By the way over in another thread about M3 Lee in the ETO, Frenchy put up pictures of the Grant command tank used in Italy by the 6th.South African division. There is a clear rear view with the long hull rear plate and exhaust deflector of a diesel engine M3. It is a Grant Mark II. What's more it had late heavy duty bogies retro fitted. So you could use the spare M4 suspension in the Academy kit rather than the M3 suspension.

Except for the fact that the other 30% of the detail from the Tamiya kit probably doesn't fit the conversion and as mentioned, both upper and lower hulls are too wide. If you have to get a donor kit you need to consider the cost of Tamiya + Tasca vs. the Academy kit with the corrected suspension. KL

I am puzzled by this one. All of the M3A5 tanks I have seen used the US pattern "Lee" turret with the large stowage boxes on the hull rear . . .[/quote] The breakdown of Grant production models was determined by an analysis of production records. Baldwin Locomotive built 380 or 381 M3A5 Grants. (There is a discrepancy of one tank among the various records.) KL

The breakdown of Grant production models was determined by an analysis of production records. Baldwin Locomotive built 380 or 381 M3A5 Grants. (There is a discrepancy of one tank among the various records.) KL [/quote] You're RIGHT! Forgot about the Baldwin Locomotive Company when I was blathering about M3s and the other types! Thanks for the "heads-up" regarding Baldwin- And me being a Steam Locomotive NUT, to boot! (Personally, I prefer the ALCO-built "race-horse-look" of New York Central's Steam Locomotives over the Baldwins, Limas, and the Pennsy's Altoona Shops!) Shameful performance, Dennis... Sorry, been up all night, no sleep, brain is not engaged... As far as discrepancies in production numbers go, isn't that almost a "given" with just about anything, even AFTER the advent of the "modern super-computers" during the 1960s..? Even after all of the palaver that has been going on in this thread, (of which I am one of the prime offenders), I have to admit that I'm VERY TEMPTED to buy one of these conversions! I've got several different British camo schemes dancing around in my fevered imagination... But before I buy one of these, I want to find out how accurate this conversion really is...

YUP!!! That's an interesting variation on a theme, isn't it?

This looks like the old Adler set. Apparently Sol Model are re-issuing many Adler conversions, they probably bought the masters when Adler went out of business.

Looks like it...

Add a Dozer and Grenade nets to this and you would have one of the (Only) three Australian Grant II's to serve in Action during the Invasion of the Dutch East Indies in 45 alongside Matildas. A lot of these were in use by the Australians during WW2 but only three M3 mediums ever saw action with them. Al

SOLD!!! I NEED a WWII Australian Tank in my collection! Also thinking of getting a resin Sentinel that I saw on ebay- Yeah, I realize that the Sentinels I, II, and III were only used for training, but I want one anyway!!!