Anteater Posted September 30, 2022 Author Share Posted September 30, 2022 Look, this isn't a democracy but I am veering towards off-white. Regarding the reading material, it has subsequently occurred to me that "Jaws" is a prime example of the perils of nominative determinism. Maybe if the shark had been called something like Brian, Phil or Leroy they would have had significantly less trouble. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Wasn't that shark called Bruce by the crew? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windy37 Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 I fitted a white dial kit in my Nova GTE back in the 90s . Nearly snapped the needles refitting them ..... Gary . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malpaso Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Congratulations on fitting a dealer sticker, de rigueur with a tax disk (disc?) for a convincing old UK model, much better than when they started sticking badges on the bodywork - kind of self defeating as no one worried about the window ones but nearly everyone ordered them removed from their new car. Though my memory is that every dealers rear window sticker was made of particularly poor plastic that would go manky within a year. I was intrigued that Italeri supplied a dealer sticker in the RS1800 and I was actually concerned about the error of putting it on the outside of the window. Then i had a lie down and realised the windows were 3" thick and hardly the least realistic aspect of a kit that would only convince if viewed at midnight in a rainy forest in November with rain running down the neck of your Campari parka... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur_Dent Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Another vote for weathered (yellowed?) white for the roof here. This really is one of the most entertaining builds I've read in a long time. @Anteateryou're a comic genius. One small suggestion have you thought about putting a CB radio into it? My memory of the late 80's/early 90's was that you saw loads of vehicles were fitted with them and it's definitely the sort of modification the owner of this van would have likely carried out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anteater Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 Time for this week's round-up. It's not a million miles away from completion now, but there are still some extra details I want to add and I'm waiting for some decal paper to land. I originally painted the pop-top white but it just didn't look right so I was very pleased to fall upon a £2.99 rattle can of "Ivory Silk" in our local jumble sale of a hardware shop. It now looks much better but I neglected to take a photo. Oh, the suspense!!! I wasn't happy with the mesh I'd fitted behind the grille as it was too visible when I put the grille in place. I unpicked it and mounted it further back. Italeri provide an SVO front spoiler option in the kit. I didn't use it on the last one I built but I was sure going to use it on the camper. The fit could be a little better but the biggest issue is the lack of a towing eye sticking through the towing eye hole. Not anymore. This is re-purposed scale HT lead wire. Body on (for about the 20th time in the build process but this time pinned in with the bumpers). I think the front spoiler suits it. Eagle eyed readers will note it now has right hand drive wipers, which I made by cutting the blades off the kit wipers and sticking new ones to the arms running the correct way. The windscreen is fitted externally but has to be pressed in firmly to click and locate behind the frame. Visions of cracking it... quite a tense moment... Before I fitted the screen I tried something new (for me) and masked the arc of the wipers for weathering with matt coat spray. A van like this couldn't have a clean screen. For bonus entertainment, check out my stripey mug. Now, any good (or terrible) camper van has to be covered in stickers, right? I'll add some English seaside ones once the decal paper turns up, but for now, evidence of continental travel. The country stickers looked too fresh so here's a sort of before and after on the weathering with lighting dabbed matt white. I presume you can spot the difference...? Some tatty stickers on the rear doors. You may think I just made a mess of cutting them straight but they're meant to look old, peeling and faded - honest! Number plates made up, a period correct West Yorkshire area code for the dealer, obvs. I used the kit plate blank as the basis to paint and add sticky letters but I realised far too late that the blanks are a weird size. Hence careful cutting down after I'd applied and sealed the letters in matt coat. For the avoidance of doubt, that's the wrong way to do it. So, it's getting there. I seem to have been at it for months, but I'm not a quick builder and I've really got into this one. There are so many possibilities and it's fun thinking about the suggestions on this thread. I won't be adding a CB radio but somebody helpfully pointed out the spare tyre has too much tread on it. I have agonised about that criticism because it's entirely valid, however I can now reveal the reason I relegated that particular tyre to the role of spare... it's got a slow puncture and it's 10psi down. So there. ANTEATER 13 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Man, that is looking perfect. That bumper does suit it. The tow hook will get a fair bit of use I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SafetyDad Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Brilliant! Keep on going - that's just how I remember scruffy Transits - you're doing an excellent job SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Every time I check back on the progress of this grot-box I find something more to admire as well as laugh at. It's truly an inspired piece of work. You're right about the spare tyre too, I should have realised that before pointing out the lack of lack of tread. Silly me... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiny Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 I shouldn't worry about the front spoiler not quite fitting correctly as a) it doesn't show in the photos, and b) it would be somehow appropriate to this if it wasn't fitted correctly. I'd say it's looking nice, but obviously it's not (in the best possible way! ). As for you saying it's taking a while, it's odd you say that because I was just thinking how quickly you seemed to be making progress on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 @Spiny Grotbox. Like it. The Tranny is looking great. Or horrible, depending on your point of view. Preferably from a distance 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby No Mac Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anteater Posted October 19, 2022 Author Share Posted October 19, 2022 The finishing line is in sight. But first; this. I was putting off making the pop-up bit of the pop-top, but it wasn't too difficult in the end. I just had to match the rectangle to the size of the hole below and make the upper fit the locator bars. However, it was more difficult to make it look convincing. These pop-tops are basically made from heavy gauge tarp-like fabric so perfectly straight plastic looks wrong. When erected, they're never perfectly taught. I tried to bend it, shape, anyway you want it, but it looked rubbish. I must have painted it three different colours in a futile attempt to fool the eye. Nothing worked until I had a brainwave and sought out some material to glue in place in an artfully wibbly manner to replicate the slack and folds. The material is actually the stripey bit from the wrapper round a pack of toilet rolls from Aldi. Yes, anteaters buy toilet roll too. We don't just go in the woods. That's bears. With that done, I messed about adding a few more stickers. Here's a Blackpool pennant, the archetypal seaside sticker. I only have clear deal paper so I stuck the decal onto some white fablon so it didn't appear transparent. Then it was time to give the camper van a name. All camper vans have stupid names. Some are named after the glamourous locations they'll never visit whilst others have nonsense names like Road Nomad and Liberty Dreamer. I've gone for Sunchaser, although we all know this particular van looks more like a Cloud Loiterer. Only relatively limited additional faffing left before it'll appear in RFI. I'll give you the nod when it does, maybe next week. ANTEATER 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 Sunchaser. Yep, that's corny enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 7 hours ago, Anteater said: We don't just go in the woods. That's bears. Great pop up stripey bit and Blackpool sticker. Sunchaser. You're not fooling anyone you know! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 Nicely crafted pop-up roof section. Not sure about SunChaser though - I think SunReader might be more appropriate... 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anteater Posted October 21, 2022 Author Share Posted October 21, 2022 It's done. Step this way... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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