Yes, despite the fact that it's based on the old and now firmly obsolete Tamiya kit, I'm applying the Legend ERA conversion to said vehicle. I spent good money on it long ago, so I'm going to build it - it's not as if it has any resale value. For the most part it doesn't look particularly bad, but it's got the usual Legend "Random photos of the build model" instruction sheet.

Can anybody who has built this let me know what on earth you're supposed to do to the rear hull of the donor kit lower hull? The instructions appear to suggest that all you do is cut off the three raised "tabs" on the back panel of the hull but otherwise use it as is.

However, the conversion kit appears to include a complete new back panel that not only replaces the kit one in its entirety, but also adds a couple of underside hatches, squares off the rear end of the hull, etc.

Any tips? I'm assuming it goes ni front of the "sideburns" on the resin upper hull, roughly where the original kit rear plate would go. If I'm wrong, where *does* it go?

I know most sane people would either wait for Legend (or similar) to put out a 1982 conversion set for the AFV Club Shot'Kal, or wait for a late Shot'Kal from AFV Club directly, but I've got the conversion, I've got the donor, and since I'm out of work at the moment I've got a) no money and b) more time on my hands than I'd like.

I figure this conversion, with Legend wheels and some Friul tracks will build into a decent enough model and with the conversion done I can start tackling all the various Legend resin IDF stuff that I've accumulated (i.e. yes, I'm planning on building that Merkava IV, even though there's now a nice cheap plastic one)

I think I've figured the rear hull out.

The kit rear hull survives, minus "tabs" in front of the "sideburns" on the upper hull. The mystery part mentioned nowhere in the instructions is in fact the new rear hull plate - this fits onto the back of the "sideburns", provides the main rear plate and also partially overlays the lower hull.

Would have been nice if they'd explained it :-) Or even shown it :-)

Al

Well, almost - the current in-production Tamiya Centurion is a de-motorized motorized kit - that is, it's got all of the holes in the lower hull, but not the slots allowing you to slide the motor down inside to drive the sprockets.

As a side effect, the lower hull is too long. However, since Tamiya has filled in the slots, there's no longer a nice clean "cut here" line for removing the extra hull length. Can anybody tell me where the hull length should disappear from, and how much should disappear? I'm gussing, just by the degree of "doesn't fit" at the lower hull, that it's about five mm.

Or does anybody know for sure if either there's a Legend conversion for the AFV Club Shot'Kal on the way or an actual AFV Club eighties Shot'Kal on the way? I guess I could start saving. While I think I could put together a decent model from this, and the actual changes to be made are relatively minor, making the relatively minor changes through guesswork isn't a heap of fun.

Al

Hi Al,

Legend's upper hull shrinkage is a ever-lasting problem and did happen in my set. So I am going to use it on AFV Club except the upper hull.

:(
Eric