Nick, really coming together! You've got some real skill! Is the roll cage made of solder? Lots of good ideas there.
As for the stuff that will get hidden inside-- we'll all know that it's there.
Cheers!
-Sean H.

Hi Sean - thanks! yes, this is turning into a fun build!

As for your question, the roll bar is made of K&S aluminum tubing and 1/16" dia evergreen solid rod + small diameter brass rod, and CA.

OK - so that sounds pretty technical - it's less so than you think. I've been working with this combo for a couple of years and after lots of good, less good, bad, really bad, and other results I've gotten to a point where I fee pretty good about it.

The process is first to have a really good conceptual understanding of what you are trying to build!!!! Like from a clear photo of what a real roll cage looks like, at least for the first few attempts. I don't try to exactly replicate the real deal, but try to be reasonably close.

If you haven't built one of these before, you'll be surprised at how complicated something apparently so simple can become!!



I start with the aluminum work. You'll need a few key measurements: critical being overall height and width!!.

Next, bend the metal (I use a combo of pliers and fingers) to fit around/under/over things, like the slope of a windshield, pillars, seats, parts of dashboards, etc - to mount/install the aluminum tubing to the build and keep it rigid/plumb, I use small diameter metal rod, drilled and glued into whatever the base material is, then slide the tubing over it and glue in place.

This all sounds too complicated!! it's a bit complicated, and you'll need to think three dimensionally a few times - but, heck we're model builders!!!

Once the metal roll bar is in place I add the evergreen for bracing - you'll also see some extra photo-etch sprue material glued on (across the top) - the CA + brass + aluminum really keeps the shape in place as I beat it up building it!

As this has been so much fun - I've started a another truck! - this is one of the Meng hilux pickups - not to worry - I'm changing it up and it won't rely on too much of the kit other than the basic body - and the basic frame -

here it is:



you can see a part of the big Ford behind it - I'm not showing all of it yet - as the weathering isn't done yet -

I liked that truck so much, decided a smaller partner would be cool too!

thanks
Nick

Some in-progress photos of the Interceptor. Getting close to being finished up.











Now on to the decals and a little finish up painting. Should have another update soon.

Thanks,
Randy

Very cool, guys.
I'm still putting in a few minutes a day on this. Currently working on the roll cage, from pieces of an old one in my spares (green) and styrene rod (white). Yes, I certainly checked against the body, so I wouldn't be pulling my hair out later. The spares parts were too tall for the Firebird, so I chopped off the bottom of each leg.
A real spares-box-special, I scratched a shifter from electrical wire and a grip sanded down from styrene rod. My superglue was very slow setting, so I leaned it on a piece of pipe cleaner while it set.

Cheers!
-Sean

Getting closer to a finished entry. I finished up the construction on the Interceptor today. I have some seam lines and some clean-up to go back and fix. I also have some glue "oops" to address. My next step will to be to dirty it up with my pastels and then add it to a base of some type.















Thanks,
Randy

I made up a quick base for the Interceptor this morning.





I made it with a picture frame, a piece of a roof shingle for the asphalt roadway, some grout and my sand/kitty litter mixture for the ground and some rope fibers for the clumps of dead grass. Just for something extra I put in the remains of a rear axle and differential from a previous violent incident for someone. I was going to add a few more car parts like an engine fan but I thought it might look too busy. So I went with the differential only. However....maybe an empty Dinki-Di dog food can along side the road might be nice. I lightly painted the white stripes to show that it is a highway but also to show some age on the paint. I just kind of made up the base as I went and only spent about an hour on it. Anyway I wanted to show where the Interceptor will be sitting when I am finished weathering it up.

Thanks,
Randy

Harv-- excellent base! Good ideas for materials.
-Sean

I agree. Cool stuff dude!

Thank you Sean and KoSprueOne. As always I appreciate the kind comments. I don't normally pat myself on the back but I thought it turned out pretty good myself for something I just threw together. I hope to have some final pictures to post in the next day or two with the weathered Interceptor sitting on it.

Thanks again,
Randy

Hi Randy - that is indeed a pretty darned good reuse of a light comp shingle! very nice! also, like the subtle touch of the abandoned rear end - nice - the car is looking very good too! will be nice to see it with some road wear!

My progress on the truck - I'm calling it done:











and there you have it - as I mentioned, I'm building a companion truck too - its the Meng Hi Lux:





As these two would be running around the wasteland, securing and patrolling together, I need to address both the scale (ford 1:32; Toyota 1;35) and toughness factor for each - so, the Toyota is getting beefed up - quite a bit - live axles (swing arm in the back, leaf springs up front, armor on the doors and bed, and a gunner's turret with protection in the bed.

To make all of this work, the truck and is lengthened about 3/8" and the frame beefed up - so far so good - not sitting level on all four yet, but that ought to be easy enough to fix -

Then, a dio - a remote checkpoint somewhere between the civilized folk and the wasteland - these two are keeping watch!

cheers
Nick

Great work Nick...

Thank you for the kind comments Nick. They are much appreciated. The shingle turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I was planning on just using the black side for the highway since....well....because it was black. However once I got to looking at it, the other side looked so much like a roadway I went with it. I am glad I did. I was going to weather up the Interceptor tonight but had other projects come up instead. So....maybe tomorrow.




That turned out really cool. I don't have the imagination or skills to do something like that. It is really awesome.




Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........but for which side?? or LOL

Thanks,
Randy

Hi Randy - your question is a good one: these guys are definitely fighting the power! Keeping the "man" out of your life, my life, and those of model builders everywhere! Just so happens they are posted in the far off sector, in a dilapidated building, are heavily armed, and set up with a fleet of high power, high speed. off road battle wagons!

Oh, and they like listening to baseball on the radio too... while building models of stuff...

Cheers
Nick

Can't blame them for that. I usually have a game on while working in the Man Cave. Unlike a friend of mine.......she always refers to watching baseball as the same as watching paint dry!!

Thanks,
Randy

Well.......calling the entire project complete. I finished dirtying up the Interceptor a little bit ago and wanted to post the pictures. Sorry about the quality of the photos. Had to rely on Man Cave lighting again as it is dark, cloudy and raining outside.....so no natural light. Anyway.....here it is.



















Thanks,
Randy

Nick, Randy - Great looking builds!
The scratch building of the truck
A roof shingle for the asphalt road = brilliant
… and the paint and weathering of both, awesome

Thank you KoSprueOne. As always, I appreciate your kind words.




Thank you again. I have to admit, I am very happy about the realistic look that I got with the shingle. I will have to remember that for the next time. Hmmmmmm...should I patent that idea??!! LOL I hated getting the Interceptor dirty....but for that version of the car it just didn't look right clean. I think Max would be proud

Thanks again,
Randy

Hi Randy - wow! The car looks great! Nice touch on the weathing!
Cheers
Nick

I totally agree. All that dust puts it right in the movie!
-Sean

Thank you both very much for the kind compliments. I appreciate them and it makes me feel good to know that others like my work.

Thanks again,
Randy

Hello - the Toyota is done - I think it's probably more in keeping with the spirit of this campaign than the ford - certainly a tough off-road truck - but, a really different look!







This was a fun build! looking forward to seeing what others are up to! thanks for the comments!

as for the two trucks, I'm building a dio - I'll add a third truck, other odds and ends and a heavily dilapidated and long time vacant gas station - ok

cheers

Nick

That is really awesome Nick!! Love it!! I really like the handyman jack mounted on the side. Is that a kit item or did you scratch-build it? It really adds some realism to your build. You really have a lot of talent!!

Looking forward to your next project.

Randy

Very impressive work so far with some great ideas we all can use!

Yeah, Nick! That's some really fine work at a quick pace. Impressive all around.
-Sean

That looks great, Nick! Nice and original and I like how the kitbashing all went together well.