Indiana Jones toys

All toys Indiana Jones!

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Hasbro Indiana Jones Cargo Truck Cargo Truck - Hasbro Cargo Truck - Hasbro Cargo Truck - Hasbro Cargo Truck - Hasbro Cargo Truck - Hasbro Cargo Truck - Hasbro BEFORE. The unmodified Hasbro Indiana Jones Cargo truck from Raiders of the Lost Ark, just as it comes right out of the box.



REVIEW: The Hasbro Indiana Jones Cargo Truck from Raiders of the Lost Ark is a pretty good representation of the vehicle seen in the movie and makes a fun toy. This is a brand new tooling and is not based on the old Kenner version. The truck comes in a plain grey finish, with the truck body being a darker color and the truck bed painted in light grey. The canvas top is in medium grey and clips onto the truck bed, though the pegs are a bit short to really hold it on securely. The darker color for the truck body is odd as it makes the truck look two-tone!

Starting at the front we have the authentic license plate numbers from the movie. Side markers are in soft plastic for safety, as are the headlights and Notek lamp (the thing on the left fender). Headlights are painted in an very pale grey where the lens would be. The radiator has a grill in front, and pressing down on the hood ornament makes the grill flop down on hinges to simulate the movie scene. This feature works well. The hood ornament in the move is clearly a Mercedes Benz symbol, and there is also a larger version on the front of the movie truck radiator with 'DIESEL' written beneath it. The Hasbro truck has a plain radiator, probably for licensing reasons and the hood ornament does not reproduce the symbol either. There are 2 spare wheels on either side of the hood, though they are noticeably "fatter" than the ones in the movie, with very pronounced tire tread. To my eyes they look very "modern", rather than the period look of the wheels on the movie truck. The front wheels themselves are hollow on the inside, not complete wheels. All the wheels are also very new looking and have a pronounced molding seam around the middle. On the good side the wheels are not jet black but done in a dirty grey color.

The cab features opening doors with some detail molded on the inside face, a seat for 2 figures and a steering wheel. The Hasbro steering wheel is grey just like the rest of the truck whereas it is black in the movie. There is a hole in the floor and it looks like a gear shift lever should go in there. This lever is missing, at least on the sample I purchased. I notice that the troop carrier truck does have a gear shift lever, so perhaps I should write to Hasbro? I was actually surprised to see that the windscreen is in clear plastic. I was expecting it to be left open so you could reproduce the movie scene. In fact early copy reports a "breakaway windshield" on this vehicle, but on the final product it is firmly fixed in place. Below the cab doors there are steps just like in the movie truck. The passenger side door does NOT come off, so no re-enacting THAT scene except in your imagination ( or if you dis-assemble the truck).

Another "action feature" allows German soldiers to hang off the side of the body. I have not tried this with Hasbro's soldier figures, but I was able to successfully hang some 21st Century figures off the side. Basically the feet stick into a rack at the side and the canvas top has little indents that a hand or elbow can dig into. This does not hold the figure too securely, but as the role of these figures is to be knocked off I suppose that is not so bad. There are only 2 of the indents per side however, so the third soldier might have trouble holding on! The truck bed can seat figures but is a little shallow, so your soldiers will be playing footsie. I put 6 21st Century guys in there for the photos.

The back sports a little triangular symbol just like the movie truck, but there is no rear license plate. What we do have is the whip-dragging action feature. This is a piece of brown nylon string with a plastic whip handle on the end. Pull out the whip to drag a figure. There is a towing hook that also acts as a lever so you can drag or wind in the figure so it is pulled in closer to the truck. Inside there is a little "clutch" that when engaged wraps the string around the rear axle. Incidentally this truck has metal axles so that's good for ruggedness.

Overall accuracy to the movie truck is very good, given the limitations of it being a toy. With some work it could be turned into a pretty nice replica. I read that the movie truck was actually based on a GMC truck, but even so is a pretty fair replica of a German double axle truck of the period. Versions were actually produced by several manufacturers. With some painting it could be right at home with 1:18 military vehicles, but is a bit too clean, plasticy and toy-like right out of the box. I opted to add wear to the tires and dust and dirt to the model. Hasbro really should have added some "dirt" to this one, but perhaps that would have added to the cost. This feels like a solid value for the price of $19.99

UPDATE: Contrary to early reports, the windshield does NOT break away. The truck does NOT come with the Ark. There is a crate, of sorts, made of cardboard. However, this crate is NOTHING like the one used to transport the Ark. By-the-way, the movie has at least 2 different Ark crates! I have 2 freeze frames of the crate in the truck and it is clear that they are different crates!



Hasbro Indiana Jones Cargo Truck - dirtied Painted Cargo Truck AFTER! Here is the Hasbro Indiana Jones Cargo Truck after I have got my grubby little hands on it. All the dirt went onto the truck! The tires got worn down too. Actually after looking at the movie again I think I can go with even MORE dirt. I always start light because I can always add more...

Boring guard duty for German soldiers Indiana Jones approaches Cargo Truck on horseback Indiana Jones leaps onto Truck! Throws passenger from Cargo Truck Indiana Jones gets rid of one soldier Indiana Jones drives the Cargo Truck Now for some fun!

The German soldiers strike back! German soldiers on the Cargo Truck Indiana Jones hanging off the Cargo Truck The Truck grill is broken Indiana Jones falling down Under the Truck goes Indy More fun!

Life's a drag, Indiana Jones Being pulled by the whip Indiana Jones climbs aboard the Cargo Truck More fun!

Indiana Jones troop car Troop car from Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones German troop car Custom troop car Mercedes Emblem Indiana Jones troop car given the desert dust treatment. Figures are 21st Century chosen for their goggles of course! MG34 is also from 21st Century, and looks a whole lot better than the giant cannon Hasbro provides. I have no problem with the big H designing in toy-like features but I wish they would provide an alternative for their more mature fans! Note the cloth covering the radiator vent. *UPDATE* It was pointed out that the troop car sported a famous emblem. The last pic shows my latest addition.

Hatay truck custom Indiana Jones Hatay truck Indiana Jones truck from the Last Crusade Custom Hatay truck I want a tank from The Last Crusade, but until I summon up the energy - and the plastic card - to build the thing (since Hasbro won't) I decided to create a truck. I haven't seen anyone else try this yet...



PAINTING TIPS for a dusty, dirty vehicle

 1. Use matt paint. You want a dry, dusty look.
2. Use thinned paint. You want the base color to show through.
3. Work in stages, gradually adding more till you get the look you want.
4. Be random! Go for the opposite of neat and tidy. Just splodge paint on without thinking too much.
5. Dust and dirt come from the ground up. Go heavier on the bottom of the vehicle and where wheels pick up dirt.

I use enamels thinned with paint thinner. I especially like Humbrol, which is very matt and has lots of pigment. I find enamels give a nice matt finish when brushed on. However, you can also use acrylics like Tamiya thinned with 91% alcohol from the drugstore. This is less toxic than enamels, but can sometimes dry with a slight sheen. To prevent that get your hands on Tamiya 'flat base'. This is not a paint but an additive. Mix a little in with your acrylic paint for a really matt finish. For a very smooth appearance, which would correspond to a very fine dust, used thinned acrylic and spray from a airbrush, getting lighter as you get higher on the vehicle. An example would be:

Custom troop car

For a dirtier, grungier look, break out a largish brush - not wall painting size, but large compared to normal modeling brush size! There are two ways to apply the thinned paint, and you will probably want to use both. First is to pretty much slop wet paint thinned with plenty of thinner on the model which settles into crevices, grooves and around objects, pretty much like dust gets into cracks and sheltered areas. You can also pretty much coat the whole vehicle with thinned paint with a brush for an overall dusty look that is much rougher, random and therefore dirtier looking than using an air brush. Give it plenty of time to dry out before adding more! The second approach, and you can use a little less thinner now, is to apply the paint with a fairly dry brush, applying less paint at a time and mostly stabbing it onto the model with a fairly short bristled brush. This allows you a little more control, and gives a heavier dirt approach which can be applied to select areas. The stabbing avoids brush marks which gives the dirt away as paint and gives a nice rough and random effect. You can use a more normal painting stroke on less visible areas, such as the underside and wheel arches to make sure they get dirtied up too. Just remember to start thinned and add more paint as you observe the results and get used to applying it. This will give something like this:

Painted Cargo Truck

After looking at my pics, and going back to look at the movie (having screen capture on the PC really helps here) I decided that my dirt, for Raiders vehicles anyway, was much too subtle. So I went back and using the 'dry stab' technique applied much heavier dirt in areas using undiluted paint. I will add new pictures of the trucks soon to show this, though you can see it on the motorbike and sidecar: Raiders motorcycle with sidecar

The sidecar also shows heavier dirt, or lumps, which is nothing more than crumbled up chalk mixed into the paint.


Side plan of Last Crusade tank Top view of Last Crusade tank Well, I got as far as drawing up plans to use in the main construction. I don't know the exact size of the original but if the reported length of 36 feet is accurate then this model at 23 inches long would work out to a scale of 1:18.8. I.e. slightly less than 1/18 scale which seems just about right for the Hasbro figures. Detailing of the tank will be done from photos and screen captures.

Cairo Indy Custom Indiana Jones in Cairo Indiana Jones in Cairo Cairo Indy with a re-built hat. I like the whipping action Indy as a toy (that whipping action is pretty good as long as the whip is glued to his hands) but this one has a better 'look'.

Crate Version 1 front Crate Version 1 rear view with burnt stencils What? No Ark? My first version of the Ark crate. Wouldn't you know it turned out too small for the Ark?

Crate Version 2 front Crate Version 2 burnt side Carry handles on crate Version 2 Frnt and top of crate Version 2 Indy! Crate Version 2 Crate up the Ark! Hasbro Ark and my crate Version 2 Ark crate version 2. Ark fits just fine, but now the crate is oversized for the truck! Hmm. I guess Hasbro scaled down the truck.

German mechanic IJ German mechanic The German mechanic Custom German mechanic My German mechanic This is the famous German mechanic which I tried to custom-up using a wrestling Boogeyman figure. It's better than no figure at all, but he is altogether too "buff" in appearance.

German mechanic Indiana Jones German mechanic number one Big Wrench The scrawny German mechanic. Carry a big wrench!

Jungle Belloq Rene Belloq Belloq in the South American Jungle Indiana Jones custom Belloq figure Hovitos and Belloq Rene Belloq in jungle setting with Hovitos warriors.

Hovitos warrior Custom Hovitos warrior Hovitos with spears Bow carrying Hovitos warrior Custom bow and Hovitos warrior Indiana Jones Hovitos warrior Custom Hovitos warriors. Spears are from Wicket the Ewok (and number 2 is bent!). Bow is custom.

Raiders Indy school teacher Indy as teacher from Raiders

KOTCS Indy school teacher Indy as teacher from Crystal skull.

Sankara Stones Reverse of Sankara Stones Sankara Stone grouping Customized Sankara stones. I cut down 3 Hasbro stones (the ones that came with the German soldier) and tried to paint them to match the picture in the book "Best of the Lucasfilm Archives".

Last Crusade motorcycle with sidecar Prof. Henry Jones in sidecar Motorcycle with sidecar from Last Crusade Indy/Henry sidecar Motorcycle with sidecar Classic Indy and Henry on motorbike and sidecat from Last Crusade.

Raiders motorcycle with sidecar German motorcycle with sidecar Truck chase motorbike with sidecar Sidecar with German soldiers Motorbike with sidecar Indiana Jones German soldiers on motorcycle with sidecar from the truck chase on Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Checking to make sure Henry fits Construction of sidecars Sidecar Construction Bikes were modded too Just need paint Plans Rough sketch Sidecar construction. Constructed out of plastic card, sprue, some wire and brass strip, and even a part of Dragon Panther! Wheels from Walmart dirt (cheap) bike! On the second picture you can see how I put a slot in a piece of plastic card designed to fit the peg on the bottom of the Hasbro bike. A thick piece of sprue (the grey rod) goes right through the sidecar just behind the 'seatback', and not only acts as an axle for the wheel but on the other side slots into the hole in the side of the Hasbro bike. If you have the Hasbro bike you will know what I mean! In the finished pictures the sidecar simply slides into place - no glue required! The bikes themselves also received some attention. The obvious being the removal of the 'tarps'. I also filled the hole in the side of the gas tank, added the second seat (a piece of plastic card) and the second exhuast pipe (a piece of sprue, wrapped with plastic card and covered with mesh for the muffler). The Egypt version has knee shields also. And of course they were painted that dark German grey. To cap it off I printed correect licence numbers for the Austria bike, and that shield-like symbol which was based on a screen capture. I made up a licence plate for the Egypt version. You can't see it in the film, so unless there is a behind-the-scenes picture, my fictional plate will have to do! These were printed on stickers, not decals, just like a Hasbro toy!

Number plates Useful number plates and badges

Kazim Brother of the Cruciform Sword Second Brother of the Cruciform Sword Kazim and the Brothers of the Cruciform Sword in Hatay. These look pretty good, although I found it impossible to hand-paint neat stripes! Oh well, I'm after "action figure", not perfection. Actually now I see all 3 I'm disappointed that I can't pose them actually firing. I might have to do a 4TH figure then...

Making Kazim The making of Kazim Showing the Kazim head in construction. Cheap Walmart (The Corps) soldier figure head, cut down and with hat and hair sculpted out of epoxy putty. On the side view you can see how the head has to be cut, and then a hole drilled to take the neck. The black Cairo swordsman robes with their first coat of paint.

Last Crusade horsemen 4 horsemen Horsemen of Last Crusade The four horsemen of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Indy LC horse Indiana Jones on horse Last Crusade Indy horse Standard Indy figure but the horse gets the royal tassle treatment.

Henry LC horse Henry Jones on horse Last Crusade Henry on horse Dr. Henry Jones Sr.

Sallah LC horse Sallah with horse Last Crusade Sallah on horse Sallah on horse, Last Crusade.

Brody LC horse Marcus Brody with horse Last Crusade Brody on horse Marcus Brody on horse, Last Crusade.

Building Brody Building the Brody head. The face was cast from a Star Wars Malliki figure. The rest was sculpted. The procedure, for those wanting the gory details, went like this. First I made a neck stand out of epoxy putty. Then I covered the neck with a thin layer of Super Sculpey and pock-marked the surface so the next layer would have something to fix to. This was then baked. Then I got my Star Wars Malliki figure, also known as a rancor keeper, and removed the head covering. Using a blob of epoxy putty, and a little baby oil brushed onto the face so the putty would not stick, I made a cast. The next stage was to cover the 'blank head' with more Super Sculpey and get a positive head cast from the negative mold. Then carefully sculpt the rest of the head and hair. Ears were made separately and glued on after baking. Trim, fix and paint!

Building Sallah Sallah under construction How I made Sallah Sallah was a little more straightforward. Collar and tie from epoxy putty. Head trimed with careful craft knife work. Hair and beard textured by using a hot wire. Fez from epoxy putty again. The jacket was made from Super Sculpey.

Indy with a better hat Horse man Indiana Jones good hat Horse man Indy with a re-built hat.

Marion Raven bar Raven bar Marion I repainted Marion. Now I need to reduce the shine!

Marion and Indy Raven bar Indy and Marion Raven bar Raven bar Marion and Indy Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood Marion (with less shine) and Indy in the Raven bar.

Baddies at the door Group photo at the Raven bar Someone at the door! Group photos at the Raven bar.

Toht Raven bar We are, heh, not thirsty! Toht custom figure 'We are, heh, not thirsty!' Here is our friend Toht. I should maybe add some steaming snow to the shoulders! (I just thought of that.) Pardon the "jungle" background! It's spring in California.

Raven bar black hat Raven bar black hat Raven bar black hat Not identified by name as far as I know, here is the tall, thin, machine-gun armed companion to Toht from the Raven bar scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Indy Raven bar Indiana Jones in the Raven bar Raven bar Indy Raven bar Indy. I meant to put gloves on him but I can't find the hands - surplus horse Indy. Oh well, maybe later.

Raven heavy one Raven bar big heavy Big Thug from the Raven The Raven bar featured some heavies, or thugs who were motivated to attack our hero in the remote Himalayan bar. Some refer to then as "Sherpas", though I would not like to go where they guide me! This is the huge guy.

Raven heavy 3 Little guy - Raven heavy Tables are turned This is the little guy from the Raven bar.

Raven heavy 2 Raven bar fight Raven fight This is the guy who fights Indy with the flaming arm in the Raven bar. This guy comes in halfway through the fight and knocks Indy's automatic out of his hand with the door.

Building marion Raven Building marion Raven Building marion Raven Marion was consructed from a Star Wars General Leai body with a fair amount of epxoy putty build-up (including a neck). Head is a modified Marion head.

Building Toht Raven Building Toht Raven First picture is my Toht mock-up with LC Indy body, Star Wars Naboo soldier head and 21st Century German soldier long coat. Hat from KOTCS Indy. Second picture shows Belloq legs and custom coat being fashioned from Super Sculpey. For the Sculpey I have found out that it is better to work in layers, i.e. starting with a basic shell, baking that and then adding the collar and baking again. The added Sculpey seems to adhere quite nicely without glue.

Building Raven machine gunner Building Raven heavies Raven bar machine gunner was Batman Bruce Wayne figure with 21st Century German soldier coat. I took a little licence here by going with the open coat. Hat from horse Indy. Raven bar heavies were a mixed bag. Big guy was based on a Walmart "The Corps" figure. The 'flaming arm' dude was entirely based on Sallah. The little guy used cemetary warrior legs and arms, Belloq torso (because it's so short), and Mutt head.




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