Like I do not have enough going on but this hits close to home.........Laying down the ground work for building this but need some info (hopefully more than before).
The tank is going to be of the 2nd Armored Cav, German border guard, 1963-64. I am looking for any other odd markings you may find on this tank at this time period, also looking for a xenon search light, later sguare type, and an after market barrel to replace the Tamiya kits barrel. Any help would be nice. THANKS....


OH YES........do not promise parts if you do not plan on sending them

FYI, Barrel Depot makes the cheapest aluminum barrel for the M60 series. The one I have even has the accordion portion of the mantlet machined on it.

As for unique markings, I know what we had on the tanks in 1978-80 and I can send you a picture of the unit ID panel from my tank (H-16). These were just OD in the 1960's, I think, with no cammouflage painting at all.

Here is a pictue I found from that era... not 2nd ACR, but 3rd Armored Division:
http://www.damondata.com/spearhead/photos/action/tanks.moving.htm

They definitely are OD with lots of colored markings.

I know the Cav always thorught they had to be different, so it is possible the 2nd ACR did something strange, but this could be a good guide. There are some other pictures there as well. I do not see the rear placards we had on any of these tanks.

What unit were you in? I was in Bamberg and served at Hof.

Thanks for the heads on the barrel.
This is for my Father, 20 plus years in tanks, I was a little young at this time but later was in Wurtzburg and Butzbach and everything between, there was a neat place called AREA 44, you could get close and personal to U.S. armor during exercises. I hate the idea of buying a M48A3 just to steal the search light, and I know Verlinden came out with a conversion awhile back but I can not locate that kit.
Thanks Sabot & 2-2dragoon for you input...............Best Regards to ya!!!!!!!!!

I know I have a Tamiya M48A3 searchlight somewhere in the parts box unused. Might take a while to look for it. When you asked for the later type, there is a small retangular one that comes with the Verlinden M48/M60 update set (reminds me of a shoe box) that is supposed to be a later type. The one that comes with the old Tamiya M60A1/A2 and M48A3 remind me of a TV set, big and boxy. I've probably got a couple of those lying around.

If I am not mis-taken (might be) there were 3 types, round, small retangular, and large retangular, every time I have shown my Dad a photo of a M60 series he mostly talks about the headlights being wrong or wrong shape, I will have to look at his slides closer, if I want to make a match for him.
I did see the tank he was on at night with the light, on if I recall it was large, but then I was only 10, everything is large at that age.
Sabot..... I will take any search lights you want to part with old or new, plastic or resin. I am sure with a few to look at I can come up with a match. Let me know.......THANKS
P.S. also have a few slides of his tank stuck in the mud up to guards in Iceland, now that would make a neat set up.
:-)

Iceland?? What the hell was a US tank doing in Iceland?? That is not tank country, for sure! What is the story?

There are three versions of the searchlight... I think the Italieri M60A1 kit comes with the correct one... as do that Academy kits. I never saw the smaller, shoe-box one... only the larger one and only pictures of the round one.

M4a1 I know I have one of the lights around from the acdemy Blazer kits I have. Let me know if you want it.

Josh aka shiryon

I found the one that comes with the Tamiya M60A3TTS kit. It is like the one that comes with the M48A3.

The small shoe box type comes with both my Lo Models US Tank Conversion Accessory kit #3501 and my Verlinden M48-M60 Update/Conversion Set. It is labeled as the AN/VSS-3A searchlight.

while you are doing this you may want to get the AFV separate track links for the M48/60, which are a little work, but absolutely great once on the tank...

Humm.... must've been before they gave that mission to the 187th Inf Bde. The locals didn't even want us ground pounders there with (only) air support. Can't imagine their opposition to having tanks up there. I'd like to hear those details as well.

First off Thanks for the info.......If you have any lights you want to part with send me a PM and let me know what you want for them, and I will give you my address.
As for the stuck tank he did it twice once in Germany (slid in a ditch) the other in Iceland. In Iceland he was on a M41 , 2nd BN Combat team, near the airport at Keflovic (spelling) I know he has made the comment that his long johns got so dirty that they would not come clean so he dyed them green.
He also talks about when they were getting ready to leave they packed everything and anything in cosmoline, which is a pain to remove when it is caked on. As soon as I get the know-how on posting pictures here I will shoot you all photos of this and of the armor in my collection.
Teaching an old dog new tricks is tough.

Also forgot to add I did pick up a barrel, PE set and the workable track links, plus a few other goodies.
Now time to do research

Which kit is your base vehicle? The Tamiya one? Both my old Tamiya M60A1 and my newer Tamiya M60A3 have the same serchlight included. I'm not sure if my Tamiya USMC M60A1 w/ERA comes with it also, but I would imagine so.

For light sets, another option to try is using Legends M48 update kit. It comes with the old style large rectangular spotlight, along with a pile of other goodies we would toss on the tanks. Plus probably the chevron tracks that were still likely to be used, as things to hang off the turret

Jed Sargent

For a Mid '60s M60/M60A1 you will need the VSS-1, which comes with the Tamiya M60A1 (old kit). That is the one on which I trained in armor officer basic in 1975. However when I got to my first unit, we had the smaller VSS-3 which what comes with the Lo conversion SABOT mentioned above. You will also need the T-97chevron tracks as come with the old Tamiya M60A1. The Tamiya M60A1 gun barrel is a L7 (British) gun, not an M68 (US) gun. You are correct in replacing it. The bellows on the turret end of the gun tube is used with the mantlet cover, which is not available on the Tamiya M60A1.

Do believe I am set on this project, The later tamiya kit which I will be useing has the search light but still some thing still does not seem right, I will put it together and take a closer look at it, and compare it to the photo's I have.
What would you all say the best color would be to use for this, as in the color pictures I have from the time shows a dark OD like some black was added any in-put on this would be great also.
THANKS again...............M4

More Help Please.....the search light will work with a little help, but does any one know where I can find a picture of it mounted to the mantle (close up) I know there is some kind of bracket for the 3 pins. Other than this and a color match I will have it made.
Regards