So, to start with Step 1, the first thing that needed modification were the sprockets and idlers with parts included in the MK set. These modifications allow for the sprockets to be freely rotating vs. fixed and the idlers to both freely rotate and be positionable on the mount arm for track tensioning, a valuable addition later on. For the sprockets, it was necessary to remove a semi-circular pour plug from inside the outer half to allow for clearance of the added MK part. This was no easy task as the plug was roughly half the height of the part itself, so a combination of sprue cutters and careful knife work as well as using a circular needle file had to be employed. As an older kit, there was also some minor flash that needed to be removed, particular on the inner spoke surfaces.
The idlers were a little easier to work with. Their modification required parts on the inside to allow it to rotate freely as well as a small piece added to the mount arm that inserts into the hull directly. The small added piece increases the diameter just enough to make it a tight friction fit and allow the idler arm to be moved and still hold its position.
With that out of the way, the rest of Step 1 was completed by removing the 18 road wheels from the sprues and removing their mold seam with a sanding board one by one. The wheels were then glued into pairs along with the now assembled sprockets and idlers. The sprockets had a small gap on their inner surfaces where the two halves were joined, this was filled with putty and sanded down carefully with a sanding twig.
Step 2 calls for the installation of the front side hull points for the final drive mounts as well as all the suspension arms. The hull points had a small gap where they meet up with the hull nose plate, this was filled with putty and sanded down. The suspension arms were installed and all the road wheels dry fit to insure a level set. I left the vehicle on a level surface overnight to insure a nice solid fit before moving on to the next steps.
Step 3 calls for the installation of the road wheels along with the final drive mounts and idlers and Step 4 installs the hub ends to secure the wheels in place. The sprocket and idler are not glued in place at this point, only dry fit to insure proper alignment and will be pulled off for painting before final installation. The road wheels are rotatable and the hubs were such a tight friction fit that no glue was necessary to get them into position, although a little bit of strategic pressure was called for on some arms.
Step 5 deals with the rear hull plate and its details. I left off the jack block and the towing clevises as those will be detailed and installed later. The exhausts are each a two-part assembly and the resulting seam was sanded down before the exhausts were installed. Their fit is a little loose to the cut-outs in the rear plate, so I had to exercise care to insure they were truly vertical.
Step 6 then installs the plate to the hull. The lower join had a prominent gap that required putty and sanding to fill.
Step 7 deals with the construction of the jack, which had three very prominent ejector marks on one side that needed putty and sanding. The "foot" of the jack also had an ejector mark in the center that received the same treatment. The jack was installed into its brackets and two pieces of PE marked as not for use on the fret, MA5, were used to close the brackets vs. just stay open. The armored exhaust covers were also installed along with the rear fenders. The right side fender slipped out of alignment just a bit but was corrected after taking this photo with some liquid glue and finger pressure.
Step 8 deals with the rear superstructure plate. I decided to keep the hatches closed and didn't bother with the interior parts of the hatches. They had ejector marks on the interior surfaces and the latch details also had marks that would've been a challenge to deal with, so I saved a bit of time by just closing them up. The holes for the grab handles are over-sized as you can see in this photo, they were filled with putty once the handles had set up.
Step 9 calls for the installation of the rear plate to the superstructure/upper hull. The fit is pretty good, only some small sanding was necessary on the "ears" for the side plates to achieve a smooth finish. The lifting eyes on the rear engine deck were also installed, the instructions here have 2 errors, parts D12 are really B12 and D20 is really B20. The right side hull details were also added and some molded on locator marks that aren't used were carefully scraped off with a #11 blade and lightly sanded. The spare track hooks are an exercise in patience to install and align properly, I used a link from the MK set to help insure they were level and lined up, working one set at a time.
