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Post by dierk on Feb 10, 2014 9:59:48 GMT -5
Hello everybody, As soon as I found out that Trumpeter had released the GAZ-67b I went on a hunt for one at a reasonable price - finally there was a replacement for the Tamiya and Maquette kits! Now, I'm not talking from personal experience (honest), but imagine you've gone out with a couple of plain girls (Tamiya and Maquette) and finally got lucky with an absolute beauty - you get her home only to find out 'she's' a Ladyboy (poke). That's how I feel about this kit. I get the feeling this kit was rushed out in time for the X-mas market. I'm sure quite a few of you will have this in your stash already, so I'll try and give a few hints and tips to help avoid some of the traps that I stumbled into, or nearly did. Yes, you do get a very detailed engine (strangely without fan-belt ) and gear-box. But there is no option of showing the bonnet opened, so once you've put together the nearly 50 parts that make up this sub-assembly and fit the bodywork, it'll be never seen again The instructions are not only full of mistakes, they will also make building the model very difficult, if not impossible. As there are no locating tabs to help you line up most things on the engine and gearbox, I'd suggest starting by cleaning up the chassis so you can check that radiator/engine/gearbox fits. Here's an example of how 'helpful' the instructions are: If you fit the radiator hoses (C12/13) when suggested they will probably have set pretty solid by the time you are instructed to fit the radiator parts (B8/11). There is a major problem in the instructions with the rear axle assembly: I marked in blue ballpoint how it should be done (and added the missing part numbers) Don't bother fitting the wheels at this point - obviously it'll make painting much more difficult, less obviously, it will make fitting these little subassemblies virtually impossible: I found that the front leaf-springs need some modification to fit at least half-decent. I'd suggest fitting them at the same time as the front axle to give youself half a chance to later get all the wheels to touch the ground (again missing part numbers added)and clamp the thing in place to leave the glue to go off over-night: Also, try not to glue the differentials into place yet as it might make fitting the drive shafts a bit problematic. Here the rear leaf-springs are shown how they should be (better late than never, ey?): But my real bug-bear with this kit is that the multitude of very small parts ALL need filing/sanding (sometimes quite drastically) to fit together - I suggest you grow some fingernails so you can hold on to some of the really very small parts while you're working on them. The chassis is made up of 47(!) parts, but the instructions will have you fit the front wheels pointing straight ahead. With a bit of care that can be overcome: Oh, Trumpeter added some PE parts! 4! One for the transfer-box (so it'll be pretty much invisible), two for the pedals and one for the mounting of the saw (BTW, not really mentioned in the instructions) Whoop-de-doo! That's all for now, thanks for looking. Cheers, Dierk
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Post by bullardino on Feb 10, 2014 10:35:17 GMT -5
Ok, now I understand why you're upset... I was going to protest as they gave a wrong PE part number on my BTR, but this is a true mess. WTF is the first thing that comes to my mind too... Anyway, glad to see you were able to overcome all the issues
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paulh.
Senior Member
Member since: November 2011
build, fail, learn, succeed - ENJOY
Posts: 2,389
Nov 15, 2011 15:54:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2011 15:54:51 GMT -5
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Post by paulh. on Feb 10, 2014 11:40:20 GMT -5
The price alone put me off. Rather spend half the money on Tamiyas offering and put the effort into sorting it out. Thanks for such detailed commentary. P
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4bogreen
Full Member
Member since: January 2014
On the bench; Yak-1B, T-30, T-34 model 1940
Posts: 568
Jan 20, 2014 2:05:58 GMT -5
Jan 20, 2014 2:05:58 GMT -5
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Post by 4bogreen on Feb 10, 2014 14:12:42 GMT -5
Wow Dierk! It seems a very nice kit, but if the instructions are wrong, assembly a b#tch, overenginering... I think i let my fingernails grow, buy a new set of tweezers and a bloodhound to sniff out the instuctions. Looks very cool next to a Jeep! Altough assembley stays a b#tch...:-(
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Post by wbill76 on Feb 10, 2014 20:49:52 GMT -5
Looks like you've got it well in hand Dierk despite the pitfalls in the instructions. Onward and upward...or is that just side-to-side?
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Post by Leon on Feb 10, 2014 21:18:55 GMT -5
Dierk glad to see you hanging tough with this one.
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Post by dierk on Feb 12, 2014 11:41:02 GMT -5
Ok, now I understand why you're upset... I was going to protest as they gave a wrong PE part number on my BTR, but this is a true mess. WTF is the first thing that comes to my mind too... Anyway, glad to see you were able to overcome all the issues Hmm, I'm not convinced that all of the issues have raised their ugly little heads yet... The price alone put me off. Rather spend half the money on Tamiyas offering and put the effort into sorting it out. Thanks for such detailed commentary. P I hear what you're saying Paul - and I sort of agree with you. I managed to get mine for just under 20 euro. BTW, in case you don't know already, there's a nice resin and PE set available for the Tamiya kit from Jadar.pl. They do a 'war production' and a 'post-war production' version...but I'm damned if I can tell the difference...I'll be using some of it on this kit (the radiator bits won't fit, as they are much bigger on the Tammy kit, but other than that I can use a lot of it) Wow Dierk! It seems a very nice kit, but if the instructions are wrong, assembly a b#tch, overenginering... I think i let my fingernails grow, buy a new set of tweezers and a bloodhound to sniff out the instuctions. Looks very cool next to a Jeep! Altough assembley stays a b#tch...:-( So long as you don't actually try to build it it is a very nice kit...just spent an hour fitting the drive shafts and exhaust! Whaddya expect? It's a...... The good thing is, DESPITE the instructional faux pas, yer still all over it and producing a great lookin' model Dierk! Did I mention? I LOVE Louis Armstrongs...... The last couple of Trumpy kits I built were actually quite shake and bakish, so this one came as a bit of a shock to the system. If Mr Armstrong had had to build it he would never have released 'It's a wonderful life' lol Looks like you've got it well in hand Dierk despite the pitfalls in the instructions. Onward and upward...or is that just side-to-side? It's more 'to and fro/to move backwards and forwards' - the original meaning of the 'F' word (bounce) Dierk glad to see you hanging tough with this one. The only reason I haven't hit this one with a hammer - yet, is the cost.... (hammer hit) More when I've got something to show you. Cheers, Dierk
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Post by dierk on Feb 14, 2014 11:50:16 GMT -5
Hello everybody, Let the moaning continue... A little tip I forgot to mention is that you'll need a 1.4mm drill to open up part D33, or D18 will never fit: Moving on to the body work (still not totally convinced it will actually fit the chassis... ). The side facing the sill on part D1 will need sanding down a bit, or it won't fit - getting fed up with typing 'or it won't fit...maybe I should just write oiwf? rant. Now, time to point out some of the inaccuracies of the kit: See D2? They are the cubby-holes in the fenders/wings: A) the lids are moulded into the wings, so you won't be able to display them open, B) they are the wrong shape and C) as far as I can tell there wasn't one in the wing on the passenger side. But Trumpeter put a strange shaped lid into that wing as well (padlock included) that has the hole for the bonnet/hood clasp set in it (so you'd have to open the bonnet, remove the two (correct) bolts on the lip of the lid before you could open the storage compartment - REALLY? See the empty wishbone type thing? There should be a strut running from there to the front of the chassis - I'll be making that from the struts for the closed canvas tilt: Seats staight from the 70's - devoid of any texture: But to make up for it, the instructions neglect to tell you the part number for the rear frame rofl-roll: As mentioned earlier, I'm going to use some bits from this set intended for the Tamiya kit: It has the lids for the cubby holes in the front wing (1) and the rear wings (2). So I decided to add a box of more accurate dimensions to the front wing that will be displayed with the lid open: As you can see, I had to file away quite a bit of material to make it fit...later I found out that I also had to cut a sizeable chunk out of the firewall (C46) as well: I'm also going to move the shovel from the back to the side of the left wing. Here's another example of how 'helpful' the instructions are: if you fit the pedals (D20) first you'll have a hell of a time fitting C6 - especially as the mounting needs opening up oiwf. More soon I hope... Dierk
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Post by bullardino on Feb 14, 2014 17:58:52 GMT -5
OMG, that's more a puzzle than a kit...
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Post by dierk on Feb 15, 2014 12:20:58 GMT -5
OMG, that's more a puzzle than a kit... Reminds me a bit of Meccano: in the 1950's they intentionally introduced mistakes into their instructions to teach children problem-solving skills rant (bounce) lol
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Post by bullardino on Feb 15, 2014 12:24:43 GMT -5
LOL, I'm afraid the Meccano heritage is wide spread
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Deleted
Member since: January 1970
Posts: 0
Nov 25, 2024 13:45:25 GMT -5
Nov 25, 2024 13:45:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 14:40:25 GMT -5
looks like a regular labyrinth! cool subject though
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Post by wbill76 on Feb 15, 2014 20:52:12 GMT -5
Stick with it Dierk! You're making good progress.
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Post by dierk on Feb 17, 2014 9:12:32 GMT -5
Hello everybody, Time to add a few goodies: As you can see, I'm going for the battered veteran look with this one. As the PE set is intended for the Tamiya kit, a bit of 'adjustment' was needed for the mudguards. Here you can see some of the cutting I had to do to accomodate the new storage box in the wing: Another one of the kit's inaccuracies: the moulded on lids of the storage boxes in the rear wings are a bit too big, and wouldn't actually open..replaced with PE: In the next part I'll be ripping into the 'instructions' again... Cheers, Dierk
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Deleted
Member since: January 1970
Posts: 0
Nov 25, 2024 13:45:25 GMT -5
Nov 25, 2024 13:45:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2014 14:42:09 GMT -5
nice brass work the damaged fenders are very effective
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Post by deafpanzer on Feb 17, 2014 23:01:39 GMT -5
Fantastic work on brass!!!
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Post by bullardino on Feb 18, 2014 15:39:41 GMT -5
What an awesome brass work Dierk
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Post by dierk on Feb 21, 2014 10:26:29 GMT -5
Thanks guys, much appreciated. This is the first time I've gone for heavily dented mudguards, and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. It seems to me the Tamiya GAZ-67b must be closer to 1/32 in scale, judging by the siye of a lot of the PE. Anyway - close as I am to completion, I had to take a rest from from the Trumpy kit in a vain attempt to retain at least a semblance of sanity...so I spent some time with the new Miniart set Soviet Infantry Automatic Weapons and Equipment: Some of it will find its way into the GAZ at some point. Cheers, thanks for looking and your comments, Dierk
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Post by JimD on Feb 21, 2014 11:52:10 GMT -5
You've got a nice build going despite the issues. Perhaps it's just a given that you should google to find instruction mistakes for Trumpeter kits just like you have to with Dragon. lol.
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Post by bullardino on Feb 21, 2014 13:13:40 GMT -5
That weapon set looks great, gotta get me one Was it easy to add the round ammo loader?
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Post by deafpanzer on Feb 21, 2014 13:31:48 GMT -5
Excellent work on the weapons and gear... looks like you are ready for WWIII.
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Post by wbill76 on Feb 21, 2014 15:49:43 GMT -5
Nice little diversion there dierk with the Equipment set. I can see why you might need a break every now and then with the GAZ!
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Post by dierk on Feb 22, 2014 13:11:19 GMT -5
You've got a nice build going despite the issues. Perhaps it's just a given that you should google to find instruction mistakes for Trumpeter kits just like you have to with Dragon. lol. lol lol These look like they were done by the Dragon guy on a REALLY bad day. That weapon set looks great, gotta get me one Was it easy to add the round ammo loader? Although I don't know which particular one you mean, they were all pretty easy - the ppsh's needed opening up slightly. Had a bit of a problem with the DT MG - cut the barrel off the sprue first using my trusty nano saw, but when I sawed off the other attachment points the barrel managed to rip itself off moving along the attachment point of the sprue. And there are some REALLY tiny bits - the rifles are made up of three parts! And there's supposed to be the tiniest styrene part on the bipod of the MG - as I had no idea how to get it off the sprue, never mind glueing it into place, I left it off... Excellent work on the weapons and gear... looks like you are ready for WWIII. rofl-roll I'd want some more modern stuff for that, though lol Nice little diversion there dierk with the Equipment set. I can see why you might need a break every now and then with the GAZ! Indeed - eventhough the finish line is almost in sight, it's not getting any easier: keep getting the feeling I've stumbled into a time-warp - have a look at the transparent parts: Looking through the windshield you know how Mr McGoo must feel dark-thoughts (no wonder the wing are dented! rofl-roll) and absolutely no structure to the headlight lenses at all! Only thing they are good for is the bin! Thankfully I had some Elf lenses left: Windscreen in place and masked off ready for paint: I ended up replacing the steering collumn with a part from another kit, as I was unable to get the kit part to sit right: Oh, nearly forgot: I was going to rip into the instructions (again) They tell you to attach the side-walls for the engine compartment to the hood/bonnet long before the radiator grill (which they attach to) so you've got a good chance of the grill not fitting or the walls being at the wrong angle. Much easier to fit the grill first and then the side-walls. Onwards and upwards Back and forth, Dierk
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Post by bullardino on Feb 22, 2014 13:19:48 GMT -5
Great to see progress on this one The lenses are a real improvement. Did you polish the windscreen to enhance transparency?
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Post by dierk on Feb 22, 2014 13:25:53 GMT -5
Great to see progress on this one The lenses are a real improvement. Did you polish the windscreen to enhance transparency? Still stuck in Germermany, so really limited tools, etc - so no, it's going to stay Mc Goo style. Shouldn't be too obvious once it's al weathered up...I hope.
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Post by wbill76 on Feb 22, 2014 21:28:41 GMT -5
I think you made the right choice on those headlights. As for the main windscreen, a little bit of dust weathering and you'll never know the difference!
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Post by dierk on Feb 23, 2014 8:34:38 GMT -5
Just gettin' all caught up here Dierk...great work with the brass fella and all the other improvements - this is gonna be a little gem when done - nice job Glad you're liking it Dicky - this is either going to be one of my best models...or a pile of brown smelly stuff - jury's still out. I think you made the right choice on those headlights. As for the main windscreen, a little bit of dust weathering and you'll never know the difference! I was honestly shocked when I saw the Trumpy lenses - one of the reasons I mentioned I thought I was caught up in a time-warp: they're the sort of thing you'd expect to find in a kit from the 70's - not a brand new release. Pretty sure you're right about the screen - the GAZ only had one wiper, so there'll only be a tiny bit of 'clean' glass after weathering. More soon and thanks for tolerating my rantings, Dierk
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Post by dierk on Feb 26, 2014 9:02:19 GMT -5
HELP! I need some advice gents: the PE set includes a radio set and battery, but I don't know if it's WWII or later. Does '3RK' mean anything to anybody? Google search has drawn a blank. Cheers, Dierk
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Post by wbill76 on Feb 26, 2014 21:01:18 GMT -5
HELP! I need some advice gents: the PE set includes a radio set and battery, but I don't know if it's WWII or later. Does '3RK' mean anything to anybody? Google search has drawn a blank. Cheers, Dierk Could be Cryillic? Closest thing is 3PK which translates to "SAM" according to Google Translate at least...
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Post by bullardino on Feb 27, 2014 3:19:19 GMT -5
No idea, sorry. Have you tried asking our common friend? He's such a soviet expert...
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