Tamiya Leopard 1 Rescue!

[Vintage Racer]

I bought this recently, and it of course needs some love. It is missing just a few simple parts I am hoping to buy from anywho might have spares hiding away in storage, or something to that effect. This is my first Leopard 1 so I am still getting familiar with the model.

1 mirror

2 Rear mud flaps

1 tow hook rear.

1 rear lifting eyelet

Rubber manlet cover (long shot I know)

Search light, I can scratch build the support rods

Clear covers for the headlights

Drive sprocket center covers (two each)

Smoke discharger

Main gun tube support parts

I will pay for the parts, your time, shipping materials, and of course the actual shipping costs.

Thanks in advance.

VR

[Vintage Racer]

[Meter Rat]

Most of the parts are available for German sources. Unfortunately they are expensive, and given the current climate shipping maybe cost prohibiting. I have some of the parts you may require. I’ll have a look later. The mudflaps I made from a van inner tube. Just don’t say you got them from an English guy. OK?

[Vintage Racer]

No problem there!!

[Vintage Racer]

So I've been working on this thing a little bit today, trying to use regular liquid plastic model cement. It doesn't seem to do anything to this thing. So I have some MEK, methyl ethyl ketone. That does the trick. Maybe model glue has gotten less effective. I don't know, but the MEK is working!

VR

[Vintage Racer]

Most of the parts are available for German sources.

Do you have a link? Thanks very much!

VR

[Meter Rat]

Sorry, but for some reason I am unable to copy links.

Ludwig-hobby-seite.de.

Deutsche Panzer Fahrzeuge

RCTank.de. Tamiya spares.
tank-modellbau.de Not currently shipping to America.

If you need assistance in shipping I would be prepared to act as an intermediary.

[Vintage Racer]

Awesome, I will check it out. I still have friends in Germany when I was stationed there, German and American who have access to the USA Postal Service and will ship to me. Thanks so much!

https://ludwigs-hobby-seite.de/

VR

[Meter Rat]

I have a pair of head lights. I’m not sure if you are aware there was no clear lens in the headlights? They were solid and painted silver. Have a mirror, and a choice of search lights. One is missing a door. The other has the doors glued closed. I think I have two sprocket covers, but I’m not 100% certain. They look like the are from the instruction manual.

[Vintage Racer]

Ok, someone must off removed the solid lenses from the head lights on this model, you can see in the pic they are hollowed out. Those are the rear drive sprocket screw covers, I would prefer the missing door search light if your ok with it.

Let me know how to make payment, and how much the cost is. Thanks very much!

I had something pretty good happen to me over the weekend regarding this Leopard 1 project! More soon!

VR

[Vintage Racer]

I also discovered the tow cable storage brackets on the side of the hull are both missing. Think I am going to have to get another resin casting kit. I haven't done any resin casting in years.

[Meter Rat]

I have two of them as well.

[Vintage Racer]

I have two of them as well.

I will gladly buy those as well!

[Meter Rat]

I’ll sort them out tomorrow and send some pictures.

[RichJohnson]

The 2010 static display version had hollow headlights with green glue in lenses. I made lenses using tubing and clear acetate after lighting mine up.
I have made a new launder hatch hinge part, as they break easy. I also make new shocks with the ability to have springs in them, helps with track retention.
im also going to cast out new hub caps but seems like you might have to that covered now.
ihave about 8 of these things with two fully modernized, two in construction and a few new in box as well as 3 or 4 used clutch drive tanks.

[Vintage Racer]

Throw in some pics Rich! Appreciate the info, I know you have good knowledge of this model! I will post my monumental find/acquisition later today when I get home from work! It involved on of the early members of the SFO Bay Area Tankers unloading his stuff!

VR

[Vintage Racer]

So I've been waiting for these to come in. I bought them off ebay. Stupid I know. I wanted to get a set of rubber pad tracks for this Leo.

The guy put them in a bubble wrap bag and something obviously heavy must have been on top of it because it broke off a bunch of the guide pins. A friend suggested they were made by hobby summit, and they are possibly for a static model not an RC. I have no idea. They were used when I bought them but listed as in great condition.

Can anybody identify these treads? It would mean a lot. Thanks in advance.

VR

[Meter Rat]

I will gladly buy those as well!

Are these any use to you?

[Vintage Racer]

Yes, for sure. They are missing on this model.

[RichJohnson]

There is so much I can say regarding Tamiya leoaprd 1 models.
I have a long thread on RC universe where I have my builds all going in the same thread.
the towing eyelet that Tamiya includes with the leoaprd one is actually a wwii tiger and it’s huge. Way too big.
i had scale eye ends made in 3d resin for me. I make up my own mount tabs on the hull and actually have the top plate swivel and hold them in place.

regarding that track, it might be the Tamiya plastic track that came with the motorized leoaprd 1 kit in the 80s. It had a plastic lower hull and wheel arms and tortion bars and plastic track with dual motors and a walk behind wired remote.

I have a bunch of sets of the metal track with rubber pads and I can tell you the tanks don’t run that well with them because the rubber pads grip too hard and it makes turning difficult especially on hard surfaces.
I make my own 3d printed track using pla+. I started by just replacing the pads on a Tamiya Pershing set (which is what the 2010 static release came with)
then I ordered steel rod pin stock and cut my own and 3d printed every part and the tracks run great. It takes a week of evenings to build up two sets but they run superbly.
If you want some of my track sets we can talk but they take a lot of work. Tamiya Pershing track works if you can find it. Sherman works but is too short and has the wrong center guides.
I also made sprocket guide rings which help the track retain on the sprocket and, my 3d printed shocks with springs in them help push down on the wheel and keep the track in the sprocket too.

we also have a Facebook group for the 1/16 leopard 1