Yes, I know… it is an old and pretty bad kit, by today’s standards.
I learned there was an article about correcting this kit in Finscale Modeler sept’ 1990 by Tony Greenland?
Anyone has this and can help me out with a scan?
Or any other info really. I am not going to splurge a lot of cash for AM or PE on a $12-kit, so I am looking for “hmemade” solutions.
Thanks for the offer, but @varanusk already provided me with those.
Looking at the amount of work involved, I just might skip the purchase. Had no idea it was that bad.
Glad you found it. I built one OOB (since I had it already) and used it for a first attempt with Zimmerit. May not be accurate but it was fun.
There are much better kits though pricey.
If you don’t have ANYTHING else to use as a target for airbrush practice then you could buy it for that purpose.
Basically anything that your paint can stick to works as target for painting practice, vac-formed cookie containers, plastic bottles, scrapped computer shells, left over parts from other kits, old CD-cases, anything with some structure basically so why buy a paint target …
As others have said: Leave this fossil for collectors
I found this kit in my stash, bought by a mate as a Birthday or Christmas present years ago and decided to give it a go. Like you, I was loath to chuck good money at it. I used the Tamiya separate tracks for it, they are better than standard but nothing like as good as even Magic Tracks, let alone Fruils or their ilk. I modified the front glacis plate so the driver’s visor looked something like with Plasticard and used body putty and the Tamiya Zimmerit tools on it. The missing front track tension wheel came from the spares box. Then I dressed it up a bit with left over Dragon tools, M.G. mount on the turret etc. You know what? It actually looks like a Panther. So my advice is get it and have some fun, that’s what the hobby is supposed to be about.
It is now on display being towed by a worked on Italaeri Bergpanther. They look OK from a distance.
Lol I have their T -62 but a bunch of aftermarket stuff including a couple of turrets, wheels etc. I was gonna make it as a knocked out Syrian tank from the ‘73 war. There’s a few famous pics of some knocked out T-62s with winter stripes on the turret, I think it was at the valley of the tears battle or something.
You know when that Panther came out we all thought it was great. It’s only competition was the 1/76 Airfix and the Aurora 1/48. A clean build and a good paint job goes along way.
Both the Panther and T62 go together well and look like a Panther and a T62 respectively. Yes they are not museum accurate but sitting on your shelf, few would be able to tell. Paint and weather nicely and you will be happy with them. Both kits will allow you to do some scratch building if you choose or just do an out of box build. Both are low stress fun builds.
I have built a couple of them. I have two more to go. its the worst kit so far. But i use it to try one off schemes.
I use 1/8 brass K&S hobbie rods from hobby lobby for the axles. I snip off both plastic axles and then to accept the rod for the front drive wheels I drill a hole on both sides. I do this because the stock tracks WILL pull the wheels outward.
Wonder if there’s enough interest to do an Alley-Cat’s Campaign of old before 1985 Tamiya 1/35 armor kits. Seems like a lot of nostalgia around the old Panther kit. An old Tamiya Tiger would be pretty fun etc.