introduction

The Quad Gun Tractor was used to tow the 25 pound field gun (Ordnance QF 25 pound) and other artillery pieces of the same size or smaller during WWII.
Like the 25 pound field gun, the Quad Gun Tractor was used in all theaters during the war. Different variants were produced by four manufacturers: Guy Motors, Morris Commercial, Karrier/India, and Canadian Military Pattern (CMP).
The power plant was either a Ford V8, 3,916cc, 95hp at 3,600 rpm or Chevrolet V6, 3,548cc, 85 hp at 3,600 rpm engines. The Ford providing 10 more hp. than the Chevrolet.
The weight of the Tractor stood at 3,996 kg, 4.4 tons, for those that are keeping score.
A total of 22,891 were built during WWII.

the kit

Upon opening the kit box from it's plastic prison, I noticed 3 sprues, tan in color, wrapped in clear plastic with the body/shell and undercarriage loose as separate items. The kit also contains two separate sets of instructions, one in Japanese and one in English. The instructions feature painting instructions for two different vehicles and decal placement directions for both options. There is a sprue of clear plastic parts for all the windows, which is wrapped individually to prevent scratches, which is a nice touch. The decals appear to be in register but it is hard to tell without sliding them off of the carrier film.

the sprues

Sprue "A" holds the driver figure, engine, side doors, canvas cover top, cross member for top, rear support piece, grille, hood, front fenders, and roof hatch. Sprue "B" contains the tires, seats, center console, head lamps, and various parts for the interior. Sprue "C" contains the frame, axles, leaf springs, and other under carriage parts. A clear sprue with windows and a decal sheet are also provided.

Quality

Reviewing the parts I noticed that there is a little flash and some mold pin marks which will need to be addressed during the build, making for time consuming clean up.
Filling and sanding will be needed on the cab shell and under carriage parts. The inside surfaces of the doors will need some attention if they are to be left open. Some clean up will also be needed on the driver figure and the wheels. The instructions are for the most part typical of an early Tamiya kit: concise and easy to follow. Some of the painting instructions may seem a bit vague by today's standard's but this is an old kit.

CONCluSION

Overall the kit will need some work. The addition of minor details like door hinges could make this a decent build. For an older kit this will build into a decent kit for beginning modelers. The packaging and concise instructions are a plus. However, advance modelers may want to add bells and whistles to super detail this older kit.

A Build Log has been started on the forums to evaluate the kit construction.