A little while back I did a review of the Mirror Models C15TA, and thought it was about time I started this detailed model.


The review



This is a multi media kit, with plastic, resin and PE. So starting with the frame, which is plastic, it goes together very well, no fit issues. Just note when assembling and glue to ensure it is square.



The frame stiffener plates are PE, the upper and lower plates for the mid cross piece need to be notched to fit.



When the frame is all together, it is very nicely detailed and looks great.



The axles fit onto the suspension with wire for the U-bolts, and it is much easier to cut wire leaving a little extra, and gluing one side in and letting it dry before bending and setting the other side in place. Also note it is easier to do before you mount onto the frame.




So onto the motor, it is cast in resin, and looks great. I added wire for the plug wires and fan belt.



I also put the front brake drums and transfer case together, again well detailed, too bad they will be hidden behind the wheels.



The only real issue I have had so far is following the instructions, as mentioned in the review they are not the usual diagram step, but images of the build sub-assemblies. I find myself going back and forth in the images as I progress.

Next steps are to complete the frame and motor sections before moving on to the body assembly.

I'm hooked!

Will be following this one closely.

Thanks for taking the time to document the build, Kevin.

Happy modeling!

Interesting build Kev and progressing at a fair pace. in your very last picture has the assembly on the right got a gap in the moulding or is it supposed to look like that?

No, it is a small gap in the resin molding, I presume is was an air bubble, the picture makes it look worst then it actually is. I will throw a little filler in it before I mount it.

Same here. Got two of these and have been waiting for the update set to arrive (arrived today). Will probably start mines during the Christmas break. Good job so far Kevin. Can´t wait to start it myself.

looking good Kevin,i will be following this build as well,nice job so far.

Ok, on to the body of the C15TA, as mentioned in my review, there are quite a few ejector marks to deal with, some are raised, some are sunken. A little putty and sanding, and presto, dealt with.



The rest of body goes together very well, and squares up great with the floor in. There are very small locator hole for the rear plate and floor to line up. I did find a couple of the locates holes to be a little small, I just used an small pin to make them a little bigger. The small lower plate at the front has no holes or pins to line it up, it should mount flush to the front of the sides.





There are also pin and hole for the side bins to line up too, and they was a small gap at the rear, but nothing a little pressure would not fix.



The PE floors look awesome, and are an exact fit, so a little care is needed in installing these.



So far so good, great build so far. All is going together very well. Next step is to mount the engine in the frame, and start with the detail. Stay tuned.

Looking great, Kevin!

Are you planning anything special with the markings, etc?

I'm really looking forward to starting my C15TA soon, and appreciate you taking the time and effort to document and post your build.

Happy modeling,

your build is looking very good.

Well a little more work before the Christmas slow down.

Mounting the engine is fun. Unfortunately the fit is not the greatest, it seems to the the front brace is a little far forward. I have contacted Mirror Models, they are aware of the fit issue, and are looking into it. The easiest way to mount the engine is to start with the rear braces, marking the location and putting them on first. I am not total happy with the look of the mount, and I noticed after it dried, I had a very slight lean to one side.





While some of the parts are small the front windows go together rather well. You do have to sand the ridge of the front top if you plan to leave the windows open.




The interior center cover for the engine also goes together very well, and the PE detail is great looking.



So I hope to find sometime between family to get a little more work done.

Well found some more time to continue this build, and I keep finding more and more detail. The kit is very well detailed, but the instruction images leave a little to be desired, I have found it a little difficult to find a flow, as there seems to be no order in the images. With that said, I have still made progress, and at a point where I want to start painting the interior before completing the assembly.

Most of the interior is together and looks great.






Before completing the front windshield and firewall into the body, I want to get some paint back in there, as it looks like there are a few places it will be hard to paint once assembled.

I have the frame now complete, and it is ready for primer and paint.




As I was moving forward, found a few pieces missing from the PE fret(PE5 x 3), and the step to install those parts were missing. Mirror Models has been of great help, as they are going to fix the instructions, and are sending out the missing parts.

As you can see in the image there should be 4 of PE5, but my example only had one.



Well almost done, now some painting, then complete the body assembly.

Kevin your build is looking very good.

Well it has been slow, seems I have too many projects on the go, but I am making good progress. The body is together, and firewall is mounted now. I have also started to add some of the PE detail to the crew area.



There was a little bit of a fit issue with the roof, but nothing a little putty and sanding won't cure.



So I broke out the soldering iron and build the jerry can rack for the rear and soldered the under body bins and rear mud guards.




So as I run out of parts, it is nearing completion, almost ready for primer and paint.

Excellent work. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the build log, only just picked it up. Great progress and good information.

Cheers

Al

Looks very nice Kevin. Good luck now with the painting and finishing.

All looking really good Kevin!

Get any further along?