by Paul Holmes

A short while ago, my local model club held a contest referred to as The 'PPG' contest. The rules were simple, take a pre-supplied kit (in my case, a '32 Ford Coupe), and build it. We were welcome to do it out of box, but if we were to add additional detail, it had to be something from another kit or the spares box at home. PPG, incidentally, means Plastic, Paint, and Glue.

My motivation behind this build, other than the contest being a great idea, stems from my time in Boy Scouts. I remember a friend of mine getting a merit badge for gluing a couple 1/35 .50 cal machine guns to a 1/24 Nissan. Since that time, and it was a long time ago, I've always wanted to do a car with some "teeth" to it. So, when this contest came along, it was a perfect opportunity.

In addition to the base kit, the 'car' has parts from the following: Podracer Engines (obviously!), cockpit parts from a 1/48 F-89 Scorpion, the AMT 1/48 A-10 Warthog, a 1/48 Commanche Helicopter, a 1/48 A-1 Skyraider, a 1/35 Pz-2000, a 1/35 Challenger Tank, some added fly-fishing wire for the 'cockpit', kit-supplied rubber wheels, a scratchbuilt top hatch, a miniaturized girlie poster, and some photo-etched barbed wire for the front.

A little 'imaginary' history... Mad Max really liked to go for a Sunday drive from time to time, but those weird Punker-Dudes always kept catching up to him. One time, when they caught up to him, they managed to rob him of some really good T-Bone Steaks he was gonna BBQ up that night. He'd had enough, so he went to the local junk and scrap dealer and haggled himself into an old Ford, and a pair of old jet engines. He managed to whip something together for the weekend, complete with a Shakira poster he found blowing around the Desert. He got enough fuel for the trip and set off to his favourite butcher...

As expected, on the way home, the Punker-Dudes tried to relieve him of his steak. Well, not only did he outrun them... he made it home fast enough to have dinner and still have time watch his favourite M. Night Shyamalan movie....

Image: Rear view

Image: Top/front view

Image: Top/rear

Image: "Cockpit"