A little scratch-building and also some PE correction to the cargo body’s mud flaps.
More Jenga puzzles and the beastie starts to look like a truck! 
Because of the kit’s nicely moulded fenders and really good fit, the cab-to-bonnet-to-fenders-to-radiator-to-chassis assembly would be dirt-easy to just glue-up and call it good. However, if you recall, I’ve made a deal with the Devil to show the engine exposed, thus making things a bit more challenging.
Cheers!
—mike
Indeed you did make a deal to show the engine 
The model looks Great now and is really starting to come together. It will be a piece of art in its own right.
Looking forward to see more 
I’ve made a deal with the Devil to show the engine exposed
Yes, time to pay the piper Mike… 
As they say… "The devil is in the details." Unfortunately, the kit’s cargo deck is lacking in that regard. Evergreen Styrene Strips (No. 106, 0.25mm x 3.2mm) to the rescue. Surprisingly, the plank widths worked out to near perfect… what are the chances! 
This is only dry-fit for now and I’ll add some woodgrain texture later on. In hindsight, I probably would have scribed the deck before assembly, but then again, I just love working with Evergreen! 
🪚
Fuel can racks have been added to the front mud flaps as well.
Happy New Year and may your builds go forth with ease! 
I hope to see some of your progress pics very soon. 
Cheers!
—mike
Better to be lucky than good! Nice work so far with some nice additions. 
When we last met…
I got stuck on the tracks of my Bronco Valentine. I began the day thinking I would have the tracks shaped and ready for paint, probably by noon. Well, I have one track shaped and ready to paint. The wheels were not attached when I began this morning and that turned out to be quite an enterprise. I would glue them, move on to others and the earlier ones would fall off. And it was quite a bit of work to get them roughly lined up. I have mostly succeeded with that, but there was a lot of do and do over and wait to make sure the glue was really dry, so I didn’t start on a track until this evening.
Thinking about it last night I had it in my head that once I got the tracks done I didn’t have much left to do, but looking through the instructions there is a LOT left to do. So I better get on with it if I intend to complete by our deadline.
Nice work on the Valentine, Phil. I can imagine those Bronco tracks!
Glad to see I’m not all alone in here… here… here… (echo)
Cheerio!
—mike
The Bronco tracks are actually really nice. I guess I mispoke. What happened: I accidentally glued the drive wheel onto the model so I had to finish the underside with that attached. That left me in a bit of despair about how putting the tracks in place might work. Actually, once I got the rest of the wheels attached and mostly stable, the tracks themselves are going swimmingly. They are “workable” tracks. In this case there are no pins that you insert, the track links just click together. They don’t really hold that way so I treated them as magic tracks. I click them together in segments of 12. Then, when I’m ready to shape them, I click together three or four of those segments, and run extra thin down them. They have a bit of a radius when you just click them together, so after I glue I hold them straight with a file set along the length of the run. After about 15 minutes, I shape them onto the vehicle.
It seems like most of the lend lease builds that are going to be done have been done with you and I being the only ones still working on our models? I think Peter might still be in the painting stage?
They’re just waiting to pounce at the last minute. Haha!
Speaking of paint… I’m starting to get a bit antsy. One of these days, I might break out a fine vintage bottle of Vallejo US Olive Drab Primer (73608) just to make sure things are still working. 
—mike
Yeah I’m still here. Watching you guys with interest, especially Mike as I have that kit. The only Bronco Valentine kit I have is the Bishop, but it has basically the same hull and running gear as Phil’s, which are actually Miniart parts.
I have laid down OD on the M5A1 Stuart , started detail painting on pioneer tools, etc, and ready to apply decals, so pics very shortly.
I’m here too- mainly watching your builds at the moment…
My Bedford QLD has new tires(SKP resin ones), that were painted but are still not mounted.
While occupied with my KShtM Deymos build for Golden Memories Campaign, I was pointed to some more discrepancies(picture bellow) in IBG’s QLD rendition by a knowledgeable modelling buddy of mine:
I’ll need to take care of those, so I’ll have to rewind to construction phase on QLD’s cabin again.
I hope to finish my current build next week and then I’ll clear my workbench for the QLD.
Till then I’ll continue lurking here
I haven’t posted any in-progress photos since startup picture because so far this has been out of the box with exception brass replacement handles.
I think it’s painting next.
Hi guys
I am still following your builds. Great to see the good progress.
Looking forward to see the tracks on the valentine.
I know what you mean Pasi, all I replaced were the handles too.
Most of the British M5’s were converted to turretless troop carriers and it has been a struggle to find references for one, especially an Early as depicted by AFV Club. I have found pics of the Late version with the spaced armour around the .30 cal mount though, and in those the British side mounted grenade launchers were present, so I added them to mine (in the kit, as were the British Fire extinguishers - remnants of the M3A3 AFV Club sprues they used for this kit too). I also added the British Aerial mounts.
Where I am at, OD down, some detail painting done and markings added. The fender markings and triangle Formation sign are from the kit, the T regn no.s from Archer.
I have a driver figure to add as well, hence the front hatch is not glued down.
@ayovtshev Angel, be aware that there were variations during the life of production and even so, that B&W pic makes the top of the grill steeper than it is:
The issue is the etch piece should be just the rectangular grill with the top piece made as part of the full housing. It should not be a curved grill top. I suggest doing what I plan to do when I build mine, remove the grill and cut off the top piece making the whole grill a rectangle. Add some styrene and shape the top of the radiator housing to the correct shape. Then turning the whole brass grill upside down, glue it so the bottom is now the top. There will be a gap at the bottom, but the QL series often had a rolled up ‘cold weather’ cover stored there:
Thanks mate!
I’ll follow the proposed course of action and will dully report my results/ findings.
Now we’re talkin!’ That’s some really nice progress and very nice attention to details.
—mike
So after a bit of a delay I got the weathering done and details finished. Not sure if accurate, but went for leather straps on the tool clamps. Also went quite subtle on the overall weathering as just can’t seem to get a feel for dust, in the same way as mud and dirt.
Overall though likely accuracy issues aside I’m really pleased with this build. I’d recommend the kit too, particularly at its price point.
