Hello
I am building my first Merkava MK. I and I have some questions about it:
- What kind of paint (base coat) was used on the Merkava.
- Did the top layer of lacquer come to the base or to the metal?
- Where are the most common areas of cushioning?
- should I consider anything else when building my Merkava?"

Hello,

One thing to consider when building Merkavas is the antislip coating they have.

First of all, you have to decide if you are building a "late" Merkava I or an "early" variant.

If you do not want to add antiskid and the classic balls and chains under the turret basket go for an early variant.

You can also add only the balls and chain under the basket with no antiskid.

Try finding the book Israel's Armor Might – May, 1990
by Samuel M. Katz, it contains many photos of the early Merkava I tanks. Also the Osprey book has some helpful photos. Ignore the texh of these books, it is sometimes misleading.

For your paint you need a sand-grey color, Vallejo Model Air 71142 is nice. You can also try Valleo Model Air 71248.

As far as I know the vehicles were primed before paint, but I do not know the color.

What do you mean by cushioning?

Found some photos with all variants, some are from the factory and you can see the primer: