Who else is building hummers out there? I know of at least two others. What are you guys plans for yours? Any tips or ideas? I have about 6 or more from several differnt companies lined up! With the Tamiya’s new hummer out there will be plenty of the older kits for us hummer builders to get our grubby little mitts on. So what are we going to do with 'em? I have already come up with a way to update the side veiw mirrors from the old style to the “elephant ears” [at least that’s what they call them on pick ups]. I’m going to be using office paper clips for the frame and I’m going to clip the old mirror from the old style arm and attach it to the new wire frame. Hope it works…[8)]
So what are you guys up to?
ei MGM, i know you’re thinking am gonna respond hehehe. still on my humvee conversion. i saw some Krylon short cut paints on the hardware store and it’s half the price of lacquer spray of tamiya. finished my hummer’s interior, i’m thinking to remove the top and put some big speakers inside, bling bling! lol
doing the same thing with my academy hummer – the pickup type, with the bed. only mine is copper wire with a bar in the middle so I can make the mirror workable. I’m still gonna cut up some plastic sheet for the mirror itself…got sidetracked making DML’s modern marines. Tamiya’s modern accessories set is on the store shelves, so we can add the CIPs on the doors and hood.
I made the steering workable by drilling out the linkages and connecting them with wires. While not perfect, it allows me leeway until I can get it on a diorama.
To accurize the wheels of the academy hummer I trimmed the hub’s lip so I could push each hub near flush with the rim. Just need to do something about those tyres, though. Too thin to capture the brute look of the HMMWV. They say Blast Models has the right wheel set for the job. We don’t have them here in the Philippines, so scratching would have to do…
Instead of the Krylon [which are excellent paints mind you] I suggest you try some of the Dupli-color or Plasti-Cote paints from the local auto parts store if you want some really nice “Bling Bling” colors. I personally prefer the Dupli-color from Auto-zone. They are a little cheaper than the Plasti-cote paints carried by Advance Auto. [I can’t recall which one Pep Boys carries.] Anyway Dupli-color has a VAST array of gloss colors that Tamiya or Testors could never hope to match. Everthing from stock colors to tri-color “flip-flop” paints. The cans are a larger than Testors Model Masters cans for about the same amount of money [around $2.99-$3.99]. I use these paints on all my movie car models and sci-fi robots [my trade secret[oX)]. You have to remember to have a lot of ventalation though. [xx(] Very stinky, I use them out side.
Andrew I found the steering on the Italery hummers easy to modify becaue it is almost set up for it. Once you snip the drive shaft from behind the wheel mount and not glue the tie rod the wheel assemblies will swivel. Cool idead for the enter peice on the mirrors. This is the kinda stuff I was talking about! What’s CIP?
hmm, I’ve never built a hummer before. I friend of mine asked me to build one for him, and include a dio setting. However, he absolutely does not want something in 1/35 scale or smaller. Are there any kits out there that are in the ‘standard’ car scale, ie 1/24 or 1/25?
I know there is a red civilian hummer in about 1/25 scale but it’s a snap kit. I beleive there once was a military one in 1/25 but i think it’s out of production now. I thought i rember seeing something about it on some site. Anyway the only others i can think of for certain in 1/25 were the couple that were released for the Jurasic Park movies which were also snaps and were supposed to be pretty good though neither of these would help in your situation though…[8)]
hmm, yeah for authenticity’s sake, I doubt either of those kits would be accurate. However, even an innacurate one is better than nothing. I’ll detail it as much as I can. My friend is not really a sticker for accuracy. He just loves the car, the basic shape and look of it, so maybe I’ll take a look at those snap-tite ones
zokissima, try the snap tite kits by maisto, they have hummers 1/27 from military to H2. it has two sets of wheels. it’s die-cast though, it needs paint stripping and metal primers if you want to change it’s colors. they are also cheap.
MGM:thanks for the tips. i’ll try if our hardwares here have dupli-color. i saw some flip flop paints by Krylon but it’s quite expensive, but the cans are really big, comes in sets of three.
I don’t recall how much the flip flop was. It was more than the other colors but the cans are MUCH bigger so all in all you get you moneys worth in the long run. I have only used mostly the factory based colors from duplicolor. i did use a candy red color once [sorry I can’t remember the brand but i beleive it was from Advance Auto] on a Maximillian robot kit that took at least a week to dry! But that was the only one I had trouble with.
The Monogram ones are all basically the same kit. They made five total kits. The original red civilian Hummer, and a pre-painted black one with tan top, the unpainted TOW hummer, and a pre-camouflaged one, and the Lost World Snagger Hummer. All are snap-tite and rather crude.
There are several diecast 1/27 scale Hummers as well, but they are all basically the same kit and rather crude as well.
You could do some scratchbuilding with those hummers & convert an existing kit to something that you want. There are also hummer conversion kits for Tamiya that is available from Calibre 35, check it out here: http://pmms.webace.com.au/newkitnews/newf.htm.
Has any one seen a kit or conversion for an up-armored M1114 Hummer 1/35? That would be a fun one, I have seen the ones in OIF with a M2 .50cal on the pintal AND a M249 SAW off to one side. That is a lot of fire power for one gunner.
Thanks.
I’m doing a “Monster Hmmwv”
http://www.armorama.com/modules/photopost/data/12531/277Z_hmmwv_Sideview.jpg
nice matt! i can see you like cinnamon altoids! hehehe
are you using two kits?
[:D] hi guys,i to will build a hummer,i will leave it stock and as many tamiya parts to dress it up as i can,im still not sure about the colours? camo or sand?[:D] have fun.
gdarwin.
SWEET MATT! What kits are you using to build it and for what purpose? Will it be military, limo, or just a radical custom?
That’s an absolutely amazing conversion. You blended those two perfectly. Really nice!
Martian,
CIP is combat Identification panels - supposed to prevent blue on blue. How well, I dunno.
zokissima,
If you’re looking for a 1:20 Hummer, Tamiya has a collectible in camo or sand. It’s die-cast, but it still looks good.
Yep I finally figure it out earlier today. Does anybody know how those weird looking panels work? Look like scrubboards.
Hey MGM,
I am in the process of building the new M1025 by Tamiya. There will be some minor scratch building and a few other add ons.
The chase is all set as well as my scratch built motorbike rack that will be mounted to the back of the Hummers chase(basically a field mod). I will be using Tamiya JSDF’s Reconn motorbike set and of course there will be some modifications done to the bike itself[;)].
I’m thinking of putting the HMMWV in Cav unit markings. She’ll probably be based around the first Gulf War. Hopefully my lil project will be done soon so I can post a few pix.
Flaps up, Mike