Search the Community

Well something very different from me but welcome to another build/restoration thread. Recently I have been picking up and restoring a few Tamiya 1/16 scale Tanks. This is the second of 4 that I have to restore. The first, a Flakpanzer Gepard is too far down the build to document it but I thought this one would make a good candidate from the beginning. So this is kit number 56002 or RT-1602 and was first released in July 1977. It really is at the forefront of Tamiya RC with the first 58 series car the Porsche 934 coming out 5 or so months earlier. I picked this one up in Japan and have been collecting a few parts to get it started. The main parts of the tank I have The base chassis and some spares parts I have found to add back the details that are missing I have also picked up a vintage period Futaba transmitter, receiver and servos to go back in the tank So the plan is to strip the chassis down, Ultrasonic the gearbox and get that all neat and tidy again. Strip the wheels off and rejuvenate or replace the road rubbers accordingly. Quite a few have perished but the restoration will include original and reproductions. The top deck and turret will need some plastic repairs, filling, sanding and obviously a repaint. This will be done in stages as I build up the bits that are missing. There are also then some extra modern reproduction brass parts that will be used to make the Leopard look better and also complete it. Obvious things that are missing are the IR search target light and hatches. The tank will be converted to 7.2v for ease of battery availability and it may get a modern MSC. I do like the idea of using the old microswitch system though. Will be a fairly long one as I need to finish the Gepard but stay tuned for more.

Planning to restore my 1980s SG Samba with my nephew. Missing a few parts, primarily driveshafts (which it used to snap in half regularly)... long shot, but anyone out there have any spares or know of anyone who does? Or even a whole car for sale. Leopard parts might be compatible, I'm not sure. Thanks all.