Diecast vans & trucks "military" style conversions

[Geudens]

Ok, here we go...

I have a box full of (90%) Lledo Days Gone diecast vans & trucks and some Matchbox Models of Yesteryear. Since I am in need of interwar "military" vehicles for 3ECW, the box vans (the bulck of these models) are all very well for Jonesy & c°, but tarpaulins is what is really called for...

I experimented with a (cloth!) handkerchief and here are the results.  It's a symple modifications and doesn't take much skill or time.

First measure the size of the tarpaulins wanted, then spray the (clean...) handkerchief with starch and iron it flat. This is necessary because you need to be able to draw straight lines and cut it with the old X-acto. The front (if needed) and back tarpaulins need to be a little bit longer because you need an overlap when glueing them to the roof of the vehicle box.

If the boxtop has ribs you're lucky, if not: cut 2-3 lenghts of plastic strip and glue in place prior to (first) glueing the front & back tarpaulins and finally the main one. The cloth of the handkerchief is fine enough to follow the line of the ribs below, so you get a realistic look.

Finally, cut 3 plastic strips (two the length and one the width of the box) and glue over the bottom end of the tarpaulins.

The vehicle is now ready to undercoat & paint. I used Vallejo khaki as a base for the tarpaulins with an overlay of Devlan Mud (the new GW wash).

The last picture compares the military version to the Lledo original (wheels are different, but that's not my doing...).

Rudi

[Orctrader]

Excellent 

[argsilverson]

Very good!

[keeper]

Brilliant

[Mad Carew Snr]

VERY nice - those vans look fantastic

[white knight]

You need to post this to the "how to..." board as well so it doesn't get lost in the threads here.

[dodge]

Those work a treat well done.

I had some lledo days gone but felt they were a bit small compared to models of yesteryear which I like a bit better,

Maybe my days gone were more modern? the wheels certainly don't look like yours,

what do you think?

dodge

[postal]

very well done job.

[gamer Mac]

Very very nice.
Great idea with the tarpaulins might try it myself.

[Mancha]

The ribs on the top of the vehicles are a thing of genius. 

[Geudens]

Those work a treat well done.
I had some lledo days gone but felt they were a bit small compared to models of yesteryear which I like a bit better,
Maybe my days gone were more modern? the wheels certainly don't look like yours,
what do you think?
dodge

Thx for the comments, guys.  BTW the truck in the pics above is a Yesteryear model, the van is a Days gone.  You can compare with the Renegade figs placed next to it - scalewise.  Since these diecasts have no fixed scale, you might have well had some that were smaller...

Rudi

[~ Tom Teriffic]

I have to second everyone else:  Brillant work!  Thanks for the how to.  Good colors too.

 ~ Tom T

[Major Weenie]

Rudi,
Two questions;
1.) Which Lledo truck is the large one.  Very nice, and perhaps 'old' enough for the Mexican Revolution.
2.) The 2nd, smaller, truck is also nice, but a bit more modern, yes?  Did you bother to cut off the original box portion, or just lay the fabric directly over the toy/model and then paint it?
I've been mucking about with some Lledo trucks, but they tend to look a bit too modern for La Gran Revolucion.  I did take a gun crew from an Old Glory French 75, and convert them to Mexican Federales.  It was my first experiment with converting the Adrian helmet to a Federale cap.  (It wasn't that difficult.)  But then I had a bunch of figures in what one might call 'unconventional' positions.  However, with a little work they became the chauffeur and staff for a Mexican general and they all fit into a Lledo Model-T ford.  I think that Bimbashi Lewis has the figures now.
Regards,
Major Weenie.

[Geudens]

Rudi,
Two questions;
1.) Which Lledo truck is the large one.  Very nice, and perhaps 'old' enough for the Mexican Revolution.
2.) The 2nd, smaller, truck is also nice, but a bit more modern, yes?  Did you bother to cut off the original box portion, or just lay the fabric directly over the toy/model and then paint it?

1. The first (larger) truck is (as stated above) a MATCHBOX MODELS OF YESTERYEAR, Y30 1920 AC MACK.
2. The second one is indeed a bit modern for the Mexican Revolution, but ideal for the 1938 setting I'm aming at!

Rudi

[Hitman]

Great job. The detail is perfect. What colour of paints do you use? Sprays or brush on? What brands? I have some old Disney Atlantis Vehicles I want to convert and repaint. Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.