I'm sure Andy will be pleased...a Sunday update! 
The latest round of effort centered on getting the external details completed. That meant focusing on the tools and getting them painted and detailed prior to their installation. I used the non-buffing metalizer Gunmetal for the metal portions on all the tools and lightly dry brushed some enamel Steel to show wear and create a metallic look. The molded-on tool clasps have hollow handles but the openings vary from part to part. Rather than try to thin those down to a more in-scale appearance, I clipped them off with sprue cutters and replaced them with Griffon PE handles. I added some wood grain detail to the jack block with the sharp point of a #11 blade prior to painting. The wood portions of the block and the handles on the shovel and axe were detailed with a base coat of lightened Panzer Dunkelgelb followed by a thin wash of enamel Leather and a light dusting of burnt umber artist pastels to create their look.
Tools were then installed on the compartment sides but not before some slight modifications were necessary. The crow bars need their small mount pins removed so they will sit flush (no mount holes or niches are provided for them) and the same is true for the shovel's center clamp. The instruction diagram in Step 7 also incorrectly shows the shovel's center clamp installing to a niche at the front of the compartment...that's actually where the top support post for the shovel end oval holder goes...so you have to be paying attention during installation! I started the install at the top and worked my way down, placing the tools one at a time and adding the little PE details for the shovel and crow bars as each was put into position.
I also detailed and installed the water cans for the hull sides. These had been base coated when I did the hull painting and I used strips of masking tape to create first the horizontal bar and then the vertical stripe by airbrushing some enamel Light Gray. Spouts were detailed using the same method as the metal portions of the tools. The cans were secured in place with the leather straps (detailed with MM enamel Leather and a light application of burnt umber artist pastels) and small amounts of CA gel.
Rear hull also received some detail work. The muffler finish is a combination of a base coat of MM metalizer Gunmetal and two successive applications of a thin wash of enamel Rust. The wash applications require a light touch to avoid lifting the metalizer so plenty of time is needed between the applications to let the wash dry and build up the effect.
The crank starter and the jack were also installed once the muffler was done, the jack block was added to its place on the engine deck, and the fender lights detailed. I used Tamiya Clear Green for the Notek light and Clear Red for the brake light to round things out.
