More Cheap Trucks! (not just USA...)

[eilif]

Edit. van with international  option a few posts down.

Just picked this up at Menards. A nicely sized panel truck and undersized forklift for 5 bucks! The wookie in the picture is 34mm and the stormtrooper is 29mm so the truck looks spot on for 1/56, maybe sightly smaller. Cargo doors open on rear and 1 side and figures can stand upright inside.

Peeled off the Menards stickers from the box and MEK on a rag removed the Menards logos from the cab (MEK did fog the windshield though...) And I like it much better now.

[vodkafan]

That is a great wargaming find! Well done!

[has.been]

Wrong side of the pond for me, but a good find there.

[AKULA]

A good find

 

[FifteensAway]

Nice truck.  But MEK?  That shit is seriously dangerous to work with.

[eilif]

Nice truck.  But MEK?  That shit is seriously dangerous to work with.

Thanks.
MEK is strong stuff and should be used with proper protections, but it's not quite the villain that some folks think.  If you've used Plastruct Plastic Weld, you've used MEK.  I've been using MEK to refill my Plastic Weld bottles for years and for stripping metal models.

[CapnJim]

Interesting. I may have to head off to Menards...

[eilif]

Another $5 Menards deal! This time a Ford Transit Panel van.

Interestingly, this one has a rather thin coat of orange (probably to save $) but it works out for the best.  The finish isn't so glossy and unsurprisingly doesn't fill in the grooves, leading to nice darker panel lines.  A couple of ford logos and some pretty good details make this nicer than you'd expect for $5.  I miss the more interesting $3 vehicles they used to sell, but I'd happily buy more of these $5 vehicles if they were as nice as this.

5 other versions are available. No ubiquitous "White van" unfortunately but between blue and orange, there's nice options for undercover operations and the rescue versions would be good scene setting for any modern crisis scenario.


Surprised they didn't do a straight passenger version as all they'd have to do would be darken the "window" panel areas like the do on the fire version.  No worries though as I have a passenger version with actual windows from "Caipo" (available cheaply on Ali express for international buyers) which is quite well done.   For non-USA folks, the Menards option may be hard to come by, but here's a link to the Caipo passenger version which also comes in a police version as well.  It's listed as 1/42 on the box, but is much closer to 1/52 on the sale title.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800163617242.html?

[syrinx0]

Nice trucks.   Have you bought MEK lately?  Last time I looked ACE, Lowes and Home Depot didn't carry it.  Of course I didn't visit a Menards which you seem to...

[eilif]

It has been a while since I bought MEK (auto correct just tried to inserts "Meth"...) and it was at Menards that I bought a tin a few years ago. I recall they had an impressive selection of solvents,  I'll check next time I'm there. 

[Daeothar]

Nice ones. I've been looking for ubiquitous transport/delivery vans for a bit now, and none seem to pop up here. I suppose they're too bland, but they're such a big part of the trafficscape (is that even a word?) over here, I really think I need a couple.

Do you have any pics of a miniature next to the Caipo one?

+++EDIT+++ I just did the maths (because I'm like that), and that type of Ford transit is 5531mm in real life, and the AliExpress site states the model to be 112mm long. This comes down to a scale of 1:49 

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Depends on what you are after.
Crooked Dice have a Transit van.


And a large truck (Tortuga)


They also have a US style van.

And a Box Van (though that looks a bit small).

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Rather a long while ago I bought this from QD for £3.

It is a JCB branded 'Site Truck', 1/60 scale. The cab is die cast, with interior detail in white plastic (right hand drive). The chassis and tilting back are plastic, the tyres are a rubbery plastic. The cab appears to be held in place by two screws, which should assist in repainting.

The photograph above shows two Copplestone Guards in Berets about to slap a parking ticket on it for parking across the loading area.

[Daeothar]

Depends on what you are after.

In this case, vehicles commonly seen on EU roads anno 2022...

[eilif]

Nice ones. I've been looking for ubiquitous transport/delivery vans for a bit now, and none seem to pop up here. I suppose they're too bland, but they're such a big part of the trafficscape (is that even a word?) over here, I really think I need a couple.

Do you have any pics of a miniature next to the Caipo one?

+++EDIT+++ I just did the maths (because I'm like that), and that type of Ford transit is 5531mm in real life, and the AliExpress site states the model to be 112mm long. This comes down to a scale of 1:49 

Thanks!
I'll throw a couple figs next to it in a day or two.  I the CAIPO one is passenger, but can probably be made cargo by painting over the windows.

I like bland. These are most use on our Christmas O Gauge layout which is vaguely modern and needs lots of everyday cars.