1/35 scale Cold War

Thanks for the info guys!  

Any of the Dragon Vietnam era figures will work as well.  The Tamiya ones are pretty poor on detail and are quite anerexic.  I wouldn't use them for anything.

Well then it depends upon if you want to depict BDUs w/steel pots or the older uniforms such as fatigues or jungle cammies worn in that time period. But in styrene you choices will be limited. Some older (WWII, Korea/Vietnam) figures canbe modified for what you want.

I wanted to focus on the 70s and early 80s before the PASGT helmet was issued.  I know Tamiya has a command figure kit and a mortar kit that fit this era, and I figure I can use their Modern infantry by substituting Hornet heads with M1 helmets.  Any other kits come to mind for this time period?

Why scratch build them.  There are bunches of figure kits of Cold War era troops.  It also depends on when you are talking about.  The Cold War lasted from mid-1947 until Dec 1991 (when the Soviet Union collapsed).  If we know when are you looking to depict, we can give you some figure suggestions.

I've done a few, circa late 1980s to mid 1990s, using Tamiya and Dragon sets. The Tamiya set is undifferentiated, just generic mid 90s or mid 80s American troops, and the Dragon set is specific to US Army Rangers: mid 80s or 90s based on the equipment (it came with a Stinger missile).

Most NATO troops had BDU camoflage, stereotypical Nato Green, Black and Brown camoflage. Helmets were Kevlar with cloth covers, main weapons were M-16 and M-60 (with some others-IDK). That's about all I know. If you want to scratchbuild, I'd start with some of the preexisting kits for troops of the Cold War era first, then go from there.

Good luck on this.