These latest sessions have been mostly focused on the engine compartment. After considering a few different possibilities I finally settled on using the kit core support/radiator wall. Since turbine engines don't require a radiator this panel mostly serves as a mounting place for the dual batteries and some other pieces that I found in my parts stash that look like they belong there although they have no particular known function. As this engine is an experimental type that's not based on any real one I have a lot of latitude on what I can do. In fact Revell encouraged modelers to use their creativity and imagination with these kinds of parts pack pieces. The wall is painted body color on one side and flat black on the leading side.
The wheels and tires are resin 3D pieces that depict 17" Vector wheels and appropriately sized Goodrich Radial T/A tires. The wheels are painted body color while the tires were shot with Duplicolor flat black. In the photo they are shown in a quick mockup and the model will not be sitting as it appears once complete.
I have removed the front side marker lights and turn signals. This goes along with my previous work where I removed badges and door handles.
I knew that Utiline was going to be a very involved and labor-intensive project at the outset and it has definitely been exactly that. A lot of the early work centered around adapting the engine and building it up. Since I don't build a lot of models with an exposed engine preferring curbsides it required a lot of labor but it gave me a chance to apply some painting techniques and skills that I have been developing. I now regard this part of the chassis finished.
Because of how badly the valance that holds the turn signal fits (typical of MPC kits of the period) I had to support it with considerable layering of JB Weld as previous attempts to get it to stay put weren't successful.
The body has received its initial coats of gray primer and now I sprayed some flat black in so that the insides of the fenders will be black and hide any gaffs after the body is painted in its final colors. Once the black is cured I will mask what I want to stay that way and add some more gray primer followed by the actual color. I am using the bed steps from the Fire Fighter kit as they don't have the molded holes for the stack pipes that have been on all the other Utiline kits. As can be seen they were molded in orange.
Still a long way to go on this one.
Project Utiline is a street build based on the single release of the MPC 1979 Dodge stepside type pickup with a lot of modifications. For the record only this kit and the Fire Fighter feature the correct 1979 cab along with the revised hood and the rectangular quad headlight grille. The turbine engine comes from the early 1960s Revell parts pack series. Despite the incorrect year shown on the box top it really did contain the aforementioned 1979 parts.

I want to thank everybody for taking to the time to check out this latest installment on Utiline.