There are also a fair number of offerings of the Panther Late Version Fruilmodel tracks on Ebay for under $30. The Achtung Panzer shop on Ebay has more than one at a time for between $25-$30.

Thanks, I'll look at e bay. I just can't see $80, way outta my league for tracks, BUT I can't see using the silly shapeless Tamiya rubber bands with no sag. I have the right side skirt brackets on and various tool racks.---John
Panther G 12 by jvandeu53, on Flickr

Hello---I put this on the shelf of doom to finish other projects. I just restarted it but with a twist. I am going to use the rubber road wheels and use another subject. It will be an early Ausf G in East Prussia 1944 with an ambush type camouflage. Here is the image of the new subject, tank 213 Pz Reg. 31 of the 5th Pz. Div.---John

I have the hull and turret painted Tamiya dark yellow as a primer and first color. The other colors will be red-brown and dark green, these colors will have dots or spots similar to ambush camouflage.---John

I just finished painting the rubber on the road wheels. One side of wheels are installed.---John

I am going to replace the rubber band tracks with Tamiya link sections, more realistic look.---John

Yes, I've used those Tamiya seperate tracks on two of my Panther builds, the Italaeri Bergepanther and an old '70s Panther A from Tamiya I revamped. They are better than rubber bands for realism, but note that they don't have hollow guide horns as they should. They are OK to swank up a cheap build but I wouldn't recommend them as an upgrade to a top line kit.

Regarding clothing - the SS units in the Ardennes had been rebuilt after Normandy so most of their members were conscripts. As far as the Ss were concerned, the Special Black Panzer clothing had been pretty much in abeyance, photos of Wittman and his crew in Normandy show ORs wearing camo, only he himself has the black clothing and this is for a parade, as medal ribbons are being worn on the camo, so as others have said, I'd go with the pea pattern clothing, or the one piece camouflaged coverall, as per Dragon's LAH crew for Kursk.

Thanks Steve, this is NO top notch build. Also I am no longer doing a steel wheel machine from The Bulge. It is now a rubber wheeled early G as shown in picture about 4 posts up, October
1944 in ambush camo in East Prussia.---John

Here is my old 1/35 Tamiya A from almost 30 years ago. Wow is that crude or what, I came a long way since then.---John

Just started second row of wheels.---John

Wheels done.---John

Rye Field Model and Bronco both offer styrene workable Panther A/G tracks. Better than Tamiya, and cheaper than Friul.

Thanks, I will check them out as long as they don't break the bank. Ordered decals.---John

Which Bronco Panther V track links do I need? Late Panther V or Early Panther V?---Thanks---John

Put these together and gave them a try, kit rubber band tracks are horrid, looking at separate links by Tamiya. No info on Bronco sizes, oh well.---John

Late tracks, which have the snow grips molded onto the cleats. The early tracks have the rectangular notches in the cleats, as seen on the Ausf D and early Ausf. A.

This tank seems to be moving, hence hardly any sag on the tracks as you can see. In these cases a tight vinyl track is not that horrible sin...

I don't think that tanks moving, it's parked on uneven ground. If you look at the last 2 or 3 wheel stations, you can see they are slightly higher up and pushing up on the track.
You are right though about if it was moving, the tracks would lose a fair bit of their sag, likewise if it's turning, one track will go tighter, the other track will appear slacker.

Thanks, the decals are in and I have some Silly Putty for masking. Is there any pictures of this tanks' left side? I want to see the camo pattern or else I can just use my artistic licensing. Also what is that on the rear deck just before the exhausts, a board, I beam, piece of house fell on it? I ordered the separate track links and my next project, an Academy 1/35 Tiger I early. I was considering an Afrika Corp tank or one of
Otto Carius. I read his book quite a while ago,Tigers in the mud, did he have command of an early Tiger I with no zimmerit? I don't remember, will have to reread the book sometime.---John

Could be you are both correct,, it's moving over uneven ground. Looking forward to see how your camo paint job turns out!

You will see 2 brackets holding up that plank on each side so it has been added by the crew probably to stop gear rolling off the back!