RC project for 2014 #2. Bruiser body (1985).

[mongoose1983]

I have got a 1985 Toyota 4x4 Bruiser body some months ago, and it has been sitting somewhere gathering dust waiting for me to have a minute to strip it and make it look good. Well, time has finally come, and I plan to share the process with you, fellow TCers.

Lots of elbow grease involved in this!

Anyway, I'm starting with the striping process. I tried graffiti remover previously on some Tamiya plastic bit just to find out it ruins the plastic in the end. I will have to stick with the usual brake-fluid method but done my way, no problem. Fortunately, I'll only need less than one small glass of fluid to make it go.

In the future I'll show you the painting process, decalling, and some touches to the chassis, as well.

Now, to the photos:

Apparently, back in the day some bloke thought the truck would look good all black and with a dark blue interior. Now, I won't discuss the shiny black, because it's cool, but dark blue for the interior???

A look at my bench: I'm doing one side each time. I'll show you how I am doing it in the last picture.

Getting to this point requires a lot of dedication and some good old elbow grease as well.

The interior is almost ready!

This is how I go, doing each side at a time. I use a piece of an old cotton t-shirt and cover that with brake fluid. Then I wait some hours, maybe one day, and I take the plastic and t-shirt piece off, and remove the paint rubbing the body with a piece of wood. I found out this doesn't affect the bodyshell and so it ends up nice and shiny, just like new. It's a good method because it doesn't requires gallons and gallons of expensive brake-fluid.

Oh, I almost forgot! This is not going to be boxart. I chickened-out because I know the original stickers will never stuck properly on the sides of the Toyota body, and I would hate to look at it and notice that.

Instead, I have in my mind some colors like these. What do you think?

I'll let you guys see some progress when possible. I would like to have this 100% ready and complete anytime before March.

You all have a good Thursday!

[NWarty]

The one on the right Mongoose, the tan color. The other choice looks like a giant Hershey bar or something the Easter Bunny dropped off.

Watching this one as I've always been curious to the body stripping methods shown around here.

[mongoose1983]

Loling at the Hershey's comment!

Yeah, the one on the right is frankly awesome. Unfortunately I can not get that color here in my country. The closer I can get to that is this. No choice.

[WillyChang]

Don't be scared in trying auto touchup paints, even the COB type.

A good paintshop will mixup any paintcode you wish,

and better ones can even fill it into a aerosolpack.

Cream is just a gallon of white with a teaspoon of Yellow and a drop of Black.

If you use hobby-size rattlecans, that Bruiser is gunna take 1 can per coat

= probably 1 primer, 3-4 colour & 2 clears.

The one on the right Mongoose, the tan color. The other choice looks like a giant Hershey bar or something the Easter Bunny dropped off.

you're way too kind. I was gunna blame the dog...

[NWarty]

I refrained from poo jokes

Oh wait...

[WillyChang]

In Australia i discover they call it "Mission Brown".

I'd choose dog over missionary.

On a vaguely related note, i fear there's not enough room to fit Willy's head in a Hilux cab.

[neverfollow]

Another vote here for the tan color, definitely not the doo-doo brown.

[KEV THE REV]

Nice project Erich . Great progress with the paint removal there. I need to try this method out some time , I use a fluid bath usually . I rebuilt a Bruiser chassis some years back (showroom) a joyful experience I must say , and I guess you will be looking foreward to it too

[SB_Aust]

Nice work Erich. I like that idea alot with the t-shirt and plastic wrap.

Chocolate colour looks alright ONLY becomes a problem after an all night drink session and one starts chewing on it to try and satisfy that midnight hunger craving.

[Shodog]

Great job on stripping that body. What ever color you choose, use a good paint. I would steer away from Testors brand. I'm using some for my Landy project and it's been headache city. If you go with Tamiya paints I've found that metallic colors spray better than solids.

Willy is right, you'll only get about one good coat from each can. In my experience painting Bruiser mountaineer bodies is to spray the union between the bed and cab, let it dry, then bolt it together and spray the two halves as one. Your paint will be consistent between the two

[WillyChang]

Don't forget the undersides too, or at least the insides of the fender flares and door cards

Last time I did 2 mounty shells together, they soaked up 15 TS cans... expensive exercise!

[mongoose1983]

Great job on stripping that body. What ever color you choose, use a good paint. I would steer away from Testors brand. I'm using some for my Landy project and it's been headache city. If you go with Tamiya paints I've found that metallic colors spray better than solids.

Willy is right, you'll only get about one good coat from each can. In my experience painting Bruiser mountaineer bodies is to spray the union between the bed and cab, let it dry, then bolt it together and spray the two halves as one. Your paint will be consistent between the two

There is no other brand available here in my country, and we can not get paint through airmail either, so I have no choice. Testors is the only brand I have used ever since I returned to the hobby, and I think you liked it when I painted the Wrangler.

That tip is interesting. Will keep it in mind, thanks Shodog!

By the way, I'm going to PM you later with a couple of questions on Scorchers and Frogs. Must confess I'm absolutely in love with your dark red VW bodyshell.

Another vote here for the tan color [...]

Well, that color would be ideal.

Nice work Erich. I like that idea alot with the t-shirt and plastic wrap.

Thanks, mate. As I said, the method works good, but requires some work. The fluid softens the paint and you just take it off with a sharp piece of wood. I'll take a picture of that tonight to show you how it's done. The wood bit doesn't scratch the plastic and once you clean it all off it looks just like new!

Nice project Erich . Great progress with the paint removal there. I need to try this method out some time , I use a fluid bath usually . I rebuilt a Bruiser chassis some years back (showroom) a joyful experience I must say , and I guess you will be looking foreward to it too

How can I ever forget your Bruiser pick-up, Kev!

Don't forget the undersides too, or at least the insides of the fender flares and door cards

Last time I did 2 mounty shells together, they soaked up 15 TS cans... expensive exercise!

Sure thing. It's not the first Toyota shell I do. I always check the underside borders. I usually do them before painting the more visible sides.

You all have a great Friday!

[sidewaysdave69]

I would go tan that brown is a bit iffy

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

Really like that t shirt method for ensuring the brake fluid stays on the shell.. Great stuff

[mongoose1983]

You could say I've been going at a snail pace with this one, haha. Anyway, the rear half of the body is 100% stripped and ready to be painted, while the front cab is about 50% done. I did, however, work the interior this weekend. It is now painted, properly finished, and I only have to repaint and add some touches to the steering wheel and it will be ready to be installed.

Sometimes, just sometimes, painting with brush adds an extra something to whatever you're working on. See? Also, that's the self-adhesive black velour that I got from a nice Jewish family from just across the street. It's made in the Netherlands and works excellent. It's neat looking, and it adds depth to the interior, making it look more realistic. Love it!

That's how the self-adhesive goes.

Almost ready to go!

If things go as expected I'll be painting the Toyota body sometime in the next ten days. Excited!

You all have a good week!

[wood5tock]

Thanks for sharing your body stripping technique and as for the interior that's awesome and love the luxury carpet

[mongoose1983]

Well, I have had lots of other stuff to do the last weeks, so my Bruiser project was kinda left behind. I'm resuming it this week. I have some free time now and I plan to get the body ready and painted. I got me some primer and a couple of Testors spray cans, and the body is 100% stripped and clean. The original owner of the truck did not worked the bodyshell before painting it, therefore there were LOTS of molding lines to be sanded down to the proper smooth finish of the 1:1 1979 Toyota pick-up body.

Here's one more photo of the body before spraying the primer and the color. I did this with just one third of a small glass of brakefluid.

Will upload more pictures of this project soon.

PS. The color will be the natural wood as in the lower half of the model tow-truck below:

[Theibault]

Just my 2 cents but those two browns compliment each other well. You should use both and do a two tone paint job. Either way, I'm sure it'll look great, and I'm looking forward to the results.

[mongoose1983]

Just my 2 cents but those two browns compliment each other well. You should use both and do a two tone paint job. Either way, I'm sure it'll look great, and I'm looking forward to the results.

Thanks, pal. Do you know your comment made me curious, and so I checked the folder with 1:1 trucks photos again. It happens that a two-tone paint-scheme would be a bit anachronistic for a Bruiser (remember this model depicts an early 80's mud bogger). Instead, I do believe that kind of thing would look better than good on a Hilux High-Lift model pick-up.

Anyway, in a few days you'll see more bodywork done.

Have a good one!

[mongoose1983]

Phew... it has taken me LONG to get back to this project... today I sprayed the primer, but it is already too late (and cold) to continue right now...

I'll get it painted this weekend Excited!

[Shodog]

Another tip is when spraying the color, spray the front and back half together otherwise you will variations in color if sprayed separate

[Scapelnz]

Hey mongoose, just found this build, looking great! Love the idea of the brown for the bruiser as it suits the era perfectly. The detail of the interior looks amazing and I can't wait to see the finished job, best of luck.

Ps I always have like the bruiser as a single cab with a chrome roll instead of the extended cab

[Tamiya1/10]

Side track...you have a dually tow truck?? Sure like to see that build! If Tamiya would put one out with a working tow, that would be the next buzz in the rc scene.

OK back to your Bruiser build...

[mongoose1983]

Hey mongoose, just found this build, looking great! Love the idea of the brown for the bruiser as it suits the era perfectly. The detail of the interior looks amazing and I can't wait to see the finished job, best of luck.

Ps I always have like the bruiser as a single cab with a chrome roll instead of the extended cab

Thanks, mate. The Bruiser with the roll bar is actually a reissue from 1993 called "Mountaineer". It's being re-released soon, so you better start saving your $$ if you like it that much...

Side track...you have a dually tow truck?? Sure like to see that build! If Tamiya would put one out with a working tow, that would be the next buzz in the rc scene.

OK back to your Bruiser build...

The tow truck isn't mine. That's a static model on which someone was using the same Testors paint I'm going to use on my Bruiser. ANYWAY, if you like tows you really need to have a look at what 3SPD REKR did a few years ago (btw, unfortunately Norm decided not to renew his membership).

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=95817&sid=28094

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=97643&sid=28094

The weather wasn't good this Saturday I'm keeping fingers crossed for tomorrow so I can finally spray the paint...

[mongoose1983]

Well, the weather was almost nice yesterday so I could not let the opportunity pass and keep the Bruiser bodyshell unpainted. I am chuffed with the results.

So here's the last teasing pictures before letting you see the finished vehicle. Decals & detailing (as well as painting white the extra cab) is what I need to get working on now to get it properly done.

Oh, and since the restoration process is about to be finished, I can now show you the truck that inspired my work with this one. I don't expect you guys to agree with how much I like this one, but to my taste (and seeing that none ever had any success using the original side decals) this is THE way to go for me. A true Bruiser of a Mudbogger!!

Must be going now... LOTS to do here!