I've had one of those cheapy Maisto '41 Plymouth stepsides around the layout long enough for the paint to start coming off. the chrome to flake and just get pretty ratty looking in general.
I decided that a plain repaint wasn't going to work because I really didn't want to strip it down and do a lot of masking to spray it. I'd been using it at the Giant Gnome farm anyway, so I decided that remaking it into a flatbed farm truck was just the ticket.
First I unscrewed the plastic undercarriage (6 screws), then cut the running boards off even with the back of the cab....
Next I gave the cab an Earl Scheib ("I'll paint any cah for just $99.95!") paint job (If you were lucky they masked the grille and tailights). Farm trucks around here are generally chalky and faded looking. At least when they aren't just totally rusted out.... So I used craft store 'denim' and Polly S 'grimy black' to look something like 20 year old paint.
For the bed, I had an old Monogram Mack AC bed that I cut down. It probably would have been just as easy to scratchbuild one.
Bed installed.
Then painted and loaded with farm type 'stuff'.... It really needs a lounging dog yet.
Front view.
And the bed? It's well on it's way to becoming a trailer/cart for another part of the layout. You used to see these things everywhere 30+ years ago.
And it only took around 3 hours. Much of that just waiting for glue or paint to dry enough to go to the next step.
I decided that a plain repaint wasn't going to work because I really didn't want to strip it down and do a lot of masking to spray it. I'd been using it at the Giant Gnome farm anyway, so I decided that remaking it into a flatbed farm truck was just the ticket.
First I unscrewed the plastic undercarriage (6 screws), then cut the running boards off even with the back of the cab....
Next I gave the cab an Earl Scheib ("I'll paint any cah for just $99.95!") paint job (If you were lucky they masked the grille and tailights). Farm trucks around here are generally chalky and faded looking. At least when they aren't just totally rusted out.... So I used craft store 'denim' and Polly S 'grimy black' to look something like 20 year old paint.
For the bed, I had an old Monogram Mack AC bed that I cut down. It probably would have been just as easy to scratchbuild one.
Bed installed.
Then painted and loaded with farm type 'stuff'.... It really needs a lounging dog yet.
Front view.
And the bed? It's well on it's way to becoming a trailer/cart for another part of the layout. You used to see these things everywhere 30+ years ago.
And it only took around 3 hours. Much of that just waiting for glue or paint to dry enough to go to the next step.
