I was looking at the upcoming release photos of the new Meng 1/24 Hummer H1 and was wondering which HMMWV variant that this model would most easily be converted into. Judging from the pre-release photos it seems to be an exceptionally detailed model so naturally I was wondering about the military applications.

In looking into which military variant this model most closely resembles I was floored by just how many HMMWV versions there are! So I figured I'd ask the experts here exactly which variants this model most closely resembles (and easier to convert to). I'm aware that this is the civilian version of the model and that it will require a bit of work to get it into military trim, but what variant should I be most closely trying to depict?

Thanks for any input!
Jim
LSA

James, converting an H1 to a HMMWV would be a massive undertaking. The interior of the H1 Hummer bears no resemblance to any HMMWV variant. There is a plastic dash which contains a radio and speakers. It has plastic door panels on the inside. There is even a massive center console to hide its military origins. The commercial version looks like a regular truck on the inside... a regular luxury truck. About the only thing that is similar is the basic body. The doors, roof and hatch are all different. There are even differences on the underside. The commercial version has an aux fuel tank which was installed on very few military trucks. I think it's funny that the box has GM badging on it considering GM tried and failed to sell the line to a Chinese company. Then they closed the entire division down. They are probably charging MENG a good deal in licensing fees on a vehicle they don't build any longer. AM General still sells a civilian version so I wonder why they aren't the company getting paid royalties. An aftermarket company could market a conversion for a very high price. Having said that I have not seen any sprues to see if MENG detailed the body interior with a nod to making a military version later.

Regards,

Eric

GM owns the 'Hummer' name. They contracted AM General to build the H1. The only thing that the H1 has in common with its military bloodline is the chassis and drivetrain. As Eric stated, the body and interior are completely different.

I haven't seen any sprue shots either so it's still a little early to tell how difficult the interior differences would be to correct. The main cabin floor would likely have to be completely reworked and the roof would definitely need quite a bit of surgery as well as making a rear cabin wall. This much I have gathered from simply looking at the available photos.

As for the doors, I was thinking that the ones in the kit would have be scrapped for entirely new ones with the same going for the dash and seats. Wheels are possibly a point of concern as well but not a major one. But even with all that I have to say that none of this is by any means an excessive amount of work for me. None of this is a deal breaker at all.

What concerns me is the overall body. Do any of the HMMWV experts out there think that there are serious exterior body differences between the H1 and the HMMWV that I am not seeing yet? If it is impossible to convert an H1 into a HMMWV variant then I'd still be interested in this model as a build platform for other things. I was mostly wanting to see if converting the H1 into a HMMWV was doable and if so what variant it most closely resembles.

Thanks to everyone for their responses so far!

Jim
LSA

Jim, the exterior differences would be pretty easy. The roof is a simple affair. It is just a thin sheet of metal rolled on the sides with a small rain lip. The doors, if you want to do one of the early uparmored ones are simple too. The slant back on any weapons carrier would be pretty easy as well. It's just rolled sheet as well. The hardest part would be the far back pieces as they're pretty curvy. A first generation armament carrier with the uparmor kit would be best. With the kit added they are the M1043 (no winch), or M1044 (winch). The interior would be a challenge though I think the chassis and wheels are similar. There may be a few things to leave off of the chassis that the military didn't buy.

Regards,

Eric

Hi Eric,

Yes, from what I can see so far you're right that the M1044A1 variant seems to be the best fit and balance. I don't mind putting the work in to convert the Meng model over to this as I think that it would offer a large degree of flexibility in how to outfit it. I already have a great winch and hook in 1/24 so the A1 version works well for me already.

The M1044A1 looks to be a very versatile platform that could be outfitted with a good number of armament options from the M60 through to the M2. And choices like that are always a good thing. Of course it will all depend on what Meng's release ultimately turns out like but I am assuming it will be up to their high standards. Now if I can just get my hands on one....

Jim
LSA