Need some advice, dio with figures and car.

Hello!

Knowing something more specific about your plans would help in answering this one... However there are some options of 1:35 cars I believe. First, I know for sure there was a 1:35 kit of the VW beetle. Recently a CUCV came out, so maybe you could modify it to a chevy blazer. And I think finding a 1:32 cars could be doable too. So good luck with your project and have a nice day

Paweł

I agree with Pawel, what exactly are you looking to build?  There are quite a few WWII civilian cars that have come out recently by Tamiya, ICM, and a couple others.  There are also lots of 1/32 cars that can be used or modified to what you are looking for.  Don't use a 1/25th car and 1/35th figures though.  They will look silly next to eachother.  

Ok, what im looking for, more specificly.  Would be cars from the 40s or early 50s.  Specificly that design style that has alot of large rounded parts on the sides and such, if you know what I mean.  The kind of cars that looked like those futuristic 'cars of the future' they always talked about back then.

Do you have a pic or something to refer to?  There were quite a few '40s and '50s cars in 1/32 snap kits from a while back.  Do a search on eBay for 1/32 car and you will get some.  Depending on how funky you want it to look, there were some '40 & '50s race cars like the Ford GT40 and some of the Ferraris that were petty futuristic-looking.  I know there are a few models or diecast of them out there.

Good luck.

Agree with others.

Best bet is 1/32 Die-cast or Resin cars.  Best place to find those are in shops and magazines that deal with car collectors, etc. 

You know how in the 40s and 50s it was always 'the world of tomorrow' they had the thing in epcot about it, all of that.  That is the kind of style I am after.

To be more specific, something like this/these

Any of those is going to require a lot, I mean a whole lot, of customizing. You might start with a 1/25 model of the Chrysler Turbine car from 63-64 or so. Another option would be to look for a 59 Caddy and do some work there. From what you've shown us, some of the Alpine cars at LeMans in the mid to late 60's might also be a starting point. Those  would be a two seater only, though.

Since the TV batmobile was based on a George barris custom show car/concept, you might be able to work with that. Also, some of the older batmobiles are available, but probably at collector prices.

Thanks, that will give me somewhere to work from.  It doesn't necessarily matter if its a perfect match,a fter all there are a billion different car models out there so it doesn't have to be exact, and it will end up being junked and rusted like in some of the photos anyhow.

I would stic with 1/32 so you can use 1/35 igures.

All 1/32 die-cast or plastic models available on eBay...

'49 Buick Roadmaster die-cast

'63 Ford Thunderbird model

'56 Ford Fairlane model

'58 Ford Edsel die-cast

'58 Cadillac Eldorado die-cast

You can find lots and lots of options by searching for 1/32 chevy, 1/32 ford, 1/32 chrysler, cadillac, etc. on eBay.

I would need to heavily modify it though for the final product, dunno if I have the tools or skills to do that to a diecast

Howdy!

I know of at least two plastic 1/32 cars made by Matchbox in the early nineties - it was a Jaguar and a Porsche, so maybe that would be worth researching. Good luck with your project and have a nice day

Paweł

I have seen 1/24 or 1/25-scale figures time and again; after all, there are people who do build car dioramas in that scale, so these figures are available. I've not seen them in military clothes and carrying guns and ammo, but you can modify them, of course.

Another couple of 1/25-scale kits that you'll have to look for but they look cool: AMT's "Vantasy" and MPC's "Deora Show Car." Actually, despite the different brand names and subjects, they are one and the same kit (I don't know how that happened), and either one you can build as a futuristic-looking camper or pick-up truck. (I built "Vantasy" a long time ago when I was a kid and I have an unbuilt kit of it in my closet today). 

thanks guys.

Im having a hell of a time here.  I cant find any car kits that fit my need in 1/35th or in 1/16th and I cant find any figure parts in 1/25th (Im gona suclpt the figures but cant do faces or hands yet

You won't find any car kits in 1/35 except or the Tamiya Citreon Traction Avant and a couple German WWII staff cars.  Your best bet is still the 1/32 models or diecast ones.    There are some '57 Chevy and other 1/32 plastic models as I posted above.  Modifying die-cast ones isn't that hard nor does it require any special tools.  I modified a die-cast 1/34th Cadillac Escalade into a torn up armored Suburban in Iraq.   I used normal modeling tools (Dremel for cutting open the rear passenger door, sand paper, A&B putty, sheet styrene, etc...)

Here it is in progress...

and completed.

Its not that hard.  I say go for it.

AARGGGHHH!!, damn bandwidth!!  Check this album

Ill think about it.  Im honestly just thinking of going and sculpting figures for 1/24th scale, the issue is I havent sculpted a face before and DOUBT that I can do somehting that would be display worthy on my first go.

There are a lot of car kits in 1/24  1/25 scale and a lot of figure kits in the same scale. You can easily shave off mechanic's uniforms and add other clothing detail in any number of things: epoxy putty, tissue and polymer resin, filler, whatever works for you. Its a lot easier making a new uniform than scratchbuilding an entire vehicle.

For a project like this you need to be comfortable scratchbuilding parts and heavily modifying kits. Good luck with it. Show us WIP pics as you go.

Issue with the 1/24 - 1/25th kits is they are absolutely horrible to look at.  The faces are ugly, the details are shallow and poorly done.  I look at them online and they look like there 1/72nd quality

Well if you think you can scratchbuild the cars, your decision is made.

I know that if I keep seeing the problems, then I never get anything done. If I see a challenge,  I'll tackle it, and move onto the next challenge....and learn a thing or two along the way.

How about these...

'59 Cadillac Eldorado 1

'59 Cadillac Eldorado 2

'57 Chevy

'55 Chevy

All 1/32 scale to go with 1/35 figures, plastic models, classic 50's cars with fins and pointy lights, and really cheap.  All you would have to do is add a jet exhaust and a few other bits to them.

Like I said, they are out there.  You just have to look.

Fallout? Nice game

in the end sculpting a car is to expensive and sculpting the figures is to hard without something as a guide.  Also, Im staying away from 1/35-1/32nd I find the figures just to hard to work with, especially if here the center of attention, bigger is better

Also, Im staying away from 1/35-1/32nd I find the figures just to hard to work with, especially if here the center of attention, bigger is better

Thats a great attitude.  If you are building for attention, you are doing it for all the wrong reasons.  Whatever works for you though.

No, what I meant was, in a large dio alot of things can overshadow the figures if they are few, even if the scene is set around the figures, and I find that happens alot in 1/35th and 1/32nd your eye doesnt go to the figure it goes to the building, or the car, or the tank, thats with them.

If the dio is built/laid out right, the figures draw you in and tell the story.  The other parts should all support what the figures are doing.