Last of the V8 Interceptors…. Aoshima 1/24 Mad Max 2
One of my favorite Moving pictures has been Mad Max 2, The Road Warrior. I saw this one in '81 when it came out, and was bowled over with the nasties, machines, a young Mel Gibson at full tough, and overall atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland. The best part of course was the CAR, a supercharged mean machine our hero, with his companion "Dog", uses for cruising and scavenging in the harsh world of future shock, in continuous search for the "juice", precious gasoline.
Turns out the vehicle was based on the 1974 Ford Falcon GT351, an Australian muscle car. In the original "Mad Max" it was a custom, blown, shining hot rod for pursuit, or "intercepting" the marauding gangs that were taking over. By the time of this 2nd movie, the Interceptor looks quite different. Gas capacity is all important and 2 40 gallon tanks have been installed where once was a trunk lid and rear window. A complete coating of munge and dust make it look more like a Panzer IV than a car. THIS is the state Bill likes it in, a cool machine in need of a weathering exercise.
The model's base is the <a href="https://imodeler.com/tag/124/" class="st_tag internal_tag " rel="tag" title="Click for the 1/24 database at iModeler">1/24</a> scale kit from <a href="https://imodeler.com/tag/aoshima/" class="st_tag internal_tag " rel="tag" title="Click for the Aoshima database at iModeler">Aoshima</a>, recently re-leased, and I spotted it on an IPMS website review. The only way, it turns out, to get it is off E-Bay and I paid too much for it, but I hadda do this. The new release contains a nice photo-etch fret, spare tire and two paper boxes to fold into "Dinki-Di" Dog food cartons, a staple cuisine of the wasteland. Some modifications were made, cutting out the side windows as they are never seen in the film, adding hood scoop screens, a paper headliner, springs and for the gas tank covers, and adding welds and spouts to the jerry cans. The interior features a scratched crowbar, the double barreled sawed-off, the dog's jump seat cover and camo net bed, and his bowl and bone. The whole thing is covered in pigment dust. Outside, the formerly shiny black finish is coated with Aussie outback dirt and dust, sprayed on acrylic gray and Orange Ochre, knocked back with Windex for a patchy look, and well scratched up. The etched windshield wipers are things of beauty, if you have the patience for the tiny parts. I got through it. Of course I tried to mimic how it looks in the few clips in the movie that give us a look at the car standing still. Underneath, are the Booby trap (touch those tanks and...pooohhhhmmm) and machete. A 'Road Warrior" needs a road, eh? One was made up on the usual Micheal's plaque, given some white lines, sand and foliage. A search was made for a "Max" figure, to no avail. No "Dog" either. Liscencing issues I suppose.
I had a BALL with this one, my first real car build since age...12? I kind of liked it in it's shiny stage. Might haveta get myself a 'Vette...or an AMC Javelin? Do they make those?
Well, it looked good for the 5 minutes it was up there
It still looks good, Bill...but the steering wheel's on the wrong side 🙂
Not in OZ, mate. I can't imagine trying to drive on the 'wrong" side of the road. Take some getting used to fer sure.
A well used Beastie. Nice work on the realism.
Bill,
Nice job on that machine! I remember the movie, what a hell of a world that was. Mel Gibson at his best. I was intrigued by the exhaust system. Looks like 4 headers into 2 into 1, but then back to the 4 pipes on a side, the last 3 of which look like they are just for show? You really have done a fantastic job of detailing this beast. I can see why you cut out the side windows, with all that detail inside. Well done!
I've heard the rear pipes called "Zoomies". They make sense only if all 8 pipes are individual, like an FW-190. otherwise I guess 2 into 8 is just for looks, like the Munsters car. 🙂 I agree Mel gibson was at his best being cold and mean.
Mad Max would love it, Bill. Perfectly done with superior technique/skill.
Wow, you've really gone to town with this one, Bill, great stuff!
Love the movie too. Wonderful job on the car. The interior, the rear gas tanks, the dust - all the added detail looks great.
Excellent! makes me wanna load the film up and open a fresh can of dog food 🙂
I confess to nibbling on a biscuit or two but never out of the can-but the Dinki-Di didn't look too bad.
Great detail, a LOT of imagination, thinking outside the box. (But for me THUNDERDOME was the best of the franchise).
Thanks all for the positive input, you blokes are fair dinkum cobbers the lot of ya.
Beautiful work, Bill. You really caught the look.
I remember when the movie came out. Had to be dragged to it by a fellow screenwriter, since I wasn't into "cheap biker movies" at that point, saw it at the Bruin in Westwood with an audience full of the Humongous' followers. My attitude lasted a whole 45 seconds after the lights went down and the screen came up.
And then I wrote five of these "post apocalypse" movies as everybody went for it. (If anyone wants to search further on that, the one I recommend is "The Terror Within", which became a "cult classic" - used to be shown every May when the Syfy Channel was the Sci-Fi Channel, everything on the screen was one the page first).
Yes I remember that one, never saw it though. Gotta look it up. "Emmanuelle" too, eh?
Bill,
Very well done replica of Max's car. You have put a lot of skill and talent into this build.
Very well done! The weathering is spot on and the little bits and details in side the car make this! The bolt cutters, the box with ragged flaps from having being repeatedly opened and closed, and as you've mentioned, the dog snacks! I've bought a couple of Aoshima's kit's and their attention to detail is very high, which surprised me in the shot of the bottom. The drag links for the front suspension were molded to the frame instead of being separate pieces. (They caught my attention as they just dead end before reaching the lower control arm, but it is on the bottom of the car, so I guess if the try to save a little development money, that's the place to do it!) If you're itching to do another Aoshima auto kit, they have a very nice Lamborghini Countach LP400. (The early, pretty one before all the fender flares and wings and when their color palate was outside the box!) Me, I'm looking for the 1/48 Airwolf kit from them!
Thanks, glad you like it. Yes it is very much the curbside, everything is "molded in", but I painted it for fun just because the bomb and knife are underneath. I would like to do one "full monte" sometime. I do like Lamborghini's...
impressive...but it looks like a javelin
Cool work Bill! One of my all-time favorite movies.
"Two days ago, I saw a rig that could haul that tanka"
Great looking tribute to an iconic movie!