_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
Hosted by Darren Baker
Panda M-ATV build and improvements
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 08:30 AM UTC
Hello all,

This kit has been in my stash for a couple of weeks, screaming "build me!!"

So, I thought I'd have a little go at it, and move between this and my M1070 Tractor unit. I can tell you, working on this kit after a Month of working on my Hobby Boss M1000 trailer is not easy!!

The couple of dry fitted parts that follow have taken quite a few hours. Nothing fits, everything is flashed and the instructions are in error.

This is the rear right unit.


You'll notice the spring is horrible, though workable, so i thought I'd try and improve things a little??


I think it looks a lot better. I've made the spring with copper wire.

I've marked up my instruction manual, and photographed it to show you the errors in section 2. please don't sue me Panda, I just want to show my discovery of your error.



As a closing point, I LOVE this kit!! I thoroughly enjoy struggling with these difficult kits, they're so much more fun than shake and bake kits.

Thanks for looking

Nige
didgeboy
Visit this Community
Washington, United States
Joined: September 21, 2010
KitMaker: 1,846 posts
Armorama: 1,509 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 08:35 AM UTC
Nigel;
The two shots of the spring, are those not the same shot? If I am missing something please let me know, but they look almost identical. Have you seen Pascal's M-ATV build log? He put up some nice work and I am hoping that between his and yours I can make mine at least look acceptable. Cheers and looking forward to this one, your M1070 has been brilliant.
henkp
Visit this Community
Overijssel, Netherlands
Joined: September 30, 2005
KitMaker: 1,080 posts
Armorama: 1,064 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 08:36 AM UTC
nice build so for whats the diameter from that copper wire
looks beter than the plastic one
henk
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 09:26 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nigel;
The two shots of the spring, are those not the same shot? If I am missing something please let me know, but they look almost identical. Have you seen Pascal's M-ATV build log? He put up some nice work and I am hoping that between his and yours I can make mine at least look acceptable. Cheers and looking forward to this one, your M1070 has been brilliant.


Damon,

You're too quick!! I did actually upload the same pic twice, then edited to show the correct pic. Please look again. Oh, and I haven't built my M1070...yet, just the M1000.

Henk,

The copper wire is 1mm diameter, from Littlecars.com


Nige



bulivyf
Vendor
REAL MODEL
Visit this Community
Praha, Czech Republic
Joined: April 03, 2006
KitMaker: 2,450 posts
Armorama: 2,409 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 09:46 AM UTC
Nigel,
Springs looks great.
Miloslav
tanknick22
Visit this Community
United States
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 10:48 AM UTC
i just recieved my panda m-atv i made notes on step 2 anything else i should know about this kits instructions?
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 12:04 PM UTC

Quoted Text

i just recieved my panda m-atv i made notes on step 2 anything else i should know about this kits instructions?


To be honest I don't know?? I've only got as far as you can see in the pics. I'm sure there are more errors.

Nige
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 12:05 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Nigel,
Springs looks great.
Miloslav


Thanks Milo. I wish someone would produce an Engine for this kit. I found some pics on Google images, and the V8 fitted to it looks lovely.

Nige
didgeboy
Visit this Community
Washington, United States
Joined: September 21, 2010
KitMaker: 1,846 posts
Armorama: 1,509 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 12:33 PM UTC
Ok that looks SWEET now! Wow very impressive. I consider the whole thing the M1070, as it all comes in one box.
Cheers, looking forward to more of this.
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 - 12:50 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I wish someone would produce an Engine for this kit. I found some pics on Google images, and the V8 fitted to it looks lovely.


Actually, the M-ATV uses a 7.2 liter inline-6 cylinder Caterpillar C7 turbodiesel. I agree that a resin engine for it would look great though.
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 07:35 AM UTC
Here's an update on my work with htis kit.

All four suspension units are now done, with their custom springs.



All the arms are dry fitted in place, so I can fix everything when the chassis is finished to ensure she sits level. basically it's gonna sit on the shocks, with the springs just there for show.

This is no weekend build!! There's about 7 hours work there in that picture!!!

I also found some more errors in the manual, so here's a picture, done as before with red pen. This is the front suspension unit assembly guide.
If you find this useful, please let me know.



Thanks for looking

Nige
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 08:05 AM UTC
Wow, some glaring errors ther. Yes, the corrections to the instructions are very, very, very usefull. Please keep them coming.

Your suspension units look great. I really like the look of the springs.
pascalbausset
Visit this Community
Moselle, France
Joined: February 05, 2002
KitMaker: 1,416 posts
Armorama: 1,379 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 08:08 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Here's an update on my work with htis kit.

I also found some more errors in the manual, so here's a picture, done as before with red pen. This is the front suspension unit assembly guide.
If you find this useful, please let me know.



Thanks for looking

Nige

Nice job !!
Finally its better and faster to say what is right in this notice !!!! LoL!!!!
didgeboy
Visit this Community
Washington, United States
Joined: September 21, 2010
KitMaker: 1,846 posts
Armorama: 1,509 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 08:53 AM UTC
Since no one else has asked it I am going to ask the 64,000 dollar (or who's the biggest idiot) question, how DID you make that spring? I understand that it is 1mm copper wire, but can you show your work, i.e. what did you wrap it around (how big what THAT diameter) and get it formed correctly? CHeers.
Hisham
Visit this Community
Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
Joined: July 23, 2004
KitMaker: 6,856 posts
Armorama: 6,363 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 09:15 AM UTC
Actually, Damon, I wanted to ask that same question

Hisham
frankie
Visit this Community
Ohio, United States
Joined: May 20, 2006
KitMaker: 2 posts
Armorama: 1 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 10:32 AM UTC
I've always used a screw that is closest to the size of the spring. Just wrap the wire between the threads of the screw then cut with wire cutters to height of spring.
bulivyf
Vendor
REAL MODEL
Visit this Community
Praha, Czech Republic
Joined: April 03, 2006
KitMaker: 2,450 posts
Armorama: 2,409 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 08:37 PM UTC
Nigel
Nice springs, looks great. Please add technological process springs made.
Sure it will help many modelers.
Miloslav
Canjuaan
Visit this Community
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Joined: June 08, 2007
KitMaker: 228 posts
Armorama: 223 posts
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2012 - 10:41 PM UTC
Nigel, thank you for your very informative posts. I'll keep following your build closely.

Now, how come the manufacturer screws up so much? Just a few steps into the build and already there're many blatant errors in the instruction. Don't they have some kind of quality control?

Cheers
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 12:23 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Nigel
Nice springs, looks great. Please add technological process springs made.
Sure it will help many modelers.
Miloslav


I will add the process I use for making the springs tomorrow. I should have added it today, but I was at a Model show all day.

Regards

Nigel
junglejim
Visit this Community
Alberta, Canada
Joined: February 18, 2003
KitMaker: 1,728 posts
Armorama: 1,629 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 04:19 PM UTC
I agree the springs look good, but I think there should be a shock absorber within the spring? I'm tackling the Kinetic suspension right now and I'll be doing the same thing. Looks like the Panda parts are more detailed with regard to mounting bolt heads and such.

Jim
mother
Visit this Community
New York, United States
Joined: January 29, 2004
KitMaker: 3,836 posts
Armorama: 1,370 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 06:31 PM UTC
Great work and attention to detail, thanks for sharing.

Joe
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 10:38 PM UTC
[/quote]
Nice job !!
Finally its better and faster to say what is right in this notice !!!! LoL!!!! [/quote]

Sorry Pascal, I don't know what you mean???

Nige
gloucesternige
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 13, 2012
KitMaker: 307 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 10:54 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I agree the springs look good, but I think there should be a shock absorber within the spring? I'm tackling the Kinetic suspension right now and I'll be doing the same thing. Looks like the Panda parts are more detailed with regard to mounting bolt heads and such.

Jim


I don't think there's a shiocker in the spring Jim, however, if you have pictorial evidence, feel happy to prove me wrong.

I looked over the Kinetic kit yesterday, and to be honest, wasn't impressed. In my opinion the Panda is far superior in the detail department, however, it's a nightmare build!!!

Nige
TacticalSquirrel
Visit this Community
Connecticut, United States
Joined: May 12, 2010
KitMaker: 546 posts
Armorama: 538 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012 - 02:12 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I agree the springs look good, but I think there should be a shock absorber within the spring? I'm tackling the Kinetic suspension right now and I'll be doing the same thing. Looks like the Panda parts are more detailed with regard to mounting bolt heads and such.

Jim


I don't think there's a shiocker in the spring Jim, however, if you have pictorial evidence, feel happy to prove me wrong.

I looked over the Kinetic kit yesterday, and to be honest, wasn't impressed. In my opinion the Panda is far superior in the detail department, however, it's a nightmare build!!!

Nige


No shock, just spring.

VintageRPM
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Joined: November 28, 2010
KitMaker: 300 posts
Armorama: 207 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012 - 05:25 AM UTC
The shock is the tube behind the spring. Go back to the top of the page and look at the first photos - you'll see the shock as the tube parallel to the spring.


Quoted Text


No shock, just spring.

 _GOTOTOP