1917 Model T Civilian cargo truck

[Frank3k]

I have a fondness for the Model T. It is such a simple and alien vehicle - this video shows how to start and drive it.

I've build the ancient RPM 1/35 British WWI M.M.G.S Ford and their Ford Tfc - both took a fair amount of scratchbuilding to correct the missing features in the kit, but since the model T is such a simple vehicle, it wasn't much of a chore.

ICM recently came out with a series of 1917 Model T Ford kits that are just fantastic. The only drawback is that they're fairly expensive in the US (probably thanks to the importer).
Revell of Germany recently released a reboxing of the ICM Model T ambulance but at about 1/2 the price ($19 vs close to $40) I already have one of the ICM ambulance kits... but at this price, it was perfect for whiffing.

I wanted to build a post war civilian Model T, being used as a cargo vehicle. I could have used the ICM cargo model T kit, but I would have to switch it to left hand drive. With the Revell kit so cheap, it was easier to just modify it.

In my mind diorama, the Model T would be a food/beer delivery truck, "refrigerated" with ice. It would be parked at the curb, one engine cover raised, one of the drivers (looking a bit like Oliver Hardy) would be looking at the engine, one hand on his hip, the other scratching his head. The assistant (looking like Stan Laurel) would be walking over with two beers and some sandwiches, since they would be there for a while... In fact, Laurel and Hardy had several movies with Model Ts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MNsfms8hEU

and "Towed in a hole" is a classic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_OcZBmzpig
 
I doubt I'll be able to maintain the momentum to finish the diorama with the two figures, but the truck will be built.

The Model T 1917 ambulance has a huge overhang past the rear wheels - as the famous scholar, Sir Mix-a-Lot said, "baby got back". I decided to cut this back to more reasonable proportions:



The cuts were fairly easy, thanks to the great plastic Revell (or ICM) used.

Once everything was put back together, the kit has moved along quickly. This is due in large part to the kit's engineering - even though locator marks are small, the engineering is precise and almost everything falls into place. All the gray parts are just resting on the chassis. I'm adding a door to the rear of the cargo area:



I'll detail the engine compartment later, but here's the chassis, mostly built:



Yes, there are sinkholes on the underside; I may or may not fix them:



I have some beer bottles and wooden crates built up; I need to scratch build some "ice". I have a couple of resin workmen (3D scanned) coming in from Reedoak.
I'm not sure I'll use either/both since they would have to be modified. I may scratch build or modify the figures:

This guy has the pose I was thinking of. 

I may use this one with some mods.

[Story]

Between the figures and the build direction, I'm getting a "bootleggers in trouble" vibe.

Ever see the movie LAWLESS? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMMyvL0KR5s

[GTX_Admin]

Looking forward to this one.

[apophenia]

Looking forward to this one.

Ditto 

[Frank3k]

Thanks guys - For some reason, I thought Prohibition in the US started in the 30s, not in 1919. I'm going to have to move this to the 1930s.

I have the back modified:


The model T was a tiny vehicle - That door is about 4 feet high.

I also started the cargo:


I have four cases in the picture - the fifth is off screen.  Just enough for this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-lV0vrEWXw

This is from the Miniart "beer bottles and wooden crates" set. 240 bottles, 12 crates. The crates are fairly easy to assemble - a few minutes to clean up and glue per crate... the handles, though, take almost as long to remove and clean up - they're thin and fragile. I looked up US beer crates from the 30s...  many didn't use handles, so I'll skip them for the rest.

I used the original stretcher rails (shortened to fit the shorter cab) and added some lined plastic sheet to act as a shelf.
While there isn't much cargo room. I don't think I can fill it up with beer. I'll have to come up with ice blocks for cooling and scratch build a ham hock, wheel of cheese or something to fill up the rest of the space.

[apophenia]

Love the new back door - it does have a real 'icebox' feel about it 

Those Miniart bottles and crates look very promising.  I wonder if Prohibition-era beer bottles had labels?

[Frank3k]

I made 8 crates; that should be enough. They took paint pretty well; the wood color plastic shows through slightly (especially on the insides of the crate, where the paint is thinner) and it really makes it look like wood.

I can still backdate it to the 1920s if instead of beer, they're transporting Coca Cola or similar beverage.

[Story]

Prohibition ended on December 5th, 1933. Your two guys could be trying to get the truck fixed so it can make it's first (legal) delivery.

[Jacques Deguerre]

Frank, this is such a cool little project! Funny enough, I’ve been trying to put together the parts for a “Wine Express” delivery truck in similar but fictional/humorous vein.

[Frank3k]

@Jacques - The ICM kits are great. The old RPM kits are still available at around half the price, but they require a lot of work to look acceptable.
@Story - I like that idea! Especially if they're driving a cranky 16 year old Model T.

I painted the inside of the cargo shelter white and scuffed up the floor. 16+ years of use and all that:



The model T was a small vehicle. The cargo area is very cramped. Here's a 1/35 figure standing in the space between the two shelves. Getting boxes in and out would be a real chore:

[Story]

I can still backdate it to the 1920s if instead of beer, they're transporting Coca Cola or similar beverage.

Local soda pop logos on the outside, cases of beer on the inside = bootlegger truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3oq2W_DN5A

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Back in the good old days when Coca Cola still had cocaine as one of the main ingredients.  :)

[Frank3k]

I've made a lot of progress with the Ford the last couple of days. I didn't like the kit's driver's compartment sides (which had no doors) so I scratchbuilt sides and doors. I may either open the doors or glue them shut. They're so low it would be ridiculous to open them just to get into the vehicle:



I painted the cab area light blue and the body Ford black. It's similar to the French ambulance in the kit's painting guide:



The kit didn't have rear fenders (just a slab of wood) so I copied the fenders from another ICM Ford kit and replicated them in thin styrene. The shape is more elliptical/streamlined than the typical Ford rear fender, but a more rounded shape would have brought the fender too close to the tire. One bump and it would have made contact.
I also added spark plugs and wiring for the engine as well as red rear lights fashioned from circular clear plastic waste that were on another kit's clear sprue :



The engine cover fits beautifully:



I think the truck is about 80% one. I still need to add rear view mirrors and California license plates, plus fix areas where the paint has worn off from handling.

Thanks for looking!

[finsrin]

Taking shape as a1917 should.  Is kind of vehicle Laurel & Hardy have propensity to crash or trash, keep it away from them.

[apophenia]

That looks great - especially like your new doors 

[Frank3k]

I'm thinking of moving this to 1929-1930 and making it a supply truck for the Janss Investment Company, which developed much of the neighborhood I live in. I see the sidewalk stamps daily - they range from 1925 to 1932.  The UCLA campus property was owned by the Janss company and opened in 1929

The truck would carry tools and supplies/refreshments for the crews working on the streets.

[Frank3k]

I think this is ready for weathering.

The ad on the side of the truck is a real ad from 1928-1929, advertising properties in Westwood. It was farm land//dirt at the time:


The license plate is accurate for 1929 Los Angeles (1M) 20-05 are the year and month I (hopefully) finish this. The headlights and rear-view mirror were painted with Molotow liquid chrome. I just unscrewed the pen and dipped my brush into the reservoir:


The rear lights are also in Molotow chrome:


I made a copy of the engine hood panels by rubbing some tin? from a Dove chocolate Easter bunny over the kit's plastic part; I painted and folder the part. It worked well, I think. I have a PE version on its way, but this may be good enough. It just needs a handle:


Here's Jeff Bezos or Howie Mandel for scale (it's a Reedoak 3D scanned figure that I bought a couple of years ago):

[Story]

That's slick.

[Buzzbomb]

too cool
Really nice job

[Jacques Deguerre]

That has turned out really nice! I really like the new back story you gave it because my wife and I are fans of Craftsman era houses. Our house is a bungalow built between 1925-1928 and our neighborhood was developed just a few years earlier than yours. I’ve often imagined old Model T work trucks and even some chain drive Macks delivering supplies to the builders here in that era.

[elmayerle]

Beautiful piece of work that captures the era very nicely indeed.

[Frank3k]

I kinda screwed up the weathering - it's excessive - which goes to show you; don't try out new weathering techniques on an important kit.

Here it is, with two figures I've been Frankensteining:


The guy on the left is a combination of the upper body of the sweaty guy in the Master-Box Afrikakorps German Tankman:


and the boss man's legs from Miniart British Tank Crew:



The guy on the right is a combination of the standing guy on the right in Master-Box Iraq 2

the arms from one of the VC in Master-Box "Charlie on the Left! and a Hornet "character" head.

The overalls are based on 1920s - 1930s overalls and were made with Procreate 2 part putty.



The hat/driving cap on the guy on the left was made from the headgear from and ICM Taliban figure:



@Jacques - Most of the Craftsman houses around here are towards South Pasadena. In Westwood, it's mainly Mediterranean or Spanish style:


with the occasional boxy monstrosity or Persian palace.

[Jacques Deguerre]

Frank, I don’t think the weathering is excessive at all! It’s a work truck in arid 1920s Southern California, so I bet it wouldn’t have gotten washed often. Heck, we had major road and water/sewer construction in my neighborhood the previous year and half and my car looked worse than that most days!

We have a little bit of everything here in my neighborhood. The first two blocks of my street have an amazing collection of Mission Revival stucco homes while there are also a number of Tudor revival and (like mine) bog standard “Gramma’s House” bungalows.

[Buzzbomb]

This is just getting better. The Figure work is excellent. Great poses and visionary parts usage.

[Camthalion]

Looking awesome.  Top work