Scott - Wow, deja vu! Nice job!
I used dabs of dark brown paint followed by just a little pencil lead for my chipping. I am still learning how to weather in the current fashionable styles and tried to go a little heavier than what I usually do. But the guys in the club said "not enough!"
Yeah, that nylon string tow cable material gave me fits the first time I encountered it. I pretty much destroyed it when I tried cutting it with scissors. The PE grenade screens went together OK. I applied CA glue with a toothpick to the joints and carefully sanded them to eliminate the seams.
A 200 series GB? I have one of those eight wheeled jobbies with a PAK 40 - A Sdkfz.234/something or another. You can tell I'm not a German armored car specialist!
Hun Hunter - I think you are approaching armor models in a sensible way. Try to avoid open-topped vehicles for now, as the part count and assembly complexity go way up. I might draw flak for saying this, but I have added small details to my armor models, only to not notice them once they were finished. Personally, I think if you are building for enjoyment, don't worry about the micro-details and just have fun.
And yes, indie tracks are a major pain in the butt. My first set was in the Academy M3 Stuart. Juggling the track pads between the end connectors drove me nearly mad! For your first kit with indie tracks, go for something that has single piece segments like a T-34.
BTW - Does anyone know what those cans on the front of the Sdkfz.222 are? Spare oil? Deodorant? Beer?