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REVIEW
M151A2 Grenada 1983
CMOT
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 11:06 AM UTC
Another surprise release from Tamiya is their M151A2 that has new parts added to depict a vehicle in Grenada in 1983.

Link to Item


If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 12:13 PM UTC
Thanks for editing and posting this Darren. Both of these kits are pretty nice.
Trisaw
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 03:01 PM UTC
Great review, Gino! Thanks for pointing out some of the issues with the kit, especially what's lacking and what needs to be fixed.

Hopefully AM PE and resin will fill in the issues with this "Grenada" jeep kit.

Question...where else could one take this "Grenada" jeep to? Would it work for 1989 Panama? Would it work for the USMC deployments or Embassy evacuations? Perhaps some AM companies could make some resin figures and gear that will extend the years of this kit past Grenada.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 03:19 PM UTC
Hi Pete. The M151 was the HMMWV of its day. It was used by all services and all over the world. So yes, it was in all the places you listed. The A2 version was fielded in '72 and was used up intil the early '90s by some units. In most active units, it was replaced in the mid-late '80s by HMMWVs.
Foxtrot1
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 07:15 PM UTC
Thanks for the great review Gino. I can't wait to get my hands on this kit. The only reservations that I have (from what I can see from your pictures) are the poorly molded M60's and M16A1, and the fact that the figures have the older style M1956 H-harness suspenders (hadn't the newer Y-harness completely phased out the old Nam era gear?). Academy's M60 (such as the one in the old M1025 kit) is much more detailed. Other than that - this kit looks like it can be a fun build. Gino, do you know if any other brand makes M16A1's with 30 round mags?
Maki
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 07:18 PM UTC
Nice. I built the old Tamiya version and I really like the addition of new sprues. Hopefully we'll soon see updates appearing from various aftermarket companies, not just for the vehicle but the crew sets as well.

Thanks for the review, Gino!

Mario
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 07:31 PM UTC
The H-style suspenders were still in use then as well as the Y-style. The early '80s were a transition period for uniforms and gear. Old and new were seen in use depending on the unit.

Dragon made an M-16/AR-15 set that includes nice M16A1s.


Italeri also made a modern weapons set that has nice M16A1s.


Lastly, Tamiya's old Modern US Infantry set has great M16A1s and a bunch of other gear that could be used. The infantrymen are from the same early '80s period.


On the M60, I too will be replacing it with a better one. The two on the new sprue are pretty nice though. The one in the original M151A2 kit was horrible and way oversized.
Hisham
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 09:21 PM UTC
Thanks for the review, Gino.. these look like nice releases. Like the others said, I hope we see some AM stuff for them

I've never seen that Italeri weapons set before.. looks like it has a nice rounded collection of weapons. I wonder why these companies always stop producing these nice and useful sets?

Hisham
Foxtrot1
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Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 01:42 AM UTC
Thanks Gino, didn't think there would be that many options. Agreed Hisham, that Italeri kit would be a very useful one to be re-released.
jvazquez
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Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 07:54 AM UTC
The best M-60 MG I've seen so far is the one that's included in the AFV Club M42 Duster. Very crisp and lots of nice details.

Obviously though you need to have that kit on hand.
jvazquez
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Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 08:03 AM UTC
Gino would probably know better, but I would assume that if you're going to use the .50 calibre MG on the M151, you're probably going to want to figure out a way to drop that rear suspension down. These were light vehicles and the .50 would most likely weigh that rear down significantly, especially too when you consider the added gunner on top as well as boxes of ammo rounds, a radio, and other stowage on board.
Trisaw
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Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 12:17 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Gino would probably know better, but I would assume that if you're going to use the .50 calibre MG on the M151, you're probably going to want to figure out a way to drop that rear suspension down. These were light vehicles and the .50 would most likely weigh that rear down significantly, especially too when you consider the added gunner on top as well as boxes of ammo rounds, a radio, and other stowage on board.


Good point...perhaps something aftermarket makers should consider...
alby502
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Posted: Saturday, January 04, 2014 - 04:12 AM UTC
MFO vehicles in the Sinai were painted white, not sand. Maybe this was a unit that returned from a Bright Star exercise?
HeavyArty
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Posted: Saturday, January 04, 2014 - 04:17 AM UTC
Good catch, it probaly had just returned from Op Bright Star in Egypt.
sgtsauer
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Posted: Saturday, January 04, 2014 - 05:18 AM UTC
Great review Gino. Very detailed and thorough. I'm tempted to buy one of these kits just to get the extra weapons and detail parts.



Here is a quick shot of the M60 that comes with the old Tamiya Modern Infantry set. It looks like the same M60 is included in the kit..

Its very nice in my opinion even in today's market. I've been begging Yaroslav to make M60's.





HeavyArty
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Posted: Saturday, January 04, 2014 - 06:08 AM UTC
Hi Brent - I agree, the weapons in the old US Modern Army Infantry set are pretty nice. I think the M60 in the "new" M151A2 is the same one. It is definitely usable.
alby502
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Posted: Saturday, January 04, 2014 - 06:47 AM UTC
...sorry I did not add, "Nice review."!
Burik
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Posted: Friday, February 03, 2017 - 02:07 AM UTC
For the 82nd Abn decals, what does the "174" mean on the bumper code?

I'm doing a 2-505 jeep. Can I just reuse the "174?"
BruceJ8365
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Posted: Friday, February 03, 2017 - 03:01 AM UTC

Quoted Text

For the 82nd Abn decals, what does the "174" mean on the bumper code?

I'm doing a 2-505 jeep. Can I just reuse the "174?"


I don't know what a number in the center of the bumper would be unless perhaps its part of a VIN/Serial/Registration number. But if that's the case, it should be formatted like: "2N8055" (By the way, that's the registration number of my M151 shown in my avatar).
HeavyArty
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Posted: Friday, February 03, 2017 - 07:14 AM UTC
No idea what the 174 would be either. I would leave it off.
Sabot
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Posted: Friday, February 03, 2017 - 09:51 PM UTC

Quoted Text

For the 82nd Abn decals, what does the "174" mean on the bumper code?

I'm doing a 2-505 jeep. Can I just reuse the "174?"


Doubtful, the 319th was a military intelligence battalion assigned to the 82nd ABN at the time of the invasion. I'm not sure about the old make up of those types of units, but they often consisted of numbered companies as opposed to the traditional lettered companies (i.e. maybe the 174th MI company and not A, B, C like a maneuver battalion). Long range reconnaissance teams came from units like this.
yeahwiggie
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Posted: Wednesday, July 03, 2019 - 10:46 PM UTC
I am rather late to the party with this kit, but did anyone notice that the figures appear to be wearing the M-1959 LCE?
Wouldn't that make the troops Rangers?

The sharp creases would indicate the use of the older, green uniforms (don't know the exact designation).

white4doc
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Posted: Thursday, July 04, 2019 - 12:38 AM UTC
The M1956 gear just didn't indicate one unit or another, it was luck of the draw at the warehouse when a troop was issued field gear. The issuer just grabbed the next item in the bin and in the bag it went. You could do the figures as either Rangers either 1st or 2nd Batt. by putting steel pots on them and doing the uniforms as the OG jungle fatigues (only the 82nd had been issued the new PASGT helmets at the time).
yeahwiggie
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Posted: Thursday, July 04, 2019 - 02:01 AM UTC
I could only find pictures of Rangers wearing the M-1959.
All the other troops appear to be wearing the Alice LCE (using wikipedia's info. Is that correct?)

But yes, I also found a happy mix of steel and "fritz"-helmets.
Sabot
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Posted: Thursday, July 04, 2019 - 04:36 AM UTC
Wearing the canvas vs. nylon LBE was luck of the draw as he stated, probably until the late 80s as the older canvas was worn out and discarded and replaced by newer nylon.

Additionally, soldiers often bought a set of current LBE to use for parades and inspections and used the issued ones in the field.

But once new style LBE became standard issue, their older style will become their field one and they will keep the brand new newer style as their parade/inspection ones.

So you continue to get a mixture within units until the older style is declared obsolete and replaced by attrition.

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