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Italeri 1/35 Scale Chevrolet 15 CWT Truck - Limited
Edition (6233) |
Chevrolet 15 CWT Truck
Limited Edition
Reviewed by Cookie Sewell
Summary
Stock Number and Description |
Italeri 1/35 Scale Kit No. 6233; Chevrolet
15 CWT Truck - Limited Edition |
Scale: |
1/35 |
Media and Contents: |
168 parts (155 in olive drab styrene, 10 in
black styrene, 3 in clear styrene) |
Price: |
USD$35.00 |
Review Type: |
First Look |
Advantages: |
Old friend makes a welcome reappearance;
molds appear to have been cleaned up a bit |
Disadvantages: |
Expensive kit for value received |
Recommendation: |
Recommended for all Commonwealth and
softskin fans |
Italeri kits are available online from Mission Models
FirstLook
Italeri is re-releasing some of
their better old favorites that have not been seen for some years as
"Limited Editions" this month. This kit is of a WWII Canadian-built
Chevrolet 15 CWT 4 x 4 GS truck (even though the directions and box
blurb have it as a "4 x 2" it is a 4 x 4.) For anyone not familiar
with British-style rating systems the truck is rated as having a
capacity of 15 hundredweight in cargo cross country, or about 1,680
pounds (762 kg.) The US Army would simply have called it a 3/4 ton 4
x 4 truck.
Ah, the joys of oft-traveled kit molds and their reappearance. I
recall when this kit came out back in 1975 from Peerless Max that it
was head and shoulders above many other kits on the market at the
time, and actually better in many respects than the Tamiya Ford
"Quad" which came out at the same time with their 25 lb Gun set.
Over the years the molds have moved around a lot – first to Airfix,
then Italeri, then Bilek in Poland and now back to Italeri where
they have been cleaned up and show they still produce a very nice
kit.
Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:
Compared to the first release, the
molds as noted look very clean and the kit is relatively free of
ejection pin marks. Some are cleverly concealed (such as the one in
the center of the "starburst" stiffener pattern on the inside of the
doors but some are in truly awful places – two of the five
wheel/tire parts have them right on the mold line for the side wall
right above the size markings on the tire, so will be nearly
impossible to cleanly remove. Most are relatively well designed but
the then typical for its day erected tilt has a nasty mold line that
runs around the front end, but anyone wanting to use it should be
able to clean it up without too much grief. Missing from the kit are
"Curley, Larry and Moe" – three rather portly and unimpressive
figures that were apparently supposed to represent a Commonwealth
solider, an Australian with ANZAC campaign hat, and a Sikh in a
turban. No loss.
I recall this kit as being a joy to assemble other than Peerless had
a truly nasty mold release agent which took a lot of scrubbing to
remove. The latest Italeri version has none of that and the parts
are crisp and clean.
The chassis does not come with an engine but has many very nicely
done parts to it, and the front wheels may be posed if the modeler
is careful about assembly and has some modeling experience. The tie
rod ends, shocks and drag links are all separate parts. The leaf
springs have a centerline seam and some minor sink marks, but these
aren't bad for a 32-year-old kit. Oddly the kit comes with a full
radiator, even though the solid grille makes it sort of redundant.
The cab is the Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) No. 13 ("backward
slant windshield") type and is nicely done; this feature was shared
with two other kits using this basic chassis and produced by
Peerless, with one having a full cab and the other a "Quad" type
body. The new one is identical to the original and has a false hood,
turn signals, mirrors, separate seat brackets and seats, and control
levers in the cab; pedals are "molded on" and should be added. Clear
windows are provided for the windshield and side vents, but the rear
window here has a pass-through panel (part 90B) which appears to be
correct. The windows are fixed and will take work or replacement to
move if desired, and the screened vents are solid.
The body is a British "GS" (General Service) type or cargo body in
American parlance, and comes with four padded seats, three top bows,
four stowage bins with separate lids, a spare tire mount and holder,
and the aforementioned plastic tilt. The tail gate may be made to
work with care as may the spare tire brackets.
Three finishing schemes are included, and what I believe to be new
decals (or at least redone ones) are provided for them. One version
is Australian Army (the box art for this release) with an early war
roundel on the roof listed to be in sand yellow, but oddly enough
(and with many recent Italeri kits!) the box art shows it in khaki
drab; one is British in a two-tone camouflage scheme of dark green
and sand yellow; and one is Canadian Army in dark green and black
(not "Mickey Mouse") camouflage.
I am not sure on the units but the
selections seem far more complete than most Italeri offerings.
Conclusion
This was a nice kit when it came
out and it does not appear to be too badly dimmed with age. The
price of course is now a lot more, but then again it would seem a
good deal over some of the earlier re-pops as it has been cleaned
up.
Sprue Breakdown
A 57 Chassis and driveline
B 52 Cab and interior details
C 46 Bed, bows and seats
D 3 Clear styrene
E 10 Wheels and tires (Black)
Text by
Cookie Sewell
Images by Brett Green
Page Created 19 August, 2007
Page Last Updated
18 August, 2007
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