BVC500

Beautiful build! God forbid I criticize a stupendous effort by Tamiya, but they could've made more of an effort with the fuel injection system, and an obvious mistake - they forgot the radio. There's speakers on the door sills, but no radio hanging from the center of the dash like on the real car.

I don’t think Revell has ever gotten past a water-slide decal sheet in their kits. What’s been unfortunate over the past few years is a lack of aftermarket for Revell Germany kits. In the past you could rely on A+ Club or Plamoz to create new wheels/tires or metal transfers for the emblems but both are defunct. I haven’t seen an aftermarket detail kit yet for the E-Type.

Great job! I haven't heard one modeler say good things about the metal transfers in this kit. And I agree with you on the F/R window trim. I managed to scribe, but a real pain to get right, and the last thing I did on my WIP.

This is cool and something totally different. If only its followed up by his original, the McLaren F1 since the Fujimi is rather terrible.

Kinda feels like a full year's announcement (err leak) has already been made. They don't usually do too many new car kits each year and already we've heard about a DB5 and C8 that will be released later in the year. So, it seems we got more than just Q1 2023.

Nice start! Thanks for pointing out the sinkholes. Really wish the model companies would offer the glass roofs like the real cars.

Wow! Great job. Really nice clean build and photography too!

I think they are planning a spider kit. One of the AM guys posted a prototype on their FB page.

Impressive. Would you be willing to share your file, or make the part available for purchase? I'd love one for my 507. I like the Series 2 dash much better.

You can check with the OP if he has more sets available, but it has been nearly 7 years. I bought a couple sets and they look great. http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1142044&highlight=300sl+luggage

I have to agree with you on the quality of this kit, but wow you did an impressive job!

Great work! I'm building the same two.

Great start, can't wait to see more.

Beautiful color and work!

I agree that they provide great service, but I'll say that Matt's flakes are finer, his colors sometimes more accurate, and he's more keen to custom mix than Spain.

Mine did that too, but Matt sent me new lids and the thinner he uses. I just reconstituted the paints.

I'm not sure Matt is capable at this time of running his business (day job, mother's health, young kid). The product is great, but what's the point if customers can't get it? All my orders usually took a long time, but I eventually got them. Not this last order. It was partially sent, and he kept promising to send the rest and never did. I got a refund, but I just wanted the paints I ordered. Try Splash Paints. He can custom mix.

Beautiful! Great job and nice color choice.

Nice work! Good idea to swap US spec parts from the Revell kit.

Indeed! And an odd choice. Bit of a mundane car, and you think there would be better selling choices. Kitting a Tesla, for instance, or a Lambo SUV.

Beautiful job!

Not as bad as the Revell 230TE, but to my eye, the 500SLC is, particularly the bottom half. The side skirts and rear quarter valence are too flat, the rear quarter valence too stubby, and the rockers are way too flat and prominent. Itty bitty side mirrors not in proportion to the real car. Proportions all wrong in the interior - oversized center console, itty bitty headrests, etc., a lot if it lacking any finesse. I used to own the ESCI and sold it.

I've got to ask, since you seem to like euro subjects like me. No offense to the builder here, just a picture I found on google of the Revell/Aoshima 230TE. One can argue that the model captures the general appearance and the shape of the main body features...while getting every part and shape completely wrong and turning a handsome 1:1 vehicle into a caricature, such that no amount of kit bashing and scratch building will fix. Some might be satisfied with this, and some like me aren't. I don't mind scratch building here and there, but without Mikhail Petrenko's CAD skills and a 3d printer to create a part or a new model from scratch, I'm left with not buying turds for subjects that I like, such as the w201 or w107 Mercedes. I grew up with a w124 300TE and would love a nice kit of one (ModelingMaster has w124s in the works). But I see the 500SLC (the 190e not to the same degree) fitting into the same category as the Revell/Aoshima 230TE. Now, ya'll will say "fine, then don't give them your money" and I certainly won't - its being saved for new and exciting Alpha Model kits. I saying that you shouldn't reward Italeri for regurgitating old, poor quality kits either.

Perhaps there's not and they're just hoping the market will buy their junk because it's not costing them much effort using old molds. Demand better. Don't buy misshapen, toy-like models and maybe they'll do better and make new investments, like the Bugatti. The market should speak for itself, not Italeri for the market. Look at the Volvo. While I don't think its as bad as the 500SLC, they didn't even bother to address the truck-like tires. Seems like there was no questioning "is there any small improvements we can make to update this kit?"

The problem with these reissues like the 190e and the 500SLC is that they're crude, not very accurate 30-40 yr old kits, so why does Italeri think there's any interest?