Hi guys, I am very new to modeling, and just assembled my first kit ever, a Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog. It's completely stock right now, and I haven't even painted it yet, let alone tried my hand at weathering. I am hoping that you guys can recommend some upgrades to this kit. They key is to find stuff that is actually available and not out of stock or discontinued.

I spent quite a bit of time looking for the Trakz resin stowage kit, to no avail. If anyone has a line on one, please let me know. I am also strongly considering the aluminum 76mm barrel, and the T91E3 linkable tracks. If you guys can suggest anything else it would be much appreciated. I especially want to find a mantlet cover somewhere, but they just are not available as far as I can tell.

Thanks for any info.

I don't have anything to offer, except to bump this topic back to the top of the list. Have you looked through Verlinden products or AFV Club tracks?
I'm new to armor myself, so I'm watching this topic with a mind to the Light Tanks campaign forming up for next year!
Thanks,
Sean H.

You should definately consider getting the Tiger Models sponson box handles.
Here is a link:
http://www.tigermodels.com/ProductListings/ProductDetails.php?ID=AR-0126

AFV Club offers a few upgrades, all taken from their own M41 kits. There is the mantlet cover (as a rubbery vinyl part), indy-link tracks, fairly nice "rubber band" tracks, and a whole replacement suspension set that provides all the arms as well as the wheels etc. They may not be on shop shelves, but any AFV Club stockist ought to be able to order them.

Now the suspension set requires sanding off the existing kit details, so isn't for the faint-hearted. And if you get the lot the cost will be higher than simply buying a whole AFV Club M41 kit, which is of course 30 years younger (and thus much better) than the Tamiya kit.

If you're new to modelling I'd suggest building a few of these cheap Tamiya "oldies" straight from the box to get used to the craft, and then as you get comfortable with your skills start getting newer kits to replace them. After all, if your first painting session ruins a $10 kit it's less tragic than if it ruined a $10 kit with $40 of upgrades. (My own building career started small & simple like that, but then there weren't so many upgrade choices available to buy 30 years ago...)

Hope this helps,

Tom

Exactly what Tom said ... if you have the tamiya ... have fun with it. If you want more detail, but the AFV Club version, instead of buying upgrades for the tamiya. Wont be any more expensive and will be more accurate and easier to build.
I used the AFV Club tracks before and they are probably the nicest and easiest tracks Ive ever worked with. The pads are glued in after painting. I have another set plus the supension/wheels for the M42 duster, but thats gonna get messy, and I wouldn´t recommend this route when AFV Club´s (or Skybow`s) is so much better OOB.

Both Matt & Frank gave you some solid advice. It's nice to detail a model to the nth degree, but detailing doesn't correct basic errors in building, painting, decaling,and weathering. All take time to learn and get comfortable with.

We all went through those basic learning curves, and lessons learned have served me well even after a 30 year hiatus.

I would urge you to resist any ad ons other then maybe decals until you can build the perfect OOB model. One that Your satisfied with, and honestly feel that you can't do better. It might take a few models, or it might take you several models. Your goal should be to have all the basics nailed down before you move to the next level.

You should also consider the issue that working with PE and Resin is a whole new ball game as well, and both require new skills.

With todays highly detailed kits, building a OOB kit produces a excellent display model. Just about every other model I build are OOBs.

As Frank said, moving from Tamiya's older kits to more highly detailed kits such as AFV, Dragon, and Tasca, will give you all the detail you desire, an let you develop your skills at the same time. Most even come with some PE just to make it interesting.

Joel

Just a thought and this is going to the others guys who have posted to you. But as for a mantle cover. Maybe milliputty will work you will have to look at pic to get it the way you like.

Tamiya's kit isn't worth spending a lot of money on, as it would be cheaper to buy the AFV Club versions, which have all the details in the box. You can improve the old kit with some basic modeling techniques. The stowage boxes on the mudguards should have X-shaped raised stampings on the sides, which can be added from fine plastic stock (Evergreen half round, if you can find it). Refine the guards on the headlight clusters with some careful filing. Drill out the muzzle brake. The handles on the boxes are shapeless blobs--up to you if you want scratch some replacements. AFV Club offers their soft plastic track, which has superior details, at a nominal price. If you are ambitious, use epoxy putty to sculpt the mantlet covwhich was fairly universal in service.

I remember that kit from waaay back! Kinda cool looking, with all it's particular details...

Also, a good one to get your feet wet with, to start out with. There's some good advice that came before me...

...tho' if you're looking to try the superdetailing route on some sort of model, perhaps select one that the aftermarket parts are easier to get, such as a Panzer Mark IV?

...and if you're looking to try detailing with brass and such, get one of the super nice Dragon offerings, that even comes with such upgrade parts in the box, saving time and effort. I have a late model PzkwIV Ausf J from Dragon that fits such a bill (no, I don't mean it's for sale)...

This has been, my 2 cents. Enjoy!

This is my Tamiya M41 that was built back in the early 90's. The only parts that I bought were the sponson handles, the antenna bases, and a Cal Scale M2 machine gun and mount. Everything else was scratched or from the spares box. It even has the stock Tamiya tracks on it. Not a lot of $$$ spent and I have an acceptable (to me) Bulldog. BTW, the mantlet cover is made of tissue, wire, lead foil and some old Grandt Line nuts I had laying around.


:-H