Tamiya Mercedes 300SL Announced, new pics added to OP

[Gregg]

Added quick pics to main site:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/tamiya-mercedes-benz-300sl/

[Pete J.]

Interesting that they chose to chrome the dash. Most of the dash is not chrome it is painted. The best one I've seen had a turned surface, but that would be darned near impossible to do in 1:24 scale.

[Exotics_Builder]

Added quick pics to main site:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/tamiya-mercedes-benz-300sl/

Thanks Gregg. Looks interesting. I have a preorder with HLJ on this one.

[PeeBee]

Cool that they chromed the dash. Saves one the trouble of spraying it with AlClad and then painting around the raised chrome bezels and trim to pick out the chrome details. The gauge bezels look a little heavy-handed in the photo, though.

PB.

[Pete J.]

Cool that they chromed the dash. Saves one the trouble of spraying it with AlClad and then painting around the raised chrome bezels and trim to pick out the chrome details. The gauge bezels look a little heavy-handed in the photo, though.

PB.

I think I will strip it, BMF it , paint is then take the paint off the brightwork with a little thinner on a Q-tip. It will look better.

[sjordan2]

Interesting that they chose to chrome the dash. Most of the dash is not chrome it is painted. The best one I've seen had a turned surface, but that would be darned near impossible to do in 1:24 scale.

There are so many finely detailed chrome pieces on the dash that it's otherwise a nightmare to make them look right with paint. Also, there are no engine-turned finishes on a factory W198 Mercedes dash or anywhere else. There is a cross-hatch pattern on the bottom horizontal control strip, however.

By the way, has anyone received their kit yet?

Edited March 11, 2015 by sjordan2

[sjordan2]

Cool that they chromed the dash. Saves one the trouble of spraying it with AlClad and then painting around the raised chrome bezels and trim to pick out the chrome details. The gauge bezels look a little heavy-handed in the photo, though.

PB.

Actually, the gauge bezels look better than the others I've seen. Remember that the dashboard instrument surrounds are raised metal with the thin chrome bezels mounted on top or inside the openings.

Here's what the dash looks like without bezels or anything else mounted, except for the chrome strip that separates the dash top from the upper dash panel. So, you'd only remove paint from the topmost part of the bezel area and inside surface.

Edited March 11, 2015 by sjordan2

[sjordan2]

I know this will come up again, but here are some incredibly detailed images, and you may want to bookmark these links. Click to enlarge all images.

http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/1661-Mercedes-Benz-300SL%20Gullwing-3.0%20Litre%206-Cylinder

http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/567-Mercedes-Benz-300%20SL..

http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/511-Mercedes-Benz-300%20SL%20Gullwing-Injected%20Inline%206%20Cyl

[tim boyd]

Thanks Skip - great reference pictures there...>TIM

[Pete J.]

Ok, so we have a silver-gray and ivory but they are for the most part painted except for the controls across the bottom and the script. If you google it, there are also red and black though that may have not been a factory option. Several also have the gray with the portion around the tach/speedo interior color. I still think it is a strip and paint to get it right. It is certainly not chrome all the way. Also I think I would prefer to sand the bezels off and turn my own to get that shinny metal look.

[sjordan2]

Ok, so we have a silver-gray and ivory but they are for the most part painted except for the controls across the bottom and the script. If you google it, there are also red and black though that may have not been a factory option. Several also have the gray with the portion around the tach/speedo interior color. I still think it is a strip and paint to get it right. It is certainly not chrome all the way. Also I think I would prefer to sand the bezels off and turn my own to get that shinny metal look.

[/quot

Could you please show me some examples of what you're talking about? Some of the things you mention don't represent any factory Gullwing I've ever seen, and I have a mammoth collection of Gullwing reference. Thanks.

[Pete J.]

Ok, so we have a silver-gray and ivory but they are for the most part painted except for the controls across the bottom and the script. If you google it, there are also red and black though that may have not been a factory option. Several also have the gray with the portion around the tach/speedo interior color. I still think it is a strip and paint to get it right. It is certainly not chrome all the way. Also I think I would prefer to sand the bezels off and turn my own to get that shinny metal look.

[/quot

Could you please show me some examples of what you're talking about? Some of the things you mention don't represent any factory Gullwing I've ever seen, and I have a mammoth collection of Gullwing reference. Thanks.

Just Google "Mercedes 300SL interior" and there are thousands of shots. I am sure many are not factory, but who said it has to be done factory?

[sjordan2]

I'm trying to figure out what you're talking about, and I believe you're thinking about the 300 SLR (W196), especially the Uhlenhaut Gullwing version, which is quite a different beast from the W198 300 SL Gullwing that is the subject of this thread.

Can you provide a Google link to the thousands of images that meet your description? Or even one image that illustrates your point?

Edited March 11, 2015 by sjordan2

[khier]

I think I want to build one as a rolling chassis without the body on. Maybe put the body on stands next to the chassis.

I am pretty sure a clear body version will follow soon after the kit is released.

[Atmobil]

Yeah, a clearbody version would be cool. I remember they did that with the Ferrari F50 kit.

[sjordan2]

Yeah, a clearbody version would be cool. I remember they did that with the Ferrari F50 kit.

Supposedly, as shown in Gregg's post, the underbody belly pan on this kit is clear so you can see space frame details.

[sjordan2]

In case there's any confusion, this is NOT the car that's the subject of this thread.

[Pete J.]

I'm trying to figure out what you're talking about, and I believe you're thinking about the 300 SLR (W196), especially the Uhlenhaut Gullwing version, which is quite a different beast from the W198 300 SL Gullwing that is the subject of this thread.

Can you provide a Google link to the thousands of images that meet your description? Or even one image that illustrates your point?

https://www.google.com/search?q=mercedes+300sl+interior&biw=1536&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yM4AVeKDHYKuggSJgIO4Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ

[Rob Hall]

https://www.google.com/search?q=mercedes+300sl+interior&biw=1536&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yM4AVeKDHYKuggSJgIO4Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ

Some have silver dash trim, some have body color. That jibes with the dozen or so I've seen at car shows and auctions over the years...

[Atmobil]

Supposedly, as shown in Gregg's post, the underbody belly pan on this kit is clear so you can see space frame details.

Yes it looks like it will be a clear bellypan. I have never really like any clearbody kits but I think that if it is done correctly it will make a cool model (a bit like that 30s Ford that was done in plexiglass).

[sjordan2]

https://www.google.com/search?q=mercedes+300sl+interior&biw=1536&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yM4AVeKDHYKuggSJgIO4Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ

I'm sorry, but I still don't know what you're trying to say. That link is a mash-up of Gullwings, roadsters which have different interiors, an SLR or two, 190 SLs and some different models altogether. You can certainly do whatever you want with your kit, but the links I posted above are factory standards for production Gullwings. Dash panel would be body color, tilt-down steering wheel standard, Nardi wood rim steering wheel optional, along with radio. First 50 cars had a long gooseneck shift lever. Besides a variety of gabardine plaid seat cushions vs. real leather or Mercedes-tex vinyl, not many interior variations from the factory after that.

Edited March 12, 2015 by sjordan2

[Pete J.]

I'm sorry, but I still don't know what you're trying to say. That link is a mash-up of Gullwings, roadsters which have different interiors, an SLR or two, 190 SLs and some different models altogether. You can certainly do whatever you want with your kit, but the links I posted above are factory standards for production Gullwings. Dash panel would be body color, tilt-down steering wheel standard, Nardi wood rim steering wheel optional, along with radio. First 50 cars had a long gooseneck shift lever. Besides a variety of gabardine plaid seat cushions vs. real leather or Mercedes-tex vinyl, not many interior variations from the factory after that.

If you go back to my original post, my first comment was about not understanding why Tamiya chose to chrome the instrument panel and that it would require stripping, BMF and paint to make it look right. I have yet to see a car done with a chrome dash. Only the control section along the bottom and the bezels chromed.

[charlie8575]

This is a very nice kit.

I'm seriously considering one of these. My AMT kit is nice, too, and I think both will build up very nicely.

Tim, I'd like to see that comparison article, too. I think it would be very interesting.

Question: what colors did these come in, or were they all bespoke? I've seen red, silver, black, that ivory-white, and I think I remember seeing pictures of a yellow one, too.

Charlie Larkin

[Pete J.]

People have done all sorts of stupid horrible things to them over the years. One of the worst in my eyes is the Von Dutch SL.

[sjordan2]

This is a very nice kit.

I'm seriously considering one of these. My AMT kit is nice, too, and I think both will build up very nicely.

Tim, I'd like to see that comparison article, too. I think it would be very interesting.

Question: what colors did these come in, or were they all bespoke? I've seen red, silver, black, that ivory-white, and I think I remember seeing pictures of a yellow one, too.

Charlie Larkin

Mercedes had a pretty good selection of paint and interior colors, including strawberry red, dark gray, mist green, etc., but you could order any color you wanted. Here's the factory list of standards.

According to Dennis Adler's book, "Mercedes-Benz 300SL," (the best, most visual reference I know of, outside of a couple of other helpful books) the standard Gullwing came in silver with plaid blue gabardine seat inserts and blue-gray tex-leather (vinyl). Real leather was a special order option. The rarest color was strawberry red metallic, only 13 of which were made.

EDIT...I believe the paint chart above is for the roadster, since it doesn't show silver (special order only for that model), but otherwise it mostly matches Adler's description.

Edited March 12, 2015 by sjordan2