Miniman Factory M1008 CUCV kit in 1/35 will be my first all resin (and PE) kit build.

This campaign encouraged me to do it:
http://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Campaigns&file=index&req=showcontent&id=894



Kit contents

The following are side by sides with the MENG "Toyota[s]"

I have the Miniman kit. It looks very nice, although I'm not entirely happy with the much too flat windshield. They made it like this to make it possible to use a flat acetate sheet for glass, but I would very much preferred if they included properly curved vacuum formed windshield and accurately shaped resin parts to match...

I noticed that too. And I agree that is going to be a challenge. The kit is also missing the, door vent window frames.
The casting quality is so crisp and clean though.

This is a very nice kit. I have both the M1008 and M1009.

Have you seen Mike Del Vecchio's M1009 build?

Sure did and will be referring to it for this build. I hope to get all four wheels of this kit to touch level on the bench

Steps 1, 2, and 3 start with the cab interior parts.





I cut a little too much of the pour block off of the dashboard part. Cut off the base of the pour block and leave the section that is attached to the "back" of the dashboard. This will assist in setting it level and will glue under the hood area.







The window cranks and, door lock release lever, are made from scrap pieces around the bench. A hole was drilled through the door interior parts and shaped with a square file. They are a little over size because I didn't actually measure anything and just did it visually.



The floor part strikes an interior ledge under the grille opening and doesn't seat flush.


Measure 1mm.


Remove 1mm from front of floor part, above chassis frame.


The kit parts cut away from their pour blocks and all cleaned up. The kit supplied PE and a few other fine details are not in this picture.
Previewing the assembly instructions booklet, I see that my kit does not have white metal parts but all resin instead.

The cab interior, floor part, is not installing as easy as the I-Sheets describe so while I'm solving that, here are some close up shots of some of the other parts...


^ These are the resin parts in my kit that are described in the I-Sheets as metal. The casting looks good (except one spot) so it's probably not going to be a problem.




^ I broke a fragile part off during clean-up. It's the postioning peg for the, Right Side Front, leaf spring. The flat area just below it contacts the chassis frame after installation so I can still get it to fit right. Then I'll just glue the broken part on after.

^ v The, Left Side Front, part has a casting flaw on the rear end.


^ v There was enough material there to solve this little problem. Using the other part for position reference, a small flat file created a shelf for the flawed end to rest on the chassis frame in the correct position.






v I think the tow hooks are not the accurate shape but they look so good. And they just snap into place so they can articulate. I'll paint them like this on their pour block then cut them off later for installation.



Thanks for looking...

Assembling the floor part into the cab doesn't go as simple as the instruction sheet describes.

The seat bottom, dashboard, and interior door detail parts are barely glued in with just a drop of glue for dry fitting. I thought I could just glue the back of the seat in later through the windows.


I tried to slide it in above the bottom lip (1), then click the front wheel arch part in (2)


The seat strikes the dashboard part also.


The seat is too wide so it strikes the arm rests of the, interior door detail, parts.


I removed approx 2mm of material from both sides of the floor. This will allow the floor part to clear the lip of the bottom of the cab.



Material had to be removed from each side of the seat to fit between the interior door detail parts.


Now I can assemble like the I-Sheets describe with the seat already glued in.


oops, now the arm rests are too low. That's ok, because it's model building, right? This problem will also be solved.

With identification of detail info learned from, HeavyArty, the STE/ICE was added under the dashboard.



The transmission shifter that was included in the kit was glued to the left side of the steering column and a scratch built transmission shifter was glued into a drilled hole into the right side.

Oh this brings back memories-- some not so good. CUCVs were not my favorite vehicle for sure, but they got us around. In 1987-88 I was in the 2nd Division in Korea, and the Army was using KATUSAs for drivers, until it was learned they couldn't be protected under the SOFA agreements because they were native to ROK-- so overnight they were pulled from driver positions-- leaving us to manage without them. I was a senior Captain, but it fell to me to drive my LTC around. We were in the middle of Seoul in rush hour one afternoon when the 1009 I was driving threw a power steering and brake belt, right in the middle of a four lane intersection. I had to fight it all the way back to Tongduchon, about 25 miles with the Fan belt slipping too. Not a fun trip. I was glad to see them go out of the inventory, but I spent a lot of time in them-- the enclosed cab was great though during the cold Korean winters.
VR, Russ

Looking good so far. It seems there is quite some effort needed to make everything fit, but the extra work is well worth it.

Mario

Russ, Thanks for checking in. Wow great story.

Mario, Thanks for your comment. Yes, some changes are needed but they are not much effort. This is actually a good kit for a, beginner resin kit builder, as long as you have medium to advanced plastic kit experience.

Once the seat and interior door parts are installed to final position the armrests looked like they were too low.

To correct this, approx. 3mm of material was cut off the top of the interior door parts.




When these parts are installed into final position, flush with the window sill, the armrest will be at a higher level.

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The seat support bracket was trimmed down at the change in detail. I didn't measure this because it just looked about right.



The seat will be lower now glued into position.

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Now the armrest and seat bottom look about right. However the seat back now looks too low against the rear window.

I want to raise it up about 1mm.




I added putty to the bottom to increase the height. Then glued it back onto the seat bottom.


Now it looks much better.

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I also shaved down the sides of the seat back to match the bottom. This may allow room for seatbelts if I decide to install them.



thanks for looking...

Starting to paint the interior cab. Some of the green that is outside is also inside. What is your suggestion for the color to use?

Type of green I want to use as on this M1009:
http://data.primeportal.net/transports/don_pics/m1009/Dsc07395.jpg

During all of the material removal and dry fitting over and over... that little floor shifter broke. I fabbed a new one from wire and a putty handle.

Right: I'm going with M.M. FS34102 Medium Green, enamel because I can just spray it right out of the can. Big Smile


Far left: M.M. FS34127 Forest Green, enamel bottle. (looks pretty close to aerosol FS34102).


Middle: Pactra FS34102 Medium Green, acrylic enamel bottle.

While the paint is drying on the interior details of the cab and other parts, this YooToob video is short and entertaining...

https://youtu.be/FVTej_kSDK8

The cab interior parts are done and painted. This is the way this model has to be built. Sub assemblies will be built and painted before the whole model is assembled.


^ The kit does not contain decals for the dash board instrument cluster so I had to search through my own stash.
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^ Micro Kristal Klear is curing over the gauge decals for lenses.
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^ Paint complete on the interior parts.
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^Clear orange acrylic was carfully brushed onto the gauge dial pointers before the Kristal Klear treatment.

Some other modellers that also drove in these CUCVs in the service recommended that I paint the dash pads on top brown instead of black. I took their advice and I like it better now.

A silver pigment pencil added the garnish over the glove box.

This is what happens on my first all resin kit.

The grille part is one piece with pour block out back. This didn't fit into the front of the cab grille opening so I thought I'd sand down the pour block part of it so it would fit. Bad idea because the front detail and frame garnish is so fragile it aint even funny.

The frame garnish broke off in the lower left corner but luckily I found it. In hind sight, the best thing to do is to remove material from the cab part to open the cavity to accept the grille part.

^Do not sand down this part. Too fragile.


^ Remove material from the cavity instead.


^ Dry fit


^ I broke off this little corner part during sanding of the grille part


^ I found it on the bench luckily

While dry fitting the grille part in place I verified the clearance with the floor part to see if the front of the floor part would conflict with the back (the pour block) of the grille part. It did by approximately 1mm. So I need to sand down the back of the grille part or cut another 1mm off the front to the floor part.



If I cut another 1mm off the front of the floor part then some engine detail will be lost. I decided to sand down the pour block of the grille part instead. Mistake again. The fragile front slats of the grille part started breaking so I stopped. I'll wait until it is glued into the cab front then continue removal of material for clearance of the floor part.
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Something else I notice while dry fitting parts is that the angles of the cab hood and fenders are different than the grille part. That's weird because it leaves gaps on each side that are not present on a 1/1 prototype.
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Now glued in with that little corner piece re-attached. Almost can't tell that it broke off earlier.
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Now I can safely remove some of the pour block from the back of the grille part. Why didn't I think of that in the first place?

Thanks for looking . ..

I filled the gap around the grille with Zap-A-Gap medium CA. I think it looks good enough in 1/35

This is really coming along nicely. I have some not so fond memories of the M1009 Blazers we had in the California Air National Guard. When we had RF-4C Phantoms I was in the sensor shop. We used a Blazer to run film from the aircraft to the processing facility. Climbing into the back seat was a pain. Your interior has turned out really well. I can't wait to see the exterior.

Regards,

Eric

I always like the true account service stories Thank you.

I'm a slow builder but I should have this ready to paint within a couple weeks.


Thanks for checking in and for your comment.

This is the resin brush guard part included in this kit. I bought another M1008 Miniman Factory kit which includes a white metal and lazer cut version of the brush guard part.



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This should be a testimony of the fine quality of resin casting of this kit. I carefully removed the material from these corners with a fine square file while holding it in my hand. Followed by fine grit sand paper for finishing. Didn't even break once.

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Continuing removal of material with a sharp knife one quadrant at a time.

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Even with a sharp knife there is a rough stand out material left behind. After all quadrants were cut out, the flat side (front) was carefully sanded with a sanding stick, for nails, of approx. 1000 grit.

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Those blocks are outer attachment points to the front bumper.

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The brush guard dry set on top of the front bumper part. The final position will be a little more forward on the bumper.

Thanks for looking