TOW Jeep - late model (work-in-progress photos added)

My oldtimers must have just kicked in. Your title is late model, but your M151 is an earlier model. Did I miss something? Just making sure I haven’t lost my remaining marbles! Wayne

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No marbles misplaced (except for mine possibly) :slightly_smiling_face:

I’m working on two TOW Jeeps - I started with a late model (further up the thread in tan plastic), but I got seduced by an early one based on the A1 Jeep, so I am building them in tandem. Then I got seduced by the reload Jeep and decided to match that to the A1 Jeep, so there are three Jeeps covered by this thread.

It’s a good point though - I will edit the name of the thread for clarity!

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Some more work on the reload racks for the jeep. I’m much happier with these than the original version I created (and didn’t photograph).

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Brilliant solution for simulating the wrap around sheet metal reinforcing the corner of the wheel well.

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Weekend update on TOW Jeep project for this week.

I’ve been working on both the early and the late version (plus the reload vehicle). Lots of little details added such as footman loops, revised jerrycan stowage straps that represent the actual arrangement rather than the jerrycan rack that Tamiya provide. The late TOW Jeep will have the spare wheel and jerrycan mounted on the rear rather than the sides - not uncommon on Marine Jeeps and not unknown on US Army TOW Jeeps either.

The Luxembourg Jeeps have an extra sidelight on each fender and because they are A1s, I had to source a more suitable steering wheel - the Tamiya kit retains the later A2 style of steering wheel and they should be similar to the wartime Willys Jeep style. Luckily I had a couple of gash Italeri Jeeps, so I’ve stolen the parts from them :slight_smile: . The wing mirrors were also changed to rectangular rather than circular ones. I grafted some perfectly sized mirrors from a Tamiya 1/48 scale Humvee kit onto the existing mirror arms. Finally, I’ve used European-style jerrycans.

Although I won’t go this route, I also discovered that I could legitimately place all three Jeeps on the same diorama because both the Marines and the AMF(L) Luxembourg contingent were operating in Norway in Feb/March 1986 as part of Ex. Anchor Express.

I’ve sourced appropriate wheels for the earlier vehicles - the Luxembourg jeeps used a European style tread, very similar if not identical to the DEF Model set for the IDF Jeeps. I also purchased the ‘late’ Def Model set for the Marine Corps Jeep. They probably don’t add much over the kit wheels in all honesty, but the set includes the upper wishbones for the front axle and a more detailed brake drum (largely hidden on the finished model).

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Very nice attention to detail so far. If I’m seeing it correctly, you’re making footman loops by punching two circular base and adding rod between the two? I’ve gone that route before, which is exactly why I don’t do that any more. It’s veery tedious, but in a rare instance, the juice is worth the squeeze. Looking forward to more.

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Really excellent work on these John. Everything looks exactly as I remember it. Your detailing is impeccable.

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Thanks guys - the comments are much appreciated.

Yes - the footman loops are made from small (0.7mm) discs individually punched out, with 0.3mm Plastruct rod across the top. You’re right, it’s a very tedious process, but there are not that many on a Jeep and it only took me around an hour to do all three vehicles, so I was prepared to suck it up.

We’re heading towards to painting stage and that’s the part I don’t like so much. The two Luxembourg Jeeps will be plain OD so that’s not so bad, but the Marine Jeep will be finished in an Arctic MERDC scheme. This is the point that my projects stall most often (if they are going to), but I feel i have a decent head of steam at the moment so I’m hoping the next update will show the models with paint on.

The one thing I can’t find is any aftermarket M151 wheels with snowchains fitted so I’m going to ignore that rather than put the project to one side.

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I feel your pain. I did that once, and that’s another thing I swore never to do again. But I"ve been tempted once again with my Berlin gun trucks. I bought some chain from AliExpress a few months ago just in case. (I think I posted it in a thread about chain) I would hope my modeling skills have improved somewhat over the past forty years.
The plan is to just build the trucks, and work on a spare set of wheels. If it works, I change them out. If it doesn’t - no big deal.

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A brief weekend update.

I still haven’t painted the Jeeps. I realised I’d missed some details on the TOW launcher unit that needed to be scratchbuilt. I also tacked the late-model Jeep together with PVA /white glue temporarily so I could take it to a show today. Thankfully nothing fell off the jeep and it made the journey home safely. :slight_smile:

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Great job :+1:

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:+1:t3::+1:t3:
Superb attention to detail! The locking handle for the day sight tracker, along with the elevation and azimuth locks on the traversing unit… Bravo!

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A brief update on progress - all three Jeeps have now been primed and have their base coat added too. With the jeeps now sent to the paint shop, I’ve also started work on a different project which I will start a separate thread for in the next week or so, but the last two photos might give you a clue. :slight_smile:

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Er, I think you may have misunderstood the purpose of the forum here.

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To whom was your comment addressed?

If it was me, in what way have I misunderstood the purpose of a modelling forum when I have been posting WIP reports on my current project (as do many other members of this group) and generating a varied discussion on the wider subject of TOW Jeeps?

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I think it was tongue in cheek - somehow complimenting your ability. I could be wrong, but if I am, I won’t delete my comment. :rofl:

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There was an AI spammer here earlier today (which is what my deleted comment was directed at) that he was responding to. It has since been deleted.

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Thanks Gino - that makes more sense. It was an out-of-character comment from Boots, and without the evidence of what he was responding to, it was easy to take the comment out of context.

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For pity’s sake John, I’m better mannered than that(!) I had thought I ‘d responded directly to the AI clown but obviously I did not - or his deletion means my post stands alone(!) Apologies for any confusion, but I admit to getting greatly irritated with this sort of sh*e that occasionally plagues the site.

Meanwhile, onwards and upwards with the TOW project! Peerless as usual.

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By the time I checked the site today all evidence of it was gone, hence my belief you said something tongue in cheek, along the lines of what I have posted more than once, and very recently, like. “It’s in poor taste to post phoros of actual vehicles and try to pass it off as your own work.” I don’t think anyone would ever accuse you of snarkiness.
John’s work does set a certain standard that could meet that criterion.

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