Sunday, February 8, 2009

Stainless Jeep The Beginnings

Mabuhay! At the start of the year, I've hinted on a "never before seen here" project - a 1/72 scale Stainless Jeep. A.K.A. the "Owner Type" Jeep, its the little brother of the more internationally known "pam-pasaherong" jeep or jeepney. Its origins dates back to over 60 years ago when the first jeeps served in the second World War. The stainless jeep's appeal is firmly imprinted into the pinoy psyche.
During a recent trip to the Philippines, I was surprised - though I shouldn't have been - to see that the owner jeep is still very much alive and kicking up the dust on the roads of Manila. In my short time there, I must have seen at least 2 dozen jeeps of varying configuration with no 2 vehicle exactly alike. Although I have seen an art piece stainless jeep (in a singapore museum) covered entirely in stainless steel, the real thing is usually composed of sheet Galavanised Iron body work fitted with various stainless steel fittings. The picture above is a good representation of the typical configuration and I've listed the main features I wish to represent in my little model. More on this next time...

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