Jump to content
 

AEC Matador Timber Tractor Kitbash (1/76)


Corbs
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

A little road vehicle bash for a change.

This year I've been making a few customised christmas presents for some friends and family. 

 

This one is a miniature version of my friend's unique AEC Matador Timber Tractor, which has been in his family business since 1946.

 

post-898-0-29772900-1513546933.png

 

It's been rebuilt by both Automower and Douglas, the chassis has been shortened quite a lot compared to a standard Matador.

 

The model isn't a 100% accurate copy, but I wanted to capture the look of it.

 

I started with the good old Airfix Matador and 5.5" Gun kit.

 

This shows the markings where I took approx. 7mm out of the chassis.

post-898-0-24564000-1513547290_thumb.jpg

 

The real tractor has the roof hole plugged so a circle cut from card does the job. Shown here with the cab mocked up on the chassis.

post-898-0-58512200-1513547376_thumb.jpg

 

The base of the WD rear body was used as the rear deck. Sliced in half, then the support struts cut off to give the right angle.

post-898-0-32228500-1513547463_thumb.jpg

 

Raves fitted, made up from pieces of the WD sides.

post-898-0-11643100-1513547569_thumb.jpg

 

The raves and the decking were scribed to represent planks.

 

Next up was the jib. The real one is bent but for ease I made this one with straight sides, styrene strip fixed with brass rod at the bottom. The pulley is made from one that came off an old crane kit. It's slightly too large but does the job.

post-898-0-56272900-1513547681_thumb.jpg

 

A stand fabricated for the jib, and glued together.

post-898-0-65378900-1513547718_thumb.jpg

 

The windows (none provided in the kit) were made with a mixture of clear plastic and glue 'n glaze.

The support cables are just some black wire glued into small holes.

post-898-0-46399000-1513547852_thumb.jpg

post-898-0-17466400-1513547877_thumb.jpg

 

I couldn't resist a little bit of weathering powders washed in to the cracks.

 

post-898-0-27675700-1513547902_thumb.jpg

 

So there we go! A little automotive diversion, something different and a copy of a real vehicle.

 

post-898-0-22683400-1513552465_thumb.jpg

 

I opted not to put graphics on it as it's so small and I didn't want to rush and mess it up.

Edited by Corbs
  • Like 14
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks for the links. Interesting to see another Douglas rebuild but retaining the WD cab (although with single piece front windows). Mr Shopland had requested this from Douglas when it went for the rebuild there.

One thing about the shortened wheelbase is it's so much easier to turn in the yard! Having tried both the original and the TT you can see why it was so handy.

 

 

Here it is with the spades fitted. Not too much left to do before it gets mounted in its box and wrapped up!

 

post-898-0-02284000-1513605179_thumb.jpg

post-898-0-88003700-1513605206_thumb.jpg

Edited by Corbs
  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...
  • RMweb Gold

A few years down the line and I'm making 2 more Matador/Douglas timber tractors, one for me and one for Mr. Foster.

 

The venerable Airfix kit is being used again but I'm going to try and use some of the learnings from the older build to improve this one.

The chassis is being built up . You can see where approx. 7mm has been taken out, a straight cut this time, I removed the air tank and reattached it. Good old Airfix plastic love the Revell plastic cement.

 

73BF0047-962D-47F1-8B73-9768D814DE2D_1_105_c.jpeg.c6bfa5d17b5fe536b1b73e74e400248b.jpeg

 

Cab and wheels roughly plonked in place The white bit of styrene is a reinforcement on the join.

 

My plan is to replace the wheels, I looked at Matador Models' site which looked good but I don't have a chequebook and there is no way I'm writing down my card details and putting them in the post, so off to Road Transport Images it is, as they take online payment.

On the fence about doing one with the earlier pressed steel cab roof. The Airfix roof requires beefing up anyway as it isn't long enough for the cab.

 

Might remake the hooks with something a bit finer.

 

88B79612-9719-4726-960D-C442097F682E_1_105_c.jpeg.b50d5faa6b9debc3d6fdc35675196831.jpeg

440E666D-6422-4FC9-8939-F8D7256CD1D8_1_105_c.jpeg.4321e8e1f1cde3cf5809a8de064e0efc.jpeg

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Adam!
Just before you posted that I had coincidentally got a couple of Oxford donors to give up some parts. Principally the wheels as they are the right pattern AND also have banana tread tyres which is a close enough match!
The original Douglas/AEC has 4 mismatched tyres which to be honest is very apt.
I will also be reusing the Oxford radiators as the Airfix ones have a bar across the middle. The jibs might also be reused.

 

On my one I find the Airfix roof to be too short so extended it with a piece of styrene sheet.

 

D4162703-A3A9-40DE-ACF2-BC4274C62B34_1_105_c.jpeg.b1f2505a05fd4750ee77276152781b10.jpeg
On Tom's one I am trying to replicate as close as possible his friend's one which also has a modified AEC cab - note the roof curve is shallower but still wooden.

22F235FE-871B-4F33-9AEF-E29738BC4A39.jpeg.33fecda81a51922e2f8ef962e568dd3d.jpeg

 

 

The front spring also has a bumper bar instead of the exposed hook.

The cab rear window was drilled and filed out.

1CD00C5A-35EE-4D77-8762-BFD82AE334D5_1_105_c.jpeg.43fc22ee01875634994584f0dcfc897c.jpeg

Both chassis frames shortened.

45C8197F-DF9B-4B8E-8CC3-747B321C0E2B_1_105_c.jpeg.898ae3d9416d3af4890b8ef7f23adf02.jpeg

 

Precious Oxford components.

I've slimmed down the hooks with the swann-morton knife to make them less  c h o n k y.

9EC6113A-EA25-42C3-BD34-94D661D165DC_1_105_c.jpeg.8abc1c2a88bd3bdfeb1c353108618e75.jpeg

To try and imitate Tom's mates one, I've used the Oxford body as a starting point, cutting it down to size with the razor saw and stanley knife.

 

EC7E2776-50A0-407A-A0F3-B7E948E0F970_1_105_c.jpeg.33fae64eb8bcbb86c6d657fab9761d00.jpeg

The final pic shows it posed with my cab for size as I debate using the A-frame from the Oxford model.

 

Going to have to get crafty with Tom's roof to mimic the shallow curve.

 

 

Edited by Corbs
  • Like 4
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

Done some more work on the Sudrian/Manx timber tractor.

 

The roof is unlike either of the AEC original ones so to get the distinctive shape I used some thin plastic.

 

9941252A-FB64-4693-8215-11100874A345_1_105_c.jpeg.750d5c2e36aac4d190b100ce0db457c0.jpeg

 

A raid of the spare parts box provided a pulley and some angle brackets. Drilled a hole for some handrail wire to hold it to the body.

 

AA30B91B-8E3C-48A7-BBAF-6F1737B9E89B_1_105_c.jpeg.90812d095ea3bde322edc4d1f8793116.jpeg

 

Styrene I beam and L section and some bits made up the spades which was attached to the chassis under the rear spring. The spare wheel is from the Airfix set.

 

 

66BC7696-14FD-4D20-9E2C-963C2C2C633B_1_105_c.jpeg.6d57adc1483bd05a1c0ccff59607ee27.jpeg

 

 

Repainted the radiator surround. Overall needs a bit of tidying  up but pretty pleased so far.

 

 

7861CFB4-0433-4FEF-8744-4AB7E875AA2D_1_105_c.jpeg.2490736c705d10f74fb663d449e94b3b.jpeg

 

 

Edited by Corbs
  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Tom challenged me to make the jib deployable because it looks cool :lol:

 

I drilled/carved a trough in the bottom of the jib, glued in some .7mm wire and then cut the support ironwork free. The wire is held captive by two L sections of styrene under the body at the back.

Think it may need more winch detail and the jib retaining cables adding.

 

9DAC045E-ACC3-45E7-A810-5B06B5ED3FAA_1_105_c.jpeg.76a174e14b8a9eb03254ec49f7f1fe03.jpeg

Edited by Corbs
  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Only a small update but the tractor is pretty much done now apart from the jib hawsers, then it can go to Tom to be painted and detailed.

 

Hacked a hole in the body to allow the winch cable to run through, and made a rope pulley thing for the winch cable to go over on its way to the jib out of some brass rod and some odd plastic bits.

A54CB3A6-91CE-445E-B4EA-65B4DCF43126_1_105_c.jpeg.e42b7336f37397343d93bd1e678907c8.jpeg

 

The little headlamps are from RT Models, not a bad match for the AEC ones. 

 

Edited by Corbs
  • Like 10
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 11 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

Well it's a year later and I'm finally getting around to doing more with my Timber Tractor (Tom has his one now as he is going to apply the finishing touches).

 

Another Oxford model gave up its wheels and radiator to the Airfix one.

AC5D71DE-F141-4A75-B157-B40F3ABF520F_1_105_c.jpeg.05022817fa195d6ff06525988ceae9a1.jpeg

 

The truck was spray painted (the green is a wheelbarrow paint). I had masked the radiator vanes and touched them in with a pen afterwards.

ED584428-E355-4D12-A724-E21E00B6BF8F_1_105_c.jpeg.ed6a8446e75f39df349c84113b9f157d.jpeg

 

I am no figure painter but gave it a go with the driver - this is the Airfix soldier with his helmet removed and replaced with a mop of black hair. I've given him the impression of some work overalls over a brown shirt. He'll be inside the truck anyway so doesn't need to be too detailed. After this pic I went over with a very thin black was to highlight the shadows and take some of the shine off.

 

4FBEFD27-06C4-4CB8-A239-3D4930CE7E8A_1_105_c.jpeg.2c4211c84d69dbd8838201507d51516e.jpeg

 

To imitate my friend's tractor, I took some pics of it when it was last outside, trying to get the camera straight and level with the signwriting.

I brought these pics into photoshop, cut out the writing, then copied and pasted into illustrator, using 'image trace' on the 3-colour setting, then deleting the green areas.

11FC30E6-4E6C-41C4-B06E-C1F50BEAEA8B.jpeg.e9ffe3c404b7d77c345bae3bca63f021.jpeg

 

These were resized and then printed out on the OKI laser decal printer. I did a mix of right-way-round and back-to-front to see what the better result was for the red (back-to-front was better).

 

93A850FB-A1F8-44CC-8299-4FC75C464EA2_1_102_a.jpeg.823445820525d110f5cde07c56ec0015.jpeg

 

Decals applied with a bit of micro-set to help them grip.

The roof was brush painted red (needs another coat really).

Decals applied, driver glued in, then raided the recycling bin for some clear plastic, a piece of phone case packaging did the trick. Once this was glued in the roof was attached.

 

The decals are a lot rougher than off-the-shelf items due to having been done on a laser rather than ink printer, but they do the job.

 

The headlamp is from RT Models again, the passenger side one sadly pinged off the tweezers and now resides somewhere in my room, so I have ordered another.

The whole truck will be matt-coated, likely using maskol to protect the windows.

 

B004000A-C6EC-45C2-9391-59E884AD2115_1_102_o.jpeg.9a2516913f573d8d7221c8ad08219c8c.jpeg

  • Like 11
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Premium
3 hours ago, Barclay said:

Superb - an inspiration to do something with mine, retired from my teenage-era layout when Coopercraft brought out their AEC Monarch, but recently re-discovered in my Mum's loft !

The Airfix kit is far superior and far more accurate than the Coopercraft.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...