Hi guys,

I was wondering if the AFV Club M113A1 has the parts needed to build an M113A1 in the early 80s.

I'm pretty sure I'll just need to omit the shields and a few other parts, but I'm not an expert and I'd like to know before buying the kit.

Yes, by removing the added armor and extra weapons, you will have a standard M113A1.

However, by the early '80s, most M113A1s had been upgraded to M113A2s. These upgrades include a shock absorber on the 2nd roadwheel on each side, the rear idler wheel raised about 3 inches, a redesigned engine deck with different vents, an exhaust with a flapper and square guard around it, armored radiator cap cover, a second exhaust stack for the crew heater, and smoke launchers added on the front glacis. The rest of the upgrades were to the engine, transmission, and inside.

You can see most of the updates on the engine compartment deck here.


Smoke launchers


Academy does a pretty good A2 version if you want to go that route.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm planning on building a Portuguese Army M113 and in the early to mid 80s they used a regular M113A1. I believe the first A2 models arrived in the 90s, but don't quote me on that.

Gino, are those shots from the FLW outdoor display?

Maybe? I grabbed them from Prime Portal.

After getting the AFV club kit and examining the kit's parts, the kit seems to represent an early M113A1, one that was converted from a gas-powered M113.

It contains the oval inspect access panel to the fuel tank on the rear, but I think it can be sanded off. I'm not sure if the fuel cap is the same on the M113 and the A1 but I think so.

On the interior, the firewall access door (?) is composed of one door, not two, like on the "regular" A1s. I'll try to swap this with the part from an old Italeri kit or just live with it.

Also, and because it's an ACAV, it's missing two braces (?) at the rear and I'll have either to source these from another kit or scratchbuild them. I'm not sure how to call these things, but it's where you'd tie things like backpacks, sleeping bags, etc. to be carried on the outside of the vehicle.

So far, that's it. There's probably more stuff that I have missed.

Does the AFV kit offer enough of an improvement to make it worth the investment over Tamiya and Academy?

Over the Tamiya, definitely. Over the Academy one it depends on how picky you are. The details on the AFV Club kit are more refined, but the kit is also pricier. I'm not sure you'll need a new kit if you have the Academy on your stash already, but check the reviews and photos of sprues online.

Hey Jim, It is indeed. Visible in the background is the WW2 company area that was restored as well. A tornado hit the area a few years ago & damaged or destroyed exhibits but the majority of damage has been repaired. It really is a fine museum well worth visiting.

Ricardo,
Those items that you are describing are guards to protect the antennas and matching units from being damaged

John