R/C tank builder, but new here, appreciate any help....
Have friend that was in this tank. Building a model for him as surprise, so don't want to ask a lot of questions.
Tank was Army M60A1, 1986, Fort Riley KS, #66, named Bandit.
Planning to get Italeri kit. I see two versions - original and re-issue. Which best for this prototype?
I searched, but can't find specific pics. What I did see was a subtle multi-color "blotchy" camo, tank name on barrel. Don't know about commander/MG cupola...yes or no?
Want to get it recognizable for him. Will be adding no interior detail, but will have a gun that flashes/puffs/booms by pushbutton.
Reference pics, camo description, marking locations...any detail...much appreciated. Thanks.
Dan

Try this.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdebock/9370492281/in/photostream/

https://sites.google.com/site/merdccamo/home/merdcpic

For paint schemes. Fall/winter verdant for an M60A1 RISE. Scheme appears to be missing sand highlights. Standard M60A1 as in Italeri kit but you'll to source top loading air cleaners. Gear is pretty varied form tank to tank. Look at the pictures for bumper codes on sand background and bore evacuator is also sand with nickname.

Both types of road wheels show up in pictures but all tanks have T142 hex track. Pretty worn too.

I'm actually at Fort Riley now.

Of course the only M60's around are on static display and are repainted NATO. You can bet they were standard winter verdant (Forest Green and Field Drab).

I imagine you have the unit/bumper codes from him.

Think about the AFV Club M60A1 as its much more accurate. For the aircleaners and hex track, you might even want to get the AFV Club M60A3 and leave off the A3 parts, I don't know if the A1 parts are in the sprues though, but it'd be great if they were.

Does anyone know if the needed A1 parts on in the AFV Club M60A3 kit?

I believe the AFV M60A1 kit comes with both types of air cleaners-- top loading and side loading, so you shouldn't need the A3 kit. At least mine did, but it was one of the very first issues, and I received it rather early. Not sure why they'd make any changes if any though. The A1 kit only comes with the early track though, so if you want to build a later A1, you'll need to get the AFV club T142 track which is sold separately as individual link tracks, and looks rather nice.
VR, Russ

I found an Italeri M60A1 on ebay for a price I could pop for.
Will get it Friday.
I can scratch build the top loading filters. Likely will keep the early tracks. Kind of wishing now I went with the AFV, but it got pricey with shipping.

Thanks for all the advice and the links to the pics, camo schemes, etc. What a great forum!
Need to look up techniques for airbrushing camo now. I'll post the build with pics.
Thanks again.

Looked at closeup pics of Italeri box and it appears that their model has the top-loading air cleaners and the hex track.

No, the Italeri M60A1 (you DO NOT want the Italeri M60 Blazer, it can't be built into a non-IDF tank OOB) comes with the early side loading air cleaners and not the later top loading ones. The track is the later T-142 hex track.

The original version of the kit is the Esci M60A1 #5039 that was released in 1990. AMT/Ertl also released it as kit #8864, but it was actually the Esci kit #5042 IDF Blazer, which could be built into a non-IDF tank, unlike the later Italeri reissue.

The kit I bought is the Italeri 6397 M60A1. I don't have it yet...coming Friday. The box art seems to show top loading air filters. I'll confirm when I get it

Like Rob said, that kit only comes with the side loading air cleaners.

An excerpt from a review of it:

"The kit comes with side loading air cleaners, but with the later hex pad shaped M142 (tracks), somewhat limiting the modeler’s options. Additionally, no smoke grenade launchers are included in the kit so an '80s era RISE/PASSIVE cannot be modeled out of the box."

Rob, Gino,
Thank you. And thanks for posting the review link. Guess I need to start looking for detail pics of the top load air cleaners. Appreciate all the help. Thanks.

Looking at Vallejo and Tamiya colors. One source lists Vallejo 71.128 for the dark green, but that color is listed as Grey Violet? The Tamiya # for the green color listed is XF22,RLM Gray. I will paint in fade, but are these grays even close? Thanks.

Chris Fish, Stephen Willoughby - Thanks much for the excellent links. The pics from Fort Riley are an awesome source of info.
And thanks to all responders...really great help.

Both Lifecolor and Vallejo offer MERDC color sets that permit the appropriate scheme for the Riley locale and time of year you are seeking to represent. My suggestion if you want the Lifecolor is to be sure to order up some of their own thinner. I have used the Vallejo and Tamiya thinners with Lifecolor and it results in a gummy mess in the airbrush.

Thank you Jim.
Paint is ordered.
Kit should be delivered today.

If you need the extra parts to build a late '80s M60A1 RISE (top-loading air filters, smoke launchers, smoke grenade stowage boxes), let me know as I have them all. Send me a PM and we can work something out.

Thank you. Looking at the 1986 Fort Riley pics that were linked here earlier, it looks to me (a rookie) that there are no smoke grenade launchers, but they do have top-loading filters.
I'll PM you. Thanks again.

Spoke to the tanker tonight. Great conversation. His tank did have the grenade launchers. He provided a lot of great detail.
My kit did not arrive today.. USPS now says Friday...

Gino....THanks much.

Wow... Thanks for the trip down memory lane!! I was a young M60A1 Tank Commander at Ft. Riley with 1/63rd Armor (1983/1984) and later with 1/34th Armor (1985/1986). I left before the 1st Infanty Divison received their first M1 tanks.

Most of the M60A1s were old as hell and most did not have the smoke grenade launchers either... Some did, but most did not. Trust me, those A1s were tired as hell and required 24/7 maintinance and parts just to keep them "training" ready.

The first tank I signed for sported the old "white star" on the front slop that had to be constantly repainted due to all the mounting/dismounting rubbing off the can spray paint finish... Btw, the camaflauge pattern varied greatly from tank to tank, due to years of touch-up painting with cans of spray paint. Trust me, it really had that G.I. "Good enough for governement work" amateur look to each of the various camo patterns.

They were old, but they still could shoot, but the A3s and M1s really outclassed these old warhorses... Regardless, I still have plenty of love for the A1s, which were the last "REAL" tanks for us older tankers... If you could get your A1 tank qualified on a first run at tank gunnery, you were without question, a "REAL" tanker!!

The term we called A3 and M1 tankers was the "Pepsi Generation Tankers."

Again, thanks for the memories!!

Finished the Italeri M60 with features described by the guy who commanded this tank at Ft Riley in mid-80's. He said his was the only M60 that still had the smoke grenade launchers, so I added those. Added tank name - Bandit - and number - 66.
Wheels may be wrong, but supposedly both type of wheels were being interchangeably used.
Built it an a base to include batteries for turret rotation motor and lights shown in attached vids and pics.
I'm an old guy - this 1/35 scale size was a challenge for my vision -ha!
Thanks for all the background help, pic references and extra parts. Much appreciated.

hmmm....need to figure out pic and vid upload....

Hope these links work...
Pics:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663TzFiYW05b3QxSmM/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663U0JVXzlLYklyVjQ/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663Mk1kSTdjZlNiMjg/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663ekRwZkVmR3IyMm8/view?usp=sharing

Short Vids:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663c09VaVVKWXAtWWc/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663bTFZOWZ0TWFQRGM/view?usp=sharing

You did a nice job with that. Looks very good.

Hello Dan,

I have enjoyed looking at your model. I have always liked that camouflage scheme. I am thinking that you might want to check smoke grenade launcher on the left side of the turret, though. I believe that this one should be mounted on the opposite side.

I think that your friend is going to be quite pleased with what you have accomplished.

Respectfully,
Allen

It came out looking pretty nice. Good job on it.