I got this Tamiya kit when it first came out some years ago. I really liked the shape of it and, and well I thought it looked cool.

I was cruising down "stash street" last week when I found this kit again, well more like exhumed it from the pile.

The kit only has two main sprues and one clear with a Die-cast metal chassis, looks pretty simple.

Well as it turns out that its been a while since I opened a Tamiya box and I was surprised to see so many ejector pin marks, so many pin marks, OH GOD so many pin marks.

So on to the build and progress.

Cool box art.

the body.

The metal chassis

Suspension components and chassis.

Inside the metal chassis is a TAMIYA company stamp. If the back door is left open then this needs to be covered up. It will be that prominent.

Now some of those pin marks and pin marks and a few more pin marks.

Thanks for looking,

Terry.

mg.mikael wrote:

Anyways looks like you had alot of ejector pin marks..............

Well, this kit didn't have any tracks to put 'em on.....   so, they had to

deal 'em out somehow.

mg.mikael, I've seen the PE set by voyager and in my opinion its not worth the price and effort. I think the kit will be OK by itself, the only thing I noticed in the PE set that would really be of use are the accessories for the smoke dis chargers. BTW hows progress coming along on your M3 scout car.

I will say that the amount of pin marks on such a recent kit and from such a prominent and prestigious manufacturer is, well, may I say it ......"Disgraceful". The kit cost €40 at the time which is about $50 U.S Dollars.

Another thought I will add to the soup I'm making here is that I genuinely think that we are being spoiled by Dragon with their kits which are almost pin mark free or just really well hidden. Thats just my own opinion.

Please don't let me turn you off this kit as I myself find it a little beauty.

Steve, Steve, Steve, 

Well, this kit didn't have any tracks to put 'em on.....   so, they had to

 

deal 'em out somehow.

Yeah thats hitting the nail on the head.

Thanks mate.

Bill, thanks for the encouragement, I'll try not disappoint anybody following along. Putty, well I love Humbrol thinned slightly with Liquid Poly cement, works great you can paint it on.

Over here we have branches of the British car accessory company called Halfords. They do a great "Knifing Putty" thats quite cheap. Sorry Bill I love to go on about fillers as I love trying different blends to produce an easier to use putty. I can't abide gaps in a model, especially if somebody makes that error on a really expensive or brilliant kit.That carry on just ruins a kit.

 

Thanks again,

Terry.

Never let it be said that you build the mundane seen everyday kits

Looking at the parts you filled all the pin marks reminded me of old Bugs Bunny cartoons when he was trying to make Elmer Fudd think he was sick by paint dots all over the inside of a room, "...are you seeing spots?" 

Don't you just love those manufacturers stamps!!  When I built my Helldiver it was on the surface of the horizontal stabilizer.  At least it was plastic and easy to sand off.

Hi, guys thanks for looking in and leaving your comments, I have got some progress made and photographed but I have not had the time to upload yet. The summer over here is very warm this year and going into the back room  which is south facing is like walking into an oven. Also I am very busy in work and in the evenings do just be that little bit too tired to do anything.

The progress I have made only amounts to about 20 - 25 hours worth, I have a load of sub assemblies ready for painting and hope to get more done over the weekend.

Thanks for dropping in,

Terry.

terry, model magazine by tamiya did a special on this kit awhile back. it was issue 110, of december '04. not sure if you can find a back order copy of this, but it had great information about it. let me know if you can't find it, and maybe i could photocopy the article and mail it to you.

that's the one. since i read that article i have been interested in the kit, but between the cost, and the tubes of putty i would need, i'll hold off for now.

will be following your build, looks like it will be very interesting. good luck

Too bad they never made a civilian version of that vehicle.They'd sell a ton of them.

Well a small update is well over due. Thanks for the interest TD4438, Ikar I did consider using it in a Gotham City Dio. with the Bandai Batmobile. Thanks for the link Phil.

I have been really busy in work recently so progress is slow. I got some painting done the other night but the weather was so hot that the paint started to go off really quick and it P***** me off no end.

I have the body painted but have not photographed it yet.

Well the pics.

I have been using this fishing tackle type box to hold all the subassemblies and bits.

 

The roof rack needed a ton of filler to make the bars line up and a lot of sanding to bring everything together.

The wheels.

Some body shots to try give an impression of thet great shape of this vehicle.

The vehicle with the doors just tacked on,

I sprayed the armoured glass with Tamiya clear blue, I'm pretty pleased with the result, I've since coated with Clear/Future. Its Future in the States and Clear over here.

And the interior.

Thanks for dropping by.

And a very happy Fourth of July to all in the United States for whom I know its a very important day.

 

Regards,

Terry.

 

 

Thanks Michael, I know all too well the amount of work you have had to do to get a decent result from your scout car. I think one big problem with this kit I'm doing is "ME", I completely underestimated the entire kit. I got all the planning wrong because when I seen two sprues I thought "Simplicity", boy Oh boy was I wrong. The fit of parts overall is good but as I've said those pin marks were killer and just not up to the standards we expect today from Dragon and a couple of others. The kit is 2004 I think.

Thanks,

Terry.