Israeli Improvised Armoured Car, Type 1.

[Bullbasket]

I haven't abandoned the M1 Sherman, in fact I'm hoping to build the two in tandem. I just decided that I wanted to build something different at the same time.

Two or three years ago, I built one of these, the Type 4. There were basically four types of A/C based on the White M3 Scout car, types 1 – 4. The Type 4 which I built was one of the most common and was the easiest to construct, as it used the entire bodywork of the M3, with the addition of the added armour. From a modelling point of view, it was also the easiest to convert. So this time, I thought that I would attempt one of the more difficult conversions, namely the Type 1.

The Type 1 retained the bonnet and mudguards of the M3, in fact, everything forward of the firewall. So that means the entire rear portion will have to be built from scratch. Last time, I used the old Italeri kit, which has done the rounds for many years under many guises. This time I will be using the Hobbyboss kit which will make life a bit easier. For a start, the wheels won't need changing as they were for the Italeri, as they are quite good. As with the Type 4, I won't be opening up any doors/windows, so there'll be no need for interior detail.......life's too short!

I'll need to source a couple of MG34's, but my usual go to manufacturer, RB Models doesn't seem to have any in stock. In fact, they don't seem to have very much in stock according to their website. So I'll have to pick up a couple from Aber. The only other AM item that I can think of are a couple of sand channels, which I have already, courtesy of Hauler. I have an Eduard set for the M3, and although most of it won't be of any use, the headlamp brush guards will. The majority of M3's that Israel got hold of had their headlamps removed and replaced with a single one on the left mudguard, but I have a photo of a Type 1 with both headlamps in place, complete with brush guards.

This is the kit which I will be using this time..........

…....and the Eduard etched set for the M3.........

 

…....and my go to book for everything Israeli improvised, the Mouse House publication on the early Israeli Improvised Armoured Cars.

 

So enough of the waffle, and on with the build. First up is the engine, although once in place, not much will be seen. Hobbyboss do a nice representation of the engine, and it deserves to be in a vehicle with an open bonnet.....but not this one!

 

 

The rest of the chassis/drive train/suspension went together with no problems. The majority of photos that I have of the four types of A/C based on the M3, show that the roller at the front and the headlamps were removed. But there are a couple of photos in the book of Type 1's which show both still fitted. So that's the one that I I'll be building.

 

 

As always, thanks for looking and for any comments.

 

John.

[vytautas]

Looks really interesting. It is always interesting to watch your build.

 

Vytautas

[edjbartos]

Another interesting project John, I fancy doing an Armoured Car for a change in the future, so will watch with interest.. Good start...

 

Ed

[Bullbasket]

3 hours ago, vytautas said:

Looks really interesting. It is always interesting to watch your build.

 

Vytautas

 

2 hours ago, edjbartos said:

Another interesting project John, I fancy doing an Armoured Car for a change in the future, so will watch with interest.. Good start...

 

Ed

Thanks both of you for your comments. If you're wanting to do an A/C Ed, don't forget that there's a possibility of an A/C GB in the new year.

 

John.

[Milan Mynar]

It is an interesting project. I´ll watch your building.

[diablo rsv]

Looks like another interesting project John.

I shall look forward to watching your progress.

 

Wayne

[Ade H]

I like tracked things, of course, but it's always nice to see something on wheels. They tend to be neglected, even though they are what armies really run on. Even more so the nascent IDF.

[Hamden]

 

Room for one more?

Really enjoyed your last armoured car build so look forward to another masterclass with this build!

 

  Stay safe           Roger

[Bullbasket]

15 hours ago, Milan Mynar said:

It is an interesting project. I´ll watch your building.

 

12 hours ago, diablo rsv said:

Looks like another interesting project John.

I shall look forward to watching your progress.

 

Wayne

 

11 hours ago, Ade H said:

I like tracked things, of course, but it's always nice to see something on wheels. They tend to be neglected, even though they are what armies really run on. Even more so the nascent IDF.

 

3 hours ago, Hamden said:

 

Room for one more?

Really enjoyed your last armoured car build so look forward to another masterclass with this build!

 

  Stay safe           Roger

Thanks to you all for the interest, and I'm glad to have you following along.

 

John.

[dov]

Hallo

Oh, this car, I have seen wreckages of them on the road to Jerusalem!

Interesting approach!

Happy modelling

[THEscaleSHOW]

On 30/08/2021 at 12:21, Bullbasket said:

I haven't abandoned the M1 Sherman, in fact I'm hoping to build the two in tandem. I just decided that I wanted to build something different at the same time.

Two or three years ago, I built one of these, the Type 4. There were basically four types of A/C based on the White M3 Scout car, types 1 – 4. The Type 4 which I built was one of the most common and was the easiest to construct, as it used the entire bodywork of the M3, with the addition of the added armour. From a modelling point of view, it was also the easiest to convert. So this time, I thought that I would attempt one of the more difficult conversions, namely the Type 1.

The Type 1 retained the bonnet and mudguards of the M3, in fact, everything forward of the firewall. So that means the entire rear portion will have to be built from scratch. Last time, I used the old Italeri kit, which has done the rounds for many years under many guises. This time I will be using the Hobbyboss kit which will make life a bit easier. For a start, the wheels won't need changing as they were for the Italeri, as they are quite good. As with the Type 4, I won't be opening up any doors/windows, so there'll be no need for interior detail.......life's too short!

I'll need to source a couple of MG34's, but my usual go to manufacturer, RB Models doesn't seem to have any in stock. In fact, they don't seem to have very much in stock according to their website. So I'll have to pick up a couple from Aber. The only other AM item that I can think of are a couple of sand channels, which I have already, courtesy of Hauler. I have an Eduard set for the M3, and although most of it won't be of any use, the headlamp brush guards will. The majority of M3's that Israel got hold of had their headlamps removed and replaced with a single one on the left mudguard, but I have a photo of a Type 1 with both headlamps in place, complete with brush guards.

This is the kit which I will be using this time..........

…....and the Eduard etched set for the M3.........

 

…....and my go to book for everything Israeli improvised, the Mouse House publication on the early Israeli Improvised Armoured Cars.

 

So enough of the waffle, and on with the build. First up is the engine, although once in place, not much will be seen. Hobbyboss do a nice representation of the engine, and it deserves to be in a vehicle with an open bonnet.....but not this one!

 

 

The rest of the chassis/drive train/suspension went together with no problems. The majority of photos that I have of the four types of A/C based on the M3, show that the roller at the front and the headlamps were removed. But there are a couple of photos in the book of Type 1's which show both still fitted. So that's the one that I I'll be building.

 

 

As always, thanks for looking and for any comments.

 

John.

Hey John

 

The illustration on Military Briefs is very cool 😎
I like the "normal" model, but was (until now) never really convinced to build it.

The tin box gives a new look and has something of WW1 👌
Have fun and good luck!
MD

[Bullbasket]

2 hours ago, THEscaleSHOW said:

Hey John

 

The illustration on Military Briefs is very cool 😎
I like the "normal" model, but was (until now) never really convinced to build it.

The tin box gives a new look and has something of WW1 👌
Have fun and good luck!
MD

Hi MD. I'll certainly enjoy building this. It's the second one that I've attempted. The RFI of the last one can be found here;

The Mouse House book is a wealth of information on many types of vehicles which the Israelis converted to A/C's.

 

John.

[Bullbasket]

Once I'd got to the stage where the chassis and all ancillary equipment was installed, I made a start on the rear part of the A/C. My original intention was to scratch build the armour from card, but working out how it fit with the chassis was proving too much for my brain. So it was over to Plan B. This proved to be much easier. I used the kit's side pieces and altered them to fit with the drawings.

 

I removed the front part which angled inwards and then cut off the top part. All of the detail such as rivets and handles were removed with a chisel blade and a fine sanding stick, and the groove between two plates just above the wheel arch was filled in with putty and rubbed down.

 

The two side plates were glued in place and left to dry. Meantime, I cut a new back plate from .5mm card. I could have used the kit's part, but there would have been a lot more work involved, removing all of the moulded on detail, filling holes and cutting down to size. I chamfered the edges and then glued it in place. Along all of the top edges I added some strips of card so that there would be more surface to bond to once the upper plates were installed.

Going by the drawings, I added the rivets to the two side panels and the rear plate. They're not domed, but once the paint goes on it should look OK.

 

 

 

I made a bulkhead and glued it in place. This would support the angled sides and rear plates, and the roof.

 

The rear angled plate was cut from two sheets of .5mm card (one slightly smaller that the other all round) and laminated together, with a window cut out in the outer sheet, and then glued in place.

 

 

Well, that's the sum total of my weekend's work, so now it's time for the boring stuff........cutting the grass before the week of rain arrives that we have forecast.

Thanks for looking.

 

John.

[edjbartos]

It's looking good John, great work with the scratch building, It's coming along nicely..

 

Ed

[Bullbasket]

Thanks Ed. It's got to the bit that I like, namely the scratch building.

 

John.

[adolfocaetanonetto]

I want know modeling with styrene shapes! Fantastic!

 

[Hamden]

22 hours ago, edjbartos said:

It's looking good John, great work with the scratch building, It's coming along nicely..

 

Ed

 

Seconded!

 

 Stay safe          Roger

[Bullbasket]

22 hours ago, adolfocaetanonetto said:

I want know modeling with styrene shapes! Fantastic!

 

 

8 hours ago, Hamden said:

 

Seconded!

 

 Stay safe          Roger

Many thanks. I appreciate it.

 

John.

[Jasper dog]

Well that's novel!

Interesting work, no idea what it's supposed to look like but I'm sure it'll be different!

 

Great workmanship though btw.

 

At least wet weather gives you a good excuse to get a little bench time in!

 

Atb

[Bullbasket]

6 hours ago, Jasper dog said:

Interesting work, no idea what it's supposed to look like but I'm sure it'll be different!

 

Great workmanship though btw.

 

At least wet weather gives you a good excuse to get a little bench time in!

Thanks Darryl. I'll try and put a photo on the thread of one of the Type 1's.

Yes, I'm praying for rain for about the next two weeks.....bliss!

 

John.

[Ade H]

I wondered what you could be making with the tent-like bit until I took a second glance at that book cover...

Edited September 9, 2021 by Ade H
typo

[Bullbasket]

1 hour ago, Ade H said:

I wondered what you could be making with the tent-like bit until I took a second glance at that book cover...

Similar. But that is the Type 2, which is going to be the most difficult to build.

 

John.

[Bullbasket]

On 09/09/2021 at 08:53, Jasper dog said:

Well that's novel!

Interesting work, no idea what it's supposed to look like but I'm sure it'll be different!

Here you are Darryl, the Type 1. The previous one which I built was the Type 4.

 

[Jasper dog]

Thanks John, I'd no idea!

 

Quite a stylish little number, idle for the Aldi merry-go-round!

[Bullbasket]

 

1 hour ago, Jasper dog said:

Thanks John, I'd no idea!

 

Quite a stylish little number, idle for the Aldi merry-go-round!

No problem with getting a parking space.