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Jeep Gladiator Overland Quickbuild (J6039)


Mike

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Jeep Gladiator Overland Quickbuild (J6039)

Airfix

 

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The Gladiator is Jeep’s (allegedly) medium-sized pickup truck that seems pretty massive to my British eyes, but America likes big trucks – just because.  It was based upon the Wrangler JL platform, and went on sale in 2019.  It was named after the 1960s original, and was initially available with various specifications, the luxury one being the Overland that is depicted here.  It is unique amongst trucks in that it has a retractable top, and using a tool-kit supplied, the owner can remove the doors and even flip down the windscreen to give that bugs-in-the-teeth feeling.  It is available with various power-trains, the usual fuelling options and with automatic or manual transmissions, and a hi-tech camera system gives the driver a view of frontal obstacles when in off-road mode, which should allow the driver to spot dangers in treacherous conditions without needing a spotter.  There have been a number of special editions since launch with individual features that appeal to specific demographics, but an early recall was necessary after it was found that some of the rear drive-shafts had been assembled without grease, which could lead to issues in fairly short order.

 

 

The Kit

By now we’re probably all familiar with the Quickbuild range, combining assembly brick simplicity with custom parts that give the finished article a realistic, smooth surfaced model that’s able to withstand even rough play without the use of glue or paint, and with simple stickers finishing off the model’s look.

 

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The box is a standard flimsy red-themed end-opening Quickbuild style, with a small tab preventing the contents from tumbling out when handled.  The contents are in one bag in three colours of ABS and another for the clear part that makes for greater flexibility that is needed for the friction fit method that allows the bricks to fit together, as well as allowing it to stand up to the gentle ministrations of 6-year old children and older.  There are 44 parts in black, grey, white, clear and four flexible rubber tyres, with all the parts except the tyres having a nice shiny surface.  The sticker sheet is outside the bag with the instructions, and over 14 steps plus stickers the vehicle is made up, with all parts fitting together snugly and very little flex in the assembly.

 

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Where there are some important parts that should be clicked into position for correct alignment, they are identified with a set of pointy hands emanating from the area.  These occur in the later stages when the front wing panels are put in place (although mine didn’t click), and of course it is critical to follow the instructions because of the way the parts intersect with each other, only fitting in place at the correct stage of the instructions.  The tyres slip over the wheels from the front, with a small lip on the outer face to stop them from sliding off easily.  The axles have been sensibly placed under the main floor pan during the later steps, so that the downward pressure of anyone “driving” pushes them home and prevents them coming loose to ruin play.

 

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My example arrived without scratches but if yours has any, there’s a simple way to remedy this.  I removed a scratch from a previous kit by using a green/white buffing sponge, greenish side first, then the white side perpendicular to the original direction, which made it disappear and returned the part to full shine. 

 

 

Markings

The stickers are printed on a clear adhesive surface and are die-cut to ease application.  There are instrument dials and MFD screen in the centre of the dash, but most are left to the end, with headlights, side-lights, rear light clusters, and branding badges on the bodywork, plus a JEEP number plate and two Gladiator badge styles to personalise your model.

 

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Printing is good quality, but as I found before when using tweezers to remove them, the ink is prone to scratching and the ink will also come off if subjected to rigorous burnishing, so take care when applying them.

 

 

Conclusion

Every new release of these innovative kits is better than the last, with improved fit all-round.  The Jeep Gladiator was previously unknown to me because SUVs and trucks don’t interest me, but it has the familiar Jeep look, and once completed with stickers it felt more like a pre-built than a construction toy.  My son is getting to the age where he’s beyond toy cars now, but his eyes still lit up when I showed it to him.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

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Review sample courtesy of

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That looks like it builds up into a nice toy/model.  My main gripe with the Quickbuild range is that they don't give a scale for each model, but that's from the perspective of a vaguely serious modeller and not the typical customer.  It also didn't stop me buying a Quickbuild Beetle.

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