MOC: ETF Armoured Truck

[Ricecracker]

Hello again! For the last two and a half months or so, I've been building away at this off and on. I'm finally satisfied. If you follow me on flickr, I've posted two WIP pics, and I thank you for the input.

Instead of a S.W.A.T team, Toronto police have the E.T.F, or Emergency Task Force. I really wanted to build one of their trucks, so the armoured truck seemed like the best option.

If you want to get technical, it is a Ford F550/Armet Armored Vehicles Trooper. After scouring the internet for pictures of the real thing, I ended up with these:

There are some parts of the MOC that I am not entirely happy with, like the gaps running along the side and back, but I can live with it.

Now for some pictures :

And a video of the working light bar:

For more pictures and another video, visit my flickr.

[Gamer]

It looks great,I just dont like how the front window is placed.The working lights are really cool.

Gamer.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Gamer

[Milan]

Looking good. I like it when somebody pays so much attention to details. It is very tricky vehicle to recreate with lego, since it is so curvy. But you did nice job.

Gaps...well, maybe you should use sloped brick 75 degree, it looks to me the real vehicle has angle like that...

[Dennimator]

Good job!

I love how you used the cheese slopes in the front window, great idea.

However I don´t really like the gaps in the back, as they make the vehicle look a bit thrown together. I agree with Milan, you should use some kind of slope.

I just love the working lights! Great work with that.

Overall a nice vehicle. Maybe the wheels from last year´s post van would be more appropiate to the original, but, as I said, great work.

[Rick]

The working lights are a nice touch. I'd sacrifice exact resemblance to the original in a lot of places to achieve a more smooth look. But I guess that's a matter of taste. I prefer a smooth Lego-like look over exact realism and accept the limitations that Lego pieces inevitable have.

[Ricecracker]

It looks great,I just dont like how the front window is placed.The working lights are really cool.

Gamer.

Why not? I think it looks very close to the original.

Looking good. I like it when somebody pays so much attention to details. It is very tricky vehicle to recreate with lego, since it is so curvy. But you did nice job.

Thank you!

Gaps...well, maybe you should use sloped brick 75 degree, it looks to me the real vehicle has angle like that...

The 75 degree ones would be too much, if anything the 65 degree ones. With those, I wouldn't be able to create the sloped rear or have the windows on the sloped sides .

Good job!

I love how you used the cheese slopes in the front window, great idea.

Thanks.

However I don´t really like the gaps in the back, as they make the vehicle look a bit thrown together. I agree with Milan, you should use some kind of slope.

The problem is, there is no slope that lets me include the windows as well as the sloped rear and rear door.

I just love the working lights! Great work with that.

Thanks, I bought an extra elite junior kit at Brickworld, so I thought I'd try to include it.

Overall a nice vehicle. Maybe the wheels from last year´s post van would be more appropiate to the original, but, as I said, great work.

I feel that those are too small compared to the rest of the truck, but I'll try it out.

The working lights are a nice touch. I'd sacrifice exact resemblance to the original in a lot of places to achieve a more smooth look. But I guess that's a matter of taste. I prefer a smooth Lego-like look over exact realism and accept the limitations that Lego pieces inevitable have.

I am planning on taking *another* look through it to see if I can think up any ideas on how to improve it. For this one, I really wanted to be true to the original.

[prateek]

That's awesome! I'm surprised how much detail you put in such a small vehicle. IMO the gaps don't really bother me. The funny thing is I've never actually seen one of these in real life.

[missouri_bb63]

This MOC definitely has stacks of potential. A very original choice! I like the stripes and the lights. The rear mud guard looks tricky too. What is the black part that pops out of the roof (as in what is it used for in real life)? Getting all those angles in is seriously tricky. My new MOC has the same problem (I am still in the design stage)

I would also recommend sacrificing some of the detail along the side such as the door handles and the gray pins so that you can replace them with 1x2 hinge bricks which you could fix the windows too. Those details are a nice touch but I think that sacrificing those and smoothing the lines would bring the overall look closer to the original, as well as looking more sturdy.

Perhaps you could also add a 1x4 plate between the roof of the cab and the overhanging sloped brick? Or perhaps lower the sloped brick?

For the window I would try a clear or smoke colored 2x6x2 window (if you have one), and you could use a decal for the window frame if necessary. The only problem with the smoked window is that you might have to change the door windows too but I think it would look good. The sideward slope of the original windscreen is relatively small so it should be ok if it is missing in the model. Of course you could use decals for other details too.

I would try to replace the rear quarter beams with sloped bricks but I can't tell if that would work. Unfortunately it would only give you one angle, but it might be worth trying.

Like I said, I have been facing exactly the same problems getting complex angles to work and having to compromise so I am looking forward to seeing any further changes you make.

Good job so far!

[Ricecracker]

That's awesome! I'm surprised how much detail you put in such a small vehicle. IMO the gaps don't really bother me. The funny thing is I've never actually seen one of these in real life.

Thanks! I too have never seen the one they have.

This MOC definitely has stacks of potential. A very original choice! I like the stripes and the lights. The rear mud guard looks tricky too.

Thank you!

What is the black part that pops out of the roof (as in what is it used for in real life)?

It is a hatch for a gunner/sniper to poke out of to provide cover fire. If you look closely at my first pic, you can make out a gunner and gun.

I would also recommend sacrificing some of the detail along the side such as the door handles and the gray pins so that you can replace them with 1x2 hinge bricks which you could fix the windows too. Those details are a nice touch but I think that sacrificing those and smoothing the lines would bring the overall look closer to the original, as well as looking more sturdy.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

Perhaps you could also add a 1x4 plate between the roof of the cab and the overhanging sloped brick? Or perhaps lower the sloped brick?

I've been considering it for a while, but I'm still not sure how I'd do it. Right behind it are the wires for the lights.

For the window I would try a clear or smoke colored 2x6x2 window (if you have one), and you could use a decal for the window frame if necessary. The only problem with the smoked window is that you might have to change the door windows too but I think it would look good. The sideward slope of the original windscreen is relatively small so it should be ok if it is missing in the model. Of course you could use decals for other details too.

I always try pre-fab windscreens first when I build MOCs, but I felt that none, including this on look as good as the solution I came up with. I also prefer not to use stickers when possible, especially if I would have to make them myself.

Like I said, I have been facing exactly the same problems getting complex angles to work and having to compromise so I am looking forward to seeing any further changes you make.

Again, thank you, and good luck with your project!

[Captain Blackmoor]

It looks quite accurate to the car you've based your MOC on. I love the light effects you've added, I'm sure they add a lot and would do well on display.

The car itself looks quite powerful and armoured now, also a great job on the details you've put on it.

Nice job!