LOL. I am a gluten for punishment and decided to make this one using only spares from the spares box and a lot of evergreen plastic sheet and perhaps some brass sheet and rod as well.

So no need to buy a kit to build this model LOL :-)

Here she is. An Aussie Chev working on the North/South Road (Stuart Highway) hauling supplies to Darwin during WW2.

Photo courtesy of the Australian War Memorial Museum.


and here are the few bits from the spares box. The chassis on the right hand side will NOT be used and is only there as a pattern for a scratchbuilt item.



Can I do it in time for the campaign close? Well I'll try LOL :-)

Cheers
Cliff

PS> yes I know I am a mad bugger :-)

You said it mate! :-)

I reckon this could be the ultimate scratchbuild as far as WW2 trucks are concerned. The wooden cab looks more WW1 than 2.

At least you will not need to scratchbuild the hood (= bonnet down under)

Good luck Cliff !

Frenchy

LOL or those complex curve front mudguards (fenders or wings to you guys)

cheers
Cliff

Cliff, I know that Australia is a little different than Europe, you have summer when everybody else has winter and even water in a sink hole rotates in wrong direction but this truck is really unusual. Great choice!

Piotr

Looks like an "Aussie Beverly Hillbilly's Mobile"....
Must have been some strong white lightning when they thought that one up.......
:-) :-)

Something out of Mad Max, no doubt .... :-)

Can you describe the vehicle ? I see the cargo bed, but it appears to have an extended cab -- did it have a back seat or was that another sort of storage ? What was the box on the side of the cab ? etc ...

John

The vehicle was rated at 3 ton and the cab is what was commonly refered to as an 'Indian' cab. Now whether the Indians designed it or it is the way they built their bodies in Bombay I am not sure.

These vehicles were imported as a cowl and windscreen unit without the cab itself fitted or supplied and had local type bodies fitted. In this case wood was in plentiful supply so that got used as if the craftsman was building a wagon. Most vehicles of this age and older had wooden frames with steel sheeting over due to us having no major body makers with presses large enough to stamp out steel bodies.

Behind the cab are tool boxes. that open from the outside. A large number of tools and also spare parts was carried as these operated in the 'outback' more often then not. A sleeper bunk was positioned over it accesable from the interior of the cab. Behind those is the rear deck (bed) and this is wooden with steel fittings. The spare wheel is mounted on the Drivers (RHS) running board and attached via mount to the half door on that side.

the reason the front fenders and bonnet etc is missing is because of road conditions the vibrations cracked the metal causing it to fall off before the first trip was finished. Headlamps are mounted on leaf spring halves so they can withstand the constant movement.

Cheers
Cliff

Thanks, Cliff,
The sleeper configuration makes sense ...
John