Motor Pool III

I've been a bit on the quiet side regards poor old VBCW, spending more time painting fantasy stuff. Anyway, I'm back in the saddle for a little while at least and have knocked out a couple more vehicles for the motor pool.

Firstly, a BUF recon / post racer. Not sure how much use I'll have for this but I couldn't think of a better use for the car and it might provide some interesting scenario opportunities...

Secondly, an armoured car for my Royalists (or possibly others if captured). This is the Austin Type 3 from Sloppy Jalopy and very nice she is too. The machine guns are a little low meaning they might have some issues firing forwards, all adding to the chaos I suppose. ;-)

Comments welcome as always.

Toodles!
Millsy

Wheel meet again...

Gentlefolk, good morrow!

Here's the next batch of diecast repaints, hot off the production line. This set are Lledo / Corgi / Lledo from a couple of eBay auctions. Little in the way of modifications or repairs to these were required with the exception of the bus which had the wheels replaced with set of Lego ones ("liberated" from the kids).

Remember to click for bigger images...

Stately Saloon, Wirral Socialist Collective Bus and Lever Brothers Steam Lorry

The saloon was disassembled, rubbed back and given a spray of matt black. This was followed by a coat of GW Dark Angels Green and dry brushed in GW Snot Green. The wheels and tyres were left "as is" because I was happy enough with them.

The bus was disassembled, given a rub back and then a base coat of GW Foundation Red followed by GW Blood Red and a final dry brush of GW Bleached Bone. The wheels are a really old set of Lego solid rubber numbers from when I was a kid (yes, me). That makes em 30-35 or so years old and still going strong. Some cutting was required but they fit nicely and are much better than the tatty Corgi plastic ones. Signs done in Photoshop completed the job.

Finally, the steam lorry was once again disassembled, rubbed back and given a coat of matt black. GW Dark Angels Green followed with a dry brush of GW Goblin Green. The wheels were dressed up a bit with the nuts painted but nothing else. A new timber tray was added and stained / dirtied up and finally some more Photoshop signage added.

As with the first set these are awaiting only number plates and a spray of matt varnish but until the weather improves for a few days that won't happen.

Toodles!
Millsy

Soap Factory Lorry

Here's my second effort at repainting a diecast vehicle. This one is also a Lledo which I scored from eBay recently. In this case it's a BOC Gases lorry (sans gas tanks which will go to make a bit of terrain I think).

This one was red with black running boards to start with and although I've kept the red colour for the chassis I've switched the tray to black as much because I could as anything I suppose. To begin with everything was disassembled before rubbing back with a fine paper. The black parts were sprayed and the red hand painted using GW Foundation Red followed by GW Red Gore. Everything got a drybrush and the details were picked out before being put back together. As with the BUF vans the wheels were immobilised, a new timber tray installed and the Photoshop signage applied. A number plate and matt varnish will see the end of work on this little chap too.

Remember to click on the pics for full sized versions...

If anything I'm happier with this one than the BUF vans. The colours really work plus the posters add a nice touch and tie it in with the factory of course. I'll need at least one more factory lorry but I'm not sure about the colour scheme for the next one. More red and black would be in keeping with a livery theme but maybe not as interesting from a modelling perspective.

Next up? Not sure as yet, although I already have a saloon in pieces ready to start. Maybe I should paint some chaps to ride about in the completed vehicles first!

Toodle-pip!
Millsy

BUF Transport

Today I've just about finished my first repainted vehicles. The following are two of the Lledo vans I got from eBay (Dairy Farm Bakery and Marks & Spencers). The Dairy Farm Bakery van was missing the roof and was quite knocked about so I decided to armour that one up, plus rebuild my own roof. The M&S van is pretty much as it arrived in terms of structure. They will both (obviously!) be in service as BUF transports.

Both vehicles were completely disassembled, rubbed back with a fine paper and resprayed in matt black. From there it was a case of dry brushing and picking out details. The armoured windows are corrugated craft card a.k.a. corrugated iron. The wheels have been immobilised. All the insignia and propaganda posters were knocked up in Photoshop and printed on high quality paper. All that remains to be done is number plates and a couple of coats of matt varnish.

Remember to click on the pics for full sized versions...

Having never repainted a diecast before I'm fairly happy with these overall, especially the artwork. I'm a bit worried about the durability of the paintwork but only time will tell on that score.

Next up: transport for the stalwart factory chaps from the soap factory.

Huzzah!
Millsy

Motor Pool part II

My second set of vehicles arrived from eBay yesterday to add to the growing motor pool. This time around there was 9 in total, plus I also found a sports car I was given a while ago by friends.

This first photo is comprised of three Matchbox cars and a truck. There are the largest vehicles I've bought and although I'm not very happy with them in terms of size (they are on the large side) they are certainly nice cars.

Matchbox saloons and a van

The second photo comprises six Lledo cars and trucks. These are the most pleasing of all the vehicles I've bought and there are a couple (BBC radio van and saloon) which I'm tempted not to do anything to at all. Not only is the scale the best match to 28mm miniatures, the overall quality of materials and finish is supeior.

Lledo cars and trucks. Nice!

So there we have it. I'm going to hold off buying any more vehicles now until I've got the vast majority of these into a "finished" i.e. table-ready state. In most cases that will mean a repaint as a minimum. In several instances it will also mean some conversion work which will be fun. Stay tuned!

Hey-ho!
Millsy

The beginnings of a Motor Pool

Having read a lot of material on using diecast vehicles in 28mm I decided to have a try at it myself. Given the considerable cost difference between these and resin / whitemetal scale kits this is a good place to start.

I got the following from eBay for about AUD $15 which was pleasing. They're a mixture of Lledo (x1) and Corgi (x4). The Lledo vehicles are a fair bit nicer, especially the wheels. The Corgi wheels have a very cheap look and feel about them.

Corgi, Lledo, Corgi, Corgi and Corgi.

So what to do? The Lledo van will get turned into something armoured, probably for the BUF. The two tankers might do for some sort of factory vehicles or army fuel tankers. The bus is trickier and I might give that some more thought.

I've got another nine vehicles of different sorts on the way, also from eBay. That should do me for a while I think given I still have to clean them and and repaint where necessary.

What ho!
Millsy