Hello,
I plan to make (If possible) a model of every type of M113 family of vehicles I operated while in the service. First, I have a Tamiya M113 kit I want to use to get my modeling skills up to par (I haven't built a model for like twenty years) by making an ARCAV gasser track as seen in Vietnam.
I plan to save the engine for a M577 build (First 577 I drove was a gasser)later on so the hood will be closed on the M113. Now I have been going through the other discussions to get some ideas, and I plan to PE up the TAM track. The questions I have are, what is the best After Market kit(s) for making a Nam track interior and exterior and tracks? I read the other threads which cleared up, or in some cases stirred up the paddy water. I never read a decision on the pivot steers (used for swimming the track, emergency stops, stationary turn, and laying the 4.2" mortar when mounted). Right now I want to nail down the Nam track with all the corrections it will need. The other tracks I wish to build are three gun tracks; M125A1, M106A1, M113 w/Tow; and then a M113A1 CMD, M577, and a M113A2/3. I might do an ODS M2, but first need to see if the other ones put me in the poor house. Who knows maybe OEF, if I could find that Ford pickup made in Thailand with ANA and Police markings....
Thanks for any help
simon

Welcome back to the hobby and the forums, Red. Looking forward to seeing some of your stuff here.

Gaz

Talking about aftermarket sets for your ACAV project, I guess you should take a look at the PE sets from Eduard :

http://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/35401.pdf

http://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/35390.pdf

These resin sets from Legend may be worth considering as well :



#LF1011 :




H.P.

Thank you for the info. I never really knew what was contained in the Eduard kits. Sorry to say I have forgotten a lot of details on the M113 series. Besides the Eduard sets, in your experience what other kits might be needed?
I never drove a M113 so I am going off the M113A1,M125A1, M106A1 and M577 I operated.
Problems I see are going from front to back:
Trim vane and extension arm, Clear lens for lights.
Driver hole:
determination on the pivot steers,engine compartment fire extinguisher lines, ramp lever, ramp lock, IR vision device, Interior light, driver floor, wire lines. Correct markings. Now the 577 had a vent in the driver's hole for when it backfired. I don't know if the M113 had the same or it had the square cut with the cover you see in the PE. The pipe for the drain pump.
Top: Fix the troop hatch release.
Troop compartment: Fuel tank? Interior lights, interior markings, ramp locking system, wires.
Ramp:
Problem is the real ramp is hallow so you have three holes,1 hand grip hole in troop door, 2 holes for the ramp hooks. Also need the ramp cable and assembly. Wow what a lot of junk, haven't even got to the fun part of what color of gloss white to paint the m19 scope body!
I see all the extra gear stuff-a few items appear post Nam like the camo screen system. What I don't see (And maybe they didn't take them in Nam) is the starlite scope boxes.
http://www.armslist.com/posts/4178761/richmond-virginia-optics-for-trade--an-pvs-2-night-vision-scope-http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/starlight-night-vision-scope-an-tvs-2-7x-mag
Now when I was in we carried two on our gun track-1 for the .50 and one for a M16. I don't know if they had a starlite scope for the .50, but I thought they had the smaller scopes for the M16, LAW, M60? I guess the other thing is the right hand mikes for the commo system.

Thanks for the help
Time to start getting my PE on.

Even though the featured M113 gasser is a Swedish Army one, I guess you could have a look at Sven's impressive M113 build log for reference stuff :

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/214442

Here's an early M113 fitted with the ACAV kit :



Another one appears in this video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZt_sHHcE3Y

H.P.

That's GREAT, Simon! Have you heard that there are NEW 1/35 M113 kits that we'll be seeing right along from AFV CLUB and some other manufacturers?

Nope, I have only seen/heard of the TAM, ACY, and ITAL (Funny when I was making models ITAL was hot stuff now they seem to at the bottom of the pile).

Seven's track is....Fantastic, makes me not want to start and them makes me want to try...lol

Krap, looking at the AM kits, I guess I have to buy an ARCAV track to get the cupola shield kit. I guess i will be getting an ACY kit sooner then I thought.

What PE AMK (After Market Kit) has the ramp cable and wheel, and ramp hooks?

This update set is a must for the M113 kits, as they're rather old.
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/review/12206

I don't know of any AM/PE set that has the ramp pulley. There is a great set of 4 available for 3D printing on Shapeways designed by our own Michael "MikeyBugs95" Goldberg though. It looks very nice and represents the pulley well.

M113 Ramp Pulleys

Here are a couple of bits I have been working for a while now.
Not, the pivots have been shortened.

Wow, you have a great driver hole going there!I love how your clips on the engine access are off set. Your seat is amazing, you got the height adjustment handle! Did you make your own instrument panel? PE parts just don't make it on that. Cool that you have the Laterals(Lats-the steering levers) in the unlocked position. To lock the 'Lats' you would depress the brass buttons on top and pull them back to lock them. Sometimes the lats would be offset as one would lock up before the other. I wish someone would make the seat without the cover in the after market kits. Great job on that driver hole. What is the plan for the pivot steer? The pivot steer is something I have to look into because none of the AMKs put the pivot steer boxes in their kits. The pivot steer is nothing more then two brakes,one on each side of the differential. Shoot, looking at the Tamiya sheet they left out the right final drive (Left final drive is a little harder to see, unless you remove the inspection plate).

That is your problem, Tamiya's M113. It has to be the worst, oldest M113 model currently on the market. The Academy M113s are much better detailed and include the pivot steer parts, inner final drives, etc., etc., etc... You really need to get a better M113 kit to start with. I would personally wait on the announced AFV Club and Takom M113s to come out. They should be awesome.

I have an ACAD kit now too. I havn't put them side by side to compare them. The problem for one is I guess the Pivot steer system was removed in tracks supplied to Units in Vietnam. The ACAD kit has the brake discs but not the Pivot brakes, or the controls in the driver hole.But then both kits the Laterals are not connected in front. I guess my big issue is it does not seem like the AMKs (After Market Kits)really put in much thinking either. One problem with TAM is they molded objects onto the model-Dome Lights,Combat locks, gear selector, service drive lights control. Eduard does the same thing with their brass. I would think when they do the plates they would go "Oh, this is a 3D part, we will have to rethink how to recreate it.." What would be nice to see in a AMK would be-clear periscopes, clear dome lights, clear lights (Service, Black Out Drive,Black Out Marker)and a clear instrument panel. On USA vehicles, the dome, periscopes, lights, are the same for all vehicles, except for the new GWOT stuff. How about a AMK that does all the mounting points on the inside for the cables, dome lights, boxes, periscope mounts, etc.