Tamiya Mercedes 300SL Gullwing - B396 Blue - A Holy Grail build

[sjordan2]

Beautiful build. The component packaging on these is wonderful.

Does the kit have the piping for the DI setup? The fuel pump is on the LH side but no injection tubing is shown

You'll have to figure out the injection tubes yourself - not in the kit. Just remember, the only way they can be seen is to keep the belly pan clear or removable. Not visible with an open hood.

Edited March 16, 2017 by sjordan2

[89AKurt]

I have the old AMT kit, have been wanting this kit.
My dad knew someone who owned one, I saw it in his back yard, under a tarp.  I've been wanting to do a diorama, with a dad talking to the owner about his son breaking the back window with a baseball.

[Kmb0319]

For how good this kit is, the injection tubes, radio and the luggage were big mistakes to me.  Everything about this kit is beautifully designed and executed... it wouldn't have taken much to include them.  Heading out of town for the weekend, but got my interior completed yesterday.  I'll post pics when I get home 

[microwheel]

WOW, that's beautiful... but they all are.  Thanks for the tip!  I think the luggage set is worth investing in... especially if it has the rails.

SO, I made some progress today on some of the issues.  Keep in mind, I wouldn't call my solutions great, but more like low-budget, low effort work-arounds.  First, seat backs.  This one was quick and easy.  I had a business card of a potential client who didn't call me back sitting on my desk, so I cut his business card up and stuck the pieces across the back of the seat:

Then painted... one sitting in place:

Hubcaps:  I've been stressed about these since I bought the thing.  How am I going to mask the outer ring and spray B396 blue???  Well, I didn't...  I sprayed B396 blue into the lid of the 396 blue can, grabbed a detail brush, and did my best to hand paint in a circle.  Then I put a quick clearcoat on them, added the center symbol decals and a shot of decal bonder spray.  I might add another clear coat in a few days, but it wasn't terribly painful to do!

And, finally, the radio dilemma.  I wanted something to fix this omission in the kit, but as simply as possible.  This isn't very correct looking, but it's something. I cut off a part number tab from a sprue as my radio.  Then, on the clear sprue, I cut a couple of the little tabs off the windows:

I glued the part number tab to the bottom of the dash and made a silver rectangle (or a facsimile thereof) in the middle.  I glued the little tabs on either side, as these are my dials.  Finally, I took a small decal of a dash screen from a Ferrari, cut it down to size, and placed it in the center to be the radio face.  It's as amateurish and incorrect looking as can be, but it's better than having speakers and no radio:

I will look at the luggage set... that may be in order for this.  Maybe I'll build this one with the luggage set, and then build a second one with the Rudge wheels as more of a sports racer... that would be my justification to build this incredible kit again!!!

 

Something to keep in mind if you want to look into it before you get to far with the dash, The Model Car Garage sells a whole sheet of different photo-etched air condition and radio faces. The sheet contains 7 different styles of radios so I bet there is at least one on the photo-etched sheet that will meet your needs. The classic radio face on the sheet even has separate photo-etched knobs You would still need the tab for the mount and a decal for the tuner but you would have a complete radio face to tack to it. They have a web site if you want to check to see if they would work for you.

MCG air condition and raido faces

 

[Kmb0319]

Well, I was out of town over the weekend, but got a few more things done before I left.  Most of them were small details, but she's getting into final assembly.  I'm going to look into the luggage set this week and see what I end up doing, but this is the latest.  I got the metal transfer stickers and applied them.  They are GORGEOUS, but a little fiddly.  It's tough to get them completely straight.. they have a backing that you remove and they are stuck to a clear top layer... you press them into their place, and peel the top clear layer back.  You have to really press them in to keep them from sticking to and peeling off with the top layer.  For the most part, it was successful, but the 300SL emblem for the dash would NOT stick to the dash at all.  I finally peeled it off of the clear plastic top, and tried to apply some clear glue with a toothpick, but the glue caused the paint on the dash to liquidize in that area, and the edges of the metal transfer scraped it up as i tried to apply.  I touched it up as best I could, but some of the blue spilled onto the transfer.  It was probably just my sheet... the corner that the dash emblem was on was peeled up when I took it out of the bag, so the adhesive was probably dried out.

When you do get them in place correctly, they look fantastic:

And, despite the emblem issues, the interior looks great... just would've been better if the emblem was clean:

Then, I had a few final parts/details on the chassis.  I added the final pieces to the engine, and created two myself.  One was the ignition wire running from the starter, and the other was this:

I'm not sure what that hose is between the silver caps, but it wasn't in the kit... felt it was prominent enough to be replicated.  I just grabbed a spare piece of hose and another little tab from a part.  It's a little too big, but at least it's there.

So my chassis and interior are done... moving into final assemby.

[sjordan2]

Well, I was out of town over the weekend, but got a few more things done before I left.  Most of them were small details, but she's getting into final assembly.  I'm going to look into the luggage set this week and see what I end up doing, but this is the latest.  I got the metal transfer stickers and applied them.  They are GORGEOUS, but a little fiddly.  It's tough to get them completely straight.. they have a backing that you remove and they are stuck to a clear top layer... you press them into their place, and peel the top clear layer back.  You have to really press them in to keep them from sticking to and peeling off with the top layer.  For the most part, it was successful, but the 300SL emblem for the dash would NOT stick to the dash at all.  I finally peeled it off of the clear plastic top, and tried to apply some clear glue with a toothpick, but the glue caused the paint on the dash to liquidize in that area, and the edges of the metal transfer scraped it up as i tried to apply.  I touched it up as best I could, but some of the blue spilled onto the transfer.  It was probably just my sheet... the corner that the dash emblem was on was peeled up when I took it out of the bag, so the adhesive was probably dried out.

When you do get them in place correctly, they look fantastic:

And, despite the emblem issues, the interior looks great... just would've been better if the emblem was clean:

Then, I had a few final parts/details on the chassis.  I added the final pieces to the engine, and created two myself.  One was the ignition wire running from the starter, and the other was this:

I'm not sure what that hose is between the silver caps, but it wasn't in the kit... felt it was prominent enough to be replicated.  I just grabbed a spare piece of hose and another little tab from a part.  It's a little too big, but at least it's there.

So my chassis and interior are done... moving into final assemby.

The hose runs from the valve cover to the neck at the top of the oil tank filler cap (part B18) that's mounted on the outside of the frame, as shown in your last shot. This is a dry sump engine, hence the external oil tank.

 

Edited March 21, 2017 by sjordan2

[sjordan2]

How are you coming? You've been doing such a GREAT job, I'm dying to see how it comes out. And that's from a guy who knows a lot about this car, and I can help in any way you need.

[Kmb0319]

How are you coming? You've been doing such a GREAT job, I'm dying to see how it comes out. And that's from a guy who knows a lot about this car, and I can help in any way you need.

Hey Skip!  It's actually finished!  I had been waiting for some better weather... today was still cloudy, but at least it was brighter and not actually raining so I could get a few pics.  I'll get it posted either tonight or tomorrow morning... if it's sunny, I might get a couple more pics.

[Ron Hamilton]

That is some nice work. I have yet to start mine, as I have a set of Rudge Wheels and some Continentals ordered form HRM for my build when I get there.

[Kmb0319]

That is some nice work. I have yet to start mine, as I have a set of Rudge Wheels and some Continentals ordered form HRM for my build when I get there.

Thanks, Ron!!  I can't wait to see what you do with yours!!!

[Dominik]

Really nice built! Will follow, what Comes next Kevin. I will Keep the modifications in my mind

My one is on the way to the workbench.