I have tried to reconcile the interior of the HobbyBoss V-100 with the recent Walk Around book, and I'm pretty sure the kit transmission and transfer should have a rounded fiberglass housing that covers the assembly. The Walk Around just goes around the edges of this area without a clear picture of this area. A shot straight in the sides through the open doors would be helpful also. I have already pieced together a turret basket for the cupola with supports, M73 receivers, ammo boxes, floor, periscope, and would like an idea on how to replicate the ammo chutes. Any ideas?

You should be able to find a few pictures on this forum as there are a couple being restored.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/

Even if they show M706E2s, maybe these pics could help :

http://www.armyjeeps.net/Chcago/V100s/cadillac_gage.htm

http://www.armyjeeps.net/V100/v100.htm

http://www.armyjeeps.net/Chcago/chicagov100/v100_cadillac_gage.htm

Here's the link to the Steel Soldiers V-100 forum http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cadillac-gage-v100/

For the ammo chutes, I've came across some soft rubber ducts in various diameters used for detailing scale model cars, but I suspect that they are simply rubber mouldings of threaded rods...Maybe you could do the same ?

HTH
Frenchy

I was going to use black plastic drinking straws - the bendy type - for the ammo chutes; they're a little overscale but have that ribbed look. Plus they're free!

You can't beat the price!

The references were great. It looks like my estimate of the turret basket and gun mount was pretty much correct. It also appears that HobbyBoss took a lot of short cuts in designing the interior portion of this V-100. The good part in all of this is it also provides the basis for making possible a more correct representation, depending on how involved I want to get. That's what this hobby is about, right?

Some things to be aware of: Steering wheel much too small, set at wrong angle; missing the clutch pedal assembly (only the brake is provided); interior wheel well arches are shown as curved, but the inside (visible) surfaces were all flat panels welded together; the forward portion of the engine compartment that extends into the passenger compartment should show a curved fiberglas cover assembly that extends to the ceiling; floor in right-rear compartment requires either rebuild or (lke I did) leaving those door/hatch assemblies closed.

I have set the side hatches in the half-open/half-closed position (top open, lower closed), and now am faced with devising the inside-portion of the direct vision block that is very prominent. That, plus the interior rubberized padding, hatch locking levers, added steps and handles, communications, fire extinguishers, on and on.

Now, any news on the AM cranking out any detail sets? I ordered a set of the V-100 Viet Nam decals from Squadron. I also still have the first-issue Verlinden solid resin brick model of the Commando, with an extra set of their wheel/tire assemblies. The profile of the resin tires is more square than the vinyl HobbyBoss ones; both are at the apparent extreme, and something between the two would probably be more representative of the 1:1 scale item.

So much for my days off.

Talking about AM wheels, Legend has just released a V-100 wheel set (LF 1183) :


Frenchy

Very nice. Kind of like "Field of Dreams"..."if you build it, the AM companies will soon follow"....

I checked HLJ for the Legends set, but not there yet.

Try Lucky Models...
for the wheels.
$15.99 and free shipping.

Evil,,,, I mean equal minds think alike. I ordered them from Lucky yesterday! Can't beat the price, especially the zero shipping.