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Reworking Merit model cars


Aster Builder

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Is there any information on upgrading a finished model of Merit racing cars on this site please?

I have both a Vanwall and Lancia Ferrari that I built back in the early 60s that need repair and upgrading with further detail. Has anyone done this type of work?

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Nope, not seen anything. @roymattblack would be your best bet for info.

I was lucky to buy a mint Vanwall at Telford in 2018, and that is well under construction. If you look back in the Work in Progress section, someone else is making a Vanwall too.

 

 

Edited by bentwaters81tfw
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Hi, a good place to look at would be here - 

themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk 

Lots of help and advice,a lot of 50's Merit kits here as well. There was an article about the Merit Maserati 250F,the grey car which is how I first looked into the Merit kits.- But after a quick look just now I can't find that article now!  I only do or want 1/24 F1 models so the Merit ones like my D Type are a very good base. Where else would I find a 1/24 Connaught F1 car for instance? Hope this helps a bit and good luck!  P.S. The D Type was fairly straightforward,but obviously the suspension on the G.P cars is another story.Chris.

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Without wishing to sidetrack the thread - does anyone know what happened to the old Merit moulds? Whilst they were not state of the art by today's standards, they were basically accurate, and could be used as the basis for some very attractive models. I still have Cecil Gibson's Plastic Model Cars, published by MAP in 1962 and selling for 10/6, in my library!

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Well guys you have provided me with a wealth of places to look for help for which I'm very grateful. As a newbie its all a bit confusing but I'm sure I will get there in the end.

I have just bought a Merit Alfa 158 and am waiting its arrival. I think I shall crack on with that before I go back and attack the Vanwall and Lancia Ferrari D50. 

The first thing I will want to get for all of the models is a new set of wire wheels to replace the very crude ones in the kits. I think I read somewhere that these are available but it didn't say who sells them. 

Can anyone help with this to kick off please?

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The Merit Alfa 158 kit that I ordered has arrived. If your on here Dave P thanks for a great service. The kit appears to be mint.

So, I am now preparing to start work and will try and keep a record on WIP. First think to consider is whether I should add the upgrade kit offered by Indycals in association with Shapeways. In view of the warnings about the product being brittle I'm a little concerned.

Does anyone have experience of this upgrade?

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The Merit Alfa Romeo and the Talbot Lago moulds have done the rounds a bit over the years. SMER issued them both for a while and I heard that they went to Atlantis Models and now have gone to someone else so here are plenty of  them about.

There was a special build article of the Alfa featured in one of Airfix Modelworld's Specials devoted to Car Modelling a year or two back.

 

If anyone wants to know what happened to the rest of the Merit Car Kit moulds, I have a letter dated 30th sept 1975 from J and L Randall Ltd of Potters Bar who actually made the Merit 1/24th scale car kits.

It states  that the tooling was sold to a company in Italy.            Alfa Toys, Via G.Gallilei II, 35030 Sarmeola Di Rubano, Italy.       They are probably long gone along with all the other car kit moulds but who knows?

 

Merit also made a plastic kit of Donald Campbell's Bluebird water speed record boat, and they still had the moulds at that time. What surprises me is that they never sought to approach Revell UK who were located in the same road as them at that time to sell on the moulds.  I do not know if J & L RANDALL still exists as a company making the Merit toys and games still.

I can remember the very first plastic kit I built being their Black Falcon Pirate Ship. I think that maybe SMER and others have re popped it since then.

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If you can find a copy I have a book called 'Plastic Model Cars' by Cecil Gibson published in 1962 which covers making and super detailing the Merit car kit range, including opening doors, adding engines etc.

Uses techniques of the time so lots of balsa wood, paper & white glue and old biro tubes but could be adapted to modern materials.

I would post a picture of my one but can't see how to do that so am trying the insert from a web url but may not work!

spacer.png

cheers

Chris

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11 hours ago, onethritysecond said:

If you can find a copy I have a book called 'Plastic Model Cars' by Cecil Gibson published in 1962 which covers making and super detailing the Merit car kit range, including opening doors, adding engines etc.

Uses techniques of the time so lots of balsa wood, paper & white glue and old biro tubes but could be adapted to modern materials.

I would post a picture of my one but can't see how to do that so am trying the insert from a web url but may not work!

spacer.png

cheers

Chris

That's the one!

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On 1/11/2021 at 5:28 PM, Noel Smith said:

What surprises me is that they never sought to approach Revell UK who were located in the same road as them at that time to sell on the moulds. 

Revell GB did issue a couple of Merit ship kits in the late 1970s, the Chinese Junk and North Sea Oil Tanker.

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