1903 Mercedes 60HP GB Race Car (Micromodels, 1/50)

    Rear springs......

    After glueing/curving, they were attached......

    Again, I feel these (and the mounting joins) are fragile so will be coated with dilute PVA . The resemblance to the real vehicle is perhaps not perfect but that is part of the charm of Micromodels 😄

    I added a cross piece above the tank, like the real car..... This also serves to keep the rear chassis horns rigid.

    Adding straps to the oil filler......

    Handbrake and gear levers cut out.....

    ... and assembled...

    This will be painted yellow.

    Real axle, front and rear sprockets......


    After measuring, I cut a length of dowel for the front sprockets and a slightly longer length of plastic tube for the rear axle. I coloured both in black.

    The rear tube is slightly longer to enable the wheels to be attached. Both front and rear sprockets are in alignment.

    Regarding the drive chains.... The best I can think of is to use short lengths of 0.23mm plastic rod. It's more to scale than the recommended thread would be.

    I coloured the lengths black.....

    ..... and glued on the bottom chains first.....

    Now I will do the two top chains.

    Chains now attached.

    I also attached the handbrake/gear lever mechanism, as can be observed.


    I'll let it all set and then go over the fragile stuff/joints with dilute PVA glue, before touching in with paint.

    After strengthening with dilute PVA, the first coat of gloss yellow enamel is applied...... The handbrake and gear lever grips will be painted black and silver, later.

    Finally, the yellow enamel has dried and I can now address the tyres.


    I have some 2mm (outer diameter) rubber/nitrile O-rings that I cut up. These were glued onto the rim a short length at a time, with CA-glue.

    It is very difficult to cut the exact perimeter required - the inner perimeter of the 'tyre' is shorter than the outer, and cutting the cross-section exactly square is not possible with just a scalpel. It is therefore inevitable that the join can just about be seen. I will hopefully disguise the join by in-filling with UHU and colouring it black.


    I may have enough rubber/nitrile to make the two spare tyres that were usually carried on the back......

    Looking at the radiator.... I was going to paint this in a metallic colour but when cooking I had an idea. I was using a stock/bouillon cube which was supplied wrapped in gold-colour paper-backed foil. I washed this and cut a strip, then stuck it onto the radiator frame (after first removing the plastic filler neck I made)......

    I then made a new filler neck from brass tube and glued it on, with a paper disc as the cap......

    The disc/cap will be painted yellow (as per instructions). I the photos, you can also see the starter handle that I made from copper fusewire.

    Back to the wheels/tyres...... I made hub caps from card covered with self-adhesive aluminium foil and inner hubs from card coloured with a black marker - I think the hubs will give a better bonding surface compared with yellow paint.


    I couldn't fill the tyre gaps/joins properly with just UHU, so I in-filled with a small quantity of Milliput putty (smoothed flush). When cured, I will colour the joins black.

    The front frame of the radiator was painted with gold enamel to match the foil band. The radiator filler cap was painted yellow (as per instructions).

    Aside from the usual coat of varnish, here is the completed model. I am making a display base for it so will upload more photos to the gallery when varnished/base made.


    Thanks for all the thumbs up 😄👍🏻✂️