Well I've heard this is quite an aged kit, and I had some inclination of that when I got it for around $17 at my local hobby store. Despite what I've heard I plan to go ahead and put this together since I don't have too much experience in model tanks beyond GW products a few years back and this will be a good opportunity to practice. One thing in particular that I'm worried about are the treads, as I'm not a fan of the ones that came in the kit, a picture of which I put here with the rest of the kit

I hope that worked since I'm still trying to learn how to insert photos into posts. Anyhow are there any cheap workable treads that will work with this kit? I've noticed tracks like these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-35-ATL08-FRIULMODEL-TRACK-FOR-GERMAN-PANTHER-A-G-for-DRAGON-TAMIYA-PROMOTE-/131195862180?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item1e8be1fca4

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TAM35171-Panther-Separate-Track-1-35-Tamiya-/300353361015?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item45ee749477

However it seems that in any event I'm going to end up spending more on tracks than I am on the whole model. Does anyone know of tracks that can be bought for cheaper? Finally, if I got the Zimmerit kit that Tamiya provides, will it fit on the A even if its meant for the G model?
http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/plastic-model-series-20/1-35-scale-accessories-12400/1-35-zimmerit-coating-sheet-12646

For tracks, you might check Lucky Model for a new line of workable track sets called Kaizen. These are fairly inexpensive and appear to be easy to assemble. Kaizen already has several PzIII and IV sets, and I think they just released some Tiger sets,, but I'm not sure about Panthers. There was also a recent review on this site that was pretty positive about these tracks.

The G hull was quite different from the A, and this A isn't even to scale, so no, Tamiya's stick-on Zimmerit won't work here. However, Zimmerit on early and mid A-models was a simple layer of putty cut into squares with the edge of a trowel, and you can achieve this with a thin layer of body putty scribed with an X-acto knife. It's by far the easiest Zimmerit pattern to do.
The kit is a very easy build, but the center set of wheels should be double wheels, and the kit depicts them as single, fat wheels. Not fixable, but not all that noticeable, either. The idler wheels at the rear have little sprocket teeth to reduce track throwing on motorized models. They should be snipped off, as the real thing didn't have them. The turret is too wide at the front, but again, not really fixable (in the old days, we'd adapt a Nichimo Ausf G turret with a slab of .060" styrene on the front to correct its dimensions, kitbashing two Panthers to make one fairly decent A model).
Replacement tracks would cost more than the kit, and might not even fit, as they were designed for later, more accurate kits. I wouldn't bother here. No point buying a $60 kit and $40 in accessories for your first attempt.
I'd concentrate on achieving a good paint finish and practice basic weathering techniques. There were some beautiful models produced using these same crappy kits decades ago, and these are still impressive to look at today, because of careful construction and subtle painting.

I just got through putting one of these together (a little more touch ups necessary)--and despite the vehement criticism of it from many modelers---I like it a lot. It can really be a fun kit to build if you are into nostalgic modeling like I am. It also seems to blend in with 1/32 kits as well as 1/35 (somewhat larger appearing than 1/35 but not quite 1/32. The only thing I really took time on was filing the over wide gun mantle to more respectable proportions. I kept the tracks but depressed them upon the wheels for more realism. Also, even though it would be expensive and a challenge--it is worth it (if one can afford it) to go all out with aftermarket stuff just to test one's mettle. Turret is a tad larger to scale than most people want, but I get by thinking of the finished model as a unique Panther made with thicker armor! Great, simple-clean slate of a kit.