# Grand Theft Gator — 3DModels.org GTA Car Render Challenge \[WIP\]

**URL:** <https://blenderartists.org/t/grand-theft-gator-3dmodels-org-gta-car-render-challenge-wip/1653683>\
**Category:** Works in Progress\
**Tags:** modeling, texturing\
**Created:** [September 26, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/grand-theft-gator-3dmodels-org-gta-car-render-challenge-wip/1653683 "2026-09-26T17:48:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rodrigo\_Arantes](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/rodrigo_arantes/32/1499326_2.png) [@Rodrigo\_Arantes](https://blenderartists.org/u/Rodrigo_Arantes)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/grand-theft-gator-3dmodels-org-gta-car-render-challenge-wip/1653683/1 "2026-09-26T17:48:59Z")

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Participant of the [3DModels.org GTA Car Render Challenge](https://3dmodels.org/gta-car-challenge/)

Kicking off my entry! The star is a beat-up 1970s camper van owned by a Florida Man who still drives it today: sun-faded paint, rust, duct-tape repairs and way too much junk strapped to the roof.

Step one is research. The van will be my own design, so the board mixes cues from some 70s and 80s American vans and trucks: one for proportions and wear, others for the front end, plus custom van culture, roof clutter and interior details.

 ![image](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/4/5/7/4570c223b9ce31aeda2f9c3dce0d4ef4e9df7ba9.png)

Next up: silhouette sketches to lock the design, then scene blockout in Unreal Engine 5.

Tools: PureRef, GIMP, Blender, Marvelous Designer, Substance 3D Painter, Unreal Engine 5  
#GTACarChallenge

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**Author:** ![FlyingBanana](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/flyingbanana/32/1374532_2.png) [@FlyingBanana](https://blenderartists.org/u/FlyingBanana)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/grand-theft-gator-3dmodels-org-gta-car-render-challenge-wip/1653683/2 "2026-09-27T02:55:04Z")

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Look forward to seeing this progress.

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**Author:** ![Rodrigo\_Arantes](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/rodrigo_arantes/32/1499326_2.png) [@Rodrigo\_Arantes](https://blenderartists.org/u/Rodrigo_Arantes)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 9:57pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/grand-theft-gator-3dmodels-org-gta-car-render-challenge-wip/1653683/3 "2026-09-27T21:57:44Z")

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**Update #1 — Van blockout**

Found a to-scale orthographic blueprint of a 3rd-gen 1986 Ford Econoline and used it to block out the van’s body in Blender, matching real proportions (wheelbase, roofline, overhang) before pushing into custom parody territory. Had to recalibrate the views against each other since the blueprint sheet wasn’t drawn at a consistent scale between angles, I used the van’s real length as the anchor.

 ![image](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/f/5/bf5ae24e059d816368b1c0687836f2eb9adbbe62.png)

 ![image](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/d/8/5/d8545775b772a3d945af83a065539c2041d6f084.png)

 ![image](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/b/4/3b4e0c2b6bbf586d46280e2cef8d61c508e0120e.png)

Happy with the base shape now.

Next: crease the body panels and block in the door openings, then move on to the front-end variations that’ll lock the final silhouette.

#GTACarChallenge