Ad Lav 367 Posted November 10, 2015 Quite literally, and saved by Nigel! I found this Tamiya Tiger I listed on eBay incorrectly and thought it worth a punt. Ended up winning the thing! Upon collecting it I was a bit disappointed, looked a bit tatty, broken/snapped off bits in a plastic tub and home made zimmerit falling off. Futaba radio good but missing battery cover, nothing major. Thought to myself, may as well move it on, don't want too much work. I get it home and start poking around - **** it's heavy! Metal tracks, and they look to be Kenny Kong or Impact. Result number one. Open her up and it's on great working order, sounds fine, batteries will most likely need replacing. I happen to notice odd looking suspension, nothing like my old Tamiya Tiger I stuff. Jump on the phone to Nigel, goes a bit like this: "Don't sell it, that's Wecohe suspension and like hens teeth" Result number two. Waiting for some more time to strip and rebuild it and do her some justice.! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
njmlondon 570 Posted November 10, 2015 You have found a thing of beauty. Those tracks and the Wecohe suspension really set it off. Congratulations on an absolute score. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 10, 2015 Selling the metal tracks, don't like metal tracks and they're wasted on me as this will be a shelf queen with the occasional regional meet indoors and on grass. Now to find someone who wants a set of tracks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 10, 2015 Stripped most of the major components and revealed the suspension. I think some of them are fixed at the wrong angle giving a lopsided ride. Dmd and mf all seem in good condition and work well upon thorough testing [emoji12] Now, do I remove the zimmerit or leave it on? It's done quite well, whole tank needs a repaint. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 11, 2015 Zimmerit close up, opinions welcome It has had some damage applied to the zimm which looks ok. Made my shopping list - makes the bargain a bit more expensive lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Novastar 241 Posted November 11, 2015 A really good find ! Can you work out what the zimmerit is made of and if it will keep deteriorating ? Personally it its stable I would repaint it, especially if you still don't want too much work. Even in rough shape it looks more the part than my plain grey Heng Long Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
njmlondon 570 Posted November 11, 2015 The Wecohe suspension is a nightmare to set up. I originally used it in my King Tiger build but found it too fiddly. It also gets loose after some driving so you will find yourself having to empty the chassis out to re-tighten the springs. In the end I ditched it and went for an improved torsion bar set up I found which is exactly like the original, just softer and more progressive. 100% maintenance free. If I were you I would sell the suspension but I would keep the tracks. Metal just sags and ages far better to plastic IMHO. Re the Zim, I think it does look well done. I guess it depends on whether you enjoy the painting and weathering part of the hobby. From the look of your Leopard, you know your way around an airbrush so if I were you I would keep the Zim but repaint it and convert the tank to a Mid and make it one of te Pz Abt 505 Tigers with the unpainted barrel and the spare links on the turret. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 11, 2015 Thanks for the comments guys Yep, not quite sure what to do yet, I need a lot of detail parts so may as well buy a hobbyboss mid production to 'steal' some parts! Going to fiddle with the suspension tonight and see what I can do. Tracks I'm not keen on, heavy old buggars and would require additional reinforcing to stop twisting surely? Maybe that's why the suspension needs adjusting due to the weight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
njmlondon 570 Posted November 11, 2015 Tracks I'm not keen on, heavy old buggars and would require additional reinforcing to stop twisting surely? Maybe that's why the suspension needs adjusting due to the weight. You wont need any upgrades to the Tiger 1 to handle metal tracks. It is the best of all the Tamiya chassis and both the gearboxes and chassis can handle the weight. The tracks are also not sprung weight so would have no effect at all on the suspension. I believe the Wecohe was originally designed for the Panther which is quite a lot lighter. It is also un-prototype in design which always annoyed me. Nothing wrong with old fashioned torsion bars in my mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 11, 2015 I think you're right, it's probably a bit too good for the tank. I need to sit down and work out what to do with the tracks and suspension. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 11, 2015 And here lies the problem - must have been fitted by a chimp! The swing arms are supposed to be under tension and two or three aren't... Hence why I thought it looked wonky!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 11, 2015 Suspension all adjusted, pig of a job. Two hour strip down and rebuild. Don't fancy doing that again in a hurry!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
njmlondon 570 Posted November 12, 2015 Suspension all adjusted, pig of a job. Two hour strip down and rebuild. Don't fancy doing that again in a hurry!! And that is why I sold mine on. Too clever for its own good! Have you decided what to do about the Zim and paint? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 12, 2015 I think I'll keep the zimmerit and give it a nice new paint job once I've bought new parts for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 12, 2015 Looking through books and photos on the net I've found several early Tiger I with zimmerit, around October 1943, the only field modification done was relocation of the headlights to a single centre one. So I'm doing Tiger #218 of pz abt 502. I think... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 13, 2015 Some bits turned up for the weekend [emoji1] 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr crispy 2293 Posted November 13, 2015 Think it was that issue of Tamiya Model Magazine that convinced my to buy a full option Tiger 1 😉 I still have the mag (sadly not the tank) but it's extremely well thumbed! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jamesssb 237 Posted November 13, 2015 Looking good mate, keep the tracks as they make it ride much better. Here is mine [emoji16] 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 13, 2015 Good looking Tiger James! I will be most likely selling the metal tracks I think, got some plastics coming next week from a mate in the club. Nick, it's a great issue, they don't make them like that anymore!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 25, 2015 Deleted the Tigers smoke dischargers, shaded the kill marks off the barrel, ordered some spare parts (engine grills and new headlights) need to get some spare track links and brackets for the turret next. White wash be going on in the next week or so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 28, 2015 Bits turned up so I can move along a bit with the build. Metal headlights to replace the missing ones. Engine grills. Scratch built a track holder for the front hull. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr crispy 2293 Posted November 29, 2015 It's amazing how a little bit of PE can transform the look of a model, it's a shame Tamiya don't include it with the kit given the pricing they set. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted November 29, 2015 Yes, few small additions make a big difference!! Must fix them later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ad Lav 367 Posted December 5, 2015 Managed to bag another Tamiya Tiger I although minus dmd and speaker. This one is complete and in very good condition. Not sure what to do now lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr crispy 2293 Posted December 5, 2015 You ought to see a doctor about this strange addiction you have Adam! 😉 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites