Ok so this is my second most recent model that I finished in December last year ( photos taken at the same time) The small Panzer 4 happens to be the Italeri kit from 1974. And yes I know the old Tamiya kit is inaccurate with this that and this, no I did not fix the general dimensions and I also made some mistakes myself.

The reason why I got this kit was in 2024 I got 2 model kits from my Dad that I got to pick out for my 18th in March so I pick out this Panther and the He 111 from Italeri (witch I also built) because they were the cheapest one's, oh god I wish I knew what I got myself into because for some reason I never once thought cheap kit equals less detail and less fit DUH.

I only knew of it's age from club what my freind said that this kit was famous for being bad and nobody builds it today.

But the way I see it you have 3 options with an old kit like this (Other than not buy it in the first place and just get a better kit).

But only one is correct the other 2 are the cowards way out. Option 1 throw it in the bin or have it sit in the stash never to be built. I brought the kit I'm not going to do nothing with it! Option 2 build it but make a half arse'd attempt because it is an old bad kit soo do a bad job on it. Why? That is a waste of time just move on to another kit.

or option 3 fully commit to it and go all out trying to make it as good as it can possibly be.

I guess turning it into a cool fantasy setting would also be pretty cool to though like cut it up and make a transformer?

It took me 3 months to build the Panther 1 month for building 2 months for painting. I replaced the gun barrel with a metal one intended for another kit so I did some drilling and meashuring to make it fit. 

I also replaced the tracks with workable phasic ones from Ali express only $23 vs $60 and $120 for shipping so the paint would stick and not flake off the rubber.  One problem was the plastic pins were too small and would fall out so I dipped them in bees wax to increase their diameter but maintain their movement that worked very well.

the track set also came with a better dialer wheel and ice cleats.

I also used mesh for the engine covers scratch building them. I did grab handles, armor texture. Though I needed to work on that more along with weld beads tow cable and the Mg 34 was from another miniature kit dad got a few years ago. I did over do the flame cut marks though they should be less obvious.

  
The painting I went with free hand airbrush ambush camouflage  oil painted some shadows did some engine deck grease, I am not too shure about the mud I don't think it is bad but it can definitely be better. the tracks I did do a steel powder on the cleats for shiny meatal but unforchunally they look quite dull when the light isn't directly on them they stood out way more when I was putting the pigment on.

and for the final touch it's autumn so I put some leaves on there.

but overall I think I did a fairly good job on this kit doing it justice reviving an old kit It's not perfect I made some mistakes myself on it I didn't do a perfect job modifying it. But yea I will shut up and you guys can roste me on it now.

I made old Tamiya 1/35th Panther from 1968, with some minor modifications.