Schnibblemobil!

[Kerick]

OK, you've got to start here!


https://www.thedrive.com/news/37033/no-this-mid-engine-semi-truck-fused-with-a-ford-station-wagon-isnt-photoshop
I've been toying with this idea for a looonnng time so it's as good a time as ever to try it. I really do need to finish the Assault Gun Sherman as the GB on BTS ends at the end of the month. But, the muse was upon me so here is the start so far. I have an old IH logging truck model that I scrapped out a few years ago.  This will provide the basic frame and wheels. The problem is its filthy dirty so that will take some scrubbing. No big deal. Instead of the European Ford station wagon I have an American Ford Pinto for the driver's compartment. I also have the Great Dane extendable trailer kit to go with it. That will get a little modification like changes to the bed and a third axle. According to the story this truck hauled aluminum parts up to 170 feet long. At 1/24th scale that's 7.2 feet! I don't have any place long enough to store that so it's not happening. The tractor will get a third axle too complete with the half round wheel fenders some trucks use. As I didn't have these and I didn't see a way to get them without spending big money on a kit just for the fenders I started looking through the old junk drawers. I came up with three pill bottles with just the right diameter and with just the right curve on the outside edge. I measured the width of the wheels, marked them up, cut them on the band saw and cut out the bottoms.



Presto! Chango! Six wheel fenders.



It's getting late so we'll see what happens tomorrow. The wife and daughter are going to a baby shower so I might have time to myself to scrub the truck frame. It depends on how long it takes to shower the baby. I still don't see why cleaning a baby is such a big deal to the women folk!

[Mig Eater]

Well that's certainly different, looking forward to seeing were this is going.

[Kerick]

I just hope I finish it! It will be lots of fun chopping and bashing so that should keep me going. Hopefully painting will be easy with limited weathering.
The worst part of the pill bottle fenders was getting the darn labels off. I soaked them in water hoping that would do it but I had to resort to acetone to get the glue off.
I bought some super special glue for the fenders they are PE plastic not polystyrene. CA glue won’t stick it at all so we’ll see what happens with this stuff.

[raafif]

Love these crazy vehicles - some Russian engineer obviously escaped to Germany.

[Old Wombat]

[Kerick]

I spent some time scrubbing and dechroming parts last night. Now at least everything is clean and paintable.

[Gingie]

Those fenders are terrific!

[Kerick]

Thanks!

[Kerick]

I haven't done any more on this as I want to get the Assault Gun Sherman finished first. However, I keep finding things that are missing or broken from the old truck kit I was going to use. I have a new truck kit that will probably be pressed into service to solve several problems.
Now, I haven't actually started building anything yet so if someone wants to start a crazy whiff truck GB, now's your chance! Any scale, any time period, military or civilian. There actually was a movie called "Space Truckers", so there's that too.

[apophenia]

... There actually was a movie called "Space Truckers", so there's that too.

And, of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Truckin%27   

[Old Wombat]

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

[Kerick]

I’m going to hopefully finish the Sherman today so that will allow me to start building on this one soon. Unless I decide to actually finish something else. It’s not impossible.

[Kerick]

While driving on the expressway today I think I found the perfect car/cab for the Schinibblemobil. This would make it closer to the original German version.



A 2000-2003 Ford Taurus station wagon. The problem is I can only find a kit of the ‘89 Sedan. Any suggestions? There was a resin body shell of the station wagon but that seems to be as scarce as hen’s teeth. I’ll keep looking otherwise it will be the Pinto.
Any chance someone has a cop style light bar for the top of the Pinto?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Another option might be the AMC Pacer station wagon. 

Most recent release was in 2016 according to ScaleMates: 1977 AMC Pacer Station Wagon

[Kerick]

Now that would be crazy! I actually drove a Gremlin for a few years. My girlfriend at that time actually married me so I guess that worked out.

[Kerick]

I spent a few hours on this last night. Most of the time was sorting parts. I have a second truck kit and I finally dove in and started sourcing parts from it. I’ve since learned that it would have been easier to start with a new kit but the frame is too short. Oh well, lots of spare parts!
I’m modifying the old truck to take three rear axles, two drive and one free wheeler. I had to cut the frame in two places to move the drive axles farther forward and make room for the free axle. I drew a straight line on the desktop and used a couple of pop cans as weights overnight to get everything as straight as possible. Putty later today.
I might start figuring out how to mount the Pinto to the front of the frame. I’ll have to see how to mount that and squeeze in the engine between the frame rails.

[Kerick]

A couple of progress shots. The frame is all back together and as straight as I can make it. I assembled the drive train from various parts including the old truck, the second truck kit and the axle from the logging trailer.



Pop cans helped to keep it flat overnight.



You can tell from the different colors what got stolen from other kits.



I tried painting one tire with Tamiya NATO black. It seems much too grey for tires. The hobby store in town has Citadel paints. I'll check them out.

[Buzzbomb]

The bits are beginning to take shape 

[Old Wombat]

For tyres I use either Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black (preferred) or a 50/50 mix of XF-69 NATO Black & XF-1 Flat Black (if I run out of XF-85).

[Kerick]

For tyres I use either Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black (preferred) or a 50/50 mix of XF-69 NATO Black & XF-1 Flat Black (if I run out of XF-85).

That sounds pretty good. I think I have both of those. Or I’ll be at the LHS on Tuesday.
I’m just happy I have all eight wheels touching the desk! I only had to shim one spot.

[Kerick]

I found the rubber black from Tamiya. Looks good.
I’ve started messing around with mounting the Pinto to the truck frame. I had to cut out part of the back seat area to make room for the steering parts. I found some diamond plate to build a box to cover the hole. Fits right in.
It’s going to be difficult to mount the truck fenders to the Pinto body. I’ll figure it out. That’s the fun of it, building the jigsaw puzzle where there is no box with a picture on it!

[Kerick]

Houston we have a problem!
I test fitted the engine on the truck frame today. I was hoping to mount the engine mid frame like the RW truck but that leaves absolutely no room for a driveshaft to the axle. Looks like I may have to move the engine almost back to its original position and chop off the hatchback of the Pinto body. Not sure yet.
Or I may just box in the whole area and say it’s very compact.

[Kerick]

Looks like this is going to be a curbside version. Between the massive amount of cutting and gluing of bits of plastic for the body and fenders plus the boxed in section covering the lack of an engine no one will even want to see the underside of this thing! Fenders are attached to the Pinto body. It took many little scraps of plastic to fill in the space between the truck fenders and the car body. Now for the layers of putty.
I need to post a few pics soon.

[Old Wombat]

I need to post a few pics soon.

Yes, you do! 

[Kerick]

I was held prisoner by two fluff ball dogs in my recliner chair this morning or I might have gotten these pics to you sooner.



The frame is nice gloss black. I'm still trying to figure out just how I can deal with the engine situation. From what little I can tell from photos the original MAN truck had an engine that sat very deep in between the frame rails. One photo shows what look like valve covers below the rails. I might try boxing in this area and adding the exhaust and air intakes outside of it.



The Pinto body is coming together. The interior will be deep red on the "carpeted" areas and a lighter red on the doors and dash.



And the truck fenders attached. The engine will probably never get used. Maybe I'll saw off the bottom part. The diamond plate will be steps for getting into the Pinto.



The underside of the fenders. It's ugly.



Some rails for the Pinto body to sit on. I'll figure out some sort of front bumper soon.



And some Corvette seats to help the drivers stay comfy. What was the engine compartment will now become the luggage compartment.
So that's the story so far. And I haven't even looked at the trailer yet!