Armortek series 1 landrover kit

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Having built an Armortek Centurion tank kit a few years back I decided to have a go at their smallest offering at present, the Series 1 Car 80 inch wheelbase.

The basic kit can be built fairly rapidly if you just follow the instructions, giving an acceptable model which can be static or radio controlled.

But there is huge potential for improving the amount of detail of the base kit. I did this with the Centurion and created a really striking model.

I’m hoping to do the same with this smaller kit. The main machining and sheet metal have all been done for you, all fasteners are included and clear pictorial instructions guide you through the build.

Add paint and you can have a presentable model in very short order.  Go nuts on the detailing and you can present a really accurate depiction of the Landy,  which has so many variations you could choose anything from a fire engine to a specialist mobile welding machine.

This is a publicity shot of the model without paint, just to illustrate what the kit includes.

I am well into the build but taking a lot more time than usual to increase the detail.

I’ll post individual improvements as I go along. One of the first things I decided on was the Dash panel.  It was a basic copy of the original and needed work to make it more realistic. I only need to address the dials of the gauges and it will look fine.

 

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Looks like an interesting project. As with all models the devil is in the detail. Please keep us informed.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

The model chassis and suspension are first to be built, providing the basis for building the bodywork onto.

Suspension is as per the original vehicle with multi leaf springs all round.

Each spring is made up of individual tempered steel leaves and the kit requires they are just clamped between the axle casing and shock absorber bottom mounting plate.

Full size springs have a centre bolt to prevent the leaves migrating and steel clips to prevent the leaves pivoting about the centre bolt.

I wanted to replicate this set up on the model and so set about working out how to do it.

A centre bolt would require a 2mm diameter hole to be drilled in each separate leaf on all four springs. Plus holes for rivets on the end of four leaves on each spring.

That’s a problem,  how to drill 2.1mm holes in 1mm thick tempered spring steel without destroying the temper.

That’s 52 individual holes required, accurately positioned in the centre of each leaf, for the centre bolts and rivets.

I will leave you mulling over how to achieve this task. It took a fair degree of research to arrive at, and considerable work to develop the method.

Mick

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Here are the leaves with holes for the centre bolt, the rivets bolts have yet to be drilled.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

A simple press tool springs (bad pun) to mind. Punch rather than drill.

Regards  Ian

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Yep my thoughts as well

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

An interesting model. What has happened to the lights on the front ? Noel.

[noel shelley]

On noel shelley Said:

An interesting model. What has happened to the lights on the front ? Noel.

They’re behind the radiator grille on a Series 1. And the model shown has them.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Yes Nick,but only the first few hundred. By 1949 the headlights were mounted in the grill more or less like the 2a. The very early ones also had the so called shovel seats. Noel.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

The idea of punching spring steel is pure madness!  But it’s the answer, apparently full size leaf springs are cold punched.

I didn’t fancy the thought of hand punching the springs, accuracy is pretty important to ensure the assembled springs look right.

So I bought a pneumatic hole punch and modified the head by making a new punch and die for it.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>The punched leaves of one springs, and then assembled with a centre bolt.</p>

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

The front spring in place within the chassis, the leaf clamps were made from 1mm thick galvanised steel sheet.

So that’s just one aspect of extra detailing I have undertaken on this model. There is a lot more to come so stay tuned.

By the way, Rover made so many changes to the pre-production models before they went into production.

JUE177 is the first ever pre-production vehicle and even that one has some build quirks, such as it is fitted with both types of fixing for the canvass top on the body work.

I’m.going to copy the original as closely as possible.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I admire the detail. I have a 2a and a S3. At one point 30 years ago I nearly bought a 2 wheeldrive version – made for airfield work for the RAF. Just a length of tube between the front swivel housings, and an ordinary rover car gearbox. Interesting ! Noel.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

A lot of off the shelf Rover parts were pressed into service when they were developing the Series 1.

Obviously it cut development costs and made development lots quicker.

Have you seen the centre steer which was the original prototype for the Landrover?

Based on the Willys jeep they thought a single central seat and steering position mimicked the tractor vibe they were aiming for as an agricultural vehicle. It was never developed as there were too many issues with it.

 

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

The centre steering position would have made placing the steering box interesting and drag links to the swivel hubs a challenge.

I ran an Austin Champ for about 25 years, that was the RR of 4wheel drives, the price was the complexity of the vehicle. I also had a Humber 1 tonner, the Champs big brother.  Noel.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Hi Noel.

Apparently it was the awkward driving position that did for the centre steer. Sitting astride the transmission tunnel with the gear levers at groin height was just too risky.

The prototype ended up as a pile of bits at the Rover works, an ignominious end for the start of a legend.

 

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

A little more progress made this week, mainly building up stuff that I had dry fitted before painting.

The chassis has plenty of screwed fixings which stick out visually if left as per kit instructions.

I filled them with P38 prior to painting. The look is so much better and well worth the effort involved.

I also wanted to do something welding runs on the chassis joints. The method I developed on my Centurion tank build was employed again. Using a syringe and blunted large needle to apply liquid metal in the same was as piping icing onto a cake.

The chassis is all milled aluminium so I painted it with etch primer before a metallic silver to mimic the original zinc dipped finish. Clear coat to protect the silver and I can start hanging stuff from it.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

I enjoy the challenge of detailing these kits far more than the manufacturers intended.

As mentioned they are built to a price point so some of the included items are a little below the standard that a scale modeller would usually work to.

The anti bogging down handles are a case in point. Fitted to the rear chassis outriggers they are intended to give helpers something comfy to grip while trying to lift the rear end out of soft ground.

The kit has simple laser cut flat steel handle which are nothing like the original tubular handles.

So with a little brake pipe tubing and some tinkering with a wooden former I came up with these.

MM1.6 Allen head bolts to hold them in place.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

VERY neat ! Though the socket cap head doesn’t look quite right. The flat strip is Spoiling the ship for a hapth of tar. Noel.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Noel, I know, but finding hex head small enough wasn’t possible.

Maybe I need to get on the lathe and make some.

Mick

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Sorry Mick ! should have done the sums first. Yes it would need a 2mm head. An m1 x.25 might work though the head is above scale. Noel.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Noel,

We all open our work to critical eyes, be that the public at large, exhibition judges, or our contemporaries in the model engineering world.

I do so knowing that honest feedback is of great value if one is to improve and learn.

It’s good the hear from experienced engineers as I consider myself to be a self taught hobby engineer and every day is a school day.

The Landy model does have its limitations because it is built to house motors and batteries etc, but I like to add extra detail where I can.

I was really fortunate to meet Barry Jordan a few years ago and he looked at one of my models (an RJH belt linisher). He was very kind and said I’d done a decent job. One thing he told me that influenced my model making was that he considers his modelling to be more akin to sculpture than scale building, some items simply don’t look right at scale and so he’s prepared to modify certain parts to get the best look.

Mick

 

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Noel.

I did find some nuts that were more in keeping with the original fittings, so I have reversed them and put the socket heads inside the chassis member and the nuts outside. With the bolt filed flush they look just right.

Mick

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