sjordan2

1/16 Entex Jaguar XJ-S. Pretty much a pristine version of the original Bandai kit at a fraction of typically high asking prices -- a total of $50 shipped to me. Looks like amazing detail, with all sprues in sealed individual plastic wrapping and all parts still attached to sprues. Body has no seams, noticeable flash or sink marks. Engine will be a challenge, and anyone who tries to come close to the mare's nest of plumbing and wiring in the 1:1 will eventually be carried off in a straitjacket. And the Jaguar engineers who created this mess should be tracked down and taken to a black site. Downside: 1 goobered tire and no instructions. Does anyone have instructions, or can you direct me to someone who does? A very nice build here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=68727 You can see the complete sprues and instructions here: http://pijune.tistory.com/47

Interesting. I have a pre-order for this kit at HobbyLink Japan, listed at $27.98. The latest post on this kit at Tamiya USA shows the MSRP as $71.00. Glad I ordered when I did. http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/plastic-model-series-20/1-24-scale-sports-car-8000/mercedes-benz-300sl-24338

This is the standard blue plaid, somewhat overexposed. Actually, it's about 10 stripes across the cushion.

That is some great work, Steve. Is it for an ALPS printer? Meanwhile, this is from the Mercedes-published book "Faszination SL (W 198 1)" This is an ivory coupe from conceptcarz.com

Here's an accurate plaid pattern that you can drag to your desktop and print to scale (correct scale would be about 13 alternating stripes across the seat cushion). Depending on your printer, you may want to adjust color balance and contrast.

Hasn't stopped me, either. I pre-ordered a few weeks ago. Happy to help with an info you need. Looks like VRM (Steve DeVaux, post #204) also is quite knowledgeable about the car. I mainly concentrate on the visible parts that produce a detailed model.

Looks like Tamiya had up-close access to a real car. Here are some good shots of the built model. Look at real ones in Google images and I'd say they did as good as or better than anyone else. Just needs a little attention to finishing the interior, and some simple engine work for those who like to add plumbing and wiring detail, no big deal. http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/24338/index.htm

Okay, get the X-acto going. Make a trunk floor that fits over the frame tubing. Get a spare tire. Add the gas filler. Make hinges. Etc. Other model companies already provided all that in lesser kits. Hmm There was a thread here that went on page after page about the roof on a Mustang kit, but I'm taken to task for commenting on this omission? I've already said this kit is otherwise a home run. Meanwhile, I've tried to add info and reference material to help those who are interested in factory-correct aspects of the car, and am happy to provide any reference that anyone wants. So shoot me.

I!ll save my detailed analysis until after I receive the kit, but I repeat that I'm surprised about Tamiya's failure to provide an opening trunk with spare tire, etc., after all the great work and amazing detail they've put into this kit.

Looking good. Little cars like this become jewels when they're highly detailed.

I didn't realize at first the high resolution of Gregg's link to the kit sprues. (Post #151). All of the images are pretty sharp and can be enlarged substantially for detailed views. The closer I look at this kit, the more excellent it appears to be.

PS....I see that HLJ has shifted their release date from March to April.

Thanks for the post, Steve. I don't have the BMW kit, but I'm basing the Rudge statement on the box art you mentioned (Coupe, not Cabrio). It's a different wheel style anyway. Sounds like you're working on very helpful additions to the Tamiya kit.

PS: If you want to mix paints to match any of these colors, a 190SL club has posted Glasurit paint chips for a variety of Mercedes at the link below. Click on the code number and a chip will appear with the mix formula (German/Glasurit). I don't know if these old numbers will actually work. http://www.190slgroup.com/joomla/index.php/technical

Looks like a great plan. Nice finish on the fender.

Absolutely spectacular. One of the most beautiful pieces of automotive design.

Wow. Just excellent.

Here's a nice build of a Heller kit, which I liked a lot at the time (2010). I've learned a bit since then, and it appears that this is the same as the Italeri kit. Seems to have been based on the 300 SL roadster kit molding which, like the 1:1 cars, has more pronounced fenders and a larger grille than on a Gullwing, and two coils instead of the GW's 1. So the Heller / Italeri Gullwing kit has problems. The Testors Italeri roadster cabriolet kit is very nice and accurate, except for the windshield shape. Another clue is that it has a prewar red&black nose badge decal, which is incorrect in either case. Same inaccuracies are found on Italeri's 1/16 version (which has more detail than their 1/24 and an opening trunk, plus separate chrome pieces for window surrounds and grille). The differences are subtle to most eyes. Cato can tell you about the agonies of trying to "accurize" the 1/16 Italeri. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=35305

i've got to say that a Gullwing kit that requires putty on the nose part and has no opening trunk, like the Heller, is a loser.

The Moebius kit would also be a good companion. Since Moebius has Flock versions of both the Chrysler and Hudson cars, maybe they have a licensing agreement with his estate and could produce Gullwing decals. They already use Mercury Outboard decals on the Chrysler, so I assume that's been cleared through Mercury & Brunswick Corporation, implying they have an existing relationship that may need to be amended for Gullwing decals. On the other hand, the Gullwing graphics are about as simple as it gets. After the kit is received for measurements, anyone who can find full side shots of the car and has a grasp of computer graphics can produce their own decals.

Yep. And did you see the car in the picture next to the Flock Gullwing?

Beautiful. Do you have any interior shots?

Much better photos that show color and detail clearly.

I don't think you're going to get totally accurate Rudge wheels, but you can put knock-off spinners on the kit wheels. This is from the Adler book. Maybe you could rob the wheels from Revell's BMW 507 kit.

I know some modelers like to use accurate paint for airbrushing. So for what it's worth, I sharpened up the things I couldn't read in the paint chart above and it appears to be a Gullwing accurate chart before the roadster, in spite of what I said above. You'll have to check to see if any of those color codes or equivalents are available. Here's the list from the chart; everything in the picture looks darker than actual color. In order: Black DB 40 White DB 50 White -grey DB 158 Blue grey DB 166 Silver grey metallic DB 180 (this is the standard silver) Graphite grey DB 190 Light blue DB 334 Fire engine red DB 534 Strawberry red metallic DB 543 Ivory DB 608 (this varies from Ponton model numbers of 615 and 620)