COMPLETE: (!!!) Axles & Alloys Gun Buggy

I've finished another model! Another vehicle for Axles & Alloys!

Gun Buggy

Gun Buggy started off as a Hot Wheels "Enforcer" model and as it is one of a few Hot Wheels that come equipped with weapons, one on each side, I didn't need to add any. I did however, add lots of other stuff which I posted about previously.

After priming, I started painting and weathering, starting with brown washes on the wheels, the underside and the bumpers. When the browns settled into the ribs of the tires it just made them look rusty along with the rusty parts instead of mud, so I fixed the tires with Devlan Brown ink and black washes. Elsewhere, I worked the rusty parts up to a layer of orange washes in the bumpers and under the rear fenders, as well as on the wheel spikes. Once I was pleased with the rust, I went back and added steel and mithril highlights to those parts. 

Rust on the bumpers and under the rear fenders. 

I wasn't quite sure what color Gun Buggy would be, eventually deciding on a green as a contrast to Red Racer. I stippled the green on, using Vallejo Intermediate Green, and highlighting that by adding a bit of yellow to the green. I then stippled dark gray on the edges that would see the most damage and wear, followed by a stippled highlight of a lighter gray.

The air intake that I added got some detailed lines with a sharp pencil by free handing in vertical stripes. It then got a crown of mithril silver and the top was painted Intermediate green also.  For added splashes of color, I painted the spotlights on the roof, one yellow and one silver, outlined in black.

Detail showing the rusty wheel spikes and the air intake, as well as the underside. 

Gun Buggy based to match Red Racer.

In Axle & Alloys, vehicles can be equipped with drop weapons such as spike droppers, oil sprayers, minelayers and napalm sprayers. The sprayer mechanism I added could be for oil or napalm, in a convenient refillable canister. For a further splash of color, I painted the canister in bright yellow, inspired by Monsters, Inc and the fact their yellow canisters are tough enough to hold the potent energy found in children's laughter...  mine should be able to contain napalm, I figure...

Rear detail showing dropper apparatus, all set to spray napalm or oil to thwart would-be threats trailing behind. 

For the glass end of the fuel canister, I attempted a painting technique to hint at the fuel inside. It was more difficult to pull off because of the metal framework, but I think it gives a convincing idea that there is a noxious liquid inside. And it was another opportunity to add a bit of color.

Top detail showing a good look at the noxious fuel level in the rear dropper.

Gun Buggy could benefit from some lettering or symbols painted on, and I've considered dusting it overall with some detailing powders to further weather it, but am very happy with it to this point. Let me know what you think.

Axles & Alloys Update: Gun Buggy Primed

Gun buggy primed with base colors on the front window and on the base.

Axels & Alloys: Gun Buggy Update

The original HW model.

Gun buggy started off as a Hot Wheels Enforcer, with molded-on guns already in place but it looked a little fragile for combat, so this became a big conversion project to customize it and make it look able to absorb more punishment. First I added a front bumper to absorb contact to the front, using cardstock, an expired plastic credit card, and the green plug-stick thang that Starbuck's sticks in your lid so you don't spill your scalding hot coffee on yourself.

Detail showing the bumper, as well as the sprayer device, detailed next.

Enforcer came with a detail on the rear of the storage compartment area that already looked like a sprayer attachment, so I searched for some sort of fuel container-looking bit to put in the storage compartment in the back. Not sure what the bit is as I dug it out of Tabletop Games' bitz box but it's definitely some sort of GW40k plastic. I added a cardstock strap as a fastening device. At this point, the piece that came on the model just wasn't "enough" of a sprayer, so I took some plastic tube scrap and stretched one end of it with a ball point pen to give it a bit of a flare and then superglued it onto the model. The plan is to paint the glass end of the fuel container to look as though it is half full of some caustic liquid, ready to be delivered out the device for any pursuers... (yes, glass... I know its not the most bullet-resistant material known to post-apocalypse man but it'll give me the chance to try my hand at painting a new technique)

Detail of the dropper device off the back, including the nozzle.

As mentioned in a recent post, I had planned on adding fenders front and back because Enforcer's wheels look so big and vulnerable, but in the planning for the front I realized any sort of front fenders would block the guns so I scrapped that idea. I did however, come up with a deflector pattern for the rear wheels to give them some respectable protection from the rear. Cut from credit card plastic and army cards from Arcane Legions, they are a bit too roughly cut to my liking but not enough to tear out and redo. I also added a tube bumper and attachments along with other detailing.

Rear detail showing the deflectors and the tube bumper. 

Next, I added the wheel spikes. I drilled holes in each wheel and added short lengths of wire cut from a paper clip.

A good look at the wheel spikes and the rear details.

The original Enforcer is designed with an open slot in the hood that needed some sort of detail added to it. I had seen someone else's conversion online adding an air intake to their model so I decided thats what Enforcer needed too. The end of an ink container and a short piece of coffee stirrer and there ya' go... 

Enforcer becomes Gun Buggy. A good overall shot showing the various conversions added to it. 

Next I will base it like Red Racer and prime everything black all at once.

Axles & Alloys Update: Sanctioned Car Warrior Now Enforcer

So this one I'm pretty stoked about. The Sanctioned Car Warrior I started so long ago is now to a finished enough stage that I feel good posting it finally. I'm very happy how this turned out.

Shiny shiny, just sprayed with varnish. Oooooo nice!

This is actually just a re-paint as I took the original model and glued the wheels and turret in place and did not modify it any further. Once I started painting it up, I noticed the various panels and, influenced by other police models on the various Facebook pages I subscribe to (here and here), decided this would make a cool police-looking vehicle if painted black and white. I added some splashes of color by painting headlamps and tail lights in, and painted just a hint of the brakes in the wheels (noticing I need a bit of touchup once photographed!).

The next step for this one is to try to source some police decals or rummage around for my old Letraset letters (as long as I can revive them LOL) to add some markings to it. After that, I will base it same as Red Racer and weather it. It's very clean looking now, straight from the factory, and I want to add some chipped paint and dust and grime to it.

If you don't care to go back and see the original post, I am showing the Hot Wheels model that I started with here, called "Turbo Turret":

The original Hot Wheels model, Turbo Turret, with the decals removed. 

COMPLETE: (!!!) Red Racer for Axles & Alloys

Wow ... it's been a loooooooong time since I completed anything to -- COMPLETION. I feel particularly good about this one since it involved a bit of conversion and not just painting and basing. Glued to a 1.5"x3" Litko Aero wooden base, layer of sand glued on top, painted base of Hippo Gray and washed with Devlan Mud and black, then dry brushed lighter gray. Couple of spots of bright green flock for color contrasts with the red.

Red Racer all complete and shown in its final glory below!! Woot!!

Edit: Ok Tony was nice enough to visit this post and expected a little more than just the same car with basing, so I am also posting another WIP I have begun. Calling this one Gun Buggy for the moment ... I have also nearly completed the Sanctioned Car Warrior, however there has been a bit of a twist but I can't show y'all just yet... Anywayz heres Gun Buggy WIP...

Based on Hot Wheels Enforcer. Removed the decals (mostly) with Naphtha; glued wheels and guns in place. Added a GW bit to the device on the back and added a cardstock strap for a dropper device (oil, napalm). Toying with the idea of fenders and big bumpers front and back.

Red Racer Update - Axles & Alloys

Managed to put some downtime to work on painting. Got the Red Racer all painted up now, ready for basing...

For comparison's sake, this is the original model which I posted in an earlier blog; you can visit that post to see the steps taken to get to this point.

Axles & Alloys WIP - Sanctioned Car Warrior

This is the second vehicle I am converting for Axles & Alloys. It is a Hot Wheels model called Turbo Turret. As you can see, it already comes with guns on it - one on a swivel on top, and two molded into the body just above each rear wheel.

The original Hot Wheels model, with the decals removed. 

This is essentially a repaint and not so much a conversion. I glued the top gun in place (we haven't actually used any sort of turret rules), and glued the wheels in place. I plan on mounting all my vehicles on 1.5"x3" wood bases, similar to what Blake uses, so the wheels don't need to roll. This allows a player to place his model on an incline and keep it from actually rolling back down.

Then a coat of black primer:

I envision this as being driven by a sanctioned arena driver, so the paint job will be more refined, less rust-bucket looking, with perhaps some sponsor stickers or a racer number.

Axles & Alloys - WIP - "Red Racer"

With a bit of a break away from CYO duties these last couple weeks, I have tried to work on some gaming stuff. What I have been most successful with has been converting some die cast cars (Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Maisto, them sorta thangs) for use with the excellent free rules set called Axles & Alloys. You can follow that link to Coopdevil's blog; his link to the rules are in the right hand column. A very simple set of rules to allow car-to-car-to-car combat, much like Mad Max and Car Wars. 

This is my first attempt at converting cars, after having researched doing so on youtube and post-apocalypse gaming websites, as well as Hot Wheels restoration/conversion videos. Blake and Brett also gave me great inspiration with cars they have converted.

I have referred to this first one as "Red Racer," simply because thats what I started with. It is an off-brand (not-Hot-Wheels/not-Matchbox) model, that I purchased as part of a big 7 lb.  box of die cast cars sold on ebay. I started with this one since there were at least 3 similar models with lots of racing decals on them, so if I "messed this one up" (if thats possible), I had the others to fall back on.

This is the original model, before any conversion.

Working in a well-ventilated area, the first thing I did was remove all the stickers by rubbing cotton swabs dipped in acetone across the decals. I tried to keep away from any plastic parts, expecting the acetone could melt or warp the plastic. I worked on another model while this one dried. I then started cutting up some card that I had (from a cereal box IIRC) and started supergluing it to the car in places I thought were appropriate - reinforcing the front bumper, adding some protection across the windows, over the front fenders to protect the motor and tires, and armor plating the rear wheels. I purposefully did not cut them straight as I envision this car being hastily armored by someone with minimal skills and/or equipment. The gun is a leftover bit from Warhammer 40,000, either an Ork bolt gun or an old Space Marine bolt gun, superglued to the hood. I also drilled a hole in the rear bumper and added a bent piece of copper wire as some sort of oil-sprayer or napalm dropper. After all these bits were added, the back looked a little barren, so I sculpted a bedroll in greenstuff on the trunk to balance out all the additions.

Red Racer showing the decals removed, card armor and plastic gun added, and bedroll sculpted in greenstuff.

Then a coat of black primer, shown below… 

The whole model primed black. This side shows the bullet holes added to some areas. It also shows the nice detail that I kept from the original model in the driver side window. It is the webbing found in race cars that looks appropriately metal/armor-like. I'll paint it to match then other armor plates.

The passenger side, showing the bit of brass wire out of the trunk to represent an oil-sprayer device or some such, for some sneaky tactics...

This is where I stand with this model so far. Not sure what color it will end up being (perhaps keeping it red), but I want to make all the armor plates nice and rusty. I have a second vehicle I am working on at the same time, more of a sanctioned driver with a car built especially for arena dueling.