I want to buy a Panther kit but not sure what kit to buy.
I have 2 kits options:

Dragon 6268 Sd.Kfz.171 Panther G Late Production


Or
Dragon 6384 Panther G w/Zimmerit


Wish I could get both but just bought a Jagdpanther so can only get one.

What would you purchase?

Karl

Hi mate , I built the one pictured top and thought it very good .
Regards Ian

Both received high marks in reviews. The 6268 will build you a Panther from April 1945 til end of war. The 6384 is an early G good up through summer of 1944, so good for a Normandy setting (most of the decals are for Normandy, actually). It is missing however, schurzen, an AA mg, the radio mast antenna, and zimmerit on the guards for the exhaust pipes - just so you know. But those are not deal-breakers for an otherwise great kit.

Just find the best deal for either and get it. You cannot lose either way.

Be CAUTIOUS about the Late G kit 6268... I have recently read somewhere that current boxings of this kit may now be coming with DS band-tracks rather than the MagicTrack link set formerly offered in this kit. I have no confirmation on this report, but perhaps be careful and confirm that you are indeed getting what you actually EXPECT and want, whether that be the rumored DS things or the formerly standard link set.

BOTH are great kits in all respects, track-set questions aside. get either one and have a nice kitty on the shelf!

Production date is almost "everything" with Panthers - the Late G kit allows you to build a post- SEP 44 Panther with substantial base accuracy - Panthers completed after late SEP 44 lacked zimmerit, as is the case with the kit. The G with zimm kit portrays a pre-SEP 44 production G. These did of course serve to the end... however, one may wish to consider showing more zimm-chipping and wear if modeling a kitty in early '45 from that kit. Unless you are positing a specific paint-scheme for a specific individual Panther, remember that pre-SEP 44 Panthers were probably all base-coated RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb and all probably also had some version of a tricolor scheme. A later Panther post-zimm MAY have been painted one of those less-common schemes based perhaps on olivgrun or maybe, latest in the war, even on rot-oxide (NO, I am NOT endorsing that hypothesized and loudly-argued scheme for any Panther - just noting that the olivgrun and hypothetical rot-oxide schemes are probably NOT appropriate on a zimmed kitty...).

Bob

Bob I have looked at some reviews of the G late and there showing the kit to have magic track,maybe Dragon has thrown in the DS tracks in recent boxing but the kits been out a good few years.

Anyway thanks for you contribution and thanks to Ian and Shell for their comments

Think am swinging towards the G late

That's exactly it, Dragon has recently removed magic tracks from kits that used to have them although the reference number is the same.

Check out the Axis forum on Missing Lynx, there are several threads on the subject.

Cheers,

Christophe

Hi Karl,

I can confirm that Dragon has reissued 6268 with DS tracks instead of magic tracks. I purchased one earlier this year from LuckyModel. That said I'm sure there are original issue kits with the magic tracks floating around the market.

Nathan

The after market tracks are becoming cheaper , unless you all prepare fruits because they just feel and look like the real thing and have the equivalent price tag . Come to think of it modelkasten track are not that much cheaper .

I built # 6384 myself and really enjoyed it,I guess it's just personal preference,some folks don't care for the molded zimm though.

Like most people I don't really care for DS tracks as I got my Dragon Jagdpanther today and replaced the DS tracks with a set of Bronco tracks.