When I opened the box, I thought, “How the heck are they going to fit all of these parts in this tiny little model?” Parts are plenty, but, to Bronco’s credit, they practically fall into place in this well-engineered kit.
Crammed into the big box are 287 styrene parts spread over 11 frets. A separate photoetched-metal fret provides 61 additional parts that add a lot of detail. Three figures are included, as well as stowage.
Presented in 31 steps, the directions are easy to follow. Bronco does a nice job of showing how the photoetched metal should be bent.
The build starts with the engine and chassis. Detail here is outstanding, which is why I decided to leave the hood open. You could save time and not completely finish the engine if you want the hood closed.
The suspension detail is fantastic, but you need to pay close attention to the instructions to ensure that all four wheels touch the ground. Separate parts allow you to turn the front wheels one way or the other. The tires have Ford markings accurately depicted on the sidewalls.
The body is accurate, too, with shift levers, dials, and knobs all where they should be. Decals are provided for the instrument panel as well as for the placards on the passenger side, and another Ford logo is accurately rendered on the tailgate. Grab handles and bolt heads are where they should be.
You have a choice of two different steering wheels. The seat molding has a cloth look once painted. You can mount a .50-caliber machine gun on the floorboard for the front passenger side, but I opted to leave it off. The windshield can be positioned up or down.
The figures have outstanding detail. The faces are crisply modeled, as are details on the uniforms. Airborne and American flag patches are provided as decals but seem a bit over-scale. Still, the figures go on the vehicle with no problems, though the driver figure is a snug fit; I would wait to glue its arms until it is seated so the hands rest on the steering wheel.
The 10-CWT trailer is nicely detailed. You can pose the trailer as it would be hitched to the GPW, or it can be free-standing. You’ll have plenty of stowage to fill the trailer if you decide to go that route. Otherwise, a canvas cover is provided.
I painted with Testors Model Master olive drab. The decals went down over a gloss coat with no problems at all, and there was no silvering.
My GPW took slightly more than 30 hours to complete, about 10 more than I needed for my Tamiya Willys kit but about what I expected with the high parts count. It’s a complete kit, with everything you need to build it for a diorama or to fully detail it. I enjoyed it and look forward to building a few more. Highly recommended!
Note: A version of this review appeared in the September 2013 FineScale Modeler.
