Diving into the world of model car building has been quite the adventure, especially choosing the iconic Mercedes C9 as just my second ever build – and my first foray into airbrushing. Let’s just say the learning curve has been steep, and there have been moments where I’ve felt like I might be in over my head.
The Mercedes C9 isn’t exactly known as a beginner-friendly kit, but its sheer beauty and legendary status made it irresistible. So, armed with enthusiasm (and maybe a touch of naivety), I decided to give it my best shot. Two weeks in, and this is where the project stands. Brace yourselves – it’s been a ride!
My initial attempt at painting the bodywork was, to put it mildly, a disaster. It was so bad, in fact, that I had to completely scrap it. The culprit? Plasti-kote spray paint, which resulted in a finish that was far from the smooth, professional look I was aiming for.
Instead of getting bogged down in sanding and stripping paint, I made a strategic decision – I invested in a fresh body shell from The Hobby Company Limited. At just £7, it felt like a real bargain and a much-needed morale boost.
As you can see, I’m planning to cut out the door to offer a glimpse into the interior details. Figuring out the door mounting is a problem for another day – crossing that bridge when I get to it!
Yes, that first body is now relegated to the scrap heap.
My second attempt is proving much more successful, and I’m considerably happier with the results.
I’m planning to clear coat these body shells at some point, hopefully achieving a truly glossy finish. For now, they are safely stored in dust-free bags, awaiting their next stage of transformation.
Now, let’s talk about airbrushing – my first real experience with this technique. I’m slowly grasping the nuances: technique, cleaning, paint mixing and thinning, and understanding different paint types. My initial attempts were… well, let’s just say there’s room for improvement! But I can definitely feel myself getting the hang of it.
And then there’s masking. Oh, masking!
So. Much. Masking.
But the effort is undeniably worth it.
For the engine block, I used Alclad paints – White Aluminium and Dark Aluminium. The gearbox is also Alclad. And the exhaust manifold? I just went with a color I liked the look of.
To be clear, I’m not aiming for historical accuracy with this build. This is purely about enjoying the process and creating something that looks awesome.
And here are various turbos and intercoolers taking shape.
A closer look at one of the turbos.
Moving onto the brake ducts and other chassis components.
And the brake calipers, painted and ready for assembly.
Rear suspension arms, also meticulously painted.
Yes, a significant amount of time has been dedicated to spraying these tiny, intricate parts.
Then I decided to tackle the photo-etched parts I’d acquired for the kit.
Talk about tiny and fiddly!
I’ve never worked at this scale before.
In my day job as a live sound engineer, this is the kind of scale I’m used to working with.
And now I’m dealing with parts at this scale!
It feels like performing surgery! Bending these minuscule parts can be incredibly frustrating, enough to make you tear your hair out.
But I digress…
My first attempt with the photo-etched parts was the brake discs. Each brake assembly consists of around 15 separate discs. Just aligning them all was a major challenge in itself.
I’m definitely overcoming a lot of challenges with this Mercedes C9 model kit.
They came out reasonably well, though. I still need to clean up some excess glue.
Next up were the wing struts and rear space frame. I gave up on using the provided pins for these – they were just too small to handle, even to see properly! Maybe in the future, once I’ve developed more technique and, perhaps, acquired precision eyesight! Instead, I resorted to trusty superglue.
I’m probably not even going to use that space frame, to be honest. It just doesn’t fit correctly – whoever measured these photo-etched parts seems to have made some errors. I’ll stick with the Tamiya plastic part for that. But I will be using the wing struts.
So, photo-etched parts: definitely a learning experience!
And I’m already anticipating the joys of working on the racing harness…
Onwards and upwards, as they say.
I also decided to replace the plastic springs and shocks and create my own.
Being a vaper, working with wire this small isn’t too daunting, as I’m accustomed to coiling my own e-cigarette elements.
So, the various parts are slowly but surely coming together.
I also experimented with some carbon and Kevlar decals.
They turned out quite well on the cockpit sidepods.
They started off looking like this:
And this part I’m particularly pleased with: the engine cover.
It began like this.
And ended up looking like this:
I’m also quite proud of this tiny little component:
I’ve discovered that applying these decals is a bit like wrapping a Christmas present. You cut everything to size first, fold it around the part, apply Microset solution, and leave it for about 20 minutes. It all shrinks and conforms to the shape. A bit more Microset on a fine brush to flatten it all down, and then you just let it do its magic.
Regarding the rear bodywork – for the next attempt, I now fully understand the importance of sanding off every single injection mold imperfection. They really stand out here.
The wheels too are getting attention. I’m planning to recreate the locking pins using tiny fishing hooks, snipping off the barbs and just using the eyes.
This build is definitely evolving into a project where I’m exploring solutions and materials beyond what’s included in the model kit itself.
I’ve also pre-silvered some connectors, as I’m planning to attempt the plumbing on this thing!
And that’s pretty much where I am right now, after two weeks of relentless joy (and occasional frustration!).
I’ll keep updating as the build progresses.
Thanks for taking a look at my initial, somewhat clumsy attempts!
