Better Tracks for Tamiya 1:35 M113A2?

[plingboot]

Hi, my first post on this forum…

I'm building a couple of 1:35 Tamiya M113's and wonder whether anyone can point me in the direction of some better quality (ie more realistic) tracks?

I'm not worries about them working, I just want something less toy like.

Thanks…

[Bullbasket]

If you don't mind assembling white metal tracks, Fruildmodel do a set. Whether they are exactly the right ones or not, I don't know. The number is ATL17.

HTH's.

 

John.

[Mick4350]

Master Club do some metal tracks as well with two sets with either clean or worn shoes #35113. AFV Club do a couple of sets with both individual links or the traditional rubber band replacement set.

[Kingsman]

The metal ones will cost you far more than the Tamiya kit did!  Expect to pay £25-35 a set. The AFV Club non-workable indy link ones are also stubbornly expensive - expect to pay about £15.  Don't get the Diehl/German/NATO version unless you're doing one of the European variants that used these.  However, sprue shots suggest that they suffer badly with sink marks on the outer faces.

 

Modelkasten do plastic non-workable 113 tracks, K-17, but these are also reputed to have sink marks on almost all the outer faces.  But they can be under £10, if you can find them.  MK also do metal ones, SK-36, again in the £25 range.

 

If you're not too far through and are doing fairly vanilla 113s, I might suggest getting hold of a pair of the Academy Vietnam 113s instead.  These come with both vinyl and indy link tracks plus several weapon options and a few extras.  You can find them for £20-25, so less than the price of a pack of metal tracks for your Tamiyas.  Detail-wise they're about the same.  Both are pretty old now.  The Academy 113A2 only has the vinyl tracks and the 113A3 has both.

 

Italeri's 113 is pretty poor and the recent Dragon ones are disappointing.  These all have vinyl tracks.  The new AFV Club 113s are supposed to be the best yet, but still only come with vinyl tracks.

[plingboot]

Thanks for the replies- very helpful 🙂👍🏻

[Kingsman]

Apologies - I missed the A2 part of the post title, so my Academy A1 suggestion won't work.  Their A2 is no advantage.  But their A3 isn't an A3: it's closer to an A2 and has both track types.

[John Tapsell]

Academy also used to offer their individual link tracks as separate items at a very reasonable cost (under a tenner) - not sure if they still do.

 

 

[ivan-o]

On 1/7/2021 at 2:38 PM, Mick4350 said:

Master Club do some metal tracks as well with two sets with either clean or worn shoes #35113. AFV Club do a couple of sets with both individual links or the traditional rubber band replacement set.

Beware the Master club tracks are designed for the AFV club kit, You will have to do surgery on the drive sprockets to have any chance of them fitting!
 

Ivan

[bluebell69]

On 2/1/2021 at 2:35 AM, ivan-o said:

Beware the Master club tracks are designed for the AFV club kit, You will have to do surgery on the drive sprockets to have any chance of them fitting!
 

Ivan

The master club set that I have come with replacement white metal drive sprockets.

Edited June 13, 2021 by bluebell69

[neilspen]

The AFV Club plastic ones come with sprockets which you can fit to the Tamiya kits and look pretty good. The only point to watch is there is only enough to do both sides with no spares. See the attached pic of Tamiya FSV with the AFV Club tracks. Cheers Neil