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'ello!

I get my hands on this little(big) beauty and I'm planning to make it more 40k. Not too much, just some bits here and there, some decals too. I want it as a terrain piece, not an actual model to play with (although it would be a nice Taurox proxy).
My idea is to keep is as a military truck (engineering / troop / ammo carrier?), or make it a civilian freight / utility vehicle.
I thought of replacing the flatbed with a canvas cover or make it replaceable with a shelter. Or making it a box truck or maybe build some construction on the bed, like a drill or something.

I'd prefer not adding any weaponry to it. Maybe hide a lasgun or two somewhere inside.

Any ideas?

The center of the bumper needs and aquila so if you crash into anything you leave a righteous mark. You should also consider adding rivets to it and any other metal surfaces.

The front grill could be gothified by adding pointed arches to the top. Everything else you need for the gothic arches look is already there.

You may want to militarize it with custom plasticard armor plates along the lines of some SdKFZ 7 conversions (or A-Team style, same thing really ) especially to cover the windows. With extra rivets, of course.

If you have a suitablly sized Imperial bit, you could have a hood ornament like Mercedes.

I don't really have an opinion on the cargo section as I don't think it looks any more or less Imperial if you leave it as is.

Suggestions:

Hood ornament- possibly admech logo (the older techmarine has a nice sized on his breastplate you could make a press mold from)

I'd have some kind of stamped plate on it to indicate its origin in a sanctioneed machine shop or forge.

Purity seal on the engine? On the window as a comedic touch, nod to 40k's self defeating bureaucracy?

Some ribbed cables running from components like headlights (under front wheel arch) disappearing into the engine block would help give it the zero-cable-management/ jury rigged admech feel.

Some data/energy ports (ala the back of a marine backpack) on the engine cowling to indicate it is more advanced than a regular diesel engine (and to further the theme of disregard for aesthetic)

A small data terminal or maybe even a scroll (why not both) on the cargo bed for guards at checkpoints to read the official contents of the vehicle/ drivers warrant of transport

Servitor co-pilot/satnav

If civilian, its likely owned by a mechant guild or house or company. If so, pennants hanging from the sides of the cargo bay and the side mirror bars might proclaim allegiance or authority.

If guard/pdf, a single flag might be good but as it's terrain the flag could be limp unless supported by a cross bar.

Gothic arches on the front grille is a neat idea.
Same as the ribbed cables/hoses under the wheel arch and several purity seals too (one will definitely be on the front part of the side mirror)

AdMech/Imperial insignia on the hood/cabin is for granted, same as a registration plate and danger marking on the front bumper.

Some papers on the cargo bed guards would look good too, I'll seriously consider this if I have any suitable bits/means of doing so. (I remember putting those on cargo train cars when I was with my grandma in her work as a kid) Same with data port on the engine.

I'm eager to see more suggestions

Hatches on the roof, like real armoured carriers have. (eg, like some of the 40k tanks have)
Covers on the rims like trial trucks and some armoured ones have. (put aquilas on them maybe)
Painted diff covers maybe, common on 4x4's.
You could keep most of the flatbed look and add on a wrecking crane in the bed for moving vehicles round.

Make it a grav-transport? Bits from a repulsor kit would work for that.

You could put little optimus prime smokestacks on in the style of the old rhino kit.

The grab rail could also work.

Edit- also a whip Arial, which again, could hold a pennant.

Shave off the rearview mirrors, add smokestacks. I'd consider shaving/sanding off the rooftop lights too.

If you can get your hands on some 40k spotlight bits (like from a Rhino, dreadnought, or GSC Goliath, I'd use those to replace or supplement the headlights. Personally I'd add an angled front plate to each fender to cover over the existing lights and add 40k headlamps.

I really like the idea of adding more spotlights to the roof. I'll see what I can get. Not many people around play the GSC.
Smokestacks too. I have some bars and tubes lying around, so it won't be hard to make.

Also, I saw this image bellow of a Ural truck with a roll cage. It would make it look really heavy-duty. (big image)
If not the whole roll cage, then at least the bull bar.

Add a cage/bars over the headlights. A near universal constant of Imperial non-military vehicle design is that headlights are protected. I guess to make it safer for the driver to run over heretics/cultists/orks/protestors.

Ex. (I know these are genestealer cult vehicles but they are technically looted civilian stuff)




Also consider raiding bits off of the Imperial Guard tank accessory sprue.

How big is this? It could rock as basis for an Ork truk.

 Hawky wrote:
I really like the idea of adding more spotlights to the roof. I'll see what I can get. Not many people around play the GSC.
Smokestacks too. I have some bars and tubes lying around, so it won't be hard to make.

Also, I saw this image bellow of a Ural truck with a roll cage. It would make it look really heavy-duty. (big image)
If not the whole roll cage, then at least the bull bar.

Spoiler:

Yeh that's a Trials Truck like what I was talking about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlJvAX_n_I8

I thought of putting some boxes and crates on the bed, to make it look as a supply truck, and write some funny labels, like "Dorn's fried chicked wings" or something like that.

It's diecast, 1/43.

17 by 6cm


Automatically Appended Next Post:
This is the rough concept with which I came up to. Where will be more changes (or less, depends on how well it would go) changes to it. I just didn't bother to paint them.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
behold my MS paint skillz.

I modified the roll bars a little to suggest an eagle/imperialis and give room for a forge tamp/hood ornament.

Might also be nice to have 'ladder bars?' That appear on a lot of 40k stuff like the GSC vehicles.

Making an aquila out of the front bull bar seems bit unnecessary to me, especially if there is a decal right underneath.

The ladder bars on the side is a nice idea, though. I should have a few lying around somewhere, same as the warning signs. I ran out of the general danger and high voltage signs, but I still should have either radioactivity, flame or chemical danger somewhere around.

Source: (big images) Added some funnies that I have printed out as well.


Also, a cookie for the commissar!

I won't feel bad if you reject any and all of my suggestions- after all, I'm not the one who's going to be cutting and gluing to a perfectly serviceable truck.

Use anything you like the idea of and I'll content myself by throwing out anything that occurs to me

Haha, that is true. Drilling into 30EUR model was never a bad idea.

If you or anyone else had more ideas, I'm eager to read them.

The thing that concerns me right now is that I ordered the model and the seller did not reply yet. I hope they do soon.

Suggestions for crate labels:

Imperial infantryman's uplifting primer
9-70 Entrenching Tool
Arcus pattern Bionic Eye lenses (Officer grade)
Frenzon: 2000 vials
Corpse Starch Rations
Posthumous Medal Requisition form Type C(ii)
600 Boltgun shells (warning: bless before use)
Officers caps (Peaked)
Officers caps (Type IV Brocade)
Calixian Infantryman's Portable Communications Transcription Device(Blue)
Grade F Grox tissues
A.N. 79 (Ur)
Medical supplies (Officer grade)
Medical supplies(Trooper grade)/Adhesive grip tape
Mk III Lasgun Powerpacks
Mk V Lasgun Powerpacks
Regimental Standard(Banner)
Regimental Standard(Periodical)
Regimental Standards(Rules and Regulations)
Boram (Lys pattern)
Nalwood
Blackstone
Skulls
Skulls(servo)
Skulls(Xeno, trophy)
Carbonated Fruc- Syrup (TM)

Going by the examples of the Genestealer Cult vehicles, I'd mask off the cab and just have a vision slit. I'd also look at swapping some bits for recognisable 40k parts; fuel drums for the fuel tanks, making the headlights look like those grilled ones as already mentioned, power packs (if you have some lascannons spare) and the odd louvred grille panels on the bodywork. It's those little details that make it look "40k".

As for ladder bars, use staples; they're about the right size, the right shape and if you use a narrow drill bit, you can drill mounting holes for them.