Tamiya 1/35 Panzer III

Yeah... I have taken a detour due to Borderlands 2 coming out and a little lull in working on the GM Custom.

I picked this kit up back in 2008 at an airshow. I got it for a fairly good price (I can't remember what I paid for it. I think $20.00 US). This is a 1971 mold of Tamiya's Panzer III, and it's age shows. It is absolutely remarkable how good molding technology was back then for Tamiya. That would make this kit 41 years old!

As I did some body work, I noticed that the top layer of plastic was coming off, as if it was paint. I am a little concerned about that, but I believe an overall flat coat will solve the problem. On the bottom of the hull is the tamiya logo. Most modelers will remove this, but because of the kit's age, I will leave it there and paint it when the kit is all said and done. I personally don't care that it is there.

There are parts to this kit I do not like. For example, I hate molded on chain. A bar that fits across the front of the hull is warped, and will require structural support. The top and bottom hull halves fit together, but they need work. The underside of the top of the hull has injector pin marks which I plan on laying a plastic piece overtop instead of filling them. Finally, in the rear where the exhaust pipes enter the tank, there is a nasty gap (ok, "hole") I want to take care of.

For the most part this will be an out of the box build (OOB) with some minor modifications. I am going to do my best to carve grate lines back into any holes I am not using on the sides. It is a shame, but I really wish I had photo etch parts (PE) to act as engine vents. I am not in a position right now to be spending lots of money on PE. It definitely gets expensive, but takes a kit to an entirely other level.

The turret is going to need major filling, sanding and body work. In addition, the hull will need minimal work. I installed the sprokets and axels this morning and assembled some of the wheels. The minor details, which are parts that fit along the side, will take up a lot more time.

I am going to be painting this Panzer III a standard german gray, and I am going to attempt to highlight the tank. This involves spraying a primer, the color, highlighting with white, then painting a second layer of the color in question. With proper weathering, this will give the tank a more realistic appearance. There is a good chance I am going to get up and under the hull with some brush painting to make it look rough and rusted. The tracks will be painted a gray color with added tints of rust, followed up by a wash of... more rust.

I will do the best I can- but this won't be a spectacular masterpiece. I liked the look of my finished Panther, and if that kit looks good, I will probably be happy with this 1971 mold. The panther was more of an introductory airbrush project I did a while ago- and this time, with more experience, I am going to give this project the 100% I normally give my kits.