Mike, It is a decent kit, but it is showing it’s age. All the stowage trays on the front and sides could do with a thinner replacement. You seem to be the right guy for that type of work though 
Yesterday I started on the tracks while deliberating about the headlight’s PE - Legend or Eduard.
All the tools I’m using:
Trumpeter’s Track Guide
A block to keep the tracks flat when drying
Mig Ammo Super Thin
Fine Grit Sanding Stick (one swipe on each nub is about all it took)
Zoukei Mura Nippers (really perfect for the softer AFV Club tracks)
Med tray from one of my medications
Surprisingly enough, it goes pretty quick. The Royal PITA is going to be “filling” the sink marks in the track pads. I’m done with AFV Club tracks after this for this reason.
And, I wussed out on using the Legend PE for the light guards. Eduard’s set has “brackets” for the lights/horn/etc that will make life easier.
Once those are mounted, it’s PRIMER TIME!
Mike
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Great going Mike! You deserve to throw some paint at that thing!
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Happily, I’ve not had the urge to throw the kit at the wall!! I’m generally not that fast with a kit that has a lot of PE (My HEMTT with interior and exterior PE has been sitting patiently by for quite some time - soooo much PE for it I had to take a break). Honestly, finding a method to do the tie-downs greatly upped my desire to continue. 
Mike
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Primer!!!
Along with that, I worked on the tracks some more, finished the antennas, painted the “hooch” supports, and installed the SKP headlights and IR lights. I’ll need to trim those before I mount them on the Eduard parts.
A reasonably good modeling day for me. 
Mike
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That weld seam and all the PE looks good in primer…
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What Al said, that seam looks great … as does the whole package … lovely progress.
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I have one lighting side done, more or less - looks like I need to tweek the blackout marker. Definitely a PITA.
And the OD (Mig Ammo Post WWII Olive Drab) is on. Foolish me forgot to cover the road wheel mounts, so that’s going to be some work to clean those off. 
I’m thinking about “dusting” it with some Vallejo Model Air Olive Drab just for a bit of a tonal change.
Mike
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Hey, those lights look really nice !
The Mig post WWII OD (FS24087?) most closely resembles the OD of my 60s overseas dependent childhood…
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Not sure of the FS #, but the color, though shiny, seems to fit my earliest M577. And it flows sooooo nice out of the airbrush!
Mike
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Meant to say Vellejo, not Mig. It’ll be perfect when you get the flat clear on it.
Road wheels and idlers are on. Drive sprocket housings are primed and need to dry. Headlights/BO markers are all attached to their mounts and I need to tweek the protective frames for them some. All of the “hootch” supports are done. The “hootch” itself is unusable. There’s no way it’ll fit properly and probably wouldn’t fit if the roof was totally bare. I’m going to have to scratch one and have a few ideas about that.
Mike
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I’ve seen tarp rolls done out of a sheet cut from nitrile gloves and they looked great.
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That’s an interesting idea. One of my thoughts was to use an old T-shirt to get the base and then wrap it in this thin, sort of textured, paper I have. Another idea was to use a brown paper bag cut and rolled.
Ultimately, which ever medium I use, I plan to “assemble” the panels very much like the “hootch” was made, fold those panels in, and roll it up like we did in the field.
We’ll see how it pans out.
Mike
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Okay time to start this build. I have a few backed up for painting, but the heat and humidity at the moment is too much for that.
My entry. AFV Club’s Panzerfunkwagen SdKfz 263. Nothing like a command vehicle directing panzers to lift the FOG.
Lots a bits in this one…
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I will be following along closely. I’d been wanting this kit for quite some time and finally got one. Love the looks of the 263!
Mike
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Ah, didn’t consider it’s made up of multiple panels. Good luck!
I recently received from a very skilled modelling friend (who casts his own models) the latest additions to my Corps Main layout:
In other words a different type of Box Bodied Vehicle (Office Truck to most), a generator, and trailer, reflecting, in 1:300:
I haven’t touched this in a while so will really have to get a move on; lots still to do!
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