HI ALL i will be starting the italeri (sd-hfz 184s ) tiger p elefant . i washed all the parts in dish soap and warm water . almost ready to start step 1 whice looks like it is wheels and suspension ?? do i prime the hull and paint it b4 i put all that on or after ??? and what are the steps to weather the above parts ?? also what kind of environment would this tank have been in ?? forgive me but i am not up on the history of ww2 i just dont want to weather with the wrong colors AND LAST LOL i have testors panzer gray will that be ok for this kit THANKS for any and all advice here is a pic of the box top if needed
any built up pics would be great OR WIPS thanks again

Hi Rob..What I would do is just build the suspension but not add the wheels till after painting..it'll be easier to get at the hull but you don't need to paint right away... These tank destroyers were seen on both the Russian front and the Italian front so weathering can be quite mucky if you want to go that way.. As for the color ,sorry to say that all Elephants were base coated in dark yellow and had either green and/or redbrown camo added ..

hth
Rick

Hi Rob,
I have that kit in the stash as well but haven't really looked it over to well. looking forward to following your build You should join that 1 up in the Tiger Campaign here:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Campaigns&file=index&req=showcontent&id=455

Lots of guys with good tips that can help with your build

THANKS ALL FOR THE INFO the paint is not a big deal it is just what i had on hand and i also think i will join up thanks for that link

This kit depicts one of the 45 vehicles that had been rebuilt and reissued in early 1944, so no, the Dark Gray (Dunkelgrau) paint was no longer in use. It would be overall Dark Yellow (Dunkelgelb) with random overspray of Red Brown (Rotbraun) and Olive Green (Olivgun). It would also have a coat of "Zimmerit" antimagnetic mine paste on the vertical surfaces. This can be simulated with a thin layer of putty with a grooved texture applied by the modeler with a small screwdriver, or aftermarket companies like Atak or Cavalier offer premade Zimmerit as thin sheets of resin which you cut out and glue in place. Alternatively, Eduard offers Zimmerit as photoetched metal, which also can be glued in place (cheaper than resin, but be sure to putty all the edges, so it doesn't look like aluminum siding). If you do a Google image search, you'll find plenty of photos of what it should look like.
Just one battalion used this vehicle, the 653rd Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung, but its companies were split up. The first company was rushed to Italy with 11 Elefants to help contain the Anzio invasion, while the second and third companies went back to the eastern front. In the autumn of 1944, 14 of the surviving 15 Elefants were returned to the factory for one final rebuilding, and reissued as an independent company (one vehicle was left behind in Italy, where it served with a Tiger battalion until it was destroyed in April, 1945). The last four Elefants of the independent company were destroyed on the outskirts of Berlin at about the same time.
Italeri depicts the tracks incorrectly, with guide teeth on every track link. Actually, the tracks had teeth only on every second link. If you wish to adapt the kit tracks, just use an X-acto knife with a fresh blade to slice off the unwanted teeth. There are also aftermarket replacement links available, if you prefer.

THANKS for the reply the info you gave me is GREAT Tthanks for taking the time to do that again great info rob

On the guides on the tracks. You will have one with and then one without. BUT, there were an ODD number of links in the correct track length. to be accurate you should have at least to links together with guide on them.

By the time the refit was done and the name changed to "Elefant", the green "spider-web" and brown "giraffe" camo patterns were gone, and the remaining Ferdinands were done in a "light, soft edge" tri-color.

I don't know if the Italeri Elefant can be "back dated" to a Ferdinand with what is in the kit. You would not need to worry about the Zimmerit.

Italeri molds the tracks as two vinyl segments for each side, so an even number of links is unavoidable. I wouldn't bother trying to correct this, as it is very difficult to join vinyl tracks without the little pins to weld.




No, Italeri only includes parts for an Elefant. To convert it to the original "Ferdinand" configuration, it would be necessary to cut apart and backdate the engine deck gratings, cut off the commander's cupola and scratchbuild a replacement hatch, and remove the hull machine gun mount and plug the hole. Simplest way to build a Ferdinand is to just buy Dragon's kit. Dragon also offers the Elefant, with Zimmerit, for those of us who don't want to futz with it, and without Zimmerit, for the hairy chested individualists who prefer to make their own. Dragon's kits are a bit pricier, but you get modern levels of detailing, and the multimedia parts are in the box.

thanks for the info all i think i will try this 1 out of the box thanks again

I myself am coming back from a three year absense, and have decided to concentrate on older iteleri and testors kits. For me it is just more fun to build paint and weather them. Some of todays super kits are just to much for me.

This is a fun kit to build, and a great chance to cut your teeth of paining and such.

Have fun and post. I have posted my first model back here, and mistakes and all it was a positive experience. Everyone here is very helpful and positive.

Bill

yes i agree and everyone here is great welcome back

The Italeri Elefant is one of the first two armor kits I ever bought back in 93... the other was an old Tamiya Panzer II. For a new builder the kit can be a pain. I don't think the parts are numbered and that suspension can be kind of tricky. I think I ended up just gluing the suspension in place. That one has the 4-piece tracks If memory serves they are pretty stiff and fit a little loose.

All things considered, it was a valuable experience. I still have the remains of that model stashed somewhere for some project that I have since forgotten about.