Original Bruiser vs Mountaineer - how to tell the difference?

[matman]

*goes looking for Perth thread*

HAHA !! i gave you the thread up above a few post .. I see you found it as you have put in comment .

[Bananasmoothie1975]

So I spent an exorbitant amount of cash on an original Bruiser body, only to hit it with the ol' brake fluid...

Here's some before n after pics, not finished yet.

Detailing, assembly and tidy up to follow

[RichiPuppy]

Looks great. You should pick up a set of the new bruiser rims, 54414, they would really make it pop.

[mongoose1983]

Ha, as I was rolling down the thread I got to see the orange paint and thought "wow, that orange color looks very nice, don't tell me he changed that for something not as good". And all of a sudden, wow, that metallic blue is fantastic! You did a very good job. And I agree with RichiPuppy, the new wheel covers will make it look better than good. I think you only have to take the smoke off of that chrome with nail polish remover and they will look just like the originals. Again, you did a very good job with that Toyota body!

[Bananasmoothie1975]

Thanks guys - there's a few imperfections which I'm not happy with in the paint, but overall it came out ok.

Still aiming for that flawless finish lol.

Clearcoat to come, which makes me a bit nervous as I'd rather stuff things up earlier than at final stages

The original paint was more red than orange, funny how photos can mess with colours, and the paint was a bit lumpy and uneven.

As for colour choice, I did consider doing something different to yet another blue Bruiser, but the metallic blue (over aluminium base) just says 1985 all over A quick bit of research tells me the body is modelled after the 1982ish Hilux, which I'll use as a guide to detailing.

Have seen a few Bruisers with the shiny new wheels, they look great, but I've been aiming to keep this build as OG as possible (hence shelling out for an original body set), and the chassis itself is clean but not blinging.

I do agree they'd work very nicely with new paint though! Might need to get some as "spares".

[mongoose1983]

Ah, I understand your feelings towards the clearcoat spraying. That can truly be a bit nervewracking!

I've seen the original wheels painted white and they look fantastic. For some reason I always liked white wheels better than chromed ones.

Anyway, your research lead you to some mistake. The1982 Hilux body has square headlamps. The Toyota Bruiser recreates a Toyota SR-5 from 1979. Here's some brochures and information I uploaded to the main TC that I believe will be of help to you:

Here's the Toyota pick-up which was released by Tamiya four years before the Bruiser: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=113240&sid=23692

And here's the 1979 brochures and other photos from the pick-up the Bruiser is based on:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=91019&sid=23692

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=123407&sid=23692

The last ones from 1981: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=123491&sid=23692

And a photo of a real Bruiser from 1984 (you can also have a look at a photo of the 1:1 Firestone tires and wheels): http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=90783&sid=23692

Finally, have you seen the 1:1 Bruiser that was built by a guy in California recently? Here's the thread: http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=75706

As you can see, I do happen to have a feeling for this model in particular

[Bananasmoothie1975]

Ahh I stand corrected!

I just kept stepping back year by year 'til I got to the same type of grill, but didn't check the lights.

Does the original Tamiya Hilux share the same front body sections as the Bruiser?

Thanks for the info

[mongoose1983]

The Toyota 4x4 pick-up released by Tamiya in 1981 is the same model as the Toyota Bruiser, but as usual, Tamiya made some changes to it so they could fit the different rear section and the nerf bars, too. The Bruiser cab has extra holes down the doors for them, and there is also another hole right by the doorhandles to fix the rear section of the body. All in all, they depict the same full-size pick-up truck, but some modifications were made to the molds. That means you can't use the 1st generation Tamiya Toyota body in a 1985 Bruiser chassis without modifying it.