the rear clusters so I made that up. Rust was added in various spots and then I experimented with a wash to weather it. The thinners I’ve been using for quite a while was so full of paint that it was no longer any use for cleaning brushes. But it did provide a nice grotty green was for the car. I pooled it on the roof and let it run down the body naturally, pooling wherever it was stopped. It looks a lot like the sort of algae you often find growing on cars in scrapyards, as if the vehicle’s been discovered in a barn and pressed into service.

Chassis-

Annoyingly the photos I took of the underside of the car are all out of focus. I’ll get some more before I put it all together. The chassis was painted flat black and a sump guard was made out of a piece of plastic card. Then the whole thing was liberally brushed over with rust and a few silver spots picked out where stones have caught it.

The wheels were painted flat black and then the ribs were picked out with silver.

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Death Race

They’re remaking Death Race 2000, now simply Death Race, with Jason Statham taking the role of Frankenstein. This may just be another example of the film industry running out of ideas, but at least the cars they’ve built for this version look suitably hardcore.

I’ve been collecting 1:32nd scale car kits for a while with the intention of creating a set of vehicles something like the ones made for Death Race. I think it’s time to start work on a few of them so they’ll be done by the time the film comes out.

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Urban Collectables

A range of stolen, joyridden and crashed toy cars to add a little gritty realism to your collection.

Each Urban Collectable car is completely unique and has been individually hand burnt. The range includes The Joy ridden 2-door Hatchback, The Mini Van/Insurance Scam and The Petrol Bombed Jeep.

via Jalopnik

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