Finished, this is a radio-controlled Dodge M37 military pickup that pushes through deep snowdrifts, scales snowy banks and rambles along a winter trail on four big knobby off-road tires. Seeing a fully scratch-built body handle terrain like that is a real treat.
The maker built the body mostly from 3mm Komacel PVC sheet, glued with cyanoacrylate adhesive, and put 60 hours into the project. Curves in the fenders, cab roof and bed parts were formed by holding sheets over a lighter flame and setting them on a burning wood stove to soften before bending. Styrene pieces were cut with a utility knife against a metal ruler and shaped with sanding blocks, while a rotary tool with grinding and sanding attachments, run inside a dust booth, shaped the contours, headlight pods, hooks, tailgate hardware and grille guard.
The interior is where the craft really shows. The cab holds a bench seat with a hand-scribed diamond pattern, a dashboard with recessed gauge rings, tiny toggle switches, a three-spoke steering wheel and a floor shifter whose knob is painted red. Inner door panels get window cranks and armrests. Outside there are scratch-built side mirrors, blackout driving lights, a slatted grille guard and an aluminum bumper, all finished in layered weathering passes. The driver, carved from a solid block of pine with a long white beard, sits behind clear plastic window panes.
The cab section and rear bed are left open. I keep wondering how the interior and electronics hold up through repeated runs in deep snow over the long term.
Project by Headquake137. Watch it on their YouTube channel: