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1913 MERCER RACEABOUT TYPE35


curt raitz

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Found this model on a local hobby shop's shelf on sale for $20.00 each.

I was kinda hesitant at first...had not heard of the Chinese company Fuman. The LHS opened the box so I could get a look at the model, was impressed with the number and quality of the parts...so picked one up.

Upon researching the car, found out Aurora and Bandai had both previously released a version of this car in 1/16th scale. The Fuman kit is a re-pop of the Bandai kit...even has "Bandai" stamped under both running boards.

This kit was fun to build and something just a little bit different. Paint is Tamiya TS-34 Camel Yellow

Decals are a little stubborn...none of the decal setting solutions I have did anything to help settle them down!

Fuman Kit:

images4-vi.jpg

Bandai Kit:

452492844_o-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_c-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_f-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_g1-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_d1-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_i-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_h-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_a-vi.jpg

mercerraceabout_b-vi.jpg

after building this car, went back to the hobby shop and picked up another kit.

gonna build a fender-less racing version of the Mercer

thanx for lookin'

Edited by curt raitz
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Beautiful Job! Every time I see a build of an early brass car, I can't help but wonder what it must have been like to own one of them. I have seen these on Ebay from time to time... and from the looks of it, I guess I don't need to hesitate to bid!

Thanks for posting!

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Guest Gramps-xrds

That looks just great. Nice and clean and well detailed. I commend your work. It looks a lot like the old MPC Stutz Bearcat.

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HOLY COW!!! That really looks great... I have had one of these in my stash for 5 or 6 years now and was just getting ready to sell it to one of my club members... After seeing this I am definately thinking twice about that... AWESOME JOB!!!

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Beautiful build Curt!! I'm a brass car lover.

Here's picture of a racing Mercer that may help you with your racer version. I believe it was an entrant in an early Indianapolis 500 (I haven't checked this, but it should be easy to do) and is now located in the Simeone Foundation Race Car Museum in Philadelphia, PA. I used it as the basis for my 1/32 scale build of the same car.

1913-Mercer_Raceabout-DV-08_SM-04.jpg

1913Mercerracerfrontenddetails.jpg

Hope this helps.

Tony

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Fabulous work.

As mentioned above, Fuman reboxed a number of 1/16 Bandai kits including the Bugatti Royale, Excalibur SS, etc. The 1/16 Aurora kit is a low-detail curbside, as is the Aurora Stutz Bearcat. I have a Lindberg 1/16 Stutz racer with engine detail and full frame, which I plan to combine with the Aurora Bearcat for a better-detailed stock version.

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Love the brass era cars. Can you imagine actually racing one of those? It would probably be a bit like going over Niagra Falls in a barrel. Sweet. Love the 'monacle' windshield.

Edited by Harold
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Beautiful! :lol:

Bandai outdone themselves, nearly 40 years ago, with the introduction of this superb Mercer kit, surely one of Bandai best 1/16th scale kits.

Got a few Mercer 1/16 kits, in Chinese FUMAN Edition boxes, on eBay for dead cheap a few years back.

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Beautiful! :lol:

Bandai outdone themselves, nearly 40 years ago, with the introduction of this superb Mercer kit, surely one of Bandai best 1/16th scale kits.

Got a few Mercer 1/16 kits, in Chinese FUMAN Edition boxes, on eBay for dead cheap a few years back.

Insanely cheap, as a matter of fact. Someone had a shipload of 1/16 Fuman Mercers that they were unloading on eBay a couple of years ago, and I got mine for $7.99. Going to use it for upgrading the Aurora Stutz instruments, levers, etc., and adding the monocle windshield.

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Insanely cheap, as a matter of fact. Someone had a shipload of 1/16 Fuman Mercers that they were unloading on eBay a couple of years ago, and I got mine for $7.99. Going to use it for upgrading the Aurora Stutz instruments, levers, etc., and adding the monocle windshield.

What a deal!

There are a couple on ebay right now going for a lot more than that!

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All original 1911 Mercer race car (not a raceabout, this was used strictly for racing on the east coast), found in a warehouse in this condition in Elizabeth NJ, photographed right behind the Tower Terrace Grandstand South at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Concours d'Elegance on May 14:

1911Mercerracecar-vi.jpg

Love the original patina!

Art

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Thanx for the great responses to this model cool.gif

Already started working on the fenderless racing version...basing it on this car

1306355000-vi.jpg

I have nothing other than a few photos of the car, but liked the color combo and will try and dirty-it-up just like the real thing

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Wow...that is a beautiful model you built! I remember reading an article of the racing version you're going to build that was owned by the artist Peter Helck. His vintage racing paintings are magnificent. I agree with many of you; it's so great to see this recent influx of brass era cars being modeled.

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Wow...that is a beautiful model you built! I remember reading an article of the racing version you're going to build that was owned by the artist Peter Helck. His vintage racing paintings are magnificent. I agree with many of you; it's so great to see this recent influx of brass era cars being modeled.

Peter Helck owned one? His paintings are among the best ever done.

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