ICM 35515 ZiL 131

I'm just trying to add a bit of interest by highlighting some parts - I doubt it will be seen in the end and I'm going to try to scuzz the whole truck up, but it's fun... 

I have to say I am becoming a fan of ICM kits. I recently made the Ford Model A and that was immense fun to build and so far this has been equally good... 

Chassis almost finished, test fitting the cab. The front wheels aren't fixed yet as I forgot to prepare a couple of suspension components, so will do them before continuing with the cab, and then onto the loadbed. 

I changed my mind last night and started work on the loadbed, which went together well, there are a few ejection marks that will be visible so I put a bit of putty on them, they won't be perfect, but at least I tried. 

Now I need to add the sides to the loadbed and think about painting the body components... 

Current progress; I spent last night assembling the loadbed and preparing everything for priming and painting. Hopefully will get on with that at the weekend... 

I didn't think I'd get a chance to touch this today, but my plans changed, so I cracked on... 

Fitted the last parts to the chassis 

cab taking shape 

Should be finished by the end of the weekend 

I had the bright idea of masking off the wipers and making the windscreen look filthy. Unfortunately I didn't have the bright idea of cutting the tape on the cutting mat, so I scratched the windscreen, but then I thought oh well, it just looks like the wipers are old and have scratched the windscreen, so that was OK! 

Last view of the engine before I glue the bonnet on... I was considering gluing the driver's door open, but I didn't in the end. Doesn't look like I glued it in properly either from this view, but hey-ho. 

Dirty screen, before the removal of the tape... 

Adding the rear lights and other fiddly bits was actually quite easy. 

I like the fact that you don't need to glue the spare wheel mechanism so it can still be dropped down... 

I'm pleased with this, just need to let everything cure and then a bit of weathering, which I am not brilliant at. Then I will add some things to the loadbed, I like the look of the Miniart cable reels and welding equipment, so I will get them I think and add them next. 

Very mild update - I have received the kits I am going to use to add to the rear of the truck and started to assemble a few pieces. I have also practised some basic streaking dirt (and rust) effects on an Airfix Shooting Star plane and was more or less happy with the results, so once I've completed and painted the canisters and barrels for the rear of the truck I will have a go at dirtying everything up, and eventually putting the whole thing together! 

I wasn't at all sure how to paint the barrels, so I just picked a few colours and got on with it in the hope that inspiration would strike for a final coat, and actually it did! 

Just a quick go at laying things out.. 

I was happy with the colours in the end, and the AK weathering pencils (at least, the medium rust one) are great, when you don't overdo it, like I did the first time I used them... 

I felt a nod to The Simpsons was appropriate here. I then worried I was being disrespectful to the people affected by the disaster. I then decided I was over-thinking things! 

So here are the contents of the flatbed. All I need to do now is dirty up the truck, which I am a little nervous about to be honest. I think I've done a decent enough job of this so far, I would hate to mess it up now! Final photos will reveal the truth about that I guess, that will be next week's task... 

I decided to get on with it while I was in the mood and this is more or less the end result. I will try to take some better pictures during the week with better light, but I think this is finished now. 

It's a shame this is a little out of focus, but I think it catches the scene well enough. I have to give total credit to my wife for suggesting I "put some junk in the back of the truck;" I may have thought of it in the end, but she saw it immediately, so 10/10 to her... 

I've added a filter to this one to make it look a little hazier and more "1980's", I think it kind of worked? 

Another filter, I think this one worked better than the previous one maybe.