From WW2 Armour Car to Moon Buggy

 I was in the local games shop last week, trying to find something fun to paint for less than £25. This is not easy. Of course, models are more costly than they used to be: that's inevitable. But the fact that they are usually either sold as squads or expensive special characters means that it's harder to go into a shop, see something that looks cool and get it to paint.

Anyhow, I ended up buying a Bolt Action WW2 armoured car. It's a British Humber Mk II/IV, which is one of the coolest looking military vehicles ever.

However, I looked at the sprue for about ten minutes before I decided to turn it into a moon buggy. Part of the reason for this is that Bolt Action models are a small 28mm scale and are "skinny" compared to the chunky proportions of GW and North Star miniatures.

I left the turret bits off - I could use that for something else. I assembled the basic model and added details from the bits box: some fuel tanks on one side, and some steps on the other. The roof got a big hatch from a Tau tank. I added some more detailing with strips of plasticard, just to change the look a little.

The paint job was very "civilian". I went for a light grey, heavily weathered with chips and dirt. I added some unnecessary hazard stripes to suggest an industrial function, and some bits of colour to make it more interesting to look at. Bonus points for getting the "Moon Unit" reference. 

I enjoyed painting and weathering this thing. The only aspect I don't really like is the windscreen. I attempted a green glow, but I don't think it really works that well.

And here are a couple of pictures of the buggy in action. As you can see, it's pretty small. If I actually played any games, it would make a nice little bit of terrain. As it is, I just enjoyed making it. Not sure what I'll do with those turrets, though.