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If you can find one (it took me about two years to scoop one off ebay) its probably the best starting point.
I have made many posts over on Missing Lynx regarding the various Ram kits available and anyone looking to purchase or do a lot of work on any of them would be well advised to so a search over there for the many posts on the subject. However, just to give a flavour of my opinions, the following was posted on ML .
Rams of many flavours... December 4 2004, 2:15 PM
As my name has been bandied about, I suppose I must reply!
First there was the Lone Star Ram and it was foul in all measures and displeased the gods and lo, it's time was short upon the Earth.
Then there was Mister Verlinden's Ram and it was based upon the Nichimo M4A1 and thus was short, wide and tall, making it a most dumpy looking Ram. Its other inaccuracies were many and varied, taxing the patience and skill of any modeller who put his hand to building one and attempting to achieve the Holy Grail of accuracy. It did build into a moderately good looking Ram if your eyes were mostly closed and the light was poor. It's time was also relatively short upon the Earth, but it had made an impression upon some people.
Those people were from a far off land who travelled by several names. They were known as H&K 35 to some and as Kit and Co. to others and they looked upon the Verlinden Ram with favour. So much favour that they copied the Verlinden Ram almost completely making only cosmetic changes to it's substance and doing no real work to get closer to the Holy Grail. Still, their castings were most fair and the resulting kit still resembled a Ram. Alas for the multinamed company from France, they passed from the ken of man and walk the Earth no longer.
However, the legend of the Verlinden Ram lived on and a company in far off Poland saw the Ram and were entranced by its lines. They also took either a H&K or Verlinden Ram and copied it almost completely, warts and all. They made some attempts to change the shapes of some parts, but, for some unknown reason decided to inflict upon their copy the sheet metal ducts for the wading gear seen only on some Ram OP versions, which their model most definitely was not. In addition, they made the decision to make the conversion into a full kit by including a complete copy of Tamiya's M3 Lower hull and other needed bits and some WE210 track. While their intent was good, the legality was suspect and lo their effort was tainted and false. The lower hull parts are copied directly from Tamiya and include all flaws in the Tamiya Lee, including 6 spoke wheels, bogus idler mounts, a too wide hull that will accept no modern upgrades and an auxiliary turret that needs the side view ports removed. This kit has continued in production for several years and is still available from the land, far away. Although I decry their methods, the castings are still most fair and a somewhat dumpy Ram can be produced with some effort.
Finally the craftsmen ar Resicast did set their hand to the Ram, but have limited themselves to the combat versions so far, producing a Ram Kangaroo and a Ram Badger. While they have based their efforts on the Italeri M4A1, of long standing, their attempt has also fallen short of the mark, although the basic shapes are much more pleasing to the eye. The position of the driver's visor is almost a cubit too far forwards and the turret ring is likewise too far forwards making any version with a turret on that hull appear to be perched over the front bogey. The rear hull contour, so distinctive on Rams (and cast M3A1s for that matter) is woefully incorrect and displeases the gods with its misformed ugliness. My hull also had the cardinal sin of being tapered from front to back needing tapered .030 shims on each side to bring it back to the correct shape. The gods are having mercy upon Resicast and this kit is still available from them, but warnings and forebearance are needed upon the part of the modeller who attempts to make these kits more accurate.
Thus endeth the lesson!
Paul, keeper of the records.
. I've been working on the S-Model version on and off for a few years, lots of work.
