Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

My HL Panzer III arrived today and I gathered together all of the upgrade parts that have arrived (some still in transit) to start an extensive upgrade/overhaul. The first thing that I did was to take it apart and remove all of the electronics, other than the elevation and rotation units. Then, I removed the battery box from the inside (Dremel) and started dismantling everything that would separate from the hull and turret.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Next in the mock-up, I installed the metal headlights, mantlet MG, correct barrel (you can clearly see the difference between stock and correct scale) and Tamiya Battle Unit emitter. I was going to fill in the hole from the firing warning LED, but the new barrel is too small to accomidate the TBU emitter, so I placed it in the existing hole.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

I also went ahead and installed the side-mounted antenna.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

I like allready!

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

I placed the working hull MG just to see how it will look, but I have not decided if I will attempt to make it move with some sort of servo/lever device. I've never tried anything like that, so if you have any ideas they are welcome. :D

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

The functioning, correctly scaled (I hope it is corrrect, anyway) storage box is going to be more of a headache than I had originally anticipated. The extra detail will be nice, but after removing the original I realized that I would need to make a rear turret plate from Plastruct. Okay, that's not too hard, even for me. However, the shape of the new box is not quite right either. :eek: I knew that I should have waited until the weekend....I have to go to work tomorrow! ;)

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Hopefully, I will be able to make this all look smooth. I will add plastic to the gap between the turret and the box, but I also need to find a good, locally available plastic filler for all of the holes in the hull and turret. [:o]

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Did you get the metal return roller brackets? I kept looking for a place to get them, finally saw rctank.de had them and with decent shipping price to USA.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Just wondering, where did you get the metal headlights? I have been hunting for them, teh only reasonbly priced ones are from asiatam, but that site is in german.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Nice work your doing on the Panzer, call your boss and tell him you have more important things to do and get back to work on the tank,:D:D there's a war on in your backyard and that the panzer upgrading is a matter of life or death. Or just wait for the weekend and then get back to the Panzer. :D:D Any it's looking very good.

Gary

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

I did find these from my favorite Ebay seller, blueslateman (no affiliation ;)), but the return rollers are the "late" version and do not match what is on the tank, so I was unsure about them. [:o] I do have metal road wheels, sprockets and idlers on the way.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=023

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=005

Once again, blueslateman (still no affiliation :D) has the metal headlights, along with just about everything else. [sm=thumbs_up.gif] His store name is Welsh Dragon Models.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Metal-headlight-...713.m153.l1262

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

:D I'm a second grade teacher and there are twenty students praying that I will not come to work. ;) However, my mission in life is to grind knowledge into their unwilling little minds, so I must go.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

By the way, I will have several "left overs" when this build is finished and I will give them to the first person who says they want them at the low, low price of.....free! Seriously, I will have no use for any of this stuff (the barrel is metal), but they are a package deal. If you want one thing, you must take them all! :) These parts were unceremoniously cut/removed from the tank without any sort of functions check, so some may not work-no promises or guarantees stated or implied.

There may be more when I finish, so be patient because I will ship everything together when all is done, but I know that these are up for grabs.

Okay, A N Z A C has come forward and he gets the prize. I forgot to mention that the transmitter comes with the lot, too. I will send everything to you within a week!

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

I order and search his site all the time, must've kept missing them! Thanks!

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Is that a porportionate smoker in that batch? How does it work? must I have a RX 14 board to use it?

Thanks for the info abt blueslateman I have bought tamiya stuff off him before and he is a great seller. I did not know he carried HL stuff too.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

I believe that the smoker is proportionate (if it works), but that is as much as I can tell you for sure. However, I am willing to bet that it is made to work with the board setting next to it in the picture. ;)

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Nice upgrade project icecreamslick
I for one will be following progress in added interest ;)

applicate your shearing & posting pic's as you go

If the offer is still valid - I'll take you up on the left overs drop me a PM when ready

Cheers All [8D]

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Too bad shipping from the USA to me for that many items will be quite high else I would have jumped on it. i am sure someone closer to you will want those, though I keep looking at that smoker :D. Good work withyour build by the way.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Did you get the antenna from blueslateman? It didn't show up on a search of his store.

Thanks

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

sorry to hijack your thread
thought this may interest others looking for suitable side mounted antenna
www.tank-modellbau.de/

http://www.tank-modellbau.de/ant_tn.jpg

wish I'd seen it before

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Modellino on evilbay had the best looking antenna mount, very detailed.
But they have none listed at the moment.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Hi icecreamslick

You have pretty much everything that I have/want to do (& a bit more) to my HL Panzer III, so I'm interested in your progress. If you can send a close-up of the TBU emitter LED, & one of its plug, I'm confident I can make one that will fit in to that barrel.
Re the recoil, where is that thread?

Yours Simon M.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Here you are, Simon. I'm afraid that this is the best my camera can do with close ups.

I have heard of the emitter being compared to a T.V. remote control, but the LED looks like nothing I'm familiar with.

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

Hi icecreamslick

As I thought, Can you measure the plug end and tell me the pin spacing, it will either be 2.5mm (0.1") or 2mm. I suspect its 2.5mm.
To confirm, WITH THE BATTERIES REMOVED!, will the plug fit any of the TK-13RX# sockets? This is just for sizing to see if I've got any of the plugs laying around.

Yours Simon M.
& Obviously remove the plug before reconnecting power!

RE: Panzer III Extensive Upgrade
 

hi Icecreamslick judging from your exhuast you are building an ausf m if so most ausf m had the headlights on the sides see plans and are you going to fit schurzen thought i would tell you before you got to far .



regards pete