Fit issues with MiniArt GAZ 03-30 / kraftwagen typ-03-30-t

I am building this model, and I found some serious fit issues with the vertical engine covers (A3, A4 on the instructions https://miniart-models.com/products/38005/). They simply do not fit. The whole model has some fit issues which I have dealt with (putty, pressure, swearing and a combination of these things), but I simply could not make these parts fit. Had I known to expect fit problems I would have changed the building sequence, but I simply followed the instructions. I attached the horizontal engine covers to make sure the position of the radiator is correct, but the side panels are just not going into their places.

I am building the German workshop version of the model - do you think it would be acceptable just to leave these off, exposing the engine compartment? (Captured vehicle, heavily modified…) I have seen these parts removed in German trucks/halftracks, to make cooling the engine simpler (I think), but I would be curious if I can just explain away the lack of these parts with a similar rationale.

Could you post images of the fit problems?
The side panels (A3 and A4) have the hinges on top and these need to go inside the top covers (A1 and A2) .
Where is the fit issue? Front to back or top to bottom?

this is the problem. Due to the alignement issues, the top of the radiator is pushed forward (it is further from the cab than the bottom part) -ergo the square A3 panel will not fit. The problem with the model is that the instructions have you build this part in separate sections, at different stages of the build, and the alignement is not good enough. If I built everything at the same time, I could have taken care of it, but now it is quite difficult as I do not wish to take it apart. This is why I asked how feasible/historical it is to leave the panels off.

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Please check the location of the windshield and the parts directly in front of it.
Compare this side view of the cabin


with

I get the impression that the windshield and forward door frame is leaning backward when it should be vertical. If it was vertical the space for the side panel would be rectangular and the panel should fit.
I think the problem is here:

Somehow you managed to get the windshield frame part too low which twists the parts in front.
If I am indeed correct in this assumption you will need to fix this otherwise the door and the rest of the bus body will get misaligned and create even bigger problems later.
I think that the bottom of H5 shall be level with the lower edges of H6 and H7.
The rear edges of H6/H7 shall align with the forward edge of the cutout for H8.
H8 gets squeezed in a notch between the forward corners in Gb8 and the rear edges of H6/H7 and H5 provides the inner edge of the notch (circled with red in the instruction image above)

It is indeed leaning backwards. This was the only way it went in (the step pushes it forward on the bottom, and the cab’s bottom part is not completely straight, either -there is a gap I had to fill as well). I think if in the beginning there was a slight misalignement which if you do not pick up (and how would you as nothing is in place yet), the whole thing will cascade creating problems. I tried the cab and it actually fits, so so far this seems to be OK. Now I know what to look out for, I could restart the model and redo everything in a different order from the suggested one.

This is why I asked if it is feasible to leave the engine covers off.

I dryfitted Gb8, Kc2, H5 and H8 and H8 was not pushed forward in any way.
The sides H6 and H7 line up with H5 so that the rear (vertical) edges of H6 & H7 meet the notch in H5 to leave an opening for H8. The insides of H6 and H7 has a raised angle (represent internal framing?) which fits the angle of H5

Did you get H5 to the correct position on the fenders De2 and De1?
If H5 gets too close to the radiator then A2 and A1 would push the windshield backwards.

I did not dry fit the model, unfortunately, just went ahead building it. Most everything is where they are supposed to be, but as I said tiny misalignements snowball downstream of the building process. (I got used to not needing to dry fit models in the last couple of years -MiniArt models since the D7 tractor I have built were amazingly well engineered, as were most of other kits I have built.)

As I mentioned I should have changed the building sequence from the suggested one so I can make sure everything aligns, but I did not. Now I need to salvage the build, so the question is: can I leave the side panels off? Would that be historical?

Maybe you could scratchbuild a canvas winter cover similar to the one used on the Opel Blitz :

variant :

H.P.

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Maybe Panzer Art “1/35 Russian GAZ-AAA Truck Engine Deck w/Winter Canvas Cover RE35-192” would fit the bill ?

H.P.

I think you’d still encounter the same issue with fit at the cowling. Something just doesn’t look right with the rearward-sloping cabin front — should be a 90° square box, per Robin’s comment. :triangular_ruler: … Side-panels off? Historically… I doubt it. IMHO.
—mike

OK, I took it all apart, and after some serious surgery, shaving plastic off from different parts, I managed to put everything together so they kinda fit. The model has some fit issues for sure :frowning:

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