a model of my 1/1, 92 Toyota hilux surf

This was my first "model car" build since my early teen, and was gonna be a one off, i just wanted to make a model as close as i could to my daily drive, i've owned the surf for around 7 years so when i discovered Aoshima made a 1/25th kits i had to get one, in fact i got three, two were the "Swamper" kits  (of which this is one) which were made for the american market which is where i got two from, of course it had a L./H drive dash, so i made a silicon rubber mould from the dash in the third kit which was R/D, only reason i didn't make this one up as my 1/1 is it was an earlier MK surf, a pre-facelift truck, and i had already ear marked that kit for a copy of a friends truck,( i'll post that up next)

this is the clear resin cast for a R/H dash

 

the kit was a kerbside kit, no engine and no opening hood so first step was open up the hood and make something resembling the 2.4 turbo diesel intercooled four cylinder lump, also add the air scoop and vents which i fitted on my 1/1

 

before painting i added several led's and fibre-optic lines as my 1/1 has plenty of lighting insideBig Smile

spotlights both roof and front were made from filled down 3 &5mm led's the front sanded flat and some stock ally tube polished and cut to suit the led's

also had to make the wheel rims so simulate the red center  split rims on my 1/1, managed to turn these up from alloy round bar and tube on my small model lathe

fitted with the swamper tyres from the kit

led and fibre layout in the roof

underside is a copy of the colors on the 1/1  and the equ is as it was, ie second veg oil tank and compressed ait tank

side exit 3" stainless steel exhaust made here in alloy tube

pull out step for my wife added, (i'm in the middle of makeing a fully powered step for at the moment useing air and a small winch (my wife's disabled)

some finished shots

paired up with it's brother, a chopped crew cab surf

the dash

and finally my1/1 scaleThumbs Up

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/997190.aspx

Jacques Swaters Bob Sweikert Toranosuke Takagi Noritake Takahara Kunimitsu Takahashi