Type 92 IFV

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Q:  Have you been collecting 1/18 toys long?

A:  Well… I was 7 when Star Wars came along, and of course I got the figures the next year.  I only got about 30 of them throughout the 80s until I was about 14-15 and girls took over.  It was only recently (it’s been only 35 years) that I thought about Star Wars again, because of my 6-year-old asking for SW toys.  That’s what rekindled my interest in figures.
Somehow I stumbled upon a BBI Army figure and I showed it to my son and he liked it.  Well, I REALLY liked it.  I have an affection for the military and its equipment.
Then I saw what you guys here do with GI Joes, and wham, I was hooked.  So not long really, about 6-9 months.

Q: You’ve done really well in those few short months, as we’ve seen with the few custom figures and vehicles you’ve previously shared on the forum.
What got you started with making customs?

A: I made military models for a couple of years in the 80s.  More recently, my son wanted the toys from BBI and 21st Century, like the Blackhawk and the M1 Abrams.  I began searching on the web for any info about these things, and voila, I eventually found my way here.  I saw what you guys did and wanted to try it myself.
I am also legally blind and find the scale works for me.

Q:  Any plans for your next custom? A new vehicle or figure for your team?

A:  Oh yeah, junior says he wants an ambulance out of his other T-92, so I orderd stretchers, gurneys, and a few other toys from Maruaders, and then I have a little Joe buggy that is in the middle of being… mmm… redone.  He also has 2 Chinooks from the TRU brand here in Canada at Toys R Us.  They were cheap and that was before I knew about BBI or any other decent brand of military toy.
Anyway, I’m going to make the closest version of the real Chinook out of the two.  I will attempt to splice the two together and make one cool version.
I think getting it to take a BBI Humvee and some troops is achievable, and should be strong enough for a 6-year-old to play with.  Pretty much all I’m doing is hollowing it out, cutting it into chunks, adding more chunks, widening, lengthening… ok, so its going to be a lot of work.  It’ll be cool though eh?
Then there’s the PTE Blackhawk, I like what Fled74 did with his.
I also just finished the team I made to go with the IFV I just made. I call them the “Peacekeepers”.

I also really appreciate any advice on what I’m doing and how I’m doing it.  I’m still learning here.  If you think my work needs “something”, please feel free to give me a link or something to make it better.  I will do what I can.

Q: Your upcoming projects sound very promising!  We have a few members who have wanted to attempt a vehicle custom, but are unsure where to start.  Do you have any words of advice you’d like to share?

A:  I’m a blabber mouth and I could listen to myself all day long… so I’ll be brief with this one.
DON’T BE AFRAID… start small, like an old junk figure or toy.  Also, be flexible with how you want it to turn out, because you might not get it… don’t be so serious, this is all for fun!
Paint is one of those things that will dramatically change anything with little effort.  A paint brush and a couple of colors are often all it takes to make a custom.  Try and see.
Don’t go and spend a bunch of money on supplies or models, just use whatever is around the house, i.e.: the little plastic sticks from the cracker and cheese snacks, the wire from Christmas ornaments, kids’ plastic placemats, baby wipes, the list goes on…
You have to use your imagination, and try to see the next step ahead.
Start small and work your way up. Have fun and be proud of your work.
Finally, thank you to all who left comments, and looked through my posts.  Seriously though, any advice you can give is welcome…any.  Cheers!

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Many thanks to Digler for sharing his work.  Meanwhile, check out a few select shots from his amazing build on the next page, and feel free to join the discussion on the forum , with many more huge and detailed pics, HERE.