A Scifi Drilling Vehicle

Making a Toy a Better Scifi Vehicle

Inspiration

I have collected toys for years in order to turn them into things I can use.  I have taken a drilling vehicle from the movie Atlantis, and turned it into something I can use for one of my games.

Materials

For the conversion, I used the vehicle itself, some plastic sheeting, and some plastic rod.

The Vehicle

I really didn't have to do very much to the original vehicle to get it to the point where I felt that I could use it.  First, I took the vehicle apart, which is tricky because the two halves were connected with those triangular screws so many toys are made with today. If you take a torque bit that is the right size and grind down every other point, you will have a bit that will turn those screws.  I removed the insides and cut out parts at the bottom.

You can see one of the parts I cut out between the track and the wheel.  I also had to remove the part at the bottom rear of the wheel.  Remember to remove the same parts on each side.

Again, in this view you can see the part I removed between the track and the wheel, and get a better idea of what I removed from the rear.  Once I reassembled the vehicle, I used the plastic rod to fill in the screw holes.  I also added a cab for the vehicle.

The last thing I, before painting, was to use my rotary tool to make some damage on the front of the vehicle.  Afterward, I painted it.  I still have a few things to finish, but I will post more pictures when I am finished.  I will also try to get a better picture of the damage to the drill piece.