This is a dio I did a long time ago (10 years??) and finally got around to taking some good pics of it. I recently displayed it in another forum to show the use of the 1/32 VW with 1/35 armor and figures. A member suggested I take some good pics and show it here.

The figures are the old DML Israeli Paras, VW Beetle is an Arii 1/32 kit, the tank is the Esci M60 Blazer kit. The buildings started life as a Verlinden Middle East shop ruin. It was two-stories. I broke it up and used it as two one-story buildings and a courtyard to the left. Various debris is spread around in the Verlinden method to fill space. Not the best, but I like it. Here it is.







More pics here.

As always, let me know what you think.

very nice

thats pretty cool i like that, nice work

Cool scene - nice to see this area of conflict. Too bad for the VW

Thanks for the replies. This is one of my favorites. I actually have quite a bit of IDF pieces that I don't have pics of. I guess I should take some of them.

Are there many civilian vehicles available in that scale? Particularly, modern & '50s? I'm planning a Vietnam dio, and laater on, an Iraqi one. It would be cool to add some period cars.

It's good to see some IDF stuff from you, Gino.

I'm a big fan of IDF M-60 Blazers, and I think yours looks pretty darn sweet. The aerial ID panel is a nice touch, too, so I may have to steal it. Nicely weathered VW, some interesting shop details, and even the red boots on the paras. Overall, a very well put-together scene.

-YL

Thanks guys, glad you like it.




There are quite a few, but you have to look for them. Most of them are snap-tite models, but with a little bit of work, they will come out great. Look for Monogram, Revell, Arii, AMT, MPC, and Fujimi models. If you check eBay, there are always a few there. I just bought a Datsun King Cab Pickup last night to be used as a Middle East technical in a future project.

There is a Revell/Monogram 1/32 snap Impala that has been boxed as a fire chief car and a police car over the years that is perfect for a Iraqi civilian vehicle. It is the exact car that is in one of the now famous pics from OIF of an Abrams running over a car and crushing it flat.

Also, some die-cast vehicles come in 1/35 and 1/32 too, but are harder to find and are usually toys that are tricked-out and not really usable.

Check out my showcases to see some other pics of 1/32 cars I have used in dios.

Good luck.

Cool, Gino! That looks great! A nice combo of "combined arms" of infantry and armor.

Looks good. I like the VW bug about to get crushed.

I think that 1/32 Revellogram kit is a Malibu, not an Impala. Right now, it's only available in a two-kit set, called American Heroes, with a Mack pumper truck.

I'm sure those individual Malibu kits will surface on eBay, though.

-YL

It is indeed a Malibu, and when they show up on Ebay, they're about as pricey as a new Tamiya armor kit.

Geno –

I love your diorama! Great idea! I hope you do get a chance to take some shots of your other IDF stuff as I, and I’m sure other Israeli armor fans, would really like to see them.

If I may ask, how did that ESCI Blazer build up? Is it a good kit? Am I correct in my understanding that the kit is now being boxed by Italeri? How does it compare to the rest of Italeri’s products – I’m a little leery of some of their offerings.

Anyway, sorry for all the questions – and again GREAT WORK!

Noah

Well, the Malibu/Mack combo kit is on eBay for $25 US.

I'm sure the Mack pump truck might come in handy for something down the road...

-YL

Thanks guys. I guess it is a Malibu then. The Malibu was basically the same vehicle as an Impala though, just a lesser equipped model.

The old Esci M60 kits are the best on the market. Italeri has released the M60A1 and IDF M60 Blazer, while Revell has released their M60A3. They are the most accurate and go together pretty easy. I have built a few in different versions and love them. Here is a side-by-side review of Esci, Academy, and Tamiya's M60 kits.

Actually, Gino, the Impala was a GM B-body car, which was a different animal entirely than the 78-83 A & G-body Malibus. WIthout getting into specifics about trim levels and names and whatever, let me just say that the 1978 Malibus looked like 1978 Impalas, but they were, in fact, two entirely different cars. The Impalas were full-size models (116 inch wheelbase), and the Malibus were GM's mid-sized models (108 inch wheelbase). There were some style cues that were different, too. I guess you could consider a Malibu a sort of mini-Impala. But the Malibu was still just a Malibu.

I wish I could come up with a good analogy here with some AFVs...but I can't.

Go here for the '78 Malibu brochure, and here for the '78 Caprice/Impala. You'll see the differences.


-YL

I stand (well sit anyways) corrected.

Frankly, I wish I knew as much about armor as I did about cars. Then again, that would mean that I might have to fix the neighbor's M-26.

-YL

There´s a nice wrecked (burnt out) car by MIG Productions in resin at an interesting price. Take a look around for availability & prices.