My new project is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon from 4 years ago. This is a curbside kit, which means there is no engine or transmission to assemble. The body will be painted with Model Master Big Bad Blue Lacquer and the interior will be painted with a combination of Tamiya Nato Black, Tamiya Semi Gloss Black and Model Master Acryl Gunship Gray. One of the things I am considering is changing the back of the roll cage to protect the rear passengers. Currently, the roll cage design shows a raciness with a fastback style.
The new version of this kit is out and it is basically the same, but it is a stock Wrangler.
I have been working on the roll cage for this Wrangler. I cut off the rear bars and trimmed them to sit level at 1 1/16 inch and then I added a 1 1/16 inch length of .100X.100 styrene stock to the bottom of the rear uprights. I plan on adding a strip of .080X.188 styrene stock for a rear crossmember.
I ordered that kit from Hobby Lobby but they sent me the vanilla yellow one. Got it for no charge though. I’ll follow. Wanted one to sit next to my Bronco
I got the paintbooth up and running and sprayed the Jeep this afternoon. The body and the chassis was painted with Model Master AMC Big Bad Blue. The flipside of the chassis is the interior floor and that got a coat of Tamiya Gunship Grey. Then I ran out of paint! Off to the LHS tomorrow. The frame got a coat of Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black and tomorrow I’ll detail the rest of the frame.
Thanks Lee. I have to presume that Hobby Lobby would have the newer stock version. I got this kit from the Classic Plastic Model Club raffle several years ago.
I put the wheels and tires together and what a job that was! I figured the installation would be easy to do, but it was difficult due to the stiff tires. A quick mockup to check my progress.
Thank you guys! How did I weather the tires? I left them in the bag! [H] I didn’t do anything to them. That is the way they came out of the bag. Yes, I am using my brain a bit as I work on this Jeep. I have plenty of complex model kits to build, but this Jeep was simple and every now and then, you need to build something easy and simple.
I finished the suspensions last night before turning in. Red springs on an otherwise black suspension which will need some detailing anyway. I did a mockup to check my progress!
I went to find the hood latches to paint them and they were gone! I must have used them elsewhere. With ingenuity being the mother of invention, I created a set of hood latches. The interior is mostly done. I just have to add a rear cross bar and do some touchups.
Guess what I found…the hood latches! I had this one piece floating around the bench top and I never really looked at it until a short while ago. It got me to thinking, “Where did I see one just like it?” I looked in the box and there it was on the bottom! Why there were seperated from the parts sprue, I don’t know. After looking at some pictures on Goggle Images, some Jeeps had lights mounted on the front bumper and I got to wondering if I had any left over from my '32 Fords and I did! With the lenses! Now, to decided which decals I need before I apply my clearcoat.
