Toy Conversion Help Needed

[racm32]

So a couple of years ago my wife picked up this old toy from a thrift show thinking I could use it in a game. It has loads up potential but has been siting on a shelf, primed black, collecting dust. I'm suddenly feeling motivated to work on it but not really sure what direction to take it. I have it photoed with some Tau I use as generic Galactic Police for games like Rouge Star or Galactic Heroes for a sense of scale. It would be mainly used as a set pice or objective.
My two main problems are what to fill the whole on top with, and how to paint it up. Should I add a turret or Radar and paint it as military or police vehicle? A crane or other such and make it an industrial or salvage vehicle? Should I go with a slightly cleaner paint job or more wasteland/remote outpost vibe.

Please let me know what you think and feel free to share other suggestions or inspirational/reference photos.







Below are some items I can 3d Print and attach to the top to fill one of the above roles.

[v_lazy_dragon]

I could definitely see it as a colonists/prospectors vehicle - mix of heavy duty off road camper van and general utility vehicle. I vote small radar dish and a top hatch, industrial or civilian (maybe whites and greys?) paint scheme. Possibly with decals/artwork/a funky name (Ramblin Rover, or some such). Depending on how you see you pioneers settling on new worlds (and what that world's atmosphere is like), you could add 'homsie' touches like flower planters and seats on the top deck (with parasol); hang bikes (wheeled, tracked or hover) off the side, etc. Maybe even a washing line?

[Cypher226]

It could definitely be a colonist or prospectors rover. It makes me think of the 'family rovers' in Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars novels. A hatch and either radar/satellite dish or some kind of big boring rig (either deployed or stowed) would look good for that, maybe with some bundles of equipment and stowage up top.

[Daeothar]

That's a very nice base to work off!

In my mind's eye, I see the following: a wasteland/prospecting vehicle.

White with orange striping and a huge number on the sides, but pretty dusty/beat up/worn all over. A crane on top (maybe something along the lines of the teal example you showed), and perhaps a radar dish as well. On the other hand; I really like the picture with the Tau drone hovering inside the hole. So perhaps keeping it (with opened sliding hatch) as a launch port for the vehicle's drones might actually be pretty cool. They could be security, scouting, prospecting or surveying types, depending on your preference of course.

I strongly suggest scratch building a door/ramp between the front- and rear wheels too. It also needs a door from the cockpit area to the rear compartment. Probably a couple of light bars on the roof and grille and maybe a winch on the front as well?


Btw: have you seen The Wandering Earth? It sort of reminds me of the huge trucks in that movie...

[racm32]

Wow you guys are all pretty consistent and I'm sold on the idea. I have 3d printed up loads of hatches, doors, ladders, lights, vents, pipes, consoles, ex.. so I'll flush out the cab and stuff between front and real wheels. Sounds like this will be a good opportunity to really practice some new weathering techniques. Thank you all for suggestions.

[Brandlin]

I think you honestly need to look at the scale of the thing. It's massive. Those wheels appear to be around 8 feet in diameter.  It has around 6 feet ground clearance and looks to be about 30 scale feet in width. That practically rules out a number of roles. Its no good for policing as you simply cant deploy it around people on normal roads. Military use is pretty limited too as its simply too big to deploy in any kind of urban environment. It can't be an APC, you need mountaineering equipment to get in and out of it! You dont show the rear, but i susect from the body shape it has a sizable hatch - just a dozen feet off the ground.

If you consider where you find huge vehicles these days you'll find almost all of them in construction. There physical scale and power matter. So you'd need to determine what it's role is. Usually such vehicles are divided into digging, lifting and shifting. All three roles would require significant modification to the main body. Adding a crane, making a flat bed, adding dozer/excavator parts etc.

Others have suggested a kind of off world prospecting RV type mobile home. That may be your best bet but when consider that you could home 20+ people in it. And it has possible three decks - most likely 2 if you imagine where the running gear would go. Problem is that there's nothing in the outside moulding that suggests a multiple inner deck - such as window, hatch or vent positioning.

Whatever you go for there are a few things you need to change. The significant discrepancy in scale means that the windows are very obviously too big, and front visibility is appalling. Make the wndows much smaller and try and disguise the existing obvious surrounds. Oddly immediately behind the main window is a hatch and that doesnt look too far out in scale.  You need to add some substantial ladders to allow anyone access to the cab, but i dont think you have a credible solution for why people would enter or exit the vehicle by the rear.

Those are the sorts of visual cues that will make a viewer believe that this is a specially designed vehicle with a purpose, rather than just an out of scale toy.

[racm32]

Thank you for the feedback. I have a load of 3d printed greebles to add, including ladders, doors, hatches ex.. that are 28mm scale. I'm really digging the prospector/RV idea and have some ideas I think will help.  I plan to cut out the whole square on top and add a large angled skyline revealing a green house. Fore and aft of this, on both sides, I'll put angled solar panels. Between the front and real wheels, on both sides, I'll construct hatch ways with ladders as the primary entry. I'm also thinking of adding platforms with railings on either side running from the hatches just behind the cab, with ladders to the roof. The cab will get a raised floor and consoles with a door in the back leading out. I may leave the windows large but not sure yet.