Matchbox M1 Abrams

[Ernie]

I have been working on this little guy for a while now; the Matchbox M1 Abrams. It is not a highly detailed kit, but I want to at least make an attempt to have it turn out decently.

As the kit represents an early M1 I elected to paint it in a camo scheme that was used on M1's at Ft. Knox in the early 80's.

Next up is detail painting and some weathering along with a simple base.

 

[colin m]

I quite like old Matchbox kits, but normally from an aircraft angle. However, this bit of armour is looking very nice.

 

[adt70hk]

Different! Didn't know they were still going when the M1 came out!

 

[minitnkr]

Looking good.

 

[Jakko]

Different! Didn't know they were still going when the M1 came out!

Matchbox only really got killed off in the early 90s, I think. The range was then taken over by Revell, and this is a Revell-Matchbox kit — you can tell by the Der Grüne Punkt recycling badge on the box. The M1 was only ever released by Revell-Matchbox, not by the original Matchbox company.

 

[Ernie]

Working on the weathering, The photo I am working from shows the vehicle to be rather dusty, so I have applied a layer of dust using AK enamel dust. Pretty satisfied with how that has turned out so far. Abteilung 502 Oils Starship Filth worked well to show areas where the dust was rubbed away from use around the hatches on the turret, leaving a nice patina on the Olive Drab paint.

I apologize for the rather crappy photo, I am still organizing and setting up my workspace.

 

[papa 695]

Coming along very nicely Ernie.

 

[KarlW]

My first ever kit was a matchbox one, their M7 Priest.
I was 7 and probably made a sows ear out of it, I then went through some aircraft that my dad hung on my bedroom ceiling, but couldn't tell you what any of those kits were. Even the motorised one that flew in circles.

 

[adt70hk]

Coming in very nicely Ernie!

 

[rtfoe]

I like bringing Matchbix kits up to present standards. So far I've done two aircraft, a Curtiss Helldiver biplane and Walrus.
Your M1 looks good dusted and weathered Ernie.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Ernie]

Well, I circled back to this little guy. I replaced the 50 Cal, gun barrel with one from a set of Ammo 3D printed 50 Cal, guns and ammo boxes. One of the ammo boxes will also eventually be added to the turret stowage in due course as well. The vision blocks have also been covered in fingernail foil material. Photos of early M1's show the vision with an orangish color that would change to a green color depending on the light conditions. There was a piece of foil in the set I got that had that characteristic so small strips were cut from it and attached to the appropriate locations with Gators Grip Glue. The base is almost finished as well.

 

[Ernie]

Finally calling this one done! Still need to take better pictures.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Looks great glad you came back to it.

 

[Richard48]

Turned out really nice.Be great if some new tooling kits came out in 72nd for m1 and Ipm1 abrams.
Well done.
Richard

 

[Steve Brodie]

Turned out rather splendid

 

[Jakko]

Be great if some new tooling kits came out in 72nd for m1 and Ipm1 abrams.

That had me wondering … and it looks like there really is no modern kit of those two variants. The newest you can get seems to be an Italeri kit from 2001 (and I’m not even sure that’s not just a new box for an older kit). Backdating an M1A1 seems to be the only real option — though that’s not too hard to do, especially if it’s an M1 IP you’re after.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Working on the weathering, The photo I am working from shows the vehicle to be rather dusty, so I have applied a layer of dust using AK enamel dust. Pretty satisfied with how that has turned out so far. Abteilung 502 Oils Starship Filth worked well to show areas where the dust was rubbed away from use around the hatches on the turret, leaving a nice patina on the Olive Drab paint.

I apologize for the rather crappy photo, I am still organizing and setting up my workspace.

True, it becomes a problem when the other half of the family are eating their meal at the same time.
Good to see the older kits getting some attention.