1/72 M-3 Grant Mirage/Hasagawa kit bash

[Ron Bell]

I had done the old Hasagawa Grant ages ago. The turret on the model is tragic in shape and size, so I tried my hand, poorly as it turned out, on making a new one. Years went by and I decided I wanted a bettter Grant in my collection, so I purchased the Mirage kit. While having a MUCH better turret, the hull was ill fitting and needed much fiddling and putty and when completed, didn't measure up to what I was looking for. So, enter the old Hasagawa kit. The hull is nicely done and fits much better. Drawbacks are the tools are molded in place and the three piece transmission cover is poorly represented, so I used the Mirage turret on the Hasagawa hull, reworked the transmission cover using the Mirage bolt flanges, used the Mirage PE brush guards on the headlights and added the tail lights from the Mirage kit (missing altogether from the Hasagawa one), added cast texture to the turret and transmission cover, cut out the engine intake and added the grill from some PE I had, drilled out the barrels of the 75 and 37mm guns, added the sand shield rails and handles to the side doors and the rear engine door access door, used the Mirage tracks and added the antenna. The markings represent a Grant of the Queens Bays at the Battle of Ghazala in 1942.

 

[Mark Deliduka]

Wow Ron! You've got "the touch"! What am amazing realistic looking tank. I can't tell where one kit leaves off and the other begins. This is one brilliant melding of two kits! Way to go Master!