Restoring a large model tank English

Armor - R/C

Restoring and detailing an Leopard 1A4 suitable for R/C

Tamiya 1/16 scale

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During the last months, I felt strongly attracted to tanks models, thinking to build a 1/16 Pershing with all dedication and detail possible. An employee at a local store offered me a 1/16 Tamiya 1A4 Leopard, already built and painted but, in very bad conditions…more suitable to be discarded than sold, nevertheless, to see and desire was one feeling, and after bargaining for a short time, exchanging one of my valuable kits, I purchased it in the end.

Once it was on my workbench, seeing what I had bought, I was a little disappointed. Things were worst than the imagined, a model featuring a plastic chassis, since Tamiya had released in 1977 a Leopard suitable for RC and other just motorized. Both were quite similar, but showed a few differences such as the hull’s material (aluminum/plastic), and the mechanism, clutches and engines.

Why did I get confused then?, probably the fact that this model had a mechanism for the RC version, including the engine, clutches…etc.

Perhaps, some old owner had restored and modified it adding the mentioned mechanism, being a mystery where he had got it from. I also realized that this model had suffered at least two restorations, during its 30 years life, each proprietor had added or removed something according to his own liking and epoch.

The good new was, that it was almost complete, except for the headlights, the MG-42 machine gun and 4 smoke dischargers.

This note aims at offering the reader an idea about the tasks he/she will have to achieve and how to, in case of coming across a model in plastic or metal like this. This text will be a guidance for restoration, detailing and painting, leaving to the reader the work to restore the mechanism, if possible, and to install the RC device.

Beginning…….

To start at the beginning is a right choice…but where’s the beginning?. Getting the Tamiya’s instructions manual is a logical beginning indeed!. Usually, Internet is the best source (thank you Steve!). However, the best I could get, was the instruction manual of the 56002 (RA201) from 1978, corresponding to the RC kit featuring metal chassis.

There are important differences like the suspension (metal/plastic)…etc.

Unfortunately, to restore a model, there are neither magic formulas nor miraculous tips. The secret is just time consuming to disassemble everything you can…and something more.

I started by removing the plastic tracks which were broken here or there, anyway, I would spend time on them later. Next step, was to remove the mechanism and everything screwed to the chassis.

The hull and chassis were left aside for a moment, focusing on the superstructure and turret.

First, I checked if some part was loose, finding that some of them could easily be removed. For instance, I discovered a missing ring from the machine gun, inside the turret, the other had been virtually pulled out, and the search light was not correctly placed.

Most of the handles were either missing or broken, someone had scratchbuilt ones from wire in a previous life, but most of them were still missing.

The smoke dischargers guards were also missing as well as the base for the radio antennas.

I removed everything it was possible, including the tools, hatches, meshes of the engine vents …etc


How the model looked after all those parts were removed

On the rear panel, I found that one previous owner had placed extra tracks links in the right place but with wrong brackets, so I removed those links which would be used later to repair the tracks. Also this rear panel showed modifications and wrong features as well as damages or broken parts.


Rear panel, tracks and wheels	The box where I gathered the parts as they were removed

Hull aspect. Note that the side panels behind the gear box were unglued and broken. Later, I would work on them. The interior was painted, including the torsion bars…etc.

Then, I tried to remove the paint as far as possible, submerging the big parts first in ethylic alcohol to remove the acrylic paint, and then, in caustic soda to remove the enamel. It’s worth mentioning that this model had several coats in different greens, as can be appreciated in the pictures.

Finally, I puttied everything that was necessary, including those holes drilled for unknown purposes…etc . Last step, was to sand the big parts conscientiously but being aware of the fact that when beginning the restoration, I should take the necessary time on puttying and sanding.