Hey all ... got lumbered with pneumonia and ended up spending a few days in hospital last week. Got told to stay at home and take it easy. I looked at finishing a few of my many "in progress" jobs, but my concentration wasn't the best, so decided on a "no brainer" almost out of the box build.

About 15 years ago I paid the princely sum of $15 for an Italeri Horch Kfz-15 at a swap meet. Over the years I have often opened and admired the kit, but what always put me off building it was those horrible rubber tyres, which either split, or eat any polystyrene they come on to contact with.

With my new found leisure time, I checked out eBay and found a resin set of replacement wheels for the Horch. With that deal sealed and the wheels on the way, I settled into building the old Italeri kit, inbetween coughing fits.

I'm not sure when this kit was first released, but it is indeed a gem. Sure, some details such as the folded roof are a bit simplified, but the kit just flies together and is a pleasure to build.



Because I was in "no brainer" mode, I sought out a single colour, and the Afrika Korps was a good choice - German grey base and brushed-on mud camouflage (I really am not a big fan of German World War II armour but I do have a soft spot for the Afrika Korps because the Aussies faced them).

I gave the completed Horch a quick squirt of primer to show up any blemishes, of which there were none:



Although it essentially won't be seen once the vehicle is on a base, the running gear is really well done:



I then gave the Horch a squirt of German Grey I had in a spray can ... I also busted out some Verlinden Afrika Korps figures I've had for decades - VERY ordinary and overscale!:



I ratted my spare decals for some markings ... I don't think anyone can prove they are wrong, but if there are any howlers, it's a simple case of covering them when I slap on the mud cam:





The Italeri DAK insignia didn't have swastikas, but I found some on a Tamiya sheet. The markings on the door came from some old Russian kit with diamonds instead of Swastikas, but they'll be easy enough to mod.



Been through the spares box for various tarps and boxes (some are British, but the German made use of captured supplies) and I'm looking to produce a vehicle which looks something like these:



Keeping with the "no brainer" theme, the windscreen glass definitely won't need masking!

Anyway, it's all come together in a couple of days and it has been a fun, stress free build. The resin tyres should arrive this week and I'll probably fit them after I weather the underside of the vehicle but before I apply the mud cam - just like the real vehicles.

If any of you out there is pondering a first "soft skin" to build, definitely take a look at the Italeri Horch Kfz-15 - not only is it an interesting subject, but a great kit to build while being very good value for money if you find one at a swap meet.

Got a few more days off, so I'll see if I can't get this vehicle "desertised" by the end of the week!

Nice looking Horch Mick. I have been eyeballing building 1 for a while now. Look forward to seeing it complete. And feel better Is it winter for you guy now down there

Yep, it is well and truly winter down here, but it's mild compared to other parts of the world.

I actually ordered two sets of resin wheels from eBay because I had been looking over the Horch kit for many years and the only thing that made me balk at building it was the infamous Italeri rubber tyres.

I really enjoyed just building it out of the box ... we are indeed in the golden era of modelling when it comes to aftermarket accessories, but sometimes it great to get back to basics - especially when the base kit is as good as this one!

All the fiddly stuff is all ready out of the way on this project and I'm looking forward to the creative aspects of finishing a model that I enjoy most.

Build yourself an Italeri Horch, and have some fun doing it!

Looking good so far! Italeri's Horch kit was released around 1976 (back when they were still "Italaerei"), and it is a little gem. The company reached the high point of their mold making in the late 1970's, bettering even Tamiya, but inexplicably lost a lot of ground during the 1980's and 1990's. Later products had chunkier details and were plagued by sink marks, and several important subjects, notably their Panther and Tiger tanks, were very poorly researched and engineered. Their Leopard 1A4 issued in 1977 is still superb, but their Leopard 2 kits, first offered in 1983, were crude by comparison. Only in the last few years have they even come close to what they were achieving thirty years ago.

Package arrived from the Ebay seller in Poland today and I then had a set of six resin wheels to go on to the Horch:



The wheels were an easy install ... you need to drill out the axle holes and lop the ends of the kit axles, but it was a straightforward job:



Turns put I somehow installed the left rear suspnsion unit a few mm lower than the others and the vehicle doesn't sit flat, but it's no big deal since it's going on a base anyway:





I've got the rest of the week at home, so I'l let the paint and dullcote on the pristine finish settle down for a couple of days before I start weathering and mud camming.

I'm not sure if the resin wheels are really necessary, but they are cheap enough and easy to fit.

Anyway, so far a fun and hassle free build!

The Italeri Horch was first issued in 1974, and made its way across the pond in 1975. I built one in 1977. Still a very nice kit.

Project's been sitting for a week or two, so today I gave the clean grey vehicle a wash of raw umber and installed the seats:



I then applied the first stage of the mud camouflage ... I got the gluggiest paint I could find and mixed in some artist's pigment to give it more texture:



I like the result, which I will lighten with progressive dry brushes:

Nice start, I have a soft spot for the africka campaign myself!

You might want to paint the seats and dust up the interior as well. Looks like you definitely had fun.

Deathdork

This is looking good, and although you're doing it in this straight up mode, the potential for weathering and paint effects is so great, I wonder if you'll know when you've finished!

This subject sets me in mind of the fact that thousands of these things were probably in use in all the campaigns, yet how rarely we see one modelled.

I have also to say that I recall your M13/40 over on Missing Lynx, I remember admiring it some time back while builing my own.

Nice little kit and finished product. Did it go together well?

Des

Very Nice Build. milvehfan