Suzuki Vitara/Sidekick/Escudo

After a busy year and a semester of school I started on a restoration project of an old kit I have terribly built. This is a Fujimi kit.

Sorry for the lack of pictures before I started to rework on it. It was first built around 1997 when my family had this car in the canvas roof version. The body was painted Gunze dark blue (I've forgotten the code) after the entire body was cleaned of mold lines and sink marks using 750 or lower grit sandpaper. The entire model was built box stock. The finished model was finally drybrushed Tamiya XF-57 buff around the lower parts of the body. This gave the finished product a used and rugged look, but the scratches from the sandpaper were too deep that I considered the model unsuccessful. In fact, it was shortly taken apart and then the carcass was left in a shoe box for the last 10-12 years.

My initial plan was to just repaint all the parts into proper quality and repair it. However, the front suspension parts were damaged, so it needed more than a repaint right off the bat. Also, Fujimi had over simplified the rear suspension, the rear live axle was connected to the chassis with a simple pair of rods with spirals embossed around it. It didn't even look like a spring. It's just a little hard to leave it alone. I then decided I would try something new; a working suspension with pen springs.

Before anything was done to the model, I wanted to see if shocks made of styrene in such a small size would move around fine.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02885.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02886.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02887.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02888.jpg

After confirming they work (without shock fluids of course) I started building the rest of the linkages between chassis and rear axle. As mentioned, the springs came from click pens. I was lucky enough to find two identical twin-colored pens that were both already out of ink for both colors.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02889.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02890.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02891.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02892.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02893.jpg

Front end modifications then began. Spring seats were scratchbuilt. Plans changed as the shocks I made before didn't fit well. New shocks are made but haven't finished yet.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02894.jpg

Testing the stance.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02895.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02896.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02897.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02898.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02899.jpg

Snorkel and its head. This is actually much easier than making the suspension eventhough there were quite some putty work in this.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02900.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02901.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02902.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02903.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02904.jpg

Thanks for reading.

that looks unreal!

awesome job!

Wow!

Excellent work you are doing!

great scratchbuidling. i like how the suspension oscilates. are you going to put shock oil?

great scratchbuidling. i like how the suspension oscilates. are you going to put shock oil?

Unfortunately the shock oil will be left out until I have access to a microscope and materials that can withstand some pressure :)

Just adding the new front shocks setup that replaced my two previously made shocks.
The bottom of the shock body has a slot cut so it simply slides onto the spindle as a last step. Stoppers have been glued to the bottom end of the metal rod which will prevent the shock from overextending. The top mounts came from the inner workings of two mechanical pencils. It is a lining within the tip which is used to cushion the leads. These are slightly flexible and allow the strut to pivot as the suspension extends/contracts.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02905.jpg

With the scratchbuilt parts painted. Chassis and the linkages are painted flat black. Next up will be modifying spindles to fit a new set of wheels.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02906.jpg

Awesome work with this kit which is plain as board! I mean you're making a great model out of nothing :)

very nice job on the working suspension and lift. I like the bilstein shocks!

Thanks to an AF member, I got myself a master of the wheel I wanted to make. After I received the part, on goes the replication of the wheel and tires.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02931.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02932.jpg

Out pops the first trial copy. The wheel and tire are separate parts. I used Alumilite Amazing cast resin. It's a little different than their beige super plastic in that these cure slightly slower. I enjoyed the slower cure time but they seem to take forever to fully harden.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02933.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02934.jpg

That wheel/tire looks great! Very little flash for a first time resin cast. My first resin trials went straight to the garbage. I had very bad experience with alumilite. I think it was an old batch or something.

All 5 sets of wheel/tire package is complete. Just got to think of a way to recarve the tread blocks where the sprue was cut off on the tire.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02935.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02937.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02938.jpg

Slightly off topic, but this came from the same batch of molds I did the past week, the other wheel and tire set at its trial run after being cleaned up and grinded. A little off round but steelies are meant to be rugged anyways.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02940.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02941.jpg

The wheels are awesome.

One question:

Are does Lego bricks used to cast the wheel?

The lego bricks were used to make the molds. I used rubber bands and wrap the molds between two wooden blocks when casting.

Reading week allowed me to push forward with this model.
Resin tires after paint. I think it looks quite convincing! Without the knowledge of white lettering on the resins, can you distinguish between the resin and the rubber tire?
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02943.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02942.jpg

Rims are painted too. Overall the rims are slightly off-round but its liveable. Afterall these are supposed to be on a rugged vehicle.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02944.jpg

Painted black trim and the front bumper to represent a replacement bumper. Snorkel is complete. At this point I wish there were some bumper stickers available as aftermarket decals for my rear bumper.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02945.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02948.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02949.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02950.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02951.jpg

Thanks for comments and advices in advance!

awesome!

I like the suspension work, i've really wanted to build some 4x4 vehicles but the simple suspensions kill me..

where did the master for that off road wheel come from? it looks great!

looks really good, can barely, if at all tell the difference between the castings and the original rubber tyres, the suspension work you did looks incredible

keep it up!

awesome!

I like the suspension work, i've really wanted to build some 4x4 vehicles but the simple suspensions kill me..

where did the master for that off road wheel come from? it looks great!


To be honest this suspension I made isn't that great. The rear dampers bind due to the geometry going slightly off their axis as the suspension moves. The front dampers don't have much travel due to me using part of the original strut on the spindles as glue supports. The dampers aren't even in the correct proportions but I had to put up with it because of the thickness of the plastic tubes needed to keep things from breaking. Next time I do working suspensions I will use copper tubes and solder instead, or simply just use cosmetic dampers like what Tamiya does with its older SUV's.

The master for that off road wheel was made by sketching in Solidworks, then 3D printed thanks to a forum member here.


For the handful who are interested in the subject. I have made a bit more progress. The front brake rotor will be glued to the wheel and it spins independent of the caliper. The lugs on both brake discs and drums are from sewing pins. The stock steering rack kept breaking on me (possibly due to over glazing of the superglue in my younger days?) so I made this piece from plastic bag tie strips coated with 5 minute epoxy.

Made new spare tire bracket, roof rack, and snowboard. Skis and poles will be added later. Also backpacks and beer coolers are in the plan. What you can do is guess what those milliput dots are supposed to be. Hint: Donuts are too hard to make.

A little big of weathering is what I want to do. Still thinking how to do it though.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02969.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02970.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02968.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02966.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02965.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02967.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02973.jpg

very nice, i have a tamiya terano that i want to convert into a 4x4 kit, gotta watch this...:)

Did you use fabric softener sheets for the carpet!?

kaho, very interesting project and great realization.
...
where did the master for that off road wheel come from?...
kaho has sent me CAD model and I made 3D printing http://i.smiles2k.net/lol_smiles/1_011.gif (http://smiles2k.net/lol_smiles/index.html)

Sensational!!!