nemo box

After three months of work, my Italeri 1/24 IVECO HI-WAY 480 is finally complete.

I believe automotive modeling has traditionally been a genre that showcases the beauty of vehicles finished in a clean, pristine, almost new condition. I personally love that style of automotive modeling as well, but for this project, I wanted to take a slightly different approach.

Rather than recreating the appearance of a brand-new vehicle, I wanted to capture how a vehicle gradually changes through time and use in the real world. Dust and dirt, oil stains, rust and wear, along with the traces of continued maintenance and repair, gradually accumulate and give a machine its own history and character.

In particular, I imagined an owner who continues to care for, maintain, and look after his truck as the years go by. I didn’t want to create a vehicle that simply looked old and dirty, but one that is clearly cared for while still showing the natural traces and changes that inevitably come from regular use and the passage of time.

I felt that a truck was the perfect subject to express this idea, and that became one of the main reasons I chose the IVECO HI-WAY for this project.

This was a very challenging kit to build, but I wanted to go beyond simply building the kit as provided and capture the mechanical realism and individual character of a truck that is actually in service.

A large amount of additional detailing was added throughout the build. Many parts were scratch-built by hand, including chassis details, various connectors, and the coiled air brake hoses, electrical wiring, and connections behind the cab. Additional detailing was also added to the engine and its surrounding mechanical components.

Many of these details are extremely small and difficult to see once the model is fully assembled. However, I felt that even these small details were essential to achieving the level of realism I wanted.

For the weathering, I used this concept to create an intentional contrast between the mechanical areas of the vehicle and the cab. The chassis, drivetrain, fuel tanks, wheels, and mechanical components that would naturally become dirty through regular operation received heavier effects of dust, oil, rust, wear, and grime.

The cab, on the other hand, was kept relatively clean. Although it still shows traces of time and use, I wanted it to feel like a truck whose owner continues to take care of it.

This project required a great deal of time, patience, and problem-solving. There were several moments during the build when I seriously considered giving up. However, taking part in GWCC gave me the motivation to keep going, and eventually I was able to bring the project to completion.

Through these photographs and video, I hope to convey not only the finished appearance of the model, but also the many details, the work that went into creating them, and the story of the vehicle that I wanted to express.

Thank you very much for taking the time to view my final entry. If you enjoyed my IVECO build, I would truly appreciate your support and vote. After spending three months and a great deal of effort on this project, every bit of support means a lot to me.

Good luck to everyone participating in GWCC 2026, and thank you all for being part of this wonderful modeling community!

NEMO BOX

Following the engine build video, this time I’ve put together a short video showing the entire chassis build process of my IVECO truck!

In fact, the truck’s frame and chassis were where I put together all the techniques, effects, and scratch-building details that I really wanted to showcase in this year’s GWCC.

From assembly and detailing to painting and weathering, I put all of my skills into this part of the build and spent a great deal of time and effort getting it exactly the way I wanted.

Much of it becomes difficult to see once the model is completed, which is exactly why I wanted to show it in more detail through this video.

I hope you enjoy watching it! ^^

I once again achieved very satisfying results at this year’s GWCC using my Gaahleri Mobius 0.2mm and Swallowtail airbrushes.

The Mobius 0.2mm was especially useful for precise painting, such as working on small parts, fine details, and subtle shading. Its fine spray and excellent control made it easy to focus on exactly the areas I wanted to paint.

On the other hand, the Swallowtail was extremely convenient when I needed to cover larger surfaces quickly and evenly. Since these two airbrushes have different strengths, switching between them depending on the task made the painting process for my GWCC project much more efficient.

After using both of them extensively, I’ve naturally become even more curious about Gaahleri’s higher-end Aventus. 😄
Hopefully, the day will come soon when I get a chance to try the Aventus myself! Haha.

The photos included here show some of my completed models painted with the Mobius 0.2mm and Swallowtail before this year’s GWCC. I haven’t just tried these airbrushes briefly—I’ve used them consistently across several projects, which has given me plenty of opportunities to experience their strengths firsthand.

I’ve also included links below to my YouTube build videos, where you can see these airbrushes actually being used during the painting process.

If you’re interested in airbrushes or scale modeling, I hope you’ll check out the videos and see how I use them in my builds.

Thank you! 😊

https://youtu.be/2G8LevND1BY?si=mZiLmXRMUtYExWAC

https://youtu.be/Kk1i9rIx_2o?si=a2LzLtBODa0dEGEb

There’s still some time before the judging begins, so I’ve put together a short edit of the build footage I originally filmed for YouTube.

Unfortunately, due to the 100MB file size limit, I can’t show the process in as much detail as I’d like.

This video shows the engine build, from the basic assembly to the additional details that I scratch-built by hand.

I realized that I haven’t really shown the completed Italeri 1/24 IVECO Dump Truck in video form yet, so I decided to make a short video of the finished model.

I’d like to show you some of the details and overall appearance that are difficult to fully capture in photos.

With this video, I think I’ve finally shared everything there is to show of the completed build! 😄

Now I’ll carefully select the best photos and video from everything I’ve posted so far, and I’ll be back with my final submission for judging.

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed the build and supported me throughout this project!

This will probably be my last update before uploading the final photos for judging!!

To make the finished model look even more realistic, I decided to take some photos outdoors this time.
Under natural light, it gives the model a completely different feel compared to shooting indoors.

Now all that’s left is to choose the final photos! 😄

Description

This time, I’d like to share some detailed photos of my completed Iveco dump truck!

All of the additional details beyond the original kit were scratch-built by hand. I didn’t use any aftermarket detail-up parts or 3D-printed parts.

Building the basic kit itself was already quite challenging, but as I worked on it, I kept noticing areas where the details felt a little lacking, and I just couldn’t leave them as they were. 😄

I added various details one by one, including the engine piping and wiring, the coiled trailer connections, as well as details on the chassis and underside that are not easily visible once the model is completed.

Many of these details are difficult to see on the finished model, but I believe all these small additions come together to create a more realistic overall appearance.

So this time, instead of focusing on the overall view, I’d like to share some close-up photos of the small details I spent so much time working on!

I have finally completed my Italeri 1/24 IVECO HI-WAY 480!

The kit itself was quite challenging to build, and I encountered far more difficulties than I expected throughout the project. There were several moments when I honestly felt like giving up, but participating in GWCC gave me the motivation to keep going until the very end. I'm really happy that I was able to finish it.

I spent several months adding details, painting, and weathering this model little by little, so it is especially satisfying to finally see the completed truck.

Unfortunately, only 10 photos can be uploaded for the final judging. From a contestant's point of view, it feels a little limiting to show all the details and atmosphere of a model that took several months to complete in only 10 photos.

So before choosing my final 10 judging photos, I'd like to continue sharing more views and details of the finished model that I haven't been able to show yet.

For now, here are some overall views of the completed IVECO!

One of the distinctive features of a cargo truck is the coiled brake air hoses and electrical cables used for trailer connections. I consider these details essential for capturing the realistic character of a cargo truck, so I put a great deal of effort into recreating them.

However, none of these details are included in the kit, so I scratch-built the entire connection system myself, including the coiled air hoses, electrical cables, connectors, and various small fittings.

The tiny connectors and fittings were individually shaped by hand using a Dremel and panel liner, carefully working each piece to achieve the appropriate size and shape. At 1/24 scale, these parts are extremely small, so creating them required a lot of time and patience. I wanted to capture as much of the real truck's structure and complex wiring as possible.

The coiled hoses were also made from scratch and connected individually to their respective fittings. I tried to reproduce the natural way the multiple hoses and cables hang and curve on the real vehicle.

My goal was not simply to add more detail, but to recreate the complex and distinctive appearance of the trailer connection system at the rear of a real cargo truck as realistically as possible.

These may be small details that are not very noticeable once the model is completed, but building each of these completely missing details from scratch was one of the areas where I put the most effort into this project.

Once this build is finished, this may be one of those areas that I’ll never get to see properly again, so I wanted to capture it in photos while I still could.

This is the underside of my IVECO dump truck.

Although most of these details will be difficult to see once the model is fully assembled, this is actually one of the areas where I spent the most time carefully painting and weathering.

The visible exterior of a truck can be kept relatively clean with regular maintenance, but the undercarriage is a different story. Over the years, dust, dirt, moisture, and road grime accumulate underneath, while rust gradually develops on exposed metal parts.

That was exactly what I wanted to capture, so I went a little heavier with the rust, dust, dirt, and grime on the undercarriage to show the effects of time and hard use.

Even if most of this will eventually be hidden from view,
just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t worth detailing.

It’s all part of the build, so I wanted to leave a few photos of these details before they disappear from sight. 😊