Chassis/Frame: When I broke the model down into its individual subassemblies (chassis, cab, and cargo bed) and stripped them of all details and marking - I sanded down the paint where applicable - but didn't need to go in to a total chemical paint stripping process. My original coat was thin enough. Interestingly, I found no damage whatsoever when I pulled the rubber AFV Club tires off the rims for repainting. My original coat of Tamiya Flat Black paint was still there and there was no evidence of the tires attacking the plastic underneath. They looked the same as they did when I first painted them in 1996. Pulling all those ammo cans off the floor of the cargo bed was easy, as I only used a tiny drop of white glue to hold them in place the first time around. I popped them out with the point of an X-Acto blade and sanded the floor down again for repainting. Probably didn't have to be so finicky as I'd insert the steel box here for the M55 Quad Turret anyway.

"Nancy's" bumper codes are made from Railroad Scenics #DT507 dry-transfers, rubbed down on clear decal trim film, and applied like a traditional water slide decal. Archer dry-transfers are used on the Battery Box and Fuel Tank - applied the same way as the Railroad Scenics dry-transfers. The two National Insignia are Verlinden dry-transfers, again, applied like the rest. I added grab handles, Winch Control Lever, and a new Spare Tire Bracket Lever made out of .015" brass wire. The Brake and Fuel/Electrical lines are Detail Master #DM1101 .0075" black wire. The Chain on the end of the winch cable comes from Builders in Scale and the Hook is taken from a Hudson & Allen Tow Chain. The Bumper Marker Poles are .010" brass wire too, inserted into a .020" styrene rod holder glued to the ends of the Bumper. Air Valve Stems in the tires are .010" brass wire.

I pulled my scratchbuilt muffler/exhaust line off the frame so that I could paint and "rust" it anew. This was one of the principal parts needed to backdate the AFV Club M35A2 to A1 configuration. Delete the Tail Light Support Brackets (Parts #B17) and the modern 'NATO-style' integrated turn signal markers. These are appropriate for the A2 variant, but the M35 and M35A1 used the old style blackout markers. I swiped mine from an Italeri M-113 APC kit - to be relocated in the Cargo Bed/Fighting Compartment subassembly.

While you're at it, drill a hole in the centers of the rear bumperettes, Parts #A17 & A18. The front bumper is missing bolt detail too - which I added with a punch & die set. Other than replacing Parts #A44 (Grab Rings) provided in the AFV Club model kit with staple-shaped Handles (plus two more behind the Winch, no other major visual improvements are called for to backdate this subassembly to the A1 standard.

Do not mount the rear lights on the "flying" extensions from the frame rails as in the AFV Club instructions. This is correct for the A2, but not the A1 or M35. You'll be mounting new parts under the cargo bed later on.