A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Back in 2015 - inspired by the recent release of the movie 'Mad Max: Fury Road' - I attempted to build my own post-apocalyptic vehicle. Long story short - the project was a flop! I basically started too big and far too ambitious and I soon ran into problems that my inexperience could not surmount.
You can see from the opening photo (above) that I didn't progress mush beyond my initial experimentation with making a rusty vehicle but - as I said - the sheer large scale of a 1/24 (!) model car was too much for me. Although I did start my main project - a Mad Max style monster truck - but that's where the real problems began...
One of the main issues that caused this projects demise was that at the huge 1/24 scale there was no where to hide! By that I mean that, while on a small scale you can 'fudge' detail at a big scale you kinda have to get the engineering looking as if it is realistic. I remember what flummoxed me was getting the vehicular suspension right and on a monster truck type car it is very visible so has to be done right... Which - as someone who knows nothing about how cars really work - I couldn't. 😟
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| Above: One element of this failed project I was very pleased with was the job I made of the engine. Not bad painting, for me that is! |
Fast Forward Eight Years...
Over-ambition is my main flaw when it comes to my ideas for projects. I always get far too giddy when I come across something that piques my interest and instead of starting simply I always 'go big'!
I'm trying my best to stop that.
This Gaslands project is an example of my new found tentativeness when approaching something I fancy having a go at but which I haven't done before. KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID! 😆
And, by the way, what is Gaslands???
Luckily, the whole Gaslands hobby is founded on the simple conversion of small toy cars. SO, unlike my original 1/24 scale project, I am not overburdening myself. I just picked up a few Hotwheels and Matchbox cars and I'll concentrate of some quick and fun cosmetic modifications.
On my side is the fact that at 1/64 scale (roughly what Matchbox sized vehicles are) there's not a real lot of intensive or highly detailed work that I need to do. Here's an example...
The Plan (Let's See If I Can Stick To One)...
Right, taking the KISS approach, what will I do with my little cars to turn them into post-apocalyptic road warriors?
Well, taking what I learned with my DinoTonk project there will be rust! 😉That's for sure, but aside from a making some crusty and rusty war rigs, I do have to go beyond just slapping on some paint.
So, STEP 1, chose you 'victims' - the Hotwheels or Matchbox cars - with care. Look for cars which lend themselves to that Gaslands/Mad Max look. Here's a reminder of what that entails...
A quick visit to POUNDLAND netted me three interesting looking cars, each of which gave me some cunning ideas about what they might be converted into. These cars were just £1.50 each, so this really is the budget model builders delight!
What I bought....
1. The Matchbox DODGE PICKUP...
The Red Neck's run about, this classic utility vehicle has a nice bit of heft to it. It's just the sort of thing you can imagine being dragged out a scrape yard and getting the Frankenstein treatment!
I loved the fins and the rear flat bed, this gave me the idea to have a cage in the back to transport captured enemies. Like some sort of post-apocalyptic safari vehicle. I could can see me adding some sort of grappling hook or harpoon gun in a cupola on the roof, to snag unfortunate victims! 😈
2. The Matchbox 1947 KURTIS ROADSTER...
A classic noir low-rider, sleek and fast. The Kurtis is simply a beautiful car from the hey day of American post-war cruisers.
It reminded me a little of the lead-sled custom car from the classic 1986 action movie 'COBRA' with Sly Stallone! ...Minus the roof of course! 😂
...This seems to be crying out for a set of tracks!
3. The Hotwheels BONE SHAKER...
A bit of a wild card, this custom roadster doesn't need that much doing to it. Just a Badlands' paint job and some armour. Though the wheels need some attention...
The cockpit seems ideal for mounting a turret, but the centre-piece must be that chrome skull at the front! That would look amazing given a coat of rust!
STEP 2 - Some Sketch Book Scribblings...
Well, now I have the ideas fermenting I need to get something a bit more visible that I can use as a conversion plan. This will take me a wee while as my sketching is so rusty (ironically), so I'll post the results in the next post in this series.
In the mean time, here's a little video giving you some better detail of the cars I have chosen...
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