Yep, got me another Nissan truck.

Yep, it's another scale model of a Nissan truck.


Girl, look at this Body:


I love these old Lindberg kits. I'm also building a CHP Explorer, same scale. They produced two versions of the Hardbody, both King Cabs. One was a standard King Cab in black, this one is molded in blue and comes with additional parts for a dually rear conversion, but I found out it was the exact same kit as the black one under the fender flares. Since the blue one is easier to find, I simply chose to build it with normal fenders and wheels.

That said, unlike those fancy lifted Hiluxes and Pathfinders you can get from Aoshima, these are a bear to find accessories for due to the uncommon scale. Did the best I could to trick this thing out.

The build is mostly Out-Of-Box. I performed a scale 2" "spacer" lift, and found some 3rd party resin Super Swampers. Frame is painted with Rustoleum Oil-Rubbed Bronze. I broke out the silicone and cast a matching spare and tire (though I guess I should have cast the wheels with the hubs).




Body was primed and sprayed white.



Started some mud weathering. Just a base/texture coat for now, there will be more. Aftermarket CB antenna added, will be acquiring an actual radio to inside later. Scale "bedliner" achieved with Rustoleum Textured Black paint.





Today, I finalized and printed my custom decals.







Anything look familiar?

If you look reeeaaal close, I put MA OHV registration stickers on the doors with a made-up number (there will be a green MA license plate on the back). "Nor'Easters Off Road" is a club I made up, since all the clubs I belong to have "Xterra" in the name and it doesn't feel right to put a Frontier Nation logo on it. That is my actual Overland Bound badge number (which I'm planning to put on my X as well). You'll also spot some of my usual green trim.

Things still to happen:
-"Bedlined" bumpers and front fascia. I was hoping to find an aftermarket bumper for it but the ones I found don't fit very well and I really don't feel like sculpting them more, so I'm going to keep the stock bumper, which will have a roller fairlead attached to it (with an implied hidden winch). I also have some recovery points ready to go.
-I'm going to give a go at bending up some little White Knuckle Offroad sliders. If that happens I'll throw a WK logo on there somewhere.
-More foglights. Scale foglights are expensive, man, I could probably have bought a real one for all the resin parts I've gotten so far.
-Snorkel. I have a few options in hand, gotta see what works.
-Spare tire mount in the bed. It'll be positioned as shown, but angled up a bit.
-Boxes, tools, et cetera.
-Maybe some additional rack work in the back.
-More mud/dirt once all the decals are on.


I didn't forget about the little diecast Xterra, I just lost the headlight section so it's a no-go until I find them...


This, by the way, brings my Nissan truck collection to the following:
-1/20 '93 Hardbody
-1/10-ish RC '03 Frontier
-1/16-ish RC '00 Xterra
-Matchbox '00 Xterra
-Jada 1/64 '07 Titan
-1/43 diecast '06 D22 Navara/Frontier
-1/43 diecast Y61 Patrol
-Many Lego Xterras
-Real Xterra

Awesome job

That looks pretty good!

Awesome work!

If you send me some pics and dimensions, I'll draw it up and print it out.

-well I'll try...

Nice work!

I actually have several of the diecast 1/64 first gen Xterra's.

I'm not worried about it, I know it's here somewhere. Worst case, those little Matchbox Xterras aren't hard to come by. I am in the process of hand-sculpting an RLX-like bumper to go on it, but maybe I'll get it printed instead...

So I'm still acquiring little pieces here and there to jazz up the Hardbody (funny how model kit aftermarket parts seem to be in scale price to their real world equivalents), and trying to find where I put the damn tire mold so I can cast up another spare. But I saw an amazing deal and couldn't pass it up...next on the table, the 1/24 American SATCO Nissan Pathfinder! It's actually an Aoshima (ruulll nice) with custom LHD dash. Hoping mine comes with the three-spoke Lego rims but I wouldn't be upset if they didn't (as the Hardbody has them).

Quick side project.

And some updates:





Pathfinder will be overland-style, already gave it a 2" lift (and sway bars...didn't want to waste the parts), stock 31s, and I'm scratchbuilding an RTT for the top as well as a wind fairing and roof lights (so it will kinda reference an Xterra). Thinking about a scratchbuilt front bumper, but the kit bumper is so nicely molded...

Also putting together funds for 3D-printed Hi-lifts, sand ladders, and other little accessories for both Nissans.

Funds??? I might know someone with a printer or 3....

Feel like modeling up a Hi-Lift and MaxTrax? I was gonna go with some old-school British army sand ladders I found on Shapeways...

Let me see what I can do. Can you give me overall dimensions of each part?