I have started working on a new project. It will use the new Trumpeter PMC - VIP Protection Detail figures and an armored Suburban in Iraq.


So far, I have started on the Suburban. The scenario is an IED blast that has disabled the vehicle and now the VIP and his Protective Detail are ditching from the truck and seeking cover until they can be extracted.

For the Suburban, I found what was listed as a die-cast 1/32 Cadillac Escalade on eBay for $10. It looked pretty good in the photos. When I received it, I measured it and it was actually 1/34 scale and very well detailed inside and out. Here is how it started life, with a 1/35 figure for scale.





I disassembled the Escalade and started changing it into a Suburban. First, I swapped out the wheels and tires for a set of beefier ones that I got from another 1/32 die-cast truck. I also added 3 scale inches of lift to accommodate the larger wheels and to show the heavier 4-wheel drive vehicles (the Escalade was already a 4 wheel drive, just low) these armored Suburbans are built on. Next, I ground off all the Cadillac badges and rebuilt the grill into a late-model Chevy Suburban style with A&B Putty.



I also cut open the right side rear door and removed all the over-sized hinges on the doors, hood, and back hatch. I also rebuilt the B pillar between the front and rear right side door.



Next, I moved on to the rear and added the inner armor plate that is fitted inside the rear hatch since this area is difficult to armor. The door on the plate will be opened with the rear hatch open and the interior fully detailed.



After the rear was taken care of, I moved on to adding some battle damage from the IED. The left side will be struck by the IED. I ground down the outer panels and smoothed them out to represent dented and shred panels from the blast. The area around the rear wheel took the majority of the hit and the rear tire was also shred to show the blast. I also dented in the front right fender and grill to represent the damage from impacting a road barrier that will be in the dio.



Next will be off to the paint booth for a shot of color and then some detail painting and weathering.

Let me know what you think so far and I'll keep you posted.

Fantastic, creative and inspired. What else can I say, but keep it coming!!!!

Great, imaginative work.. as usual.

What did you use to cut out the rear door?

I'll definitely be following this project

Hisham

Gino excellent start,nice and clean looking conversion.what is die cast like to work with?does it cut easily and what type of saw/cut of tool do you use?
will follow closely, cheers!

Thanks guys, glady you like it so far. Die-cast is a b!tch to work with. The only thing I could get to cut it quickly (meaning not taking an hour for 1 cut) was a cut-off wheel in my Dremel tool. It cut well enough, but took away a little too much material. I had to rebuild part of the door opening and the lower part of the door to get the profiles back.

Hi Gino off to a great start with the car, the idea of mixing the scale is a brilliant idea. I have that same set as well, I found problems with the aiming figure, the rifle does not fit in his arm properly. I started on him last night, trying to convert him into Soap from MW2.

Nice job, keep it up.


Martyn

Yo Gino,

Very interesting subject...nice story.

Greetz Nico

awesome figures, I've got them built as well as the assault force. Just waiting for time to paint them =]

Very cool idea - and it will be fun to watch coming together!

Progress continues. I have completed the rebuild of the Suburban. I added a few knobs and dials to the dash, then painted the interior parts with gunship gray and primer gray. I detail painted the interior to match my 1:1 Tahoe color scheme as well. Next I added some gear inside: an ammo can, MRE box, and some magazines in the rear gunner's area; a water bottle box, 12 pack of Coke, and a couple bedrolls to the rear seats; and a few details on the dash up front. I repainted w/ a GM touch-up spray can of Seattle Silver. I made LT, Suburban, and a Chevrolet decals on my home computer for the external badges to complete it. For the damage, I scraped away the paint in the blast area and on the right front corner. Then I dirtied it up a bit w/ a sandy wash and black pastel chalk rubbed on the blast area.

Here she is:















More pics here.

Next I will start the figures. I'll keep you posted.

Greetings fellow Redleg!

Another awesome job!

Gino
Great build, but I have few questions concerning the IED damages.
The IED hit on the side of the fuel tank, I will expect more damages then.
What about the windows as well as the rear lights, they are intact.

Waiting for the figs.
Good luck
Cheers
Seb

subscribed

interesting model project. I recently bought that same figure kit and want to see how they go together. Nice mods on the diecast

Interesting subject you have here. I'll be following this for sure.

Good luck and keep those updates coming.

Hi Gino,
is the Cadillac Escalade from Jada models?
Thanks
Moreno

Thanks all, gllad you like it so far.

Seb: It is an armored Suburban. The fuel tank has armor plate and is self-sealing. The windows are bullet-proof Lexan, and while cracked and pocked, will not usually break out. My story is that the tire took most of the blast and the rest is mainly dented from over pressure. It also depends alot on the type of IED, size, placement, etc., etc... there are many factors. I saw many armored Suburbans in Iraq after being hit and they looked pretty much intact, just torn up pretty good where the blast was. Here is more info on them, and a couple pics after an attack.




Moreno: The Escalade is made by Signature Models. I had never heard of them, but found it on eBay for pretty cheap.

Thanks Gino.
Nice project, hope to see it finished soon.

Moreno

gino
you are right concerning all the parameter.
BTW I love the pics you post may be you should represent more impact on the windows and the rear light destroyed.
Thanks for your answer
Cheers
Seb

HI Gino, great porgress with the suburban, I like it. Keep us posted.

Martyn

Gino this project is looking good so far. What I am really waiting for is your work on the figures which have had a very mixed reception.

Thanks Martyn and Darren. I have read the posts on the figures. I'll see how they come out. They don't look too bad to me. I'll keep you all posted.

Alright, students, gather 'round...

Another lesson in modifying what you can find and making it into something so much better.

That Suburban is really something. The beefier tires really helped to change the whole stance of the vehicle. Like others have said, I can't wait to see the next update.

The figures themselves are really nice, the heads are a bit plain because they are all the same. I found some of the pouches too big for the vests. the big packs didn't fit too well and left gaps, and lastly, there was an issue with weapons fitting properly.

Other than that, the figures are pretty nice. Good details.

Thanks Steve and John. I should get started on the figures soon. I need to finish up another project first. I'll keep you posted.

Hi Gino
can you remember were the replacement wheels came from?might try swapping them with MIGs crap pick up truck tires!