Greetings, all of my friends at the big A...
Quick question to you all...Has anyone recently built one of the newer versions of the M1A1 Abrams? I am building the Academy Iraqui 2003 version now and I need some comments on how you have finished up the modern tracks...how you did it and what you used would be greatly helpful...I'm torn between what I want to do and need your help! The tank is going to be a fairly clean subject, in a vignette alone, not in a dio.
Sincerely,
Gunny

Hi Gunny,
I personally spray the whole track with Tamiya NATO black, then I heavily wash it with a brownish shade from the earth/soil you want to represent.
When done, I drybrush with a metal tone and I finish by painting the rubber pads again in NATO black. To increase the realism, you can scratch the pads to give them a worn out look.

Then only, I weather the tracks generally with a very liquid wash and some sprayed various tones to mix all the shades.

Here my try with the DML M1A1

FYI, the new Academy M1A1 comes with the old style tracks that were being phased out in 1990. Most of the Abrams tanks now use the style tracks shown in Bison's tracks pictured above.

To add on to Sabot's post. AFV Club makes a replacement set of track in the correct T158 “Bigfoot” track, set #35012. They are individual plastic link track.


If you don't want to tackle individual link tracks, Tamiya sells sprues/parts and will sell the track from their new M1A1/A2 OIF model for about $5 plus shipping. Call the number at the below link, you will need the Tamiya kit #, #35269. Great service and quick shipping.
Tamiya Support

Good luck.

Hello again Gentlemen...
I really like the effect that you have achieved, Olivier...Thanks for the info...I think that I am going to do something similar to your method...Robin and Gino, thanks for the buzz on the tracks, guys,But I'm building this model as a full built style review subject, so I have to use all that comes with the kit for review purposes...if I ever build one for my collection, I'll definitly use your information, though.
Gunny....out!

Howdy Gunnie. Please be sure you let those readers of your review know that the T-156(chevron) tracks as supplied in the kit were not on any USMC M1A1s in OIF as depicted by the box art and instructions. In addition the markings and color scheme are fictional for the vehicle that is supposed to be represented(War Pig, C Co 1st Tk Bn). I am hoping accuracy still counts, right? Mike Mummey . . . . . . out!

Mark,

Also please include in your review information that tracks in the kit are not only the wrong version, but even for this version they are inaccurate. The "dual horn" center link connectors in old T156 tracks should be between links, not in the middle of each link as Academy (and earlier Tamiya) made them.

Pawel

Yeah, what Vodnik said.

Greetings, my friends...
Thank you for the very valuable information concerning this matter, as I absolutely HATE to report on a product with innacurate information! Just goes to show you that you really can never do enough research on a subject... I will note this as such and proceed with the build.
Keep Modeling!
Gunny...out!