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To be blunt:
The idea is to convert or scratch build a chimera in a way that looks more like an LAV-25. I found a toy at Wal-Mart that I think the tires may work with, but I'm asking if Dakka Dakka thinks they'll be the right size and style to give the chimera a worthwhile wheeled look.

I put an old dust covered space marine next to it to help establish scale. I plan to cast a mold and make 8 of these per chimera and to work some magic I'll figure out later for it's sides so I can replace the tracks with them.
What does Dakka Dakka think?

An LAV-25 should be a little longer and higher than a Rhino and maybe slightly thinner. The wheels you have in the pic would make your LAV the size of a Land Raider or larger.

Tires are way too big.

Do you mean like this



The chassis is from an ebay shop called 'the baggage train', and the vehicles are OOP, but he will cast them up if you order more than one. I have used some of the large wheels from the Ork trukk/battlewagon kits, and am also casting around to find cheap replacements. I'll let you know if I find any. I've done a lot more to them since this and will post pics as soon as I've taken some.

these guys also do a couple of very LAV-ish chassis

http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/25sling.htm

Breotan wrote:An LAV-25 should be a little longer and higher than a Rhino and maybe slightly thinner. The wheels you have in the pic would make your LAV the size of a Land Raider or larger.

Elnicko5 wrote:Tires are way too big.

Maybe I should have clarified, I want it to look similar to an LAV, but I want to convert it from a chimera. I don't want to risk people hitting the roof in a tournament environment when it's not obvious that it's converted from a GW model. I've noticed from my experience, that GW vehicles are very large and squarish compared to a to scale model of a real combat vehicle. I'm thinking with these wheels it will be the same height as a normal chimera, which is important to me. (avoids "modeling for advantage" complains). The tires only measure 1 3/8". Although, they may be on the large side, won't know until I start hacking on the chimera which I should get this weekend.

Captain Jack wrote:Do you mean like this



The chassis is from an ebay shop called 'the baggage train', and the vehicles are OOP, but he will cast them up if you order more than one. I have used some of the large wheels from the Ork trukk/battlewagon kits, and am also casting around to find cheap replacements. I'll let you know if I find any. I've done a lot more to them since this and will post pics as soon as I've taken some.

That looks great and I do actually have Battlewagon tires laying around, I just find they're too orky for what I need them for.

Flinty wrote:these guys also do a couple of very LAV-ish chassis

http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/25sling.htm

Those are some very sweet models, but as stated above, they may cause problems in a tournament environment..

To All- Thanks for all of the advice, everyone. I've found it very helpful. The pictures especially as they've reminded me that I'll have to do some creative cutting to make the front look more pointed as an amphibious vehicle would. As an aside, where's a good place to order plasticard and what thickness most closely matches that of GW's vehicle hulls?

Hiding the Orkyness of the wheels is quite easy. The mini works out longer, but slighlt narrower. Google the 'Dave Taylor' blog, as he has done an armoured car conversion on the Chimera/Russ chassis. No link because I can't get to the site. There is also a link to that Blog, via Jeriko Reach

that armored car is definitely similar to what I have planned, just that I plan to have the wheels attached to the side of the hull as opposed to attaching to axles running underneath the vehicle.
Anyone got anything to contribute on the plasticard front? What thicknesses are good to work with for vehicles?

Hi themandudeperson

I think these wheels will work out really well for you, but you may only be able to fit three to a side (for a total of six for the vehicle). It'll be very reminiscent of the classic Arbitrator Chimera that Mike McVey converted in '95 or '96.

As for plasticard thicknesses I find that 1mm thick card is really good. Scores and snaps easily and is really quite structurally sound. For more strength it is really easy to double up too.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Dave

Here is a wheeled chimera i have been using for years. It is my second generation of wheeled conversions



This uses the chimera kit with the addition of 8 wheels and some plastic card.

themandudeperson wrote:To be blunt:
The idea is to convert or scratch build a chimera in a way that looks more like an LAV-25. I found a toy at Wal-Mart that I think the tires may work with, but I'm asking if Dakka Dakka thinks they'll be the right size and style to give the chimera a worthwhile wheeled look.

I put an old dust covered space marine next to it to help establish scale. I plan to cast a mold and make 8 of these per chimera and to work some magic I'll figure out later for it's sides so I can replace the tracks with them.
What does Dakka Dakka think?

Sorry to all for threadcromancing, but this is the only way I could get a pic of this marine here. Just asking the OP, what chapter is this marine from>? Just checking because it is quite similar to that of my own chapter, (though I do try to highlight a bit more, and therre's a little bit more green)and I'd love to know why you chose the scheme.
sprry again for threadcromancy, if someone has a suggestion of how I could have got this picture otherwise, let me know so it won't happen again.

If I'm not mistaken it's one of the DA successor chapters. Disciples of Caliban I think?

aoffan23 wrote:If I'm not mistaken it's one of the DA successor chapters. Disciples of Caliban I think?

I think its just a random paint scheme TBH. Disciples chest and helm are all green.

Nightwatch wrote:
Sorry to all for threadcromancing, but this is the only way I could get a pic of this marine here. Just asking the OP, what chapter is this marine from>? Just checking because it is quite similar to that of my own chapter, (though I do try to highlight a bit more, and therre's a little bit more green)and I'd love to know why you chose the scheme.
sprry again for threadcromancy, if someone has a suggestion of how I could have got this picture otherwise, let me know so it won't happen again.

Holy cow! I'm very surprised this thread has new posts after so long! Anyways, the color scheme I came up with on my own a long time ago and it was for my homebrew chapter "The Jungle Ravens" who're specialists at counter insurgence work, especially in jungle terrain and their force is divided into two separate elements: The lightly armed, highly mobile Recon element that is constantly patrolling the jungle. This element consisted of Attack Bikes, Land Speeders and Scouts, who all wore camouflaged armor. Once they've encountered the enemy they would radio the second element to bring in the big guns.
The second element would then arrive via Thunderhawk and engage the enemy with Assault Squads, mechanized Tactical Squads and Predators. To me, it made little since for an entire army of 8 ft. genetically enhanced super soldiers in large and (more than likely) noisy suits of power armor to be camouflaged, so anyone not within the first element was painted as in the picture. The only exceptions being special weapons and sergeants, because with 8 other guys in a squad making enough noise to raise the dead, it'd be a lot easier for a sergeant to sneak up and use a meltabomb on a vehicle or for a plasmagun to slip off and find an effective firing position.
Anyways, that's what you're looking at: a Jungle Raven tactical marine.

Well, I finally committed to hacking up a chimera to turn it into a more LAV. I didn't opt for the tires from the picture. Instead I used a bunch of space marine bike tires. This kept me from either A) buying a dozen of the same toy ATV from wal-mart or B) going through the hassle of removing the tires, making silicone molds, casting them, cleaning off flashing, etc. etc. etc. Now I just poke around on ebay for bits and I'm good. Anyways, here's the link to my plog with pics of it:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/235444.page#1118350

http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=CZB35031

How are those for what you're looking for?

I'm sure you can also find them for Strykers, but I didn't see 'em.

Trumpeter do 1/35th wheel sets for the LAV, which should be about the right size. Wish I'd known before I jumped in with all my wheels...I'm not going to change them now, it's far too late for that