234/3 WIP

[ripley]

Seeing all the 234/1 kit bashes  got me inspired  to dig out my Puma kit and start work  my 234/3 conversion. I'm  using the 75mm parts from the Rubicon 250/8-251/9 Expansion set and the main vehicle from those other guys .





Depending on how much room there is in the interior ( and how much can be seen ) I might add both front and rear drivers seats and steering wheels .( extra parts from the 250 kit & parts box  ) , as well I need to add the inside details and shape of both side hull escape doors . So far not much luck getting them the right shape , maybe a crew will hide the fact they are missing . The way it usually works is you think you need to add all this interior stuff and it bugs you that its not in there , and  when you finish the vehicle you realize you can't really see it anyway 

[ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work.

[ripley]

Its coming together slowly . Lots of cutting and fitting to get the angles right



After some more research and finding some over head diagrams , I realize the panel  over the rear driver is too narrow and the angle of the rear plate is off . So its carefully remove the wrong pieces and try again . This panel looks better . Now to turn a 6 inch square of plastic sheet into a 1 inch by quarter inch panel , lots of waste material in this kind of build 

[Tracks]

Looking good.
Don't forget to show the final result.

[ripley]

The angle on the rear plate is still not quite right  by a mm or 2 , but as this is my third attempt I'm going to let it be . Now to add a few lift rings to the hull sides and finish the paint scheme . I decided to just add an ammo rack , rear driver's seat and the central transmission cover to the interior , once I add crew , you won't much anyway

[Ballardian]

 Great looking kitbash, looking forward to seeing it painted

[ultravanillasmurf]

 Great looking kitbash, looking forward to seeing it painted

Same here.

[ripley]

 Just going to paint it a basic Panzer Dunkelgelb shade  and just add license plates, a division sign and a couple of German crosses . Not many photos I've seen show abundant markings or camo on these . Where Dragon got the three color scheme for their 1/35 version , I don't know . But there are probably lots of photos out there I've never seen . For those of you who are going to build any of these 234 types and want a good book  Nuts and Bolts as just released what seems to be the best volume on these 8 wheelers  , according to reviews . As I'm only might do one more , the 234/1 version  if I can track down another Puma , I'm going to pass on that book . Of course if I got it for Xmas I wouldn't say no .... .  At the moment I'm making / adding the hull lift rings and scouring the parts box for a Pzr III/IV gun cleaning rod part to ad to the hull side . Also trying find , I know I've got some somewhere , some decals for the  Panzer Division who  these things .( probably decal my Motorbike / sidecar  unit  to match )

The gun cleaning rods go in the red area , the blue are the lift rings , 4 down each side and a pair on the plate with rear driver's visor . I added both  items  to my original Puma but then covered them up completely with foliage so you can't even see them ... 

[ripley]

Finally finished the hull side lift rings . I made them over scale as anything smaller is a real pain hold even with tweezers  , never mind trying to drill a hole in  the piece and then put a bend in it . Plus scale sized pieces would probably end up looking like solid bumps when painted .



These look the part and  add a bit of detail which is lacking ( IMO ) in the kit . I will also add the 3 lift hooks on the turret , again an omission by Italeri . Still haven't decided what to use the Puma turret on . The Germans never used them on built in fortifications or West Wall bunkers like older Panzer II or French tank turrets . Maybe a 38(t) based scout tank might be the way to go , sort of like this but replacing the 20mm turret

[ultravanillasmurf]

Nice job on the model, especially the lift rings.

The Puma turret will look good on the 38(t),  either type.

[ripley]

After much messing around on other projects ( binge watching Castle actually  ) , I've finished my 234/3 . I added a couple of Rubicon figures ( seated from the 250/9 set and standing from the 250/8 set ) , I replaced the standing figures right arm and both heads replaced with some metal ones from the parts box . I added some personal kit from BA left overs , the ammo boxes on the rear deck are some resin ones I cast .









Decals were kept to just some small German crosses and front and rear licence plates ( taken from Rubicon 250 set )

[ultravanillasmurf]

Very nice work.

[ripley]

Thanks . It was a fun kit bash ( once I got focused  ) . Think I might get another 250/8 & /9 expansion sets , lots of kit bash ideas .