I think it does look a bit better now…
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That there was some work!
Wow!
Mike
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Looks great, Alex. Very nice camo and weathering. 
Nice progress, Bert! Looking forward to see more 
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I promised some photos of the (semi) finished diorama. Only thing missing is a thunderbolt that is not yet build and some figures.
This is actually a combination of my entries for the LUV, P-51, and B-25 campaigns.
Very satisfied with the final result.
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Great looking combination !!!
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Great diorama! I would not have guessed that magnets would hold a model. Its a trick worth remembering.
Paul
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I love Jeeps and cut my teeth on a Korean War vintage Marine surplus Jeep. It was pretty beat up but ran great. It was a 24 volt radio jeep that had a waterproof ignition system. The Jeep had been rolled and partly stripped for parts so it was missing things like the ignition switch and the speedo none of which stopped it from being driven in the California desert or around town.
I have have my eye on the Fine Molds 1/20 scale “Slat Grilled” model in 1/20 scale for some years. That is a scale for GP cars in my world so it will make an interesting comparison when finished.
The kit comes with a full color booklet showing a restored Jeep. Even though I have other references, the booklet provides enough detail to build the model as it is. The booklet & instructions are mostly in Japanese but the assembly instructions have clear drawings and it isn’t an issue.
What has been an issue is the almost “limited run” feel of this kit. Some of the parts fit fine, other need fitting. There is flash on many parts and mold parting marks in many areas that need cleaning up.
In other places the maker has simplified detail to a shocking degree. The three control pedals are molded to the floor. I thought I would try painting a shadow to hide this and glued the body sides to the floor. Now I wish I had ground them out and built new pedals. The fit of parts is good in places and poor in others. Fitting and clamping have been required. It ain’t a Tamiya kit.
Its too early to say if this will be a good model or not. Once its assembled we will have to see if it really looks like a Jeep.
Paul
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What a wonderfully loaded Jeep! You really brought it to life.
I got some more assembly done on my own Fine Molds Jeep. I was comparing things with my old M-38 Korean War Jeep and see there were a lot of changes. The WW2 models were different enough to need a separate reference.
Paul
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Great work guys.
Just a reminder, a little over a month til the build ends. Hope you have all got the line in sight.
Whilst I am still overseas for a while, I will still be monitoring the end rush. I will also arrange for the medal to be awarded too. Cheers.
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Finished the Jeep for now, dust and mud will be added when this gets placed on a base with the other Katanga models.
And to show you what that will be like:
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Great work Bert. A very nice trio you have there now.
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Thanks!
Nicely done, interesting painting work !
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I really like some of the work I see here. Figures are tough for me so I appreciate the achievement.
I have been working away on the Fine Molds 1/20 Jeep with mixed results. This kit was a mystery and some parts of it were very good. The frame for example snapped into place under the body. Perfection, Tamiya like.
On the other hand, other parts were not even close to fitting. The motor has gaps were the parts didn’t fit and all the parts require “modeling skills” to get anything done. Worse was to come!
The motor fit in the frame fine but the assembly would not fit under the body. A lot of plastic was removed from the body and when I feared I must be close to breaking through to the top side I started on the bellhousing and starter boss. On the good side, the plastic is great to work with. Finally it fits.
I was getting very frustrated with this kit. Bad detail and engineering were everywhere mixed with great design & detail. I finally got on to Scalemates to find some reviews and see what others had to say. There was only one review and it mentioned that the kit was made to be motorized with lights in some versions, so it bridges the gap between model & a toy.
Further, the included color booklet I had been using for reference turned out to have feet of clay. The “restored” example has obviously been modified. Just for a start, it has a modern 12v battery & alternator. The fuel line is copper rather than steel & on and on.
I decided to carry on with the build, fixing some things and throwing in the towel elsewhere. Here are a few snaps of the mess as it is.
Paul
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Pactra Flats Scale Black?! Time for a trip in the wayback machine! I haven’t seen a bottle of that in 40 years. How have you kept it from going solid all this time?
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I just keep thinning it. Sadly for me, it is very nearly empty and there is nothing now that brushes like this does. I just did the tires on this Jeep and they look like they could have been airbrushed, no brush strokes, good coverage and predictable flowing out.
If I have had any idea that the one area of modeling that would go downhill would be brushable paint, I would have bought plenty more of it.
Paul
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Nice work Paul. Looking good.
I did the double take on Pactra too….
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