Another ULTRA realistic Tamiya kit build by master Modeler Jim Lewis of GunTruck Studios!
Here is what Jim had to say…
Like with Tamiya’s M8 Light Armored Car, I could hardly wait until the M20 Armored Utility Car was released. I rushed out, bought it, and built it immediately to have a companion piece to display with my M8. This model was also a test of resolve. I finished the original model in late November 1999, and was in the process of applying a final Dullcoting to seal the finish – when I dropped the model on a concrete patio floor and destroyed it. After a beer, or two, I sat down and figured out how to rebuild the model. I had put too much time and effort into it to give up at that point. I built it so fast – I didn’t even stop to take a picture!
In essence, I built two M20 Armored Utility Cars, and what you see here is the culmination of a great deal of rebuilding and repair work. No one I haven’t told this story can tell the model had ever been damaged.
Having built Tamiya’s M8 Light Armored Car before, tackling the M20 Armored Utility Car proved a breeze. You can almost build it in your sleep. From the outset I planned to take advantage of the separate engine breather hatches to model an engine for my M20. The Tamiya model kit doesn’t come with this detail, sadly, but you can take advantage of the resin sets offered by Jaguar and Verlinden Productions. I did – using components of both of them to make the engine compartment complete. Having both on hand also came in handy when I dropped the model and destroyed it the first time around. I had enough to rebuild the miniature, though I had to fashion some replacements for lost detail in the accident. Markings for “Double Dare” came from Superscale and Aeromaster water-slide decals, and Verlinden, Archer, & Pre-Size dry-transfers. Hudson & Allen supplied some equipment markings too. Hudson & Allen Tow Cable Ends were mated to nylon string to make the tow cable. Builders In Scale chain was used on the front of the miniature.
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