I don't think so Rob. I rechecked the item numbers and they are the same. Incidentally, I saw the same box I bought in another store and they're selling for 24 USD. Maybe I got a mis-priced one Luck strikes those who search through musty shelves

The M88 'Nam version is also available for 24 USD at yet another store so this verifies Rob's (Sabot's) statement that both versions are priced essentially the same. I would like to get the 'Nam version with its indy links and etched headlight guards but it'll have to wait until I'm done with mine

My upper hull has two flat license(?) plates molded on the front and on the left side printed with "ROC" (Republic of China?) and a bunch of numbers. Do they have to be removed? Did AFV Club put these in for political reasons?

At our december IPMS meeting it is always a bring/buy/swap/sell meeting and loads of great bargins for Xmas. I usually build WW2 but saw the AFV kit with indiviual links and bought it. Then another guy had the revell kit for sale of the same model. So I bought both for just under $30. Not bad eh? I plan to build one with the A-mast up and the other with the the A-mast down. Wont be started for some time as I have 10 projects underway at the moment

No, these are just casting marks. I will verify within the next few days if the numbers vary from vehicle to vehicle. My kit comes with PE for just the boom baskets (3 different ones). No headlight PE or individual link tracks. I did buy a set of the AFV Club single tracks when I got the kit though.

Thanks Rob! It just looked suspicious especially since it comes from Taiwan (or Republic of China depending on who you're talking to).

I built that very kit and first off its an oxygen bottle on the back and its green. second of all I have photos of outside and inside of said vehicle and some shots of the engine pack. give me a PM or drop me an e-mail and I will find them all and send you shots of my finished kit.
Rick
PS mine has the resin interior

Found some pics of an OD M88A1. Should simplify the painting process

Sorry to burst your bubble. Take a closer look. This vehicle is on the assembly line (been there and seen this) and has not been down to the paint booth yet. It's really strange to when you see them using parts from old vehicles too. You will see a brand new vehicle with an old camouflaged pattern door or other part.

Ooops! Dang! I thought I saw loophole Thanks Rob! Were the parts primed or pre-painted OD before assembly?

Another question:
The suspension arms are positionable on this kit. The end of the arms that connect to the hull have hexagonal plates with bolts on it. What does this plate do? Is it a seal? If I want to position the wheels like they're going over rough terrain, do I have to (shudder ) cut off those plates and reposition them? Or are they too small and unnoticeable?

I believe the plates are similar to the ones on the M1, housing parts of the suspension. If something breaks, you can remove those parts by removing the plate. Different suspension pieces mind you, but similar concept.

As for paint, I have seen them in the last year in three schemes. The classic desert one-color look, and from Korea, both plain green and three tone NATO scheme. Almost all had been repainted in the last year or so, and, two that went to the paint booth at the same time came back with both plain green and three tone. The local paint shop ran out of one of the colors towards the end of one of the tanks, so the only vehicles approved for painting straight green was the M88A1. Guess that's what we get for working with contractors. But, as a side note, one of our three tone M88's had a blue vice on the back. *chuckle*

No, the 88s are not primed OD prior to painting.
They were given a base coat of forest green and over that the NATO brown and black were applied. New M88A2s out at UDI are being given a base coat of desert sand and then the vehicle receives the 3-color scheme over that if it is going to a unit that does not have a desert mission.

Thanks guys! I'll tackle this HUGE beast after the holidays. (:-)

IIRC there is a life cycle most vehicles go through. At the end of this cycle the vehicle is classified as being no longer needed and desposed of or is sent to a 5th echelon maintenance depot. At 5th echelon the vehicle is literally taken completely apart and usable parts are placed in bins or racks and used to build completely refurbished vehicles. The working mechanisms such as power packs, pumps, hydralic cylinders etc are rebuilt . As Rob pointed out, you will see a new vehicle with many parts painted differently including shiny new parts. Whats an echelon? It is a classification of maintance level. It is ordered by the expertise, equipment and facilities needed to perform the required maintance . 1st echelon maintance would be performed by the crews of the vehicle. 2nd would be performed by the unit mechanics and battalion level. 3rd would be performed by service units specially trained and equipted. 4th echelon is where a vehicle still within it's life cycle has major parts repaired or replaced, the basic original vehicle then being returned to service. 5th as stated is where vehicles are used as parts to create new ones. The vehicle life cycle is determined by age and mileage. Don't know what it would be today but In the 60's an M48 or M60 life cycle was 5 years or 5 thousand miles.
Now as I said, this is all from memory (30 plus years ago) so any corrections are welcomed.

Showing your age
The Army currently uses a four-level system above operator:
Unit/Organizational: repair & return to user
Direct Support (DS): mostly repair & return to user, some repair & return to supply (LRUs)
General Support (GS): mostly repair & return to supply, some repair & return to user
Depot: repair & return to supply, generally rebuilding items to a "like new" condition

The Army is transitioning to a two-level maintenance system.
"Field Maintenace" combines unit and DS maintenance and is characterized as "on-system maintenance."
"Sustainment Maintenance" combines GS and depot maintenance and is "off-system maintenance."

Organizational and direct support mechanics are being combined so they become a systems mechanic (i.e. M1 systems mechanic, M2/3 systems mechanic, and only one type of wheeled vehicle mechanic).

Primary source of info: Ordnance Magazine Summer 2002, MG Stevenson, Chief, Ordnance Corps. Also did my term paper on this issue last month.

Sorry Rob, but ROC Army is not Army of China
Its arrmy from Taiwan :-)
regards (:-) (:-) (:-)

The afv M-88 is a great kit. the tracks on these are the same now as they were in Vietnam. they don't have replaciable track pads like the tracks on the tanks

I know, read the posts more carefully. I'm the one that told John (Jeepney) that it isn't.

Nice updates guys! Thanks!

Another question: If the M88 is lifting something heavy, is the vehicle kinda level like this?



Or tilted way back like this?

Jeep,

In your second photo you can see the how the blade is used to keep the vehicle level. in the first photo you can see the blade has sunk into the earth a little.

Darlington Productions M88 book says that these are casting marks of "Rogers Olympic Corp.", which cast the upper hulls on these things. Don't remove them.

Thanks! A "little" "suspension surgery" is in order then

And now I know that "ROC" really belongs there

this is for "the swede", I have interior photos of the m-88 and have built the interior what problems are you having?

oh BTW the interior is from AEF designs #:-)

Want interior.... Willing to sell arm and leg.... But if I sell arm I won't be able to build anymore #:-)

Do all the M88's axles have suspension locks? Do the crews usually lock these when the dozer blade is down?