Transit Mk.2

[Mossie]

I picked up an Italeri 1/24 Ford Transit van at the weekend. It's an ex-Esci kit, oldie but a goodie.

I'd got in my head a little dio with some armed blaggers, i.e. what if The Sweeney ran for a few extra seasons (the Mk.2 was introduced the year it's run ended).  Trouble is, the figures are a problem,  it's okay if you want mechanics or dolly birds but I'm struggling to find anything else suitable. Anybody know of any sources of figures (military, Police maybe) in dynamic poses?

Also, any other ideas of what I might do with a Trannie-van....?

Simon

[PR19_Kit]

I picked up an Italeri 1/24 Ford Transit van at the weekend. It's an ex-Esci kit, oldie but a goodie.

I'd got in my head a little dio with some armed blaggers, i.e. what if The Sweeney ran for a few extra seasons (the Mk.2 was introduced the year it's run ended).  Trouble is, the figures are a problem,  it's okay if you want mechanics or dolly birds but I'm struggling to find anything else suitable. Anybody know of any sources of figures (military, Police maybe) in dynamic poses?

Also, any other ideas of what I might do with a Trannie-van....?

Simon

Graft the body shell over something like a GT40. Ford did that for real, three times I think, and it's got to be the ultimate Q van. 

That's a good kit, I had a couple of them for many years, and still have one of them for future 'use'.......... 

[kitnut617]

I picked up an Italeri 1/24 Ford Transit van at the weekend. It's an ex-Esci kit, oldie but a goodie.

I'd got in my head a little dio with some armed blaggers, i.e. what if The Sweeney ran for a few extra seasons (the Mk.2 was introduced the year it's run ended).  Trouble is, the figures are a problem,  it's okay if you want mechanics or dolly birds but I'm struggling to find anything else suitable. Anybody know of any sources of figures (military, Police maybe) in dynamic poses?

Also, any other ideas of what I might do with a Trannie-van....?

Simon

Graft the body shell over something like a GT40. Ford did that for real, three times I think, and it's got to be the ultimate Q van. 

That's a good kit, I had a couple of them for many years, and still have one of them for future 'use'.......... 

Was it a GT40 Kit, I seem to remember it being on a F1 chassis. Seen it one time at Silverstone one time during the F1 weekend

[Mossie]

The Supervans?  I've heard about them but never knew they used a GT40 chassis, cool!

Quick check up on Wiki shows GT40 for the Supervan 1.  Supervan 2 and 3 used a C100 GT chassis which is what you might remember Robert?

[PR19_Kit]

Exactly Mossie. There's also a Supervan 4 but I can't find any details of it. Pics of all of them below.



Supervan 1 with GT40 engine and chassis





Supervan 2 with Ford C100 chassis and a Cosworth DFL engine




Supervan 3, rebuilt from Supervan 2 with a Cosworth HB engine, and a 7/8 scale body shell




Supervan 4. Can't find anything about it, but it looks good 

[Mossie]

Q-Van it is!  I've known a few van drivers who must have had one, the time it take them to get to Newcastle and back they must be doing mach 1.....

[Hobbes]

That Supervan 4 looks like CGI, so may be more wishful thinking than a real project.

[Hobbes]

or dolly birds

when life gives you dolly birds... Charlie's Angels?

[McColm]

I was thinking something along the lines of a camper van or half track at the rear. Perhaps dessert ice cream van!
If you are a fan of Dads Army, something similar to Jones' delivery van with moveable gun positions.

[zenrat]

I do like Supervan 1.  Nice high "Gasser" stance.
Is that The Stig's dad driving it?

[Mossie]

or dolly birds

when life gives you dolly birds... Charlie's Angels?

Too much skin!  I can pull off clothes and weapons, but I've yet to get skintones right.  Hence the blaggers, they'll have their heads covered with ski-masks.

I was thinking something along the lines of a camper van or half track at the rear. Perhaps dessert ice cream van!
If you are a fan of Dads Army, something similar to Jones' delivery van with moveable gun positions.

I like the idea of a half track, although I'm not sure where to source the tracks in 1/24 (but saying that I probably won't do any heavy conversion).  It's a problem that was touched on in the Meng thread, military vehicles in 1/35, civvy in 1/24 but not much cross-over in either scale.  I think I've seen some mentioned before, but I can't find them after much Google-fu.  Apparently Sherriff Roscoe's car by MPC has some.

[Hobbes]

There's also the Transit that was used by TWR during development of the Jaguar XJ220.



It has the Jag engine (640 bhp turbo V6) and transaxle, but the front was standard Transit. This van's now owned by Don Law (who has an XJ220 servicing business), they tweaked the suspension and now use it e.g. on the Goodwood hill climb.



Note the stickers on the back:

[Nick]

Doing some armed blaggers is easy. Get some mechanics in overalls and switch the heads for racing drivers helmets. Paint the overalls as dark blue boiler suits and the helmets in different shades. Hey presto, baddies!

This young lady might want a word... https://hlj.com/product/AIT24007

US Cops in action http://www.toywonders.com/ProductCart/pc/Figures-c282.htm?pageStyle=p&ProdSort=1&page=6&idCategory=282
http://www.toywonders.com/ProductCart/pc/American-Diorama-Figurine-Police-Officer-III-1-24-scale-Black-24033-282p15947.htm
http://www.toywonders.com/ProductCart/pc/American-Diorama-Figurine-SWAT-Team-Rifleman-1-24-scale-Black-77470-282p16269.htm

Seems that whatever you do there's a lot of cutting and positioning to do.

[PR19_Kit]

Loads of drivers got to drive Supervan 1 as it was so much fun and never did any racing laps, they were all demos, so it was highly sought after.

The Goodwood XJ220 Transit is usually driven by Justin Law, Don's son, and he sure can hussle it along. One year Justin and the van came FIFTH in the hill climb shoot-out at the end of the event, against F1 cars and similar stuff! 

[Mossie]

Seems that whatever you do there's a lot of cutting and positioning to do.

Thanks for the links to the American Diorama stuff, I'd seen a few of them but not all in one place.  Yeah, that's been my main problem, finding dynamic poses, there's a few in that range that might work but otherwise most poses are almost static.