Paulster Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Started this a couple of years ago and shelved before I gave it flying lessons. This is the 40+ year old Italeri/Peerless kit. This vehicle's destiny was utter failure. Packing a 37mm AT gun, it was equivalent to throwing tennis balls at German armor in North Africa. Based on the Dodge WC 51/52 chassis, it had lacked any armor except the "splinter" shield around the M1 37mm gun. As stated above, this kit was first molded in the late '60's and then released by 3 or 4 different companies since. It defiantly shows it's age. The only kit dedicated aftermarket set was a pe set manufactured by Eduard back in 1993. After about 4 months of searching I found a set in Australia. This was produced when pe was in it's infancy. Frets are very thick. So…..getting my hands on anything WC 51 related and digging deep into my spares bin, I jumped off the cliff. Wheels are just sitting loose to see if by chance they all touched. Of course they didn't. Used a steel square to draw our mounting points for the windshield rests. Little bit of coaxing to get the hood to line up. PE rear bumpers, pedals and dash installed. Forming the tie down hooks. Pencil to show size. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted September 26, 2014 Author Share Posted September 26, 2014 Used .015 lead solder for the headlight wiring. Wind screen was toy like over width. Sawed apart to resize. Drive shaft was too short. I'm sure I did something wrong here. A little styrene rod to the rescue. Used the kit seats cushions and shaped them to fit the Eduards armored seat shields. Lead foil is formed to make a canvas windshield cover. Did this so I wouldn't have to scratch build wiper motors or blades. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 Adding stowage and such. Stowage vendors are too numerous to remember muchness list. Rear stowage rage is built from a left over pioneer tool rack. Added a few "wrinkles" to the kits seat cushions before installing into armored buckets. Attaching the small little do-dads. Older (1993) pe really thick. Had to anneal almost everything for it to bend smoothly. Saw a photo of a M6 with a field manufactured .30 caliber mount. So i followed suit trying to mimic the crude nature of it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Layton Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Wow!! Excellent work with the PE I'm wishing to see it finished 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Finally have some progress to report. Construction done and primered. The after market brush guard is made of compressed paper. We'll see how it paints up before I pass judgement on it. Will start paint after I construct a jig to hold it up side down. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-Oh-Four Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Looking "swell", Paulie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeWika Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 It looks really good!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolboxx Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Great can't wait to see this with some paint and weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators JeroenPeters Posted February 17, 2015 Administrators Share Posted February 17, 2015 Kinda like this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikester Posted February 22, 2015 Members Share Posted February 22, 2015 Nice axles, did they come with the kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Actually they did. The incident you speak of was on the Testors WC 56 Staff Car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Looking great Paul. Amazing how a primer coat make it look so much better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Agree. Primer brings out both the good and the sins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 The forever project continues. AMMO From Mig olive drab modulation. 50 shades of OD. Actually 6. Gloss coat,decals and detail picking next. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikester Posted April 3, 2015 Members Share Posted April 3, 2015 That really looks good, you suck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 That really looks good, you suck! I take that as high praise coming from you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 Progress!!!! Chassis is done. Dusting and a little mud (very little, not a fan) Pick-out the details. Now to finish the gun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikester Posted July 23, 2015 Members Share Posted July 23, 2015 Looking good, bro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators JeroenPeters Posted July 23, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 23, 2015 Looks cool... nice stowage too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Construction is done. Few little do-das and finish the base and I can move it over to the "completed" area. The gun was a bitch as there isn't really any positive mounting point. Glue, tape, glue. Then don't go near it for 2 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikester Posted August 20, 2015 Members Share Posted August 20, 2015 Sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 My last do-dads will be the bucket hanging on the pintle hook and the muzzle cover made from dental x-ray foil. Next came the base. Cut an oval from a pice of birch and then route the edges to give some interest. 2 coats prestain sealer, 1 of natural tint stain and then seal it up. Sand it with ultra fine sanding pad followed by 8 coats of polyurethane gloss. I printed a battle map of the Battle of Kasserine Pass of February 1943. I sprayed each side with 14 layers of Krylon Acrylic Gloss clear. Putting the wood base on my printers platen glass gave me and actual size copy to cut out a template for the map. After cutting it out, the back side received a covering on Kilnz primer so it wouldn't be so transparent. Mixed water and and some Elmers Glue All and let it set overnight with a couple of books on it. I didn't like the reflection I was getting from the map surface, I taped the exposed wood and applied 2 like coats of matt enamel. # years and 11 months later it's done. I will photograph the finished build tomorrow and post in the finished forum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 Had to add 2 more items. Just don't know when to quit. Found that Legends makes an early "C" rations set. Had to have one of those. Very nicely detailed resin boxes with decals included. Great stuff. Now a helmet. A Japanese company called "Feeling Parts" has a US sling set that include helmets and liners. The liners and slings are made of what appears to be rice paper and assemble like the real deal. Wanting a "netted" helmet, I used the Verlinden netting and screening material. I used diluted white glue to attach to helmet. I placed the C ration box in the bed and ca'd the helmet in front of the drivers position. Done! Done! I swear this time! 4 1/2 years and done!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolboxx Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Magic, some great ideas and skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frybreadlf Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 Excellent work. I am trying to built this kit with the Eduard PE as well. I could not find the instrucion of the Eduard PE, would you kind if you can share the instrction ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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