Lost Panzer 4.

[Kevin Tomkinson]

Hi all,
I have today become the owner of an original 2001 Armortek Panzer 4. It is part built by the previous owner then left stood in his garage for 15 or 16 years. You can see from the pics how it has fared. Yes that red stuff is rust! Most of the parts seem to be there but I am sure something will be missing so watch out for my distress calls please. First job is to strip it right down so the steel parts can be derusted and treated. Some of the ally parts will need a polish as well. The tyres that have come with the model seem to be made of a hard nylon which is a loose fit on the wheels. Does anyone know if this is normal? Any info people have about this model will be very welcome as I set about cleaning it up and building it at least something like properly.
All the best.
Kevin.

[David Brady]

Hi,

I would say yes to the hard nylon, this is at a time when 1/8 scale tiger was about with the same nylon tyres, your best bet is to order a new set of tyres fitted to the later run

Cheers

[Adrian Harris]

How do people find these kits

The Sherman demonstrator I have has Acetal tyres on the road wheels. Unfortunately, the differential expansion between the Acetal and the aluminium has meant that some of them have split, so I would definitely invest in a set of rubber tyres.

Are you sure it is a kit, and has not been built from the instruction manual, as that has all the dimensions needed to build one from scratch ? A few people have built them that way.

Adrian.

[Peter Silcock]

I would suggest that since you have the original brown construction folder this is a model scratch built by the original owner. Good find indeed! A friend of mine has recently purchased (literally) a skip full of Armortek models which were destined for recycling! Amazing where this stuff surfaces.

[Adrian Harris]

> a skip full of Armortek models which were destined for recycling!

I'd love to hear the story behind that !

Adrian.

[simon_manning]

now we should have a run of stories where these models have been found, i purchased a tiger 1, full of water in a shed, forgotten about, the owner had passed away and the nearest relative lived in Canada, regards simon.

[Robert E Morey]

Wow Awesome find! It should clean up just fine. At least it wasn't outside!

As for the tyres - if a new set of rubber versions are available from Armortek's "vast" spare parts stores then that is the best ticket. Nylon unfortunately absorbs moisture over time so the tires may grow from original size from moisture absorption. They may shrink if you bake them at low temp. Perhaps worth an attempt with one piece. Otherwise you may have to make new ones. I've had good luck making tires for other projects from black ABS plumbing pipe. It machines nice, is already black and seems to hold up well with wear. Best of luck with the restoration!
Bob

[Kevin Tomkinson]

Hi all,
I have started to strip the P4 ready to get rid of all that nasty rust. Found a lot of the nuts and bolts were not properly tightened so probably a good thing to take it apart. At least I will know what is tight etc.
Thanks for the messages with both answers to my question and support for the build.
Apparently it is a kit and not scratch built, must be one of the very first. I meant to look for a number on it today but I got too hot and had to cease operations to cool down by which time it was too much effort to go into my little workshop again.
Kevin.

[Phil Woollard]

Hi Kevin, all that rust when cleaned back should give you a very nice surface patina , so maybe don't polish the pits out but embrace them, cheers Phil

[Peter Silcock]

Interesting that its a kit Kevin . I wonder whether the brown manual came with the first kits. Enjoy building it.

[Kevin Tomkinson]

Hi all,
I have been busy stripping my Panzer IV and removing rust. Got quite a bit done, I have realigned all the turret plates as they were not fitting well together. Have also worked on the gun mount which had been assembled with the 2 actual mounting blocks back to front and had the wrong dowels in which were way too long. I have even managed to prime some of the parts ready for reassembly.
I ordered a new set of rubber tyres from Monique who, bless her, got them to me the next day. Unfortunately. my wheels have a diameter of 65mm and the tyres have an id of 69mm. Due to the pressures of Tankfest this has gone no further at this point. If any of you know of anyone who could manufacture these tyres, could you please let me know. I will of course wait for Monique and Kian and see if they have a solution. To all you builders of an early Panzer IV this is something to watch out for.
Happy building everyone.
Kevin.

[Kevin Tomkinson]

Hi all,
Just a quick update on the Panzer IV rescued from a garage after 16 or 17 years of no progress.
All the building is now done . Many thanks to Monique for finding me a set of the correct size rubber tyres, they look great. I have built this as it came so it can be compared to the more recent model of Panzer IV. This one dates back to Armortek before Gill and Mark and is probably one of the first kits rather than total self build. I digress. Attached are some pics of the tank as it is today. Most of the prep is now done except for a small patch on the left hand side which needs sanding and priming. Given the right conditions tomorrow it will receive its top coat of Ral 7028 before the final cammo is done. Now waiting for some electronics as the originals do not work.Hardly surprising given the length of time they have been stood in a damp atmosphere. Anyway have a look at the pics of before and the pics I am posting now to see the difference. No criticism please, I need all the encouragement I can get!
All the best
Kevin.

[Chris Hall]

Why would anyone be critical ? You've been lucky enough to rescue an unloved model of a very rare tank (in 1/6 scale terms) and, despite its age and condition; you're close to bringing it back to life. It certainly looks good to me. All praise is due !

Hope to see it on the 'circuit' sometime,

Chris

[Heiko Sattler]

I love the Panzer iv he is simply the very sexy fun at the construction :DWhat build for a version

[Kevin Tomkinson]

My thanks to all who have commented on my Panzer IV posts. It does help to keep the enthusiasm going. More as I get it painted and then when the electronics go in. Looking forward to that.
Kevin.