Hi,
I’m building the kit of Takom of Israeli AMX-13. It is nearly end, but only now I’ve discovered a major accuracy issue: the kit front lights are two for side, and consequently the light guards.
Now I’ve seen many photos of Israeli AMX-13/75 from IDF ARMOR חיל השריון-צה"ל: A.M.X 13 (France) in the IDF Tank Corps
and close photos from AMX-13 - Foto e Video - NET-MAQUETTES
From all these images it looks clear that the light arrangement and guards of the kit are wrong not only for Israeli AMX-13s, but for the most part of AMX-13s.
I am looking for a solution.
One could be: to ignore the thing and live happy.
Another solution could be: cut parts of the guards of the kit, and use them to make something vaguely similar to the guards for single lights.
Are there reasonable alternatives to these choices?
Thank you for any suggestion.
My first thought was to check to see if Tamiya offered alternate parts in their kit, and they don’t. And having built several Heller kits, I know they are not correct either, nor would I wish those parts on anyone even if they were.
I know your skill set. I’m fairly confident you can knock them out. A loop in the front, a loop in the back, and some connecting pieces. I’d use brass. It forms easier, and styrene likes to break under tension when hit with liquid cement. Of course you could use CA to avoid that. Ether way, it looks like an evening at the dinner table paying tribute to Ozzy.
There’s a guy on this site who did an Israeli AMX-13, Russel Baer I believe is his name. He may be able to help and others as well. I’m sure they’ll be chiming in soon.
Israeli AMX13s were early hulls hence the single light per side. This is a feature Takom didn’t get right. However the double light is correct for all the later AMX13 s.
To fix this you can make the single light guard with styrene strips like I did with my Heller early AMX13. Or you can use the PE part of the Takom AMX13 /105. Have a look at my build here
Olivier
I forgot this set. Why not?
Seems a promising solution. I wonder if I can manage to paint the lenses through the grid. I’ve found it in a online shop.
I’ll try to modify the guards of the kit as a first attempt, in case of failure I have the possibility to buy this.
I think the prints are in clear resin. You can paint the back with a chrome pen, then overpaint with sand. chrome show throught in the front.
Yes, it is possible, but painting the grid and the glass frame through it seems not too easy.
I used the FC Modeltrends set. Surprisingly they were very nice, and the resin was properly cured and not brittle. If they were at all fragile I would have broken them, trust me.
Below is probably the best pic I have that shows them well. The resin was uncolored, not quite translucent.
IMG_4170 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I bought them directly from the producer and had them in my hot little hands in about 10 days; Spain to Texas in less than two weeks was pretty good.
You can lead a Horse to water but you can’t make him drink it . Comes to mind 
I did… won’t do that again though.