I started this kit at last month’s AZ AMPS meeting, for something simple to work on during the club meetings. Like with my just completed WC-51, I felt like doing another wheeled soft skin project. This time it’s for the other side. This kit is typical 70’s Tamiya, being easy assembly, even if a bit simplified in some respects. That does mean rapid progress.
Last month I got the chassis part way built and started on the cab area
Not bad for 2 1/2 hours work
This past Saturday I finished up the chassis, assembled the cargo bed, and completed most of the cab aside from some breakable detail parts…. another 3 hours work…
Everything fits nice and snug on the chassis frame
It’s just about ready for basic paint at this point and then to do the final major assembly. I’ll be making this in colors and markings for Eastern Front Summer 1942, during the Don/Stalingrad campaign… more to come…
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Love those old Tamiya kits, have done quite a few of them
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Yeah, this one sure is a nice easy project so far. Of course one of the guys at AMPS was working on the same kit and went on and on how its missing the steering wheel linkage arm, so now I have to come up with that missing detail… 
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Hi, that Tamiya 6x6 Prote truck is a good, fun, easy build. All but one was early war, the lone not German Gray..did one DAK. Have done maybe 7-8 over the years . I saw in the pics on certain parts, the many ejection marks on the those parts…to me the only drag part of the kit. Enjoy ur build Mike.
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Did they ever make a 6x6 version and did you scratch build the front transmission or did you find a AM kit to make the changes? That would be interesting to see.
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Jack, I’m not aware of that. I guess the Protze wasn’t a true 6X6 , just a 6 wheeled vehicle 
My bad didn’t mean to mislead or speak incorrectly . Plus, 80% of my builds are out of the box, not into to much aftermarket , other than stowage, gun tubes, replacement resin wheels, tools and the like. Plus I like to do dio’s/vignettes…the Protze is handy for those . Mike.
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Thanks for looking in and commenting guys!
Yes, most of those ejector pin marks will be hidden by weathering, or parts once the build is completed. But those ones on the front of the cargo bed I need to deal with… 
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The funny thing about this kit first released in 1978 is, it still holds up today. She isn’t the “prettiest” belle of the ball but was and is one of Tamiya’s early/mid releases. And at the time with the 5.cm mortar and Panzerschreck it was a cool offering.
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Agreed… although the Panzershrek does not go with the gray vehicle schemes. It will go nice in my spares bin for something that will work better.
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I’ve been doing small bits of work on this one here and there since my last update back in March. I filled the only ejector pin marks that would be visible and then sanded the putty smooth. I airbrushed on the Dark Gray color back in mid May, then the May AMPS meeting here I added some mud texturing using AK Dried Mud to the undersides of the body parts and the chassis frame
A couple of weeks back I painted the seats and padding using Vallejo Leather, as well as the engine block using Vallejo Natural Steel
This evening I used some pigments to dust the lower suspension frame and body undersides over the dried mud texture… after that I glued the cargo bed in place.
I haven’t glued the front of the cab in place because I need to add a scratch built item into place… coming soon
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Looks great Stik. Gotta get me one of these…
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Thanks Richard! It’s a great old kit. I made a bit more progress over the past weekend, but not worth taking photos of yet.
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Now that my Stuart is finished, my focus for finishing is on this one. Over the past couple of days I scratched up the missing steering linkage for the front wheels that Tamiya left out
After that was finished I glued the front of the cab into place so now basic main assembly is now complete.
I just have a few small bits to glue in place then start on the markings, weathering, load, etc….
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Looks great, i really like the light mud/road grime. This is still one of the greatest Tamiya kits
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Yeah what Whitney said, I swear I heard the heavenly choirs when I saw that mudguard muddying & associated mudding. The texture as much as the colour’s 110% 
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@Whitney_Foreman, @Dioramartin
Thanks for the encouragement guys! I’m aiming for the nice summer Russian Front look… some mud, and lots of dust… next stop, Stalingrad
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Yep absolutely, have you got any “6th Army Russian steppe” dust lined up? I’d imagine pale/sandy (?)
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Yes, something along those lines. Plenty of dirt & dust reference out of the Donbas area currently, seeing how the Stalingrad drive campaign started there in 1942.
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Several progress points on this one since my last update a couple of weeks ago…
I did some faded paint over the base gray, added a gloss coat then applied the decals
In the meantime I had also been working on the stowage items for the bed and the driver figure
Today I did more work on those, added the stowage as well as the last fiddly bits such as the headlights, turn & width indicators, pioneer tools, etc, as well as more mud weathering on the outer sides of the wheels…
not too much farther to the finish line
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