Tamiya Mercedes Sauber C9

[Murco]

I got this kit a couple of months ago and after watching the 24 hours of Le Mans this weekend I got the urge to dive in! I haven't built in some time so I wanted something easy and quick to build but interesting enough to keep my interest. This kit was bought used (for $25 with a Scale Motorsports PE set AND carbon fiber decal set!) so after inventorying the parts I started cleaning them up one by one. 90% of the parts were loose but needed the sprue tabs removed and attention, I'm just about done with that. Some parts are getting PE attached as I go and sub-assemblies set aside. I needed to do something interesting so I opened the door and I'm adding the ridge that surrounds the opening. My goal is to finish this within one month, much left to go, stay tuned!

[RonCla]

I'll keep an eye on your build. One of Tamiyas' classic kits. I've had the same kit sitting in my stash forever.

[phillipshaw]

Good start! It seem's great!

[Murco]

One month... HA! Didn't expect my life to become so busy but it did and the model progress has been slower than expected.
Let me start this update with a warning, the Scale Motorsports PE is incredibly hard to bend! A little overly complex as well. The rotor detail pieces should have been made with thicker material (like nickel) and if done in a relief could have offered more easily attained detail. Ok, enough griping!

I completed the body modifications and got it painted, the front to rear shell attachment positions got tweaked for better fit as well...



The door got it's inner surround (solder) and will be sanded to shape soon before being covered in carbon-fiber...



Here is where I went a little stupid... I decided the intake horns/fuel rails were not good enough as they sit right up top and are so visible. So I removed the kit peices and started with new horns, the fuel rails are there awaiting to be joined, and I'll make the regulators tonight. I also added the cooling lines from the valve covers and shaped them as the originals...



With most of the larger details complete I now will add some of the smaller details for tubing, reference lines, wiring, and plumbing...


More to come!

[Murco]

Gettting into some details, most everyone here knows how to wire distributors and such so I'll stick to other stuff...
I made cooling lines from brass, painted them silver, then added hose connectors and holds from heat-shrink tubing, and used PE tree material to loop around the holders to make effective brackets...





This works well for any hose and clamp set-up, I usually use solder for the hoses before adding the heat-shrink.

[nugundam93]

wow. shaping up to be a well-detailed kit! me likey

[rgriffs]

nice start, i have one in my stash too.

[Murco]

Trial fitting the components made last night, including the new fuel rails with regulators. Painted the engine and transaxle with metallizers, detail painting with fine-tip paint markers...



Don't judge it yet, a lot of fine-tuning to be done!

[Shunter]

Love this car so looking forward to your build. Nice start and i love your idea for the pipes and the clamps, great thinking.

[Murco]

Originally Posted by Shunter

i love your idea for the pipes and the clamps, great thinking.

Thanks, I appreciate that! But after looking at the pics (and test fitting revealed an ill-fitting line) it just looks too out-of-scale to use the heat shrink on this small a line. This method works well on a 2" radiator hose but the wall thickness is too great for this size line and it looks like roll-bar padding attached to the tube!
After painting a new hard-line I will use electrical tape and BMF to replicate the hose portions. I'll post the results tonight!