Help! I'm making a dio of Russian troops moving to the front including these models...

1/35 T-34/76 1943 - TAMIYA
1/35 Russian GAZ 67B Field Car - TAMIYA
1/35 Russian ZIS-5 WW II Truck w/ Troops - DML

If anyone has made these before and has any suggestions, they would be much appreciated! Especially any (cheap) update kits or other ways to improve the vehicles.

Thanks!!
- Steve

hi throw the t 34 from tamiya away it is wrong in every detail , buy the new dragon one or waiot till the next one arrives , tip on gaz and zil all the chassis , wheels was painted gloss black , some even had the radiators painted in gloss black , cheers ian

I am working on one of those same Tamiya T-34's now and while I agree with Ian, if your not too picky it builds into a fairly nice "representation" of the real thing. Fill in the open sponsons, maybe replace the tracks with the Maquette set (cheap but lots of clean-up to do), and finish it well and you should be happy. Replace the barrel too if you can, replace the hand-holds with wire, and fill in (or cover up) the motorization holes in the hull bottom. All fairly cheap ways to improve on it.

But of course the new Dragon kit is the stuff dreams are made of.

hi Steve,
Tamiya gaz-67b is a good kit and the 2 figures(driver and pointing officer) are also good figures.
I dont know DML ZIS-5 but I have the zvezda model and it looks good too.

Thanks guys!! I'm hoping the paint job and infantry riders will hide some of the obvious imperfections on the tank.

Ian, do you mean the whole underside of the chassis was painted gloss black?

Ivanhoe, I'll try those! Any idea if the DML T-34 has the "Mickey Mouse" version of the turret? I think that was standard between the time of the big single hatch, and the addition of the commanders coupala. (?)

The current DML T-34/76 is the initial 1940 model. I believe you are wanting the 1943 which should come later (maybe a year?). The Tamiya turret may fit the more accurate DML hull but I don't have it so I cannot be sure. I do have a DML T-34/85 so I may see if the Tamiya turret fits that hull (again not sure but would assume it is the same sans the fenders and a few bits).

It would be innacurate to mate the dragon hull with the tamiya turret, it has early version drivers hatch, two head lights on the glacis, and no mantle on the MG, and has the early version square engine access thingy on the back, in addition to other things.

I stand corrected. Yes, too many changes.

hi , the whole of the chassis was painterd in a very thick gloss paint to stop rust forming on the metal , wheels , radiator , head lights even some photos show the wings or fenders also painted in it cheers ian

just a thought, you may want to use the dragon t-34/85 hull, by changing the fenders to the correct early rounded style, and moving the radio to the hull.