I need suggestions on how to make a Nashorn-style delivery truck

[frontal assault]

Having played my first VBCW game last Satuday, I've realised I need some forces which combine speed and firepower, that way I don't end up lugging a gun around the board all game only for it to do nothing.  What I need is a 1930s delivery truck, suitable for use alongside a Hinterland Hussar model (I think they're about 25mm), that can be used to mount an anti-tank gun with an open top on.

[Klingsor]

Here we go. I have some post-apocalyptic Unimogs in the pipeline so I have been thinking about this.

First get hold of your lorry. I would probably get something from Force of Arms http://www.forceofarms.co.uk/ or whoever your preferred pusher is, some of the old Matchbox/Lesney Yesterday vehicles should serve as well. I think I would get a gun kit from them as well to save messing around. Mounting the wheels for the gun on the vehicle for later use seems fun or you can always find a use for wheels, I think the older style horse-drawn wheels make sense to me here or you could just chain it down, wheels and all.

Discard the load carrying bit of the lorry, you might even have bought one without one, I find a politely worded enquiry can work wonders. With clever use of magnets you might even be able to swap between bodies adding versatility and fun.

Cut a piece of plastic card about the right size for your new bed. Ratio/Wills, Slater's and Evergreen and doubtless others do textured plastic card that is very useful for a job like this, a piece glued to the thicker base adds texture very easily. You can add the frame beneath the bed with odds and sods of plastic card or the lovely and time saving sections from Evergreen.

For the sides you can use plastic card for sheet steel, a bit of work with a file gives a surprisingly good gas cut effect, baulks of timber (mind the splinters) from balsa or sandbags. I would go for the steel as it is the easiest to do. You can build the sides up as much as you like, to the original profile of the van body for example.

The dressing up part is important, sadly I am rubbish at it. You will want some boxes for shells, spare wheels and anything else the crew might carry. The 1/48th scale accessory sets from Tamiya are well worth a look, I suspect the Jerry cans supplied to the BUF by Germany would be prized by anyone who could get them but otherwise really should not be used, certainly the American ones are right out, they don't exist yet and may never in this time line.

Mounting the gun is going to be interesting. Pinching one from a 1/72nd or 1/76th scale kit is worth a go, the old Matchbox Priest and Wespe, now owned by Revell would do nicely or you could scratch build one with some brass or plastic tube and some odds and sods (Evergreen to the rescue again). The mount depends on how sophisticated you want the thing to be. A towed gun might be held in place quite crudely, mounted on timbers or a steel frame bolted together but a more sophisticated mount could be bodged together quite quickly by any respectable engineer's workshop. If you want to go nuts, literally, you can get moulded or etched brass ones to glue on.

Basically just have a go, it is fun and should come together surprisingly easily. It only gets difficult if you are trying to model an actual prototype and 'that looks right' is not enough.

[frontal assault]

Thanks for the reply mate.  So far the only thoughts I've had involved sticking an '88' on the back of an Opel truck.  Wouldn't look too bad but it's about fifty quid for all the parts I'd need.  Therefore I'll make use of some of your suggestions and try and find a cheaper solution.

[Daeothar]

If you like the look of the GAZ trucks linked to by Klingsor, might I suggest the following version:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-1-43-Russian-truck-GAZ-AAA-Nash-Avtoprom-khaki-light-tent-/160697148918?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item256a4be5f6

I just received two of these gems for my Interwar project, and I'm pretty impressed by both their size (pretty much spot on for 28mm), detail and finish. They're plastic, so easy to convert. They even have two spare wheels to fill in the space between the chassis and the loading floor (don't know if that is true to the real deal, or a simple way to increase the look of the model). I took those out and replaced them with two square 20mm bases, and with two trucks, I had four wheels to reshoe another (diecast) truck that had wheels that screamed 'TOY!' and now looks tons better.

Can't beat the price, the look is just right, the canvas cover comes off, and with one screw, you can even take off the loading bed. There is a whole range of versions too; with different configurations, with only two axles and I just saw a Katyusha version too!

All in all, I'm very happy with these, and I am seriously considering getting more (from the same manufacturer) at a later date.

[6milPhil]

I'd suggest either a diecast truck with the back taken off... very cheap indeed, or possibly adapting a cheap 1/72nd plastic tank kit, which in 28mm becomes a light tank.

I used 2 of the latter as light tank chassis... one for a VBCW siege tower


and one as a bridger.


Suited my needs and I had both knocking about already.

Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[Dan]

If you like the look of the GAZ trucks linked to by Klingsor, might I suggest the following version:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-1-43-Russian-truck-GAZ-AAA-Nash-Avtoprom-khaki-light-tent-/160697148918?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item256a4be5f6

I just received two of these gems for my Interwar project, and I'm pretty impressed by both their size (pretty much spot on for 28mm), detail and finish. They're plastic, so easy to convert. They even have two spare wheels to fill in the space between the chassis and the loading floor (don't know if that is true to the real deal, or a simple way to increase the look of the model). I took those out and replaced them with two square 20mm bases, and with two trucks, I had four wheels to reshoe another (diecast) truck that had wheels that screamed 'TOY!' and now looks tons better.

Can't beat the price, the look is just right, the canvas cover comes off, and with one screw, you can even take off the loading bed. There is a whole range of versions too; with different configurations, with only two axles and I just saw a Katyusha version too!

All in all, I'm very happy with these, and I am seriously considering getting more (from the same manufacturer) at a later date.

Those trucks look very interesting but are scaled as 1/43rd on the site. Are they smaller than they are supposed to be? I could use some for WW2.

[Dan]

I made some trucks for a Dinosaur Army list using Matchbox Models of Yesteryear Crossleys. I used Plastic card fences for the sides of the bed and mounted HMG's from Brigade Games ANZACs and Renegade Brits. You should be able to mount some guns using the same method. I think you could only fit a 37mm AT sized gun though.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MATCHBOX-MODELS-YESTERYEAR-Y-13-CROSSLEY-RAF-/250966093035?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item3a6ebeaceb#ht_500wt_1413

[Daeothar]

Dan; here's a picture of one, side by side with some 28mm minis:



The rear canvas hood comes off, and the loading bed is cast as a wooden floor. Aside form the abovementioned replacement of the spare tires, this truck is completely untouched; the nice matt finish is completely original.

Hope that helps.

[6milPhil]

Where's this from?

[Daeothar]

As mentioned earlier in the thread; from this guy:


http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/modelist09/m.html?hash=item256a4be5f6&item=160697148918&pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&_trksid=p4340.l2562

 

[Westfalia Chris]

Sorry 'bout the late reply, but I recently used a couple of 1/43 Solido toy trucks, Citroen, which I bought really cheap in a UK Modelzone store:



This is how the model looks converted prior to priming:



From out of the box:



Those are 1/43, thus a bit on the large side for 28s, but they look good to me as they are more "delivery van"-style vehicles in real-life, but look big enough to be medium trucks in 28mm.

I think you could easily add high sides from planking, and a girder support for a light gun. I would advise against using a heavy piece such as an 88, as not only would it, IMHO, dwarf the truck in a way that isn't comical anymore, but also it would not really fit the Interwar flair of the Hinterland stuff. I would suggest using either a field gun, possibly "portee" style, or a light anti-tank gun, such as a Pak 36.

[Rob_bresnen]

I always use Lledo vehicals for VBCW_ there are very cheep in ebay.


Here is a link to my Blog, with pictures of my VBCW armoured cars.

http://fourcoloursupers.blogspot.com/2011/11/trachanka-armoured-car-company-vbcw.html

And if you scroll down a bit on this link you can see a WIP shot of my armoured car.

http://fourcoloursupers.blogspot.com/search/label/Very%20British%20Civil%20War?updated-max=2010-10-17T09:43:00-07:00&max-results=20

[6milPhil]

As mentioned earlier in the thread; from this guy:


http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/modelist09/m.html?hash=item256a4be5f6&item=160697148918&pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&_trksid=p4340.l2562

 

Thanks, luckily my spellung is better than my reedong. 

[Dan]

Dan; here's a picture of one, side by side with some 28mm minis:



The rear canvas hood comes off, and the loading bed is cast as a wooden floor. Aside form the abovementioned replacement of the spare tires, this truck is completely untouched; the nice matt finish is completely original.

Hope that helps.

Hey, they look pretty good thanks.

I've just painted a Matchbox Ford Model A which looks a bit small but I will use it for now.

[Klingsor]

Tamiya, Italeri and an Eastern European company, UM I think do 1/48th scale plastic kits. Mostly WW II but the lorries are worth a look especially the UM Gaz AA and Italeri Opal Blitz. 1/48th might be a bit big and the resin ones are generally cheaper but the plastic ones might be easier to bugger about with.