Well I've been threatening to do this for a long time now so why not now! I've been hacking at two Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog kits for a couple of days now. I also have the 90mm gun from a deceased M48 tank. Plus many other spare parts that might fall off the shelf and get glued onto this puppy.
The idea is sometime in the 80s the Soviet horde comes thru the Fulda Gap and starts over running Western Europe. Every armored vehicle imaginable gets thrown onto the battlefield. A 76mm M41 is pretty useless and there is not much ammo left for them anyway so the vehicles get upgunned to 90mm. There is no time for designing a new turret and it would be too heavy for the M41 hull and drivetrain anyway. So flashback to WW2 and how the Germans used the StuG for infantry support and eventually for anti tank purposes. Factories in Belgium and Denmark began converting M41s to assault guns using 90mm guns from 30 year old stocks. One problem was the 90mm gun proved to be a problem to mount properly without hacking up the entire upper hull so the expedient solution was to cut two hulls in two different places and put them back together so that it now had six road wheels on each side instead of five. This left two hull pieces which when welded together had four road wheels on each side. (More on this later!) This solved the gun mounting issue without having to redesign the drivers position. Other usable parts were included as they became available.

In reality, (bad word, I know) the Tamiya M41, Academy M48 and an Academy Bradley are all donating parts for this. It's surprising how the Bradley tracks are almost perfect replacements for the iffy M41 tracks. At least the Bradley tracks have detail on both sides compared to the M41 tracks. I also have different types of track skirts to try out as the new hull gets built. I'll have to snap a few pics and post them up soon.

Interesting, will look on with curiosity.

Yeah, I noticed the similarity of the Bradley and LVTP-7 tracks to the M-41 as well; either would be close enough for Gub'mint Work.

Even the sprockets are close enough. But I don't think I'll change those. I'm not to that point yet anyway.

Ken mate..your going in a direction I'm lovin ..and that track info is mega helpful 👌 
Yep I've got a M41 in the stash and still absolutely no idea what to do with it 😕
Thanks to you that track problem I knew I was going to have is now not a problem   
I wanna see see pics buddy boy 😁

Excellent idea. Sounds like somat that could have happened.

I doubt cutting up tank hulls and trying to weld them back together is a good idea but this is whiffworld! Probably about as much fun as cutting up the top of the hull and welding a bunch of plates on top.
Someone suggested a four road wheel racing tank. I need some chrome headers and air scoop!

Extending armoured vehicle hulls is nothing new Ken ...they did it with the German Weasel...the M113 ..a Warrior IFV .
When you weld two plates of steel together properly the weld is stronger than the steel itself.
Welding super hardened steel like homogenous armour plate ..you have to preheat it and can only use stainless steel rods or wire to weld it ...normal mild steel rods will just fall off basically when it cools down..well it'll crack first then fall off .
They do it with ships too 

Quote from: Wardukw on December 13, 2024, 11:10:36 PMWelding super hardened steel like homogenous armour plate ..you have to preheat it and can only use stainless steel rods or wire to weld it ...
They do it with ships too 

That is interesting, I wondered why they used stainless steel rod on the Shermans (and others).

Yeah, I saw a programme where they were building a modern warship in the US and they were basically producing 8-10 foot slices, keel to superstructure and all the bits in between, and welding them together. Fascinating how they can marry up all the bits and pieces.
I do wonder though, as they were having to tweak the bits into line (they didn't all quite match up neatly) whether if/when they get a good, hard knock (torpedo, reef, etc), the welds will fail spectacularly... though from your comment, Phill, it would appear not.

Quote from: Rick Lowe on December 14, 2024, 03:48:19 AM

Quote from: Wardukw on December 13, 2024, 11:10:36 PMWelding super hardened steel like homogenous armour plate ..you have to preheat it and can only use stainless steel rods or wire to weld it ...
They do it with ships too 

That is interesting, I wondered why they used stainless steel rod on the Shermans (and others).

Yeah, I saw a programme where they were building a modern warship in the US and they were basically producing 8-10 foot slices, keel to superstructure and all the bits in between, and welding them together. Fascinating how they can marry up all the bits and pieces.
I do wonder though, as they were having to tweak the bits into line (they didn't all quite match up neatly) whether if/when they get a good, hard knock (torpedo, reef, etc), the welds will fail spectacularly... though from your comment, Phill, it would appear not.

They've been doing that with ships fo a long time.

Back at least as far as WW2 with the Liberty Ships, AFAIK.
Though an Uncle who was on the convoys said the welded ones split open like rotten tomatoes when hit, so... 

I've heard before about Liberty ships and bad welding. Could be also a result of rushed wartime production and poorly trained newbie welders. Something about being payed by the foot of weld.

Any and all of those sound about right...

Next challenge is figuring out how to arrange the panels for the upper hull and gun port. I still have the M48 cupola too. It's ugly as sin.

Quote from: kerick on December 14, 2024, 12:00:29 PMNext challenge is figuring out how to arrange the panels for the upper hull and gun port. I still have the M48 cupola too. It's ugly as sin.

Sounds like it's a Must Be Used item, then! 

Quote from: Rick Lowe on December 14, 2024, 12:01:31 PM

Quote from: kerick on December 14, 2024, 12:00:29 PMNext challenge is figuring out how to arrange the panels for the upper hull and gun port. I still have the M48 cupola too. It's ugly as sin.

Sounds like it's a Must Be Used item, then! 

Oh yeah! At least I can build a spot for it.