Howdy!

Aside from replacing the blast panels in the turret roof, what other modifications do I need to make to get to a reasonably accurate early production M1?

I'm sure this has been asked before but my searches did not find what I am looking for.

Thanks!

John

http://missinglinks2.tripod.com/M1.pdf

Paul

Hey John,
apart from the ML tweek list, this one should give you an idea of what's to be done: http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/message/1268032023/IPM1+ready+for+paint
as far as I can tell it's a fairly accurate build...

Cheers, Max

Thanks guys. It looks like I should be able to keep the kit hull and just swap out the tracks. Hmmmm.... going to need a Dragon Donor kit. Shame.

John

I think you can keep the turret if you are doing a pre-IP M1.

Paul

There are three flavors of IPs. There are the XM1s that received the modification work orders to bring them up to IP standards and there are the M1s that received those same upgrades as well. The third style are the true M1IPs that were manufactured to those standards along with the larger turret.

Just to make sure I have my types correct, if I want to build an off-the-shelf M1 (pre M1IP), I should use the Tamiya M1 turret (since it is the smaller version) and and the Tamiya M1 hull? Is there are more accurate hull that I should use or am I merely making improvements to the original kit parts like Brian Lockwood did in this build?

The Dragon Panther II kit has the early hull without the CBR filter system. It's as good as their M1A1 AIM kit and works great for an early M! or M1IP. Don't forget you need shevron tracks(the ones it the old Tamiya kit have the guide horns in the wrong place) and a 105mm gun.

Jerry

No not really. The Panther II hull has non-skid on it and the M1 and early M1IP did not have it.

Sorry, that's true for the 82-83 time frame. They were used thru 1991, and by then had had many upgrades including rear turret baskets added

Jerry

It does not have anything to do with time frame. M1s and MWO M1IPs did not have non-skid.

I'm guessing this is because the kit's guide horns are centred on the links, whereas they should be between them. The Academy M1A1 kit has the same feature. What's a good source of correct early style tracks?

Sean,

Armour Track and Trumpeter make/made M156 Tracks (I thought I had seen some by AFV Club, but apparently they didn't. There may be others, but I don't recall them).

Hobby Easy appears to have the Trumpeter M156 Tracks in stock:



I also found a few on e-Bay, too.

I keep seeing my name mentioned, so i thought i'd clear things up. My build was of a true IPM1, with the longer turret and no non-skid, not an MWO M1 or any other flavor of Abrams. to do this requires the turret from the Tamiya M1A2 kit, since it has the correct length and no non-skid. You do have to correct the blow-off panels to the correct 3 panel configuration as well as removing the "manhole cover" for the CITV as that is an M1A1 feature. I used the original M1 hull as it's mostly fine for an IPM1. I just used some available dragon parts like the rear grill doors since the detail is much better.

To do a (slick) original M1 or M1A0 (the terminology which is in vogue now), use the original tamiya kit. no cross-kitting is required. FYI, there are no aftermarket barrels that correctly depict the thermal sleeve as fitted to the M68A1 in the M1/IPM1. I actually have one in my stash and plan on building it sometime this year.

-Brian Lockwood-