Chinese T54 Tank Modifications

Most of the parts from my new T54.  Turret and hull from a Chinese toy.  Engine deck from another Chinese toy, with an M60 style Continental AVDS-1790 engine deck.  Tracks are from a Roco M-60 tank and so is the main gun.

I trimmed down the front of the tracks.  I would be hidden by the upper hull.  The upper hull had a bulge where the tracks fit onto the hull sides.  Since the bulge was metal, it was easier to trim the track connectors and about 1mm of the plastic track then trim the metal bulge.

Trim from both track assemblies.

I had a Roco T54 lower hull that I was going to use instead of the original metal hull, since the original lower hull was too wide for the Roco M60 tracks to fit.  Note the T54 lower  hull has a gap in the middle.  The metal tank hull is about 3mm longer than the Roco T54 and so I had to cut the lower hull in half to make it fit to the ends of the metal upper hull.

Test fitting most of the parts.

I had an extra  T54 turret that had no gun barrel, and so I took the gun from the metal tank, cut down the fume extractor at the end of the barrel and inserted it into a mantlet of the Roco T54.  Not exactly like the original, but close enough.  Due to the weight of the metal barrel, I glued the mantlet inside the turret so the gun will not raise and lower.

Not perfect, but good enough.

The lower hull from the Chinese metal tank, the breech end of the metal gun, and the antenna mount with antenna and the rather weak M2 machine gun from the metal kit.  I will reuse the antenna and mount, but these other parts are surplus.