Luckily G, the tone thing wont really be an issue. These red tops are proper full on Red (especially the Warriors)… so a few simple washes will be all it needs. But it is a different take on the normal schemes you see … a bit of colour doesn’t hurt.
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I think it’s a great touch John, something really unusual, 
.
G 
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I made a small safety pole holder and secured that to a piece of spare etch and put that on the cover behind the Comds hatch.
Need to paint it and then it will just be some minor detailing to do on the rest of the wagon.
And with the safety marker in position.
I got some more red paint today and will begin the final push on the Spartan tomorrow with a few of the remaining bits to do.l
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Hi Johnnie
That fitting on the PRV cover, I’m assuming it would be specific to BATUS Chiefs only?
Something completely different - still Chieftain - on the rear mudguard is a round hole in each inboard side. Presumably it’s for inspection/maintenance access - is that for the sprockets, or something else?
Mal
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Every little detail just keeps adding to the bigger picture John, .
G
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Hi Mal… Thanks for continued interest in this build.
If I am honest… The pole holder on the PRV cover is purely something I’ve added. I truly can’t remember where we secured those type of turret condition markers. There may well of bin some sort of holder or we might of just wedged them in between something 
On ranges in UK or Germany when I was over there we would just use sections of a broom handle cut to length with the red, green or yellow flag secured to that, usually with black masking tape or string. And then that pole was wedged in around the GPMG mount.
Ref the holes in the inner rear mudguard. They were just access holes to allow the removal of the top most final drive casing bolt. From that point above, they bolt straight into the hull or the ones below that you can easily remove without taking anything else off for access…
John
Cheers G… I wanted to make it as realistic as possible. Thanks for support as always mate
Thanks Johnnie
I’ve added those holes to my rear mudguards, though not sure I have the right dimensions?
Won’t add the mounting on the PRV.
Re the PRV, do you know if it was added when the No 6 NBC pack was fitted? I’ve had a look at my ref books, they don’t list it as separate addition, but no doubt that applies to a lot of kit on Chief?
Mal
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Mal, ref the PRV. I’m not totally sure about the very early Mks of chieftain from 5 down to 1. It began life with an NBC system fitted so logically there would of had to be PRV fitted and it would make sense that’s where it was initially and it stayed there.
I certainly don’t think anyone will be over critical either way
Hi Johnnie
Agreed, but the PRV cover behind the cupola only seems to appear from Mk3 on, when No 6 NBC pack fitted. Perhaps higher volume being filtered was a consequence?
Mal
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Could well of been something as simple as that, just an upgrade to the original system.
@Johnnych01
What a great thread! I love the Chiefy build, brought back many memories of BATUS and BAOR.
My experience was from a different angle being infantry, I spent most of my time in the ‘Tank heavy’ coy of the battalion as a "J"impy gunner (even infantry guys spell it "G"impy, a pet hate of mine) and then as anti tank pltn with MILAN, working with Hussars, 14/20th and RTR as part of 22nd armoured iirc?I
The cam net question made me smile because they are indelibly forged in my memory as infantry on Med man used Mk1 432s and we regularly set fire to them as the petrol exhaust was much hotter than the Mk2 diesels! They were single coloured sand with a tight net, almost like a heavyweight stocking material that butchers use to wrap meat. Hot exhaust, bone dry cotton net, zero humidity…not a good mix!
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Glad you’ve enjoyed finding this build @Swiftnbold and it’s brought back a few memories from BATUS and BAOR…the good old days.
I spent a short period of time as an Infanteer… And also in MILAN… I was in the Glosters for a short spell in Tidworth.
I think most people have memories or probably nightmares of camnets … Whoever designed them should have their own little corner of Hell reserved for them lol…saying that, they did vastly improve when they introduced the complete Cam system…using the poles to make the dome made it so much easier to drive the wagon in and out if we used one position for a few days …
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By coincidence, my regiment combined with the ‘glorious Glosters’ to form the Rifles.
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and the world gets smaller lol …
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Started some of the detailing on the Redtop Spartan.
The red got a touch up in most places so it’s a little damp still and there are an awful lot of micro holes, luckily you can’t see most unless you get really up close and personal…I will fill some of the bigger ones with superglue and repaint them after.
Still need to paint in the black backgrounds for the C/As and a few areas of cam need touching up.
The Chieftain is pretty much done, just need to double check a few things and secure the turret in a fixed position and place the red at action marker in place…
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A very impressive, and unusually coloured vehicle John, really enjoying the uniqueness of this build, .
One question, what it the large red panel on the right-hand hull side, and why only on the one side, ?
G,
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Man that red top really POPS! It looks fantastic! Very Thunderbirds. You’re really bringing this one back to life John.
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Thanks G as always.
Well, the side panel is the access door for the NBC pack for servicing etc. I only painted that red as it is a stand out feature on that side of the wagon, however, over that and on the other side I will be painting a large black back ground for the C/S (and one rear bin). So thats the reason I painted that part only. The whole wagon is a bit of a probable what if. They do or did have warriors in BATUS that had the whole of the hull & turret painted red, but the guns removed, but on a lot of the other Red top safety vehicles only parts are red.
The large part of the permanent staff red tops are Ford or Dodge 4x4 pick ups which are white with larger red trimmed areas, and the red warriors. The other safety wagons are usually hard or soft top Landrovers, with either the hard top or the canvas top painted in red. Other wagons in the past have just had certain parts painted red, like Ferrets had a few bins or panels painted red, so this Spartan is a bit of a hybrid between all of them really.
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Thanks Matt. Its a bit of an odd one for sure, but will hopefully have a better meaning when seen next to the Chieftain in its role as a safety wagon.