Building an abandoned 1:24 gas station

Welcome back to the wasteland. In episode 2 of the gas station build, a heavily modified '69 Dodge Charger Daytona crosses paths with a custom Peterbilt tow truck, and it turns into an all-out gunfight right at the pumps.

The diorama is a 1:24 tribute to the classic Sinclair gas stations of the past, reimagined as a gritty, Mad Max-inspired survivor outpost.

The rusted orange Charger Daytona parked at the gas station — The modified '69 Charger Daytona at the station.

The showdown

The Charger and the Peterbilt meet under the canopy, and it doesn't take long before the shooting starts. This is how the standoff looks on set.

The custom Peterbilt tow truck, with a gunman taking aim beside it — The custom Peterbilt tow truck rolls in.

A gunman closing in on the wrecked Charger — The gunfight at the Charger.

A low angle on the tow truck under the canopy.

The building

I designed the walls, the roof sign, the lights and the utility box myself in Tinkercad and printed them part by part on my Bambu Lab printer, so every wall comes off the bed flat and clean. The weathering does the rest, until it looks like wood that has been in the sun for fifty years.

Front of the gas station with weathered walls and green doors — The building on the workbench, before it got its canopy.

Close-up of the broken windows and peeling clapboard — Broken windows and peeling boards on the side of the office.

The office corner with its round gas station sign, broken windows and green doors — The office corner, with the round sign on the wall.

Close-up of the front windows with broken glass and mesh behind it — The front windows up close, next to the green doors.

The canopy

The angled canopy ties the whole scene together. Finished, it's rusted through at every seam, with a "Gas Station" sign on the roof and weeds climbing up the posts.

The rusted canopy with the Gas Station sign, photographed outside under a blue sky — The finished canopy and roof sign, shot outside in natural light.

Filming it outside

I shot the whole scene outdoors in natural daylight and used forced perspective to make the miniature action feel big on camera.

A short AI-animated fly-by over my station, made with Kling AI.

The finished gas station outside, with weeds growing up the canopy posts — The finished station, out in the open.

A new song for the shootout

Turn the volume up for this one. I wrote and recorded a brand new original song for the soundtrack of the gunfight. More of my music is on the music page.

Your turn

Which wasteland rig would you bet your last drop of guzzoline on, the Charger Daytona or the Peterbilt? Tell me in the comments under the video, and subscribe to catch the next episode.

Get the files

The STL files for my parts of this gas station are coming to the shop, so you can print your own and weather it your way.

STL file

Abandoned gas station, 1:24 STL files

Print your own roadside gas station: front and side walls, roof sign, canopy lights and utility box.

€12.50