Dear colleagues,

I have a T-34/76 (1943) old Tamiya version with awful rubber tracks. I found diferent track models and differents prices and, sincerely speaking, I don't know which to buy?

http://www.ecomodelismo.com/MDA_ver.php?famID=37&fabID=193&catID=5&ref=MAQU-35021&pag=1
This link is from the shop I found, Maquette: 6,48 euros

http://www.ecomodelismo.com/MDA_ver.php?famID=38&fabID=266&catID=5&ref=FRIU-ATL09&pag=1
Friumodel; 29,16 euros, from the T34-85 model

http://www.ecomodelismo.com/MDA_ver.php?famID=38&fabID=266&catID=5&ref=FRIU-ATL38&pag=1
Friumodel, 29,16 euros, from the T34-76 model.

In the case of the Friumodel kits, which one shall I use? The T34-85 or the T34-76?

If I paint my tank in winter white, the uniform of the tank crew must be also white?

I used to be a plastic model fan, when I was a teenager. I gave up this hobbye more than twenty years ago, because at that time I thought I could spare my free time in more "useful" things... Now, I found again that old tamiya unfinished kit and browsing through Internet I discovered a completely new world for platsic modelling: new brands: Trumpeter, Dragon, Tank, etc.!!! And many new accessories! Photo etched kits, etc... I'm completely amazed!!! Every day I have a new surprise!!! (like, for instance, those metallic tracks from Friumodel...)

Any help would be greatly appreciated, many thanks in advance!

Lluís

If I were you I'd get the Maquette tracks; they are cheap and look pretty good. I have used them on Tamiya T-34s.

Certainly they are far from the best T-34 tracks available, but the kit you have is not the most accurate either. For what you will spend on Fruil tracks you could buy a DML T-34-85 with good tracks and a good hull from which to build a much more accurate T-34 with hex turret.

Just my two cents.

As far as the crew goes, no, the tank crew need not wear white in winter. If you are using the Tamiya crew, the overall came in a variety of shades from khaki to blue or black. The shuba (sheepskin coat) was...well, sheepskin colored ! If you want a good, inexpensive winter crew get Miniart's Soviet winter tank crew. They are excellent and the box art is a very good painting guide.


Danny Egan
President
AMPS
http://www.amps-armor.org

I agree with Danny. The old Tamiya T34/76 is an ex-motorized kit. The details are simplified and almost all the dimensions are inaccurate. Buy the Maquette tracks to put on it. For less than the price of a set of Friuls, you can buy a Dragon T34/76 kit. These kits are beautiful, real gems right out of the box, and they come with excellent styrene individual track links included.

Don't run from Maquette track links take a Saturn V rocket out of there!!!! I once made the mistake of buying a set of the Maquette t-34 links and when I recieved the item I opened it up, looked at it, and I swear I threw them right in the trash. Bad flash and ejector pin marks on a large majority of the tracks. Remember you get what you pay for. Although expensive and quite tedious you just can't beat the look of fruilmodel links.

By the way, I failed to realize that you were using a Tamiya kit so I wouldn't buy Fruilmodel links for it, but as stated above you should probably just invest in the dragon kit. For future refrence though i'd stay away from anything Maquette unless its the only game in town.

With respect, I have to disagree with you about Maquette tracks. I have used several sets on older T-34 kits before the DML T-34-85s became widely available. You may have thrown them away but I have actually built a few sets.

Are they are realistic as Fruil? No, but they cost 1/6 as much even if you pay full price for them. I can't see the sense of spending $30-40 on a Tamiya T-34 accessory.

Are they as good as DMLs? No, but they are close. And they cost far less.

I picked up some Maquette tracks at the AMPS national for $1 each (yes, $1 per set) and gave them away to friends who I knew were building Tamiya T-34s. And yes, I kept one set for me.

The DML T-34-76 tracks won't work for a hexagonal-turret T-34. Almost all hex-turreted tanks had the waffle tracks as found in the DML T-34-85 or the maquette tracks.

The best route for a good hex-turret T-34 at a reasonable price is to grab a DML T-34-85 and cross-kit. It'll have most of what you need and it is a great kit. There are some detail changes that need to be made but it is not hard to do.

...or, wait for someone to put out a new kit.....

Danny Egan
President
AMPS

Luis,

I'd say that it all depends on you. As has been pointed out, the newer kits are more accurate and you would have to decide just how much you want to do to the kit. The Friul tracks are great, being metal they have a heft to them that really looks great on a model.

John