Darren Baker asked if I would do a build review of the Bronco Buffalo MPCV with bar armor and sent this sample to my door. My son, Andrew, fan of unusual modeling subjects with lots of wheels, and Transformers, has accepted my request to help build this kit, allowing me to meet household modeling requirement #1, make sure it doesn't interfere with family time, and give Andrew and me time to spend together. We have done several kits like this in the past, starting with a Tamiya StuG III when he was 6. I remove the parts and he will place. This will be his first time working with etch. This is him looking in the box, and what he saw.



The instructions have a number of side boxes for detail assembly callout. There are quite a few parts marked "do not cement" in the first steps, which cover assembly of the suspension. I am using some of the other builds seen on this site as a reference for placement and some modification as needed, in particular Pascal's excellent builds.
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/188403

We will follow the instructions as much as possible for assembly.







So far, not any issues other than the angle piece, part B9, has no exact placement point, so you either find a reference or guess. I followed build photos so hopefully got it in the right place.





The leaf springs are left moveable, but the entire setup is rigid, so I don't quite understand why they are not glued in place, aside from that it leaves a slight amount of room to play with positioning. Bolt head detail is very nice, but the bolts themselves are missing from the parts and will need to be added from stretched sprue or some styrene stock-two on the rear brackets and one on the forward bracket. Part C45 has an ejector tab that must be removed prior to assembly.



The rear assembly also says no glue on the leaf springs.




So far, fit has been good. I have read that some parts that were incorrect in the first release have been updated or corrected as production has progressed. I honestly don't know which parts they are, although from looking at Pascal's build, it appears the centers of the mounting blocks for the leaf springs were not present on the initial release, and now are there. Considering how much detail is present, I am surprised that the bolts didn't go all the way through on the leaf spring brackets.

This step also calls for the installation of some tie arms, but we held off as the rear axle assembly attaches to them and I don't want to have to worry about trying to re-position the parts. We will add the missing bolts and start work on the axle and drive assemblies. Our plan includes adding the hydraulic lines. Let us know if there is anything we need to address, or any suggestions you have for us. More to come...

Really nice build so far, Russ. Looks pretty intimidating from here. Kudos to Andrew for tackling this beast! I'm really considering getting this kit (although I'm thinking I should hold off until the spaced armor version is released).

You guys keep you the good work! Looking forward to more pics.

Rob

Will be following this one with interest - I've got this in the stash but want to update it to use British slat-armour rather than the bar armour that comes in the kit. Maybe later this year or next year I'll get around to that

Ditto. I hope to add this to my Christmas list.

The Buffalo with spaced armor will be out for this date !!

Hi, Pascal, what is the "better" kit? The slat armor kit looks the more "ornate."

The slat kit is more accurate than the first kit. Bronco did some corrections. And there is all the piece to build the first version in the box.

Russ and Andrew,
You are off to a great start. I like the format of photographs of the parts on the instruction sheet and then attached. Gives a very clear idea of what you are working with. Think I might 'borrow' the idea for the rest of what I have on the bench.

Andrew, don't let your Dad glue your fingers together with superglue. Tell him you can do it yourself; just like the rest of us do!

Good luck the rest of the way out guys!

Cheers,
Rick Cooper

Sorry for the long pause. Thanks for the comments and encouragement. We have been busy over the past few days but have managed to make a little progress on the kit. Lots of work on the suspension and some very tiny bits.

Our first task was to fix the missing bolts. We experimented with both stretched sprue and wire, and used stock styrene for the front set that appeared thicker.


Then we started assembly of the axles. The two halves needed to be carefully clamped as they wanted to offset a little on the ends.


We then went to assemble the brakes and boxes. The etch was a challenge. We made two of the boxes first and then placed the parts. We then decided that it would be easier to place the styrene parts first and then fold the tabs up to make the box. CA glue was used to fix the sides. I wasn't worried about it being a bit sloppy as I figured mud and dirt would build up on these parts.




We moved on to the rest of the suspension. There are a lot of small parts marked not to glue, so very careful application is needed.



The central axle has two brackets that attach to the cross arms. These brackets get four small bolt heads that must be shaved from sprue G.




The brackets attach to the axle on the inside, which is then placed through the holes in the cross arms and then the outer bracket is attached. It must be glued together without gluing it to the cross arm frame, so it can pivot. Then the drive axles are attached to this assembly.




Everything that is supposed to move still moves, so we managed to get that right. The next steps cover attachment of the drive shaft and housings. There is a very particular order that must be watched. To keep us from getting ahead of ourselves and mixing up the wrong parts, we only removed the parts that we were going to use for each sub-step.




We then set it on the hull as a test fit. We left off the drive shaft that will connect to the gear box so that it is placed properly. We are also looking at the hydraulic lines and trying to determine how best to approach them. The instructions say stretched sprue to continue the line that is molded to the hull. Any others would need to be scratch build.


The front axle was next up. We did the basic assembly, which was fairly easy. Just make sure to attach the bolt plates to the right side of the axle.


Next is attaching two tiny parts without glue that will allow the steering to be poseable. You melt the tab with a small object to flatten the head.


If it still moves, it was done right. Now you place that tiny part. We chose the axle side first as it would still give us room to work and make sure it moves. Then the outer wheel mount was attached. We had to keep moving it on one side as a bit of glue got into the joint. The tie rod snaps into place with a friction lock.



It moves, so again, we managed to get it right. That is where things ended up last night. Hopefully we can find more time to spend together working on this. The tiny parts are a challenge for Andrew as they can be intimidating and hard to place correctly.

Sorry for the delay in updates. Life has been chaotic. We have made a small amount of progress with some of the complicated suspension. Here is a look at our progress.

First up is attaching the linkage to the front axle for steering. These are fragile parts that are to be added by friction lock. In the end we chose to glue them and fixed the front axle with the hubs turned slightly to one side.






We used stretched sprue for the hydraulic line. Next up was the rear axle assembly.



We still need to add the cables and Andrew has talked about the additional hydraulic lines to the boxes.

Next up we added the drive shafts left off from the previous steps so that everything would line up. The cover for the gear box received the etch screens on the cooling vents. We checked fit and found our rear drive shaft was short by about 6mm. I ended up cutting off one side of the shaft and using a piece of the sprue as a replacement. Everything was lined up again and then set in place.





At this point you are given two options for mounting the tow hook. We chose the simpler style that is seen on photos of an A1 on WarWheels.com. We held the towing hook in place carefully until we were sure it had set. Checked it again 30 minutes later and it was straight. Came back the next day and it was set crooked.



The U shackles have been left off as they tend to get knocked off and we didn't want to lose them.

We have some time tonight, and hopefully more over the next couple of days. Next up in the instructions is assembly of the wheels and then we will start the interior. Let us know if we missed anything.

It has been a while since the last update. Life caught up to me and things have been hectic. I have done a lot of little things that don't seem like a lot of progress but have helped the build to come along. First up are the wheels. In comparison with Pascual's build log, the instructions here have been corrected.




The tread section is a single piece, and mates the front and rear inside. The inner parts are not be to glued so the wheels can rotate when completed.



The front wheels go together the same way.



The next step in the instructions is assembly of the remote weapons station. Andrew asked if we could save that as he is thinking about a possible kit bash, so we moved on to the interior. It starts fairly simply. We assembled the floor.



We didn't follow the instructions precisely as from dry fitting it appeared easier to place the seat bases first and then add the side wall padding, which is apparently not correct-spall liners were added to the inside shortly after arrival in theater.



Now the basics are dry fit in place.


I NATO black for the floor, light gray for the sides.


The etch step was added to the rear and the handle on the pressure system was added as well.



There are several other items to add now. The dash, a/c cabinet, radio shelf and other interior items. At this point our modeling time was cut down to maybe a few minutes a night, or assembly of a single part, and keeping up with the instructions suffered. With the dash individual decals are supplied for the instrument dials, but the color alignment was a little off. The carrier film is also larger than the decal and I could not find my punch set. We started with the first four small dials. The instructions must be followed carefully here as they have specific locations for each decal, but they are all numbered the same, so you have to examine each dial face to determine placement. It took three applications of decal setting solution to get them to settle in well, but one decal set in to the side.







We have managed to get the other interior parts assembled and we are painting. The next update should hopefully show a completed interior. It would have been really nice at this point if the instructions could have indicated colors for the interior detailing. If there is anything we missed or need to adjust, let us know.

Nice job so far. I just today completed this kit for a mostly OOB review for IPMS/USA. It should be posted soon. Watch for it at ipmsusa.org. I didn't even try to have the wheels turn, the contacts were too small. Same with the rear axle assembly and steering parts.
The slat assembly is very delicate when complete leaving little space to handle so you'll probably want to attach to a base. Several parts in the slats are mis numbered, a couple may be too long and a couple others, too short. The braces over the windshield are in the illustrations but not called out in the appropriate step.

The review has been posted here.

Where's the rest??!!

After a few hectic weeks we finally have a bit more progress to show. Some small details were finished and the interior is just about ready to wrap up.

The storage bin and radio rack were assembled. The parts are fairly simple but the cord for the radio handset needs to be added. The seats were done in Tamiya semi gloss black and the seat belt straps were done with Pollyscale Brunswick green, which is a nearly black color.



The vents on the AC unit were done with a sharpie to add some color variation and attempt to look like the plastic vents in my car.

Next up was the front bumper. The main assembly, parts B3 and B4, needed some work to get them to fit cleanly. Also, be careful not to remove the round base for the corner reflector lights. It is molded fairly close to the sprue. Headlights and covers are added, as is the box for the claw arm hydraulics. The protective shield that goes around this does not have any marking indicating where to bend, so it is a best guess effort.



The id plate also lacks any bend locators, so you determine where it looks best. We haven't added any hoses as I lack a good, clear shot of what it should look like. There is an etch plate that goes against the inner wheel well and rests against the bumper. Again, no bend mark and placement is best guestimate.

We added the radiator grille, painted black on the interior side.

The control box for the hydraulic arm is assembled and shows to be placed on the upper shell, by the front passenger. We lost part D30 and need to find an adequate replacement. The etch knobs were too much to handle, but I cut some sections of stretched sprue and made a small pin indentation in the top of each control knob base and we were able to make improvised control switches.


The instructions call for assembly of the side engine access panels but we will hold off until we are ready to complete the front end. We did assemble the upper shell, leaving off the clear light parts. Andrew wanted the top hatches closed so desert sand and spiders wouldn't get inside.



The three tabs sticking up on each side of the shell should be removed.

That completes this update. We will paint the upper portion, install the lights, place some water bottles and secured gear and move on to the outside. The lack of painting instructions for the interior and some guesswork have been frustrating. As I go on I see more and more how important a walkaround CD would be for a kit like this, with so little reference information available, so for those thinking about building this up (the spaced armor version is now available) I would highly recommend getting the reference. As always, if there is anything we missed or need to fix right quick, let us know, and thanks again for looking.

Ummm... My walkaround (for all verions including the A2) has been available for quite some time.
It's good to see a father/son project like this. My young nephews are getting some armor kits for Christmas, along with tools and cement. Hopefully my sister has the time...

Hi!

Really nice and clear building so far guys!

Cheers!

Marco

Sorry, Robert. That was what I meant. I know there are several others looking at this kit and your walkaround will be a tremendous asset. I should have picked one up before I started, but for Andrew this is already complex enough and he didn't want to scratch too much more. To keep him in the build we are staying in the box.

Thank you and Marco for the comments.

No worries, man. This hobby needs young blood. I never could get my son interested in it when he was younger, but now that he wrenches helos I think he's coming around.

Another update. We started working on the front end, and closed some things up. There are two etch parts to attach to the side access panels, and two handles each to go over those. Then the hinge bracket that attaches to the chassis. The entire front end assembly really needs to be done together to get things lined up.




After taking photos we always see things we need to clean up better. The hood/bonnet gets four lifting rings and an etch louvered cover that is supposed to be bent at the front but does not have any line or mark showing where to make the bend. It was very stiff. We used a photoetch tool-The Bug-to secure the part and made the bend with a razor blade. It nearly broke the razor and we ended up with some kinks, so the kit will have a dented cover.



The plus side out of all that is that Andrew likes the etch tool and we spent some time talking about the things it can do. With everything we wanted attached to the interior we joined the upper and lower body sections. There was a bit of a struggle and we will need to fix the join line but it went together, working slowly down one side and then back up the other.




I did knock a couple of parts off the dash board-GPS I believe, but they were easily replaced. We placed the hatches on the upper hull before it was attached to the lower. I colored the armored glass with a green marker, wiping it with a tissue to remove excess and overlapping lines. After two coats, Andrew said it was good enough. We taped off the outer surface and carefully installed the glass.




In the process of placing the windows, I managed to drop the kit. No major damage, but several small parts, mostly from the interior, broke free and bounced across the floor. It has taken some time (hence the long delay in updates) to track the parts down and get them back in place. The radio mount in the rear, fold down monitor and the dashtop instruments (again) were the hardest to locate, and not something that I could easily scratch build because of the detail. Once located and restored we were able to continue. The next step is the mud guards over the wheels. This consists of separate post mounts and the rubber flap that sits over them. There are bolt heads to line up with the U bolt body molded around the posts. It seems very simple in the instructions but was a struggle to get in place. We completed one side, placing each post first and then the mud flap. For the other we will attach two posts, place the mud flap and then work the others into place.






We did attach the cables that run from the frame to the suspension but they have been knocked out several times, so we will wait until we are done with the mud flaps and lower attachments before trying them again. There are a couple of etch bits to add as well but now that we have it closed up and Andrew (and I) are beginning to see it come together we feel better about the build. He has talked to me about what he wants to work on next, and looks over the stash from time to time, examining the more complex kits now that his confidence is growing. Thanks for looking and we hope to have another update soon.

Lots of little things done to update the build. First off we tried a different way to attach the mud flaps. Two of the brace bars were attached to the flap and then the assembly was installed. It worked much better this way. We also discovered we had used the wrong flaps on the front so this was corrected as well.




The step ladder is a mini kit, very delicate and easy to break in many places. Just getting it off the sprue is a challenge.





I dropped the center of the wide step side and tried to catch it with my legs. Bent it into a nice semi circle. As a result, the ladder is a bit warped. We missed photos of the assembly as we were busy holding things together trying to get it all to line up. Next were many of the small details for the body. Support for the claw arm, light fixtures and mirrors.






The rear stowage bins are handed right and left. The etch bases are very nice and line up perfectly with all the bolt heads on the frame. The rail supports attach to the etch face.




The muffler was a bit of a trick. The body was assembled and the etch heat shield was attached. To get the pipes connected the muffler needs to be in place as there are no positive alignment points and so no indication of the angle to attach the pipes.







Andrew was really amazed at how annealing changed the tension of the etch parts. I thought we had covered this before. We also added the spare tire mounts and other bits to the body. One of the tie downs was lost when it squeezed out of the tweezers. My wife heard it across the room and started to laugh. We will need to source or scratch a replacement.







One source of frustration with this kit has been the rather vague placement of some parts, particularly the etch. You have to search through the instructions to see the assembled placement or find photos to see the position of the part. But, now we are nearly there. The rear ladder is somewhat fiddly and we determined that it would be best to place the ladder frame on the kit to make sure it was aligned properly. We also added the antenna bases, although one was mis molded so that is something to fix.









The main vehicle body is now ready to paint, which will start soon. We began construction of the claw arm. Parts are small and fairly fragile.











The circular depiction of assembly was a bit hard to follow. However, all the parts move as they are supposed to, so I think we have it right. Let us know if we missed something or if there is a better way to assemble. Thank you for looking.

Nice neat build so far...and great detailed photos. This blog will be very useful when I eventually get one of these beasts

Sean, thanks for the comment!

Here is the latest update. First, we finished the claw arm assembly, and everything still moves. Placement of some parts was a bit tricky to work out just based on the instructions. The assembly is again broken down into sub assemblies and careful use of glue is needed to keep things workable.










We did lose one of the small hydraulic valve bits to the carpet monster, and we are looking at ways to replicate it. Next up is the bar armor. The sections are somewhat fiddly but flex fairly well. You have to look carefully to make sure the bolts on the sides line up properly with the mounting brackets-there is a distinct top and bottom, and also front and rear. We are working from the photos posted of a walkaround at the Warwheels website and the subject vehicle only has the bar armor panels on the sides. The spotlights are mounted differently than what is shown in the instructions. The spotlights are all pointing in a fixed direction, so we cut them off the base and cut the light from the bracket to position them, which was fairly simple. This part looks somewhat daunting but was not much trouble.












There was a minor error in the instructions. Two of the panels were labled L12. They were actually M12, but they are easy to find on the sprues. We didn't attach the brace arms as they have to be positioned with hull side bracket and sit at an angle. With this done, we painted. Using Tamiya paint, I started with Dark Yellow, added white, buff and yellow with no specific ratio until I had a shade that looked sufficiently light and went to work. The tires were painted in a base of Tamiya German gray. I am working on the lights and some base weathering. We are nearing the finish line with this kit! It has been very difficult for Andrew as his attention span has long been exceeded, but I promised him some Star Wars kits if he can help me get this finished. Again, any comments or corrections to help us get this right are most welcome.

This looks as if it will be a pleasing model when finished and large.

It is fairly good sized in length and height. Makes me think of a ship model when I hold it.