What is the differences in the intermediate type and the late type?

Anybody?

Hi,

I assume you mean the 537G...different engine compartment sides, and for many but not all vehicles a little step instead of the V-shaped plates between axle 2 and 3

hth

Matthijs

Here are my guesses. From top to bottom : Early, Intermediate, and Late :



or maybe it's Early, Late, and Final

H.P.

Differences were almost entirely in the sheet metal. Earlier vehicles had sheet metal body panels covering the rear gas tanks and then there were differences as you noted, in the running boards.

The boxy item behind the gas tanks as you probably already know, is the winch housing which was an option on all models.

Somewhere along the way they did an engine modification which gave the tractor a higher horsepower rating.

I'm pretty sure the early version had 3 headlights. The others only have 2

Just as an F.Y.I. relating to the 537 - The driveline on the Trumpeter model is greatly (let's change that to stupidly) simplified. In this semi-tractor the driveline is much more visible and, I feel, needs to be made more accurate.

Front of vehicle is to the left. The transmission is on the left, the transfer case is to the right. The rusty looking part is the emergency brake.



This vehicle did not come with a winch installed. You can tell because the power take off for the winch (small round cover plate on the extreme far right of the transfer case) has a blank cover plate installed.

F.Y.I. - Rare version of the Maz 537 covered at:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/196250

Another part that Trumpeter inexplicably left off their MAZ 537 is the small but highly visible driveshaft and universal joint that drives the winch. The PTO (power take-off) is present on top of the transfer case and the fitting that receives the driveshaft is present on the bottom of the winch housing but no shaft to connect the two????




(Photos by Gabor Fodor

A spare driveshaft lifted off a US Deuce and a Half or a German Opel Blitz easily fixes this oversight with the winch drive!

I have to say that while there may be some positives regarding the Trumpeter MAZ kit, the shortcuts taken with the detailing and the downright mistakes in this model make it almost not worth the effort without including a high level of scratch construction to correct these many faults.

- The gross simplification, and downright incorrectness of the driveline is inexcusable.
..... Stupid looking unrealistic but very visable transfer case.
..... Ditto the transmission
..... Incorrect driveshaft placement/arrangement
..... Totally missing final drive gearboxes.
- The over-simplification of the bench seats in the cab is a joke. (The seat should be in three separate and stepped sections.)
- The absence of the aux. cold weather heater on the floor of the cab while including the exhaust pipe for same up the outside of the cab for the heater is laughable.
- No rubber mat texture cast into the cab floor. - A simple addition.
- The absence of the alcove for/and the cold weather manual fuel charging pump in the back wall of the cab interior cannot be forgiven.
- The need for an engine in at least the late production version where the engine compartment can easily be seen into from the rear over the gas tanks.
- The inclusion of some metal etch is a nice addition to the kit however the rear engine cover bracing on the actual vehicle is made using 1"x2" welded retangular metal tubing so construction of this bracing out of Evergreen plastic shape produces a more correct representation of this bracing and does more to hide the fact that there is no engine.
- Missing braces behind the front bumper.
- Missing LARGE air tanks that should mount under the walking beam suspension arms between the 3rd and 4th axles.


Engine cover bracing made from Evergreen shapes.


Scratch built final drive units - front and back.

Even Trumpeter's etch is wrong!

In other words "it ain't no Tamiya Famo".

With the Famo, putting the model together almost qualifies you to work on the real thing!

"Don't mince words Jim, say what you really feel!"

There is a guy on line, goes by the handle 0paperinik, that is building a PAPER model of the 537 that has WAY better/more detailing than the Thrumpeter kit!


Bumper brackets.


Correct transfer case.

The triple headlights were phased out very early in the initial production run.

Here is a photo taken from below of the underside of my MAZ-537. This view shows the third and fourth axles with the front of the vehicle to the right. Here you can clearly see the two previously missing air tanks and the rear final drive gearbox.

Sorry these photos are a bit disjointed but it has to do with the order I find them in:

This is a late production 537. You can tell by the flat center running boards and the short ladder segments down both sides between the second and third axles.

This vehicle originally had a winch as you can see part of the universal joint attachment going forward out of the PTO.

I spoke of missing interior details:

Nice interior details I can use when I finish mine.

Happy modeling

Hiya,

A bunch of walkarouds for you:

http://mhrfweb.makett.org/MHRF/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=27%3Amaz-537g&Itemid=11&lang=hu

On the sidenote, I have no idea if I ever will have the patience to correct all this...

Cheers,

Adam

Believe me Adam I know what you mean. I am off to a good start on the 537 but have how gotten bogged down with health problems and other projects. I also started converting a Scud Missile Carrier into the MAZ-7310 AA-60 fire/crash truck and I want to convert a second 537 into the F/A variant for use with super heavy ICBM missile transports.

My thread on the F/A tractor can be viewed at:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/196250&ord=&page=1

And the thread covering many, many variants of the Scud chassis (including my fire truck) can be seen at:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/157911

I have seen more than a few MAZ 537 models of late with the fifth wheel sticking up at a very sharp vertical angle and I knew there was just something WRONG about the whole idea.

Something that is missing from the model kit are these two little short steps on the trailer run-up ramps for the rear legs of the fifth wheel to sit on.