Help with 6th scale BSA B40 upgrades please

[InvictaJ26]

I have thought about scratch building a 6th scale WWII BSA M20 despatch riders bike but thought I would start by upgrading the old Action Man / GI JOE BSA B40 to get myself in the right frame of mind.
I am also toying with the idea of adding the sidecar and making this combination Radio Controlled.

I have started to mockup items on my B40 like foot rests, gear levers, a kickstart, etc. (Please see photos).



But I am getting stuck trying to find a suitable material as I am finding Plastruct very difficult to heat and bend without it snapping or melting.
I use a hair dryer as the heat source.

Has anyone any suggestions on a material or product which is a bit more malleable but will still retain it's shape once bent?

Any help and ideas will be very much appreciated,

Bern

 

[Nwerke]

Bern, plastruct is ABS. It is a tough material. Try ordinary styrene sheet. Much easier to work with.

 

[InvictaJ26]

That would explain it! Thank you.
I use Styrene for panels/sides but I need to make small lengths of tube and rod.
I will try putting the Plastruct into boiling water before I start to use it to see if that helps. I will also try and use a thicker plastic coated garden wire where I can so the coating will hopefully enable me to superglue to shapes into place.
Many thanks,
Bern

 

[InvictaJ26]

Mockup complete(ish).

Thanks to a dose of man flu I've spent more time than I expected getting the mockup done on my old Action Man BSA.
Repairs include:
Handlebars repaired & choke lever and horn(?) switch added. Securing lugs relocated to replicate their real life positions. 2 pins added to the underside to stop the whole thing swivelling on its base.
Broken undercarriage repaired and as it was for a sidecar combo and this is a solo machine the various bits that stick out have been taken off.
Broken pannier cage repaired and a screw added so it can be removed if required.
Headlight fixings repaired. The headlight will now tilt if required

Additions include:
All four foot pegs
Brake and gear lever pedals Hand pump added
Filler cap and drain bung to oil tank
Bash plate
Engine casing at front extended.
Horn now has two dummy wire terminals
Cloth panniers made
Various bolt/nut heads added.

The next stage is to have a good think about those wheel spokes. Insect specimen mounting pins might do the job?

Here's a couple of photos of the work in progress.

Thanks for the help so far

Bern