Three Amigos: Takom, Tamiya & Dragon Neo - Panzer IIIN build log

The Three Amigos build is growing into The Los Muchachos build as another Pz III arrived. Reluctantly, ordered an Academy 1/35 Panzer III J North Africa after reading good comments on the kit.

The kit arrived today!

My overall first impression is better than expected. No sink marks and no flash. Molding was clean and crisp with several slide molded parts. Tracks have an abundance of punch marks and are likely to be replaced.

In the fall/winter this will probably be the first Pz III build followed by the previously mentioned DML kit.

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Truly epic build log. Thanks for all your work, opinions and techniques. Like everyone, I think, I’m disappointed in Takom.

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Update - Takom Preview Pzkpfw III -Ausf N - Winterketten

And

Missing Lynx - New Takom Pz III N Winterketten

Kudo’s :clap: to Takom, unlike some manufacturers who turn a blind eye, Takom has steped trying to fix the multitude of faults their initial Pz III N had.

All the pink areas are allegedly retooled and corrected. Please see link for details.

Given how much hate & bile, I vented on the initial Takom Blitz Pz III N kit seemed only fair to acknowledge Takom’s good intentions with the revisions. I hope they also fix the sloppy suspension etc as well.

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It has been announced right here as well three hours ago :slight_smile:

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I think it speaks volumes of Takom’s integrity and dedication to the modelers that they retool the entire lower and upper hull so quickly to rectify errors pointed out by modelers. Plus, it’s done on a Blitz kit, which is price pointed at the lower end of tank models. This is the kind of manufacturer action we have hoped for for decades.

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Fun stuff, dude. I’m digging your style.

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Ok, I’m still trying to get over your first post of you throwing away a perfectly good Panther kit because of some inaccuracy. Especially with the amount of work you put into these other kits. Awesome work but…

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Matt, agreed A+++ of Takom, major respect for them here. Takom their Actions > words.

@Arch-Stanton, Al thank you very much. If I can get that Dragon Pz III N started next there should be some fun

@Dave_Galant Dave, Welcome to the forum!

Thank you for taking time to check out the thread, very much appreciated.

LOL! There’s always sheer comedy in the absurdity of very serious “model building”. A couple of hobbies aren’t fun (for me) unless its serious.

Once upon a time, on a workbench far far away, that was part of my fun, passion & frustration with model project. I was blessed with a couple of wonderful friends in those days who were just as fanatical about such things. We’d push each other etc. Fanatical “mode” stays limited to only a few specific tanks and mostly stays turned off these days…with an occasional exception for something like an old vintage Panzer IV kit from the 1970’s.

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Dragon Song :musical_note: :notes:

Wrapped RFM’s 5069 Stug III today and it was such a fantastic fun kit, I decided it was time to get on with the 3rd Amigo, Dragon’s Neo #5 Panzer III Ausf.N, Tunisia 1942/1943. I’m excited about this build as it’s an opportunity to use DAK colors for the first time in ages and several new paints are available. New in Wade’s World means any paint developed after Testors closed thr doors at Floqil …wink…:grinning: :smile:

Straight from the Dragon’s​:dragon: treasure hoard​:money_mouth_face: :moneybag: for only ~$82 plus shipping!

Early release kits come with an interior which I’ll toss in the spare parts box for another project. Track Link - Dragon Neo #5 Pz Ill Ausf N - Tunisia can help with other folks impressions of this kit.

As mentioned in the Track Link thread, Dragon’s previously outstanding box art basically sucks these days. Check out those modern jerry cans on the Pz III…LOL! At least they fixed that for the box art.

Dragon, apparently worried about global warming and wasted plastic, packs two to three trees to each plastic non resealable bag.

Thus concludes the basic overview of what’s in the :card_file_box: box.

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$82. That’s just obscene.

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Yeah, buddy! But that’s what stuff costs these days.
We’re all a long ways from the $2.00 kits of our youth.
Or the $30.00 kits of 20 years ago.

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And the cat judging your life choices for eternity. :rofl:

“Why you buying all that, hooman? You should buy more food for me.”

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I actually bought the previous boxing of that kit for $30 about six years ago. Granted it was during one of Dragon USA’s ridiculous sales as they cleared the warehouse to relocate, but even then I think it was about $50 original price. There is nothing in this kit that magically added about $52.50 to the MSRP, especially since they took the Magic Tracks out.

Anyway, back on topic:

Are you going to be using the Tex-Mex Method? If so, which of the Three Amigos is getting stuffed with shredded chicken, which with ground beef, and which with roasted pork? And will each have the appropriate sauce or will you be doing a basic red sauce for all three?

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So… are you saying the Takom PZKFW III N, Kit # 8005 has issues and the soon to be made Kit # 8011 fixes the issue?

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@SableLiger Reyneir, indeed Kali does have the opinion she should well!

She was a scrawy starving homeless stray five years ago that I took in during the dead of winter. Now she has a steady diet of healthy Blue Buffalo dry & moist cat food but much purrfers people food like…and would eat at a table place setting with us if my wife would allow it…she got her share of this over the holidays.

…as for judgmental…this picture says it all…

@Arch-Stanton Al, yes the price of things has gone up but this thing is basically a nice15+ year old kit, without magic tracks, very little PE, plus new box. Probably why I seldom buy Dragon kits anymore unless on sale or at a show etc.

@brekinapez LOL, definitely Tex-Mex, the Dragon kit will at least get some aftermarket spicy tracks! That plus MRP’s (new to me) DAK RAL colors, hopefully the little​:dragon: kit will be a hot tamale :tamale:

@TopSmith Greg, yes unfortunately Takom had various issues with that kit, serious in my humble opinion with Takom PZKFW III N, Kit # 8005. In the build log above I pointed out many problems but didn’t get into discussing accuracy issues because I wanted to finish the build and not toss it in the :recycle: bin. I choose not get too wrapped up in accuracy discussion most of the time.

On the bright side Takom has retooled much the new Pz III Ausf N so I think they are stand up and doing the right thing. :white_check_mark: I guess we’ll really have to see the new kit to know for sure but they seem to be making an honest try.

There’s plenty on Missing Lynx & Track Link on the old kits accuracy issues.

In any case, with house keeping complete…

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So…who makes the most accurate PZKFW III N?

I’m not an aficionado/experten to give you a definitive answer. Based on what I think read and see, Dragon’s is the most accurate. If RFM does one it will probably be a toss up with RFM having better engineering and build.

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Having a conservatively replete knowledge of what’s out there right now, I’d put a fair market value of $60 for an MBT kit right now.

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Agreed. If I’m willing to shop around or wait for it to become available at the right vendor’s site.

What I’m most guilty of is “gotta’ have it syndrome” when I’m caught up in seeing a particular kit I’ve been waiting for.

Case in point, a recent M48 release by “I :heart: Kit”. I got wrapped around the axle and ordered it from the first big US vendor that had it (in Missouri) and I paid a premium for it.

If I’d just bided my time, I could have gotten it for a three quarters of what I paid for it at the New Hampshire vendor’s site.

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Agreed, ~$60 is the fair ballpark for MBT kit now days.

Back in the day, story below so my friend’s you’re warned :warning: :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

In the 1990’s one of my friends had new kit compulsion. In anticipation, he’d talk about the new kit for two weeks, snatch at hobby shop for full retail or more. He’d fold the instructions like in grade school to fit his back pocket and take work to read on break for ~ week. Talk about building for a week. Then off to the stash. He’d snatch up every 1/48, 1/72 & 1/35 new release possible. He get so excited :blush: when practically any new release was announced. When he got bored looking at the kit in a few months he’d liquidate the kit.

In 1993, Tamiya announced new King Tiger’s, Henschel & Porsche, he jumped for joy. Bought both on release at MSRP retail. Showed the kits off at club meeting etc talked about them etc, folded up the instructions etc. He kept asking why I didn’t buy both or at least buy the Porsche King Tiger since I obviously wanted one.

Replied waiting for the price to come down…

He laughed that prices only go up, they don’t go down, buy now! I smiled like this…had to remind myself to reply in English, not native Klingon.

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Then asked him if he’d heard about Dragon’s new JS-2, JS2m or similar something :thinking:

So anyway, here’s “his” Porsche King Tiger…

Cost $20, with Fruil tracks, Tamiya PE & Tamiya engine.

Here’s his Henschel King Tiger and later his Ardennes King Tiger. Same deal, Tamiya tracks & PE.

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