thanks lordB!
in actual fact the conversion lowdown is:
I already had the part constructed rhino in a job-lot from a friend (the same time I got all those ships a few years back)
all I needed was two track sections (yes I mean two actual bloody induvidual tracklinks. thats was a wasteful and expensive purchase of a whole set of tracks...GRRR!)
The side-plates, front-plates and exhausts are the bloodandskulls kit.
the other changes are thus:
I added the grills to the door-steps (made from mesh).
I made the front lights out of missile pods from the landspeeder typhoon.
I added handles and reinforcing strips on the top-doors.
The rear door is classic plastic rhino kit with a cut down modern grill (from landspeeder?, valkyrie? I cant remember) in place of the viewport. I felt this made more sense as a vent rather than viewport due to its low position on the model
The top bolter-hatches are valkyrie missile pod backs with two of the same marine bike bolters attached, with the added cawl bolterrifle mags for a more modern aesthetic (think of the stormbolters that come with the rhino)
oh, and front tow hooks are from the leman-russ sprue...
all in pretty happy with it.
to be honest I prefer the fw side door detailss but the blood and skulls engines/exhausts are much more satisfyingly oldskool...
the front plates of both are both equally as good as each other to my mind.
also I lent towards this one because I thought it would be cheaper, in fact it was until I got butt-funted on the import charges at this end once it came through the post... but meh, all in all it cost +/- the same as a fw one but then, remember, i had the tank chassis already so it actually works out more? I dunno. its great quality none the less but took a LOT of reforming in hot/cold water. not an amateur kit by any stretch. you really need to know about resin to do this and be comfortable with hacking and slashing/filing/filling etc... luckily. I am...
only noticed the sexie classic landraider style "liberator" (rhino compatible) tracks in the B&S store after I ordered the replacement standard issue ones from ebay. otherwise I'd have gone for them 'n' all...
the other consideration is that the plastic SoB's are on their way and GW have teased some mk1 style rhino doors with ecclesiastical iconography included but who knows what that might mean? its not like horus heresy era mini's have not been re-imagined in plastic before (mk3 and mk4 marines?) so why not the rhino too..?
yeah, shan't hold my breath on that one...
Still considering adding a 'grab-rail' as on the classic one.
