Combat Patrol Review

Back in February Jeff Imel got TimMee fans all wound up about the news of another reissue on the battlefield horizon. Well, the wait is over. You can finally get your grubby little mitts on the new Combat Patrol set from TimMee Toys. And we think you'll agree that it was worth the wait.  

Willys M38 Jeep

New registration number sticker

Anti-tank gun

While the Jeep and cannon chassis come from the same molds that were last retooled in the 80s, the wheels and axles have received a slight redesign. A screw-in type axle is used instead of the press-in flared type axle. The mold was modified to accomplish this and the results are a definite improvement. The Jeep and cannon roll very smoothly and look better without the metal axle protruding through the plastic hub. Plus you can unscrew a wheel (or two) for some realistic-looking (and more importantly, reversible!) battle damage... if that's your thing.

New wheel/axle tooling

Screw-in type axles

And what's this? Stickers? Yes! So nice to have these little gems back. They've been a TimMee/Processed Plastic trademark for decades and have always added character to their military vehicles. And the icing on this cake is that the digits on the registration number stickers aren't just random ones, no no no... they're actually references to important dates in the company's long history. A built in timeline, if you will:

• 19480201 - Approximate date Tim Mee company was founded.

• 01011965 - Legal date Processed Plastic acquired Tim Mee Toys.

• 20110928 - First pack of reissued Tim Mee M16 Soldiers shipped.

But it doesn't stop there. They've also created 2 new stickers. One is a very cool Tim Mee' signature logo. Jeff refers to it as an "Easter Egg"... just not a hidden one. Funny guy.  The other is a white mini-star, which is ideal for all those tight little spaces. Note: Applying the stickers with a hobby knife is the best method, IMHO. Just slide the knife behind the sticker and remove it from the sheet. Then guide the sticker to the position on the vehicle where you want it placed (holding it just above the surface) and press down on one corner of the sticker while pulling the knife away.

Classic (and new) TimMee stickers

Applying the stickers with hobby knife

Rounding out this reissue is a retro-style header card. The front was designed by some dude who owns an Army blog or whatever and apparently has WAY too much time on his hands.  Not to be outdone, Imel turned things up a notch on the back with complete illustrated instructions for sticker placement. He's such a show-off.

The plastic used to cast this set is the same great olive green used for the Patton tank reissue. And the stickers are as close to a perfect match as you can get. Flashing, as with the other reissued vehicles, is at a bare minimum.

What's even more exciting about this release is what it will (hopefully) bring us in the not-so-distant future. Just as the reissue of the Rescue 'Copter brought us a brand new color (desert tan), the Combat Patrol could likely be released in the same color. Yet another first. And those are always a real treat.

So there you have it. A big salute to Jeff Imel and company for putting together one fine reissue.

Semper Fi!

Available at Amazon now

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming already in progress...

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Related Pages:
[Willys Jeep]
[Artillery]