Fastcat Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 Hot on the heels of the Shelby Cobra comes the Mercedes W154 and it's hard to imagine a more different kit, both in subject and fideity. The 154 is one of the worst kits I have ever encountered. The box says it can be built as the 1938 Tripoli Grand Prix car, but 15 minutes spent on Google confirms that it can't. It has totally the wrong shape of body , more resembling the much later version used at Donington and exhausts which run beneath the body which would be OK but they were hidden in underbody ducts which would prevent the models body from being removable, thus hiding all the detail provided in the kit. After Tripoli, they were changed to an external configuration because of cockpit overheating. On the plus side, the model has a lot of fine detail in the chassis and engine but is a classic case of ignoring the basic shape and being blinded by the detail. I wondered for a long time how to modify the body but it was well beyond my skills and I was tempted to get rid of it completely. A chance search showed that the Mercedes car dealers marketed a ready built for publicity and that it was an acceptable shape. If I married the best of the kit to the Mercedes model (I'm not sure who made it) then I'd at least have a decent model. But it would mean throwing away the chassis and underbody detail of the kit because the material of the diecast was too hard for me to cut. That was a small price to pay so I dismantled the ready-built, resprayed it and rebuilt it like a kit. I chose the car of Hermann Lang in the Donington GP because, unlike the rich or aristocratic members of the Mercedes team, he was first and foremost an engineer, lacking the finances of his team mates. He also was (as far as I know) the only driver to use a bonnet strap which added a bit of interest to the model. The front grille, by the way, is from the original kit and is made from many pieces of p/e! My real moan about the kit is that it took such a tiny amount of research to prove that it was wrong. Why couldn't the maker do this? Dave 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 You have again done impressive work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share Posted October 2, 2022 Thank you. It proved quite expensive but worth it in the end. Pity about the engine but I rather like the brutal lines of the car. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 Great to see one of Hermann Lang's cars modelled, and very well modelled too! The W154 is a real beast and always impressive to look at. Superb work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share Posted October 2, 2022 Thanks Jorgen, Yes, everyone knows Carraciola and von Brauchitsch but Lang gets forgotten. The 154 is bit of a beast isn't it. A very impressive and fearsome looking beast at that. It manages to look the part brilliantly. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klubman01 Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 That is really impressive. Great result from a poor starting point. Bravo! Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted October 3, 2022 Author Share Posted October 3, 2022 Thanks Trevor, Yes, I was very disappointed with the Top Queens kit, especially as it wasn't cheap. The promotional model was a lifeline but of course, at a price. By combining the two kits, I could get the 154 but without the under bonnet detail which was there I'd paid for. At the time, there wasn't the fine series of models by Fernando Pinto in 1/24th or the 1/32nd slot cars by George Turner. Basically, I had no choice (other than the bin). Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Another great model from your garage and a great subject too !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Thank you desert falcon, I wish the real car was in my garage! The W154 certainly looks fearsome and fast - I think it's one of the best looking cars of its age. There aren't many kits of '30s GP cars in 1/43rd scale because resin was the preferred medium and the suspension was difficult to produce in that material which restricted the number of makers. Pity really. It deserves more attention. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 This is really nice and belies its small scale 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 Hi Cliff and thanks. If it hadn't been for the Mercedes promotional model, I could never have finished it. It was ready to go into the bin! Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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