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RACE CAR TRANSPORTER
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This model is very un me and is only the second
car model I've ever made (first is a 1/12 scale Bentley). Like the other
car model I made this is motivated by something more than just wanting
to have the model. In a word money, yes some poor deluded fool is actually
paying me to build models (as if I need to be paid). The poor deluded
fool is my friend Matts dad and the model is to go with his vast (100+)
collection of 1/32 scale slot cars. This is supposed to be a team truck
for transporting the racing cars (which is why the center sections of
the car decks are cut out so the slot car guides fit in).  This
is an unusual model in that it's not a model at all, but a toy. See the
before picture. Basically what I was required to do was to paint the tray
gloss red, dull down the chrome a bit and do a bit more painting and make
the thing look less toy like. I started with what I thought was the easiest piece, the cabin. This is a die cast shell with chrome and black plastic pieces. I started by taking out the interior and patching some holes behind the seat backs with plasticard, then painting the seats and dash board. It's Surprising what a bit of paint can do for a toy like this. With the paint dry I glued the seats/floor to the dash, then added the steering wheel, however the wheel touched the seat when in it's original position so I moved it up a bit. Then I attached some handles to the inside of the doors and painted them. After the doors I painted the interior of the cabin black, returned the clear window piece, put the dash, seats etc. in and reconnected the doors.  With
the body completed I moved on to the next easiest piece, the chassis.
I began by disassembling the chassis then cutting off some of the screw
attachments and the differential casings (they are glued to the rear suspension
sub assembly instead to make the model look better). I then covered over
some screw holes and gaps with plasticard and started painting the chassis.
With the basic chassis painted I started attaching the remaining parts
to it. First I screwed on the front mud guards then attached the fuel
tanks and the steps. After puttying and sanding these parts I repainted
them and moved on to the rear suspension sub frame. Half the frame was
the same styrene as the chassis but the other half was a kind of hard
vinyl and only superglue would stick them together and they proved hard
to putty and sand well. With the sub frame attached I painted it black,
dry brushed silver, and gave it a rust wash. Top and bottom views here.
I mounted the finished cabin on the now complete chassis, added some air
tanks to hide a tab on the die casting and started work on the tray. To
work on the tray I broke it down into basic parts then hacking the holes
in them. As each of the tray sections was completed I took it to the shed
for a spray. When I had finished spraying the lower section of the tray
I painted the upper deck actuator arms black and highlighted bits in silver.
All the tray sections were then given a black wash and silver dry brush
on the tread plate sections. Finally the whole tray section was glued
back together and glued to the chassis. A few more details were picked
out in appropriate colours and after only three days I returned it to
Matts dad. He was most impressed with the speed and quality of the work.
Click here to see the chassis and mud guards
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Before Da FROG's patented beatification
treatment.  |
After Da FROG's patented beatification
treatment.  |
bravenet.com