M923A1 Prime Mover WIP

HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

M923A1 Prime Mover WIP

Posted by HeavyArty on Monday, January 21, 2008 10:09 AM

I haven't been posting on the boards lately. I've been busy with work and preparing to deploy to Iraq for trip # 2. I have been modeling though. My latest is an Italeri M923A1 that will be the Prime Mover for the Airmodel M198 Howitzer I was working on a few months ago.

I started with the Italeri M923 kit. I added details to the wheel wells such as inner fenders, steering gearbox and links, compensator shock on the right side, dryer bottle, brake lines, etc...

I also added details to the cab such as the bracing on the rear cab wall, reworked both seats and their supports, added the T-bar shift lever and removed the floor-mounted gear shifter, added the heater box and hoses, air lines for the windshield wiper motors, etc..

I also added air lines to all the air tanks and brakes underneath. Along with bracing and supports for various parts of the frame.

The bed was corrected by placing a piece of 0.010 styrene sheet over the incorrect wooden bed. The actual one is two sheets of metal welded together at the center-line. I also added supports for the seats and bow sections stored on the front panel. I also detailed the MG ring mount as well.

Lastly, I will be using CAM M923A1 resin wheels on it. OOB the wheels are too square in profile. I sanded them down a bit to give them a more realistic, used look. I have left the spare in the original condition since it is a new tire.

Hope you like it. More to come as it gets some paint on it. I'm still undecided if it will be NATO camo or sand.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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extanker

Member since
January 2007

Posted by extanker on Monday, January 21, 2008 11:56 AM

wow and more wow but the hell with the truck ,just get your butt back in good health.sorry ya gadda go and i thank you for your service.

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the doog

Member since
January 2007

Posted by the doog on Monday, January 21, 2008 11:57 AM

Wow, Gino, that's some cool metal work there! This is looking like a really interesting build and again, a nice break from all the "normal" stuff we usually see here! I hope you finish it before you have to redeploy cuz I want to see it painted!

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viper_mp

Member since
December 2005
From: DSM, Iowa

Posted by viper_mp on Monday, January 21, 2008 12:07 PM

Awesome work as usual, Gino. I have a 923 in my stash somewhere [already built one] and I picked up resin wheels/tires and a resin engine for it. I WANTED to do it as an M936 wrecker, but I just cant bring myself to pay out a couple hundred bucks for the resin conversion kit. Again, good job on the 923, and God's speed in Iraq!! Where are you headed to this time?

Rob Folden

Secretary / Webmaster- IPMS Plastic Surgeons Member at Large-IPMS Hawkeye Modelers

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Luftwoller

Member since
February 2007
From: Bournemouth UK

Posted by Luftwoller on Monday, January 21, 2008 12:32 PM

Very nice job indeed. Thats an awfull lot of scratchin gone into that.

Keep your head down over there and hurry home safe fella.

...Guy

..'Your an embarrassment to the human genus, makes me ashamed to call myself Homo'.

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HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

Posted by HeavyArty on Monday, January 21, 2008 12:41 PM

Thanks guys. Glad you like it. Thanks for the concern as well.

I too have another M923 in the stash. I plan on going all-out on it. I have the CMK engine set, MR Models M923A2 wheel/tires w/CTIF, and an Eduard PE set for it. I may do it eventually as either a Iraqi guntruck, or an M936A2 wrecker. I have the old Renwall 5-ton Wrecker parts that I may convert and use as a base for the project. We shall see.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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CarnivourousDonut

Member since
May 2006
From: East Coast

Posted by CarnivourousDonut on Monday, January 21, 2008 2:46 PM

Ditto what others have said, much luck in Iraq, come back in one piece. I salute you and your brothers over there.

Let's rattle the cage, crack the machine. Let 'em know who you are, shine to be seen.

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redleg12

Member since
July 2006
From: New Jersey

Posted by redleg12 on Monday, January 21, 2008 6:34 PM

Gino

Nice details. Good looking cab. Nice touch on the tires.

I did not see many problems on yours, but I know the M925 I just finished was injection pin and sink mark heaven. Hopefully yours is a little better.

As far as the paint...you know I'm partial to camo!! Are you going to have the M198 being towed or laid and safe with the M923 to support??

Laying out the firing position and the PM would add some more work but could be interesting.

Can't wait to see when the M923 makes it out of "Gino depot maintenance" and is ready for a mission!!

Keep up the great work. See you behind the breech block!

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

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m1garand

Member since
November 2005
From: Somewhere over the rainbow

Posted by m1garand on Monday, January 21, 2008 7:22 PM

Gino,

As always, great work! Hope you can finish this project prior to your deployment.

I'm not really too satisfied with selections of support vehicles in current market and hope that wider selection of good quality of support vehicle kits coming to market in near future.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 3:05 PM

Some very fine craftmanship here...

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psstoff995

Member since
December 2003
From: Colorado

Posted by psstoff995 on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 4:51 PM

always amazing to watch you put stuff together. i've been wanting to make something like this but i was thinking more along the lines of convoy guntruck, that weld on armor and uniquness seamed cool. ive been off the forums for... like a year im stuck at college with no models and no place to build them anyway, so im really behind, i figure i might as well catch up on the forums. im sure theres more of your stuff on hear so friendly heads up if you get random comments from month old stuff

good luck in Iraq, pound em hard with your fellow kings of battle

-Chris

US Army Infantryman

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SprueOne

Member since
January 2006
From: California

Posted by SprueOne on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 11:19 PM

Inner fenders, nice touch. I'm interested to see what it looks like under primer.

Anyone with a good car don't need to be justified - Hazel Motes

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HeavyArty

Member since
December 2002
From: Valrico, FL

Posted by HeavyArty on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 8:18 PM

Thanks guys. Looks like this one will have to wait on paint. I leave Friday for 3-weeks of training at Ft Bliss, TX. No time to finish it up between now and then. The weather has been bad here the last few days as well. Cold and rainy; definitely not painting weather. I'll post again when I can.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell