I'm typically an airplane guy, specifically WWII, so I haven't posted anything one this side for a long time. But I recently finished a P-40N and want to put it on a Pacific Theater diorama base with a jeep and some figures. So I started building this 1/48 Hasegawa Jeep and plan to add some of the parts from the Tamiya kit pictured. I have a strong penchant for super detailing and the photos below are my progress after about 5 months of work.
I cut apart the kit exhaust sytem, muffler, heat shield, etc. and rebuilt it with hypo tubing, wire and some phote-etched parts from the Eduard set. I also added some photo-etched parts to the chassis.
Then I started on the engine, cut a lot of parts off, scratchbuilt most of the added pieces using styrene, brass, and small watch parts. I added the Eduard radiator pieces and scratchbuilt the fan shroud with tee-candle aluminum.
I didn't like how the battery looked when mounted so I made it whole with a piece of styrene, added wire positive and negative posts and filed out the battery compartment so the 'new' battery will fit.
I didn't like the thick molded kit part hood, so I made a template with masking tape and cut a new hood from a piece of sheet brass, formed it and added a bunch of Eduard photo-etch parts on the inside and outside.
The kit drive train and steering assembly is molded with straight wheels and I wanted to turn them for a more realistic look. I first made a new steering assembly from wire and styrene tube, then cut off the kit steering assembly and brake inner wheel assemblies and reattached with my new steering assembly.
In between all this I added a lot of photo-etch parts and wire handles to the body and other parts of the jeep. And I filed off the molded on reflectors and will glue on the new ones I made from thin brass sheet.
I haven't added anything yet fomr the Tamiya kit but am planning to use the wheels and the steering wheel at least because they are better detailed and I believe more accurate.
Progress is slow on this build because of my obsession for detailing, but I'm hoping to put some paint on some of these parts soon.
Thanks for lookiing, and I accept and encourage comments and critique.
Steve
"To stand upon ramparts and die for our principles is heroic, but to sally forth to battle and win for our principles is something more than heroic." -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." -- Winston Churchill