Revell GMC truck kit-bash

So I had a couple of kits sitting around that I bought for parts for other projects, the Revell GMC Pickup that I bought strictly for the chrome wheels, and the Ertl barge wagon I bought for the running gear. I wasn't planning on doing anything with the kits themselves, until I spotted my neighbor's 1 ton Jimmy truck with the box and snow plow - remarkably similar to the Revell kit! I decided to combine these two throwaways into a single, unique project. With help of a razor saw to cut the barge box down a bit, and a set of resin wheels by Modelhaus Tires, I was able to fairly replicate my neighbor's late '70's utility snow plow truck.

I ground out the rocker panels with a Dremel and roughed them up with a hobby knife to replicate the usual rust on an old pick-up. The kit is pretty sparse on details, so I had to fabricate a floor for the cab. The was hardly any detail under the hood, so I didn't add anything there (I'll just keep the hood down :)) The chassis was too short, so I had to extend it out a bit for the box. The mud flaps and the rock shield over the cab are made from sheet styrene.

The box had nice wood grain detail on the floor, so I painted a coat of tan over the wood strips and aluminum over the metal strips, then a coat of gloss black over that. I then sanded carefully until the wood grain was revealed, and added scratches in the metal panels. A couple of do-dads from LED strip lights served as tail lights on the back of the box.

For paint, I used Valejo Orange Fire for the GMC burnt orange, then a light spray of Model Master Light Gray for the road grime. The windshield got the usual windshield-wiper treatment. The chassis is black, with Testor's Rubber and Flat Rust applied liberally, then a last coat of the Light Gray. The wheels were painted Flat Rust, with white over the top, and Light Gray again.

It was a fun project, I hope you enjoy viewing!

10 additional images. Click to enlarge.