Airfix Austin A35 Van Walace & Gromit 'Camelbert Trophy'

[mbdesignart]

For a bit of light relief I thought I'd have a go at the 1/12 Airfix A35 Van from the Wallace & Gromit animation series. The base is the Anti-Pesto Van but it will be converted to an expedition vehicle for Wallace & Gromit to compete in the Camembert Trophy from Wensleydale to The Sahara the source of Camel's milk from which Camelbert cheese is made. 

 

The basis for the theme a LR Disco suitably equipped. The Austin A35 van will feature similar accoutrements but given the W&G treatment.

 

A start has been made on the rear suspension to add granny's bedspring coil-over shocks made by SPANX to 'control the wobble'. The body shell has been lightly rubbed down ready for a primer coat, and the three characters in the kit have been partly assembled with joints filled as required. The prone figure is the Crash Test Bunny, used in the R&D test phase of building various contraptions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by mbdesignart
title edit

[Pete in Lincs]

Now this will be worth following.

A neat Cracker of an idea.

[brianthemodeller]

Oooo, I’m in!

[mbdesignart]

Here are some extra bits I've gathered for the build. A bag of 500, 2mm diameter hemispheres, also known as rivets, I just need an aircraft modeller to check the quantity😉. A length of 6mm dia. convoluted tube to make an snorkel, I could say where I bought it from but it's a long story! And a set of suitably knobbly tyres with wheels, there is going to be some wait for delivery of these from the far east.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by mbdesignart
typo

[Pete in Lincs]

You may need to flare the arches a tad....

 

Good looking wheels though.

[mbdesignart]

22 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

You may need to flare the arches a tad....

 

Good looking wheels though.

Yes I'd thought of that. The ride height is going to be substantially increased so maybe some added arch extenders would be a solution.

[mbdesignart]

Exhaust repositioned to allow for the propshafts and some spacers added to the front subframe.

 

[dnl42]

This will be fun 

[mbdesignart]

Wheelarch lip extensions added ready for an application of milliputt. Also the reinforced location plate for the snorkel to the wing.

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by mbdesignart
new photo added

[Hamden]

 

Interesting project - can't beat a bit of Walace and Gromit!

I'll follow along if you don't mind?

 

    Roger

[Pete in Lincs]

Nice work so far. Now I may be talking Grannies and eggs here, But...

I'd do a dry fit of wheels and suspension before applying any Milliput.

If all is well I would heat up and bend some sprue around those plastic card extensions.

It will make them stronger and give you something to sand down to so they're all the same.

 

Will you be filling in the 'rusty' bits on the shell?

[mbdesignart]

Pete, I'm flying by the seat of my pants with this one. Wheels will be arriving after Christmas so I'm ploughing on regardless with what I can, but knowing that what's been added will work or be made to work. With the jacked up suspension I'm planning the wheels & tyres will be well clear of the the arch extensions. The rusty bits will be staying. 

[Marco F.]

If you don't want to wait till after Christmas....May be scaleproduction can

help you...look at their Offroad tyres

 

Take a Look at scaleproduction.com

Nee Items

 

Cheers

Marco F.

 

 

 

 

[mbdesignart]

Thanks Marco. I'm looking for items that are not strictly true to life but more over the top as per the Aardman films. Someone else suggested truck wheels & tyres from KFC but the cheap Chinese RC wheels suit the build. I'm in no rush for the wheels, no really.

 

Pete, I meant to add all tips are welcome, someone will benefit. And your input was definitely not this

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by mbdesignart
more info added

[mbdesignart]

Don't panic, the wheels arrived today. But the tyres have no air in them, probably to save on shipping costs 😉. It may not be an issue as I'm thinking either a mud or sand base and so in the tradition of overland explorers the tyre pressure will have been lowered to cope with the terrain. That's my excuse any way! It will only be once the van is fully loaded that the deflection will be apparent. At least the build can progress in as much of an orderly fashion as it has been so far.

 

Edited November 30, 2018 by mbdesignart
photo added

[bhouse]

13 minutes ago, mbdesignart said:

But the tyres have no air in them, probably to save on shipping costs

You'd need to fill them with helium or similar to do that 😉

[mbdesignart]

The seats have been modified with the addition of some side plates and new bases borrowed from the local barber's shop. The latter may get some extra height extension added.

 

[Rob G]

Mental. I love it.

 

The nav's seat can legit be closer to the floor than the driver's, if you want to add a bit of variety to the cockpit. Don't forget the GPS or better yet, an old mechanical Terratrip!

[mbdesignart]

1 hour ago, Rob G said:

Mental. I love it.

 

The nav's seat can legit be closer to the floor than the driver's, if you want to add a bit of variety to the cockpit. Don't forget the GPS or better yet, an old mechanical Terratrip!

Rob, I was thinking of going more old school with a couple of stop watches and chalkboard, I must add a navigators footrest too. The driver's seat height will depend on the Gromit figure.

[mbdesignart]

A little more progress over the last few days. A suitably oversize roof rack and an Anaerobic Digester which will be trailer mounted. This is because W&G have entered the alternative fuel category of the Camelbert Trophy, 'fuel' from the digester will be pumped through hoses to the engine. And yes I have now decided to fill the rusty areas. Stay tuned for more madness...

 

 

 

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

Hilarious work. W&G would love it!

[mbdesignart]

I decied on new door handles fashioned from a bit a stretched sprue rather than the moulded in kit versions. Also the rusty sections and wheel arch extensions have been filled and rubbed down.

 

 

 

[Rob G]

Bogging the rust, in best budget hot rodding tradition. Will you be leaving those bits in bare primer?

 

 

Looking good so far!

[mbdesignart]

I had thought about the just primed look to the filled areas but I think it will be a new paint job allover.

[mbdesignart]

The Crash Test Bunny is just about done. It's a waiting a fiducial marker symbol decal [what I always called the quartered yellow and black circle] and a tonal wash. It's foot has been recycled as a "Lucky" Rabbits foot to hang from the van's rear view mirror.

 

  

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by mbdesignart
photo upload issues