Well, I started adding some of the external items on this little guy such as scratch built ammo can racks on the rear and a scratch built antenna mount base. I also swapped out some IDF water cans and scrounged up a stowage box for the right rear. I also added some missing brace struts on the ground mount tripod, plus drilled out some lightening holes on that as well. I would have done a bit more, but I lost a couple of hours yesterday while waiting at an ungodly slow barber shop to do a simple buzz cut…
slow but sure progress, more to come in a few days…
Passenger side MG mount completed. I ended up using an Academy M-1919 and modified a kit pintle mount
Found another pair of late style .30 cal. ammo cans in my spares bin for the rear rack
I drilled out the lightening slots in the launch tube that Tamiya neglected to mold in place
I also opened the slot on the front of the pedestal mount to allow the connector cable for the Missile Guidance Set, added that cable to the MGS, and add added some wiring and a hand mic to the radio set, and filled in some open space on the bottom of the day sight.
Lastly I started installing interior components
Just a few more things to add, mostly stowage items…
created an antenna for the R-442 receiver, and pulled a full size AM antenna for the VRC-160 from my spares bin… plus I started wiring up the R-442 receiver
I scratched up the clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals, plus I added a bracket for the top of the ground mount tripod
I scratched up these fitting on the hood, but have no clue as to what their purpose is for… plus I also scratched up one more ammo can rack that I did see fitted on one IDF TOW M151
and lastly I scratch built up a LS-454 speaker box for the R-442 receiver and glued it onto the wire
I should have basic construction finished tomorrow…
Thanks Bert. Some of the fittings that I’m doing on mine are a combination of those seen on several different IDF TOW M151s that I chose because I liked how they looked. They are not visible in photos of the one that I’m basing mine upon, but they could be there if that photo had been taken from the other side of the vehicle.…. Something of a “mid life” configuration. The later configuration with the repositioned spare tire, and third missile round stowage rack, plus the FN MAG, looks to be more standard or common in photos.
So this past Saturday So Cal AMPS did our monthly Zoom meeting build session. So during the meeting I did an airbrush session, including applying the IDF Sand Gray base color
Yesterday was a day away from the bench, and today I did most of the rest of the detail colors
The other night I just happened to find some headlight lenses that will work on this build in my “stuff”. All I can say is that I wish that I had found them a month ago. But after paint, I was not happy with how the headlights looked, as painting would never make them look right… so with my Dremel I removed the kit headlights…
Then I glued the replacements in place after painting the interiors silver
I also added a coat of dust on the tires, then test fitted everything….
just a few bits more of detail painting to do, plus some weathering and I’ll call this completed…
Something of a “mid life” configuration. The later configuration with the repositioned spare tire, and third missile round stowage rack, plus the FN MAG, looks to be more standard or common in photos.
