Where to start

[Silverstalker]

My first project/restoration is going to be on an abrams i picked up at a boot sale, as a tank it function is mainly as a toy, but with some cunning enginering and a new set of electronics i think it could be a great tank ,

i belive it to be 1/9 scale not to sure but its a nice base to build on, the first place i need to start is the tracks!, the ones it had were badly worn and didnt function to well (at all), the gear boxes work i ran 7.2v through it and all seemed well, although they ran very slow and i would thing its all plastic gears inside so i may be up grading that too!

heres a vew pics of it strpped,





here is the tracks, and seeing as i have no idea of the make of this tank its becoming hard to find new tracks or even up grades for everything??


any thoughts and help welcome

cheers

[Saxondog]

If you could take some measurements of the top section of the hull,track width and barrel length this information can be used to determine scale. Once that is confirmed the search for parts becomes much easier. Tracks are expensive for the larger scale tanks.

The cost of tracks for a 1/6 scale Tiger are 3.00us per link or 600.00us plus shipping,drive sprocket are 250.00us. This is just an example of the high cost of large scale tanks. If you can salvage the tracks then you save money for other parts like electronics.

cheers Blake

[Silverstalker]

the upper section is 26 inchs long and 12 inchs wide, the barrel is just shy of 12 inchs, and the track is 2 inchs wide?

i will try save the tracks, any ideas how i could do this

[Dandare01]

So its about 1/12th scale then, abrams 12" wide 26" long (hull length)

[Ex_Pat_Tanker]

Didn't BIGMIG use Tiger 1 Tracks on his? or am I thinking of something else?

[Saxondog]

check this out,this sounds like your tank. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1176992" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Described as a 1/9scale R/C VERSION. From 21st century. sax

[Saxondog]

And Mart I think your right about BigMig using H/L TRACKS on a large scale tank. I have his e-mail and could ask him,we talk every so often,a very good friend of mine from Memphis is stationed near bigmig @FORT LEWIS and they even have a tank museum.Talked about meeing him their in August if we fly out to visit Scott, and meeting him at the base.I'll try to find out about the tracks. Sax

[Silverstalker]

great! cheers...some replacmet ones from another model tank would be a good find! i think it would be quite hard to fix these old tracks?

[Silverstalker]

I have started this project....stripped it down


and started work on trhe track to ''beef up/repair them''

i used some long strips of slightly stretched amalgamation tape and bonded them to the inside of the track for strength, and to put them back in order



i have no idea if this will work yet' as i can only do about 6 inchs at a time?, so its taking ages ..i have filled the back side of the suspension arm to stiffen them up,


and will go to work on the raod wheels next..

[Silverstalker]

its proving hard to rework them old tracks to work efectivly despite trying a few ideas ...
so' i will give in and retro fit a drive system and tracks from anolther tank..till such time i can aquire what i am after i will carry on building. but in reverse! from top down??

so i totaly broke down the hull and turret and rubbed it down for some paint' and to add some extras well i am at it...... i had an old computer key bord' that had flat but nicly shape keys that kind of looked like reactive armour plates some tanks carry, so with a little imagination when its all finished it should look the part



ok maybe alot of imagination