A few questions, is there a tweak list some place? Google was not helpful.

I know to cover/fill motor holes but how are folks actual doing that? A plate covering, filler etc?

Speaking of the bottom of the hull, what is the correct layout. Dragon and Tamiya disagree on other T-34 hulls and I did see/find where Dragon or anyone did a ChTZ hull. I assume they are different then others.

Additionally how are folks handling the lack of a better word the sprocket almost "L" shape cut on the hull? From my google searches either folks don't show that area or WIP photos have been removed.

If you are concerned about building an accurate model, skip the Tamiya kit completely, Neither the turret, the hull nor the suspension are even close to accurate. The kit dates from the toy-tank era and the hull is designed to fit batteries and motor.

The DML kit 6487 is a much better place to start.

The stamped turret originated from UZTM, who used them on their own production as well as shipping them to UTZ (Zavod No.183) for use on their tanks. Some may also have been sent to ChKZ --- the hulls are pretty much identical.

Regards
Scott Fraser

As Scott says the Tamiya kits are old and not particularly accurate (the DML kits are better and still leave a hell of a lot to be desired) but that said I’ve seen some good looking models based on them. If you have the kit, go ahead and build it. If you want to tweak it there is a lot that you can do.

ChTZ/ChKZ’s hulls are, as far as I’ve been able to tell, indistinguishable from UTZ. There may be some differences in the type of wheels preferred but otherwise you’d have a hard time telling one from the other.

As I recall the forged turret in that kit is a bit small but more or less looks the part (widening and lengthening, along with a little reshaping with putty has been done by others. I’m not sure if you want to go that far though).

For filling of those motorization holes I’ve used plastic sheet and filler, I’ve also used epoxy putty will good results. Either will do.

That slot for the kit gear box is easily filled with plastic strip. It will look better if you continue the raised ring (with bolts) across the gap and add a bolt head or two.

You’ll also want to fill the open undersides of the “sponsons” with a bit of sheet.

The of course there’s the two towing brackets that you glue to the glacis fillet (that round “nose” at the front of the hull). They shouldn’t be there. They’re an artifact of the T-34 sent by the Soviets to the US and were added when the transmission crapped out during testing. Tamiya faithfully copied them.

So, I guess the question is how much work do you want to do?

Mark

As others pointed out, Tamiya's T-34 hull dates from 1974, and was sized to take their standard gearbox and Mabuchi electric motor, so the whole thing is a bit big and the hull angles are off. The proportions of the engine deck are also off. The stamped turret version was added by Tamiya in the 1980's.
You can certainly build a good looking model, of course, though it won't be as accurate as more recent kits from other makers. Eduard offered photo etch sets for the Tamiya kits which go a long toward making them presentable (Eduard also makes etch for other makers' kits, but the engine deck screens, the most important parts, won't fit this kit, so get the one made for Tamiya).
On-The-Mark Models (of Colorado), also offered a more comprehensive photo etch set for Tamiya's kits back in 1990, but they have been long out of production. You might spot one on E-bay, though.

Thanks for the information gents.

I am going to dance with the one I brought but would like to be reasonable accurate. I won't attempt to fix the hull dimension or angle issue but can leave off the tow rings (part A-14 I believe). I will also modify the lower hull pan to match Dragon 6487 or 6205 as I have that one on hand and they appear the same. I will modify the engine deck screens and add the louvers below.

I did find that the Tank Workshop has an improvement set STZ008 that includes the plug and other improvement items.

More then likely this will be used to make my version of a T-34T. As I have dragon tracks (both from 6487, 6205 and Cyberhobby 42) and other parts (hatch, exhaust from Cyberhobby 42 kit).

The turret will be used a monument piece similar to the ones around Volgograd.