World War II Project - More Jeeps! - Rubicon Kits - The Build I

I opted to start with the US Jeep, I have some variations I want to build with the Airborne jeeps so I'm waiting for some research material to arrive before I start those builds. I wanted a more or less generic recon option and this one fit the bill with a choice between the .50 caliber HMG or the .30 caliber MMG. I have, or course, opted for the HMG in this instance.

This is a very straight forward build. This is a well designed and thought out kit and I really didn't encounter any difficulties putting it together. I haven't assembled the crew for it yet but I wanted to finish the vehicle first, the crew can come later.

This finishes into a very nice jeep, with a lot of options. I could have used the canvas covered windshield but that would have kept it in the down position the whole time so I opted for the standard windshield which I can move into an up or down position, ie. no glue! There are a lot of parts left on the sprue, so its a really good start to a very useful parts box. In this case all the British Bren guns, the US .30 caliber MMG as well as a whole host of other parts to outfit the British versions.

Quite frankly at $24 its slightly more expensive than some of the other resin kits out there but I highly recommend this one. Its a great value for your money. It probably only took 15 - 20 minutes to build it up so not much longer than I would have spent prepping and building a resin one.

A quick look at how this one went together.

The parts for step 1. I had already managed to glue the dashboard to the front fenders though. The wheels are flat on one edge but you don't have to worry about getting them right. They are thoughtfully keyed so that they will have the flat edge in contact with ground.

The end of step 1

Step 2 starts with the upper body and the seats, including that frightfully tiny clutch. I recommend getting that into place first

My new favorite clippers. I only use these for delicate parts but they are razor sharp and very maneuverable. All the small delicate parts survived intact, including the .50 caliber HMG.

The parts for Step 3. Upper and lower body will be glued together and its time to get the fun stuff on there.

The parts for Step 4. A few detail parts are all that are left to attach.

And here is the finished Jeep (A CJ2A for you purists)