GERMAN VEHICLES CONTINUED
This started out as a model kit and was modified and detailed with scratch built details and home made castings. I am not a great believer in buying all my detail parts. If I can make it, that is the way I will go. This picture represent the vehicle after base coat paint was applied. It has since be camouflaged and weathered like the Panzer III below.
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This Panzer III stated out as a Mardon Callanta/Panzerwerks piece. It had no details when I got it. It was originally a short barreled 75mm and I converted it to a 5cm long barrel. I cast spare road wheels for it as well as some extra track links for the front of the vehicle. Man of the other detail pieces were either scratch built or one off castings. It was finished to represent one of two Panzer III observation tanks used by the 12th SS at Normandy.
DRAGON DAK kubelwagen with balloon tires, straight from the box.
DID kettenkrad, straight from the box with no modifications. Not pictured - small trailer came with vehicle.
DRAGON medical kubelwagen, straight from the box. This piece was given to me by good friend and fellow 1/6th enthusiast, Robert Roboski
This Protze was originally a Mardon Callanta piece. I bought it a number of years ago from Gary1930. It has been repainted, renumbered and lightly weathered.
I bought this Tiger from Gary1930 at the same time I picked up the Protze. It is the largest piece in my collection, but not the heaviest. I have toyed with repainting it for "winter" in Russia, but so far I haven't messed with it. Perhaps some day.
Out of the Box BMW R75 from 21st Century Toys, no modifications
VEHICLES FROM OTHER ERAS
Scratchbuilt U.S. Cavalry of the Plains supply wagon. Principal material was wood, but there is all brass and styrene used in the construction. My wife sewed the tarp cover.
The mules are the Dragon ones made out of polystone and are extremely fragile. I rarely take them anywhere. Uniforms on the soldiers are mostly Dog Soldier with some custom items added. |
U.S.M.C. Armored Gun Jeep. This started life as a 21st Century Toys M151 Mutt (post war). I changed the front fenders to reflect earlier version and added the plate armor from styrene sheet. There are all kinds of crew details inside this thing.
Another M151 Mutt from 21st Century. This one started out as their Navy Seal Jeep. I reworked some items on the vehicle and added a ton of detail items based on the reference pictures I had of a similar vehicle. It was repainted and heavily weathered.
This vehicle started life as a Hasbro Humvee that I found on eBay. The Humvee is probably one of the best vehicles that Hasbro did; even so, there were improvements to be made. I raised the entire vehicle on it's chassis, based on some instructions that I found online. Then I began reworking and detailing it with styrene and brass to create a Special Forces vehicle that I found pictures of on the interenet. The cab and cargo area are full of equipment and gear.
This is the Taowan all-metal model of the U.S. MRAP as used by modern American forces. I got this one from a Chinese seller on eBay. It is not quite a big as my Tiger, but it certainly is heavier, weighing in around 70 lbs. I have not begun to detail this out yet, but there is a ton of room in the cab and cargo space for all kinds of eye candy.
VEHICLES, NO LONGER IN MY COLLECTION
or DONE AS COMMISSIONS
This is the first Sd.kfz 250 half-track kit that I built. Some of my detailing (on the radio gear) is sort of crude as compared to my second 250. Still, it was a nicely finished piece and I was pretty proud of it. It is now in the collection of Cory Lord.
This is one of my original Stuarts, the one I used in the Haunted Tank comics. It had a lot of detail, though some of it was pretty crude compared to later efforts. It had a partial interior as well. The tank is now in the collection of Phil Ball.
Early Kubelwagen from 21st Century Toys. Not as detailed as the Dragon one, but better than the Schwimmer that they put out. I repainted, letter and weathered it. Added some detail and enjoyed it quite a bit until Dragon finally put one out. This one is now in the collection of Dick Schauerte.
The panther kit was a blow molded body and turret produced by a company called Plastically Anything as I remember. The track was from Panzerwerks and I am not sure where the road wheels came from. This was built as a commission for Dick Schauerte. There were no details for it. Dick had a few parts that he supplied, everything else was scratch built. As I recall this was the kit from hell,... yes, worse than the Dragon Sherman. But it turned out pretty well despite the building issues.
I built the PBR back in the early 2000's before moving to Ohio. I ended up giving it to someone in the Denver Joe Club. It was originally a James DiSimmone blow mold kit and pretty much the only thing I used on the build was the hull and superstructure Everything else in the basic build was styrene and brass. I wish I still had this piece, but I would never build another one.
Modified Hasbro Jeep from a while back. This piece is currently in collection of George Klayer
The Marder II started life with the hull of a Dragon Panzer II ausf. C and a 21st Century Pak 40. It was done as a commission for Dick Schauerte. He has since camouflaged it and added crew details. You can see it as a WIP project if you have not already by pushing the button below.