ZOMBIE BUILD NOT!

[crudebuteffective]

Sometime in the 1960s or early 70s I watched the 1961 film version of the John Wyndham book Day of the Triffids with my father. He didn't like the film adaptation and added a fact that stuck with me "in the book the guy drives a half track" ....... Even at the tender age of 7/8? I knew what a halftrack was because I had made the airfix model and dad had already told me he used to drive one in the army in Berlin in the late 50s

JUMP FORWARD now to our zombie theme build and a post by wardukw-nz during July of his awesome gun truck with 12 guns and the world's supply of ammo (I lost count at 30,000 rounds) which got me thinking of ideas for a build in this theme, not being a fan of the walking dead type zombie film I wanted something different.

The book only mentions the halftrack four times, he takes to driving it as the roads deteriorate a couple of years after the event and never actually identifies it as an M3 type (but when colliers magazine serialised the story in 1951 the last instalment has a picture of an M3)

Originally this was to be a quick build of the halftrack in 1/72, but CBE the younger set me a challenge of building it in 1/35.

An EBAY search found a Tamiya M21 and I was off

So here it is Bill Massen's post apocalypse run around southern England late 1950s
(apologies to the "fire power is the answer" department)

Note to self........when you want an M3 don't start with an M21 mortar carrier, corrections to inside



Detailing to front chassis, leaf springs always rust where they rub




What every man about town should carry in the triffids world/ 12 gauge shotgun /anti triffid gun /door key /hand pump for recovering petrol from underground tanks/ Flamethrower



Getting the tracks into the right shape








Triffids aren't soft when you hit them













The colour is an attempt to recreate what my own army service remembers as the shade British army vehicles fade to when left outside



Now a bit more weathering and rust and a few smears of Triffid venom

CBE

[buzzbomb]

Great thinking.. Triffids are plant equivelent to Zombies.. so fits right in.
Looking at the great BBC Mini Series from the 80's gives a number of trains of inspiration as well.

I like what you have done with the Halfie though, terrific use of the track jig.

using this great subject a Great Torrent of inspiration has flooded in
Hmm more anti Triffid devices ?

[kerick]

I need to make one of those hand pumps for the fire truck.

[Old Wombat]

Neat!

Anti-triffid gun is great (M1 Garand, strip styrene & ?). (Also useful for decapitating zombies! )



Guy

[Go4fun]

I think it would go a good ways toward what this build forum was about. A great looking build and I love your weapons choice.