In Box Review of Testors Italeri 1/35th Scale U.S. Willys Jeep
Kit no. 821
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $11.03
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $11.03
HISTORY:
The Willys MB (commonly known as a Jeep or jeep, formally as the U.S. Army Truck, 1/4 ton, 4x4) and the Ford GPW are four-wheel drive utility vehicles that were manufactured during World War II. Produced from 1941 to 1945, it evolved post-war into the civilian Jeep CJ, and inspired both an entire category of recreational 4WDs and several generations of military light utility vehicles.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Designer: Delmar G. Roos
Manufacturer: Willys-Overland (MB) & Ford (GPW)
Number built: MB: 359,489, GPW: 277,896
Specifications (MB and GPW: same
Weight: 2,453 lb (1,113 kg)
Empty Length: 132 1⁄4 in (3.36 m)
Width 62 in (1.57 m)
Height 69 3⁄4 in (1.77 m)
Engine: Willys Go Devil engine
Transmission: 3 spd. x 2 range trf. case
Suspension: Live axles on leaf springs
Fuel capacity 15 US gal (12.5 imp gal; 56.8 L)
Operational range: 300 mi (482.8 km) Speed 65 mph (105 km/h)
The Willys MB (commonly known as a Jeep or jeep, formally as the U.S. Army Truck, 1/4 ton, 4x4) and the Ford GPW are four-wheel drive utility vehicles that were manufactured during World War II. Produced from 1941 to 1945, it evolved post-war into the civilian Jeep CJ, and inspired both an entire category of recreational 4WDs and several generations of military light utility vehicles.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Designer: Delmar G. Roos
Manufacturer: Willys-Overland (MB) & Ford (GPW)
Number built: MB: 359,489, GPW: 277,896
Specifications (MB and GPW: same
Weight: 2,453 lb (1,113 kg)
Empty Length: 132 1⁄4 in (3.36 m)
Width 62 in (1.57 m)
Height 69 3⁄4 in (1.77 m)
Engine: Willys Go Devil engine
Transmission: 3 spd. x 2 range trf. case
Suspension: Live axles on leaf springs
Fuel capacity 15 US gal (12.5 imp gal; 56.8 L)
Operational range: 300 mi (482.8 km) Speed 65 mph (105 km/h)
THE KIT:
Italeri is a an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. Testors was their importer and distributor here in the U.S.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped end opening type box with a slide out tray that holds the contents. I like this because end opening boxes without this tray invariably have the parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. This tray prevents that evil event.
The box art has a color photo on it of the jeep, 2 wheeled trailer and the figures made up and posed atop a modeler's work table. The build is credited to Steve Trompeter. Body length of the jeep is said to be 3 3/4". However, size of the trailer is not said.
The driver figure has his mouth open and is in the driver's seat. Another soldier is kneeling and aiming a bazooka. A third soldier is standing behind him and holding a bazooka round.
The bottom of the box has 4 color walk-around type photos of the model and figures made up and a list of the kits features. The box was printed in the U.S. and parts made in Italy. The copyright of the kit is 1979 and Testor's street address in Rockford, IL is supplied.
One side panel lists Testor brand glue, paints, tools, brushes and tape they say is needed for building this kit.
The other side panel has the history of the Jeep.
Italeri is a an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. Testors was their importer and distributor here in the U.S.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped end opening type box with a slide out tray that holds the contents. I like this because end opening boxes without this tray invariably have the parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. This tray prevents that evil event.
The box art has a color photo on it of the jeep, 2 wheeled trailer and the figures made up and posed atop a modeler's work table. The build is credited to Steve Trompeter. Body length of the jeep is said to be 3 3/4". However, size of the trailer is not said.
The driver figure has his mouth open and is in the driver's seat. Another soldier is kneeling and aiming a bazooka. A third soldier is standing behind him and holding a bazooka round.
The bottom of the box has 4 color walk-around type photos of the model and figures made up and a list of the kits features. The box was printed in the U.S. and parts made in Italy. The copyright of the kit is 1979 and Testor's street address in Rockford, IL is supplied.
One side panel lists Testor brand glue, paints, tools, brushes and tape they say is needed for building this kit.
The other side panel has the history of the Jeep.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The slide-out tray holds 4 dark green parts trees, and a clear tree in a sealed cello bag, the decal sheet, instructions and an order form to buy some Testors product is loose.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 10 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white wartime photo of a Jeep on a dirt road, followed by the history of the Jeep. Then BEFORE STARTING instructions, PREPERATION OF PARTS and painting instructions.
Page 2 through 6 give a grand total of 9 assembly steps. Each step has text to walk modelers through the builds.
Step 9 is for the figures assemblies and painting their faces.
Page 7 has further figure painting instructions and weathering hints.
Page 8 is pushing Testor brand paints, tools and brushes with their street address again.
Page 9 is the parts trees illustrations. Trees are not alphabetized, but labeled with geometric symbols: a square, a star and a circle.
Page 10 has the decal application instructions and four 3-views of schemes for the Jeep and one 2-view for the trailer.
The trailer is overall Marine Corps green with USMC over 2021240 in yellow stenciled on the rear. A white star alone or white a circle around it can be place above the yellow wording.
The first Jeep is overall Marine Corps green with a white star on the hood and repeated smaller to the rear of its sides and on the front bumper. On the sides of the hood is stenciled in yellow USMC over 2021240 (the same number as on the trailer). There is a yellow upper half of a circle with the number 621 in it on the left side of the front bumper.
It is with Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Artillery Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Iwo Jima, February 1945.
The second Jeep is overall Marine Corps green witha white star on top of the hood and a smaller white star on the rear of the sides and on the front bumper. It carries the yellow stenciled USMC over 20596872 on the sides of the hood. This number is repeated 3 times on the decal sheet so that you can use one to mark the trailer to match.
It is with B Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Guam, August 1944
The third Jeep is overall OD with a white star on top of the hood and repeated smaller on the rear of the sides and the front bumper. It has a white USA over 20711993 on the sides of the hood and a whited FA341 stenciled on the left side of the front bumper.
It is vehicle no. 2, Headquarters 34th Infantry Division, 5th Army, Casino, Italy 1944.
The fourth Jeep is overall OD with a white star inside a circle on the top of the hood and on the rear of the sides and on the front bumper. It has a white USA over 2073499 stenciled on the sides of the hood and a white 101AB406 on the left front bumper.
It is with no. 4 Company, 506th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Normandy, France, June 1944.
There are two dark green parts trees labeled with a square.
One holds: the kneeling figure with the bazooka, 3 steel helmets, a canteen, a bayonet in its scabbard, 2 canvas roof supports for the Jeeps roof (12 parts)
The slide-out tray holds 4 dark green parts trees, and a clear tree in a sealed cello bag, the decal sheet, instructions and an order form to buy some Testors product is loose.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 10 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white wartime photo of a Jeep on a dirt road, followed by the history of the Jeep. Then BEFORE STARTING instructions, PREPERATION OF PARTS and painting instructions.
Page 2 through 6 give a grand total of 9 assembly steps. Each step has text to walk modelers through the builds.
Step 9 is for the figures assemblies and painting their faces.
Page 7 has further figure painting instructions and weathering hints.
Page 8 is pushing Testor brand paints, tools and brushes with their street address again.
Page 9 is the parts trees illustrations. Trees are not alphabetized, but labeled with geometric symbols: a square, a star and a circle.
Page 10 has the decal application instructions and four 3-views of schemes for the Jeep and one 2-view for the trailer.
The trailer is overall Marine Corps green with USMC over 2021240 in yellow stenciled on the rear. A white star alone or white a circle around it can be place above the yellow wording.
The first Jeep is overall Marine Corps green with a white star on the hood and repeated smaller to the rear of its sides and on the front bumper. On the sides of the hood is stenciled in yellow USMC over 2021240 (the same number as on the trailer). There is a yellow upper half of a circle with the number 621 in it on the left side of the front bumper.
It is with Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Artillery Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Iwo Jima, February 1945.
The second Jeep is overall Marine Corps green witha white star on top of the hood and a smaller white star on the rear of the sides and on the front bumper. It carries the yellow stenciled USMC over 20596872 on the sides of the hood. This number is repeated 3 times on the decal sheet so that you can use one to mark the trailer to match.
It is with B Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Guam, August 1944
The third Jeep is overall OD with a white star on top of the hood and repeated smaller on the rear of the sides and the front bumper. It has a white USA over 20711993 on the sides of the hood and a whited FA341 stenciled on the left side of the front bumper.
It is vehicle no. 2, Headquarters 34th Infantry Division, 5th Army, Casino, Italy 1944.
The fourth Jeep is overall OD with a white star inside a circle on the top of the hood and on the rear of the sides and on the front bumper. It has a white USA over 2073499 stenciled on the sides of the hood and a white 101AB406 on the left front bumper.
It is with no. 4 Company, 506th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Normandy, France, June 1944.
There are two dark green parts trees labeled with a square.
One holds: the kneeling figure with the bazooka, 3 steel helmets, a canteen, a bayonet in its scabbard, 2 canvas roof supports for the Jeeps roof (12 parts)
The other tree labeled as square holds: the standing figure that is holding a bazooka round, the bazooka parts, and a rifle (10 parts)
These two figures are both divided into separate torso, arms and legs.
These two figures are both divided into separate torso, arms and legs.
The dark green tree labeled as star holds: the Jeeps side panels, hood, firewall, floor, frame, drive shafts, muffler, windshield frame, radiator grill, dashboard, shocks, steering wheel, gear shift levers, leaf springs, seats etc. (30 parts)
The dark green tree labeled as circle holds: the Jeep's roof parts, trailer chassis, its wheels, its axle and leaf springs, the driver figure (divided also into separate torso, arms and legs), Jerry cans in racks, an ax, shovel, 4 wheels for the Jeep etc (65 parts)
The clear tree is not labeled with a geometric symbol. It holds: the windshield and rear window of the jeep and headlight lenses (4 parts)
The kit decals.
This is a neat READY TO GO diorama set almost.
Highly recommended.
I bought my kit from a modeler friend who years ago was going to sell Testors Italeri kits mail order. This enterprise went next to nowhere for him. He really never pursued much of anything he ever started and he died young from his diabetes complications after having his leg amputated to the knee.
Highly recommended.
I bought my kit from a modeler friend who years ago was going to sell Testors Italeri kits mail order. This enterprise went next to nowhere for him. He really never pursued much of anything he ever started and he died young from his diabetes complications after having his leg amputated to the knee.
I bought quite a bit other Testors Italeri kits from him at reduced prices.