Tamiya Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Full View

Plenty of different colours make it look like there are more parts here than there really are. The mix of Gun Metal and Flat Brown has a nice look. 

The decals looked like they had a bit of yellowing to them, but you can't tell once they've been put on. At least, not against black.  

Fortunately I painted this early enough on New Year's Eve that my hands were still steady. Hard to believe I've put four hours into this project already and I'm still on the second step.  

Completed assembly of the rear upper arms.  

I think that the red-orange colour really adds a lot to the appearance. These parts will really stand out once it's all put together. 

The lower arms and disc rotors have been added. Though it's unlikely to ever be seen, that seam across the bottom is bothering me. I should probably fix that. 

Same engine, now with pipes! I'd do more today, but I'm exhausted.  

Work on the cockpit has begun. Some tweezers would have made it easier to get some of these parts in place, but my wife gave me crap for using hers last time. Guess it's time for another trip to the hobby shop. 

Yes, actual belts would have probably looked better than the decals, but I'm continuing to build everything out of box. I did find that I can soften the appearance of brush strokes in flat paint just by rubbing it with my thumb. 

The bulkhead isn't much to look at, but it should look good once the rest of the engine is in place before it. Tough to get a smooth chrome-like finish when painting with a brush. 

Assembling the chassis and painting the engine compartment chrome. For the most part, the brush strokes don't show so happy with the overall result. 

The discs came out a little rougher than I had planned. I think it's time for a new jar of X-10 Gunmetal. This one's getting a little tacky. 

More springs to paint. I've definitely honed my detail painting skills on this kit.  

Bringing it all together now. The engine was actually a pretty tough fit. Perhaps the bulkhead was not quite as aligned as it should have been. 

It's been so long since I've built a car model, I forgot how ridiculously satisfying it is to feel the front wheels pivot in unison. It's the little things... 

In my infinite coordination, I dropped the steering wheel in the paint jar. Fortunately, it was easy enough to fish out and just needed some retouch in the centre. Tough to paint the tiny details on the dash though. 

Dash and air cleaner have been mounted. I nearly fudged the emblem, but was able to smooth it back out. 

As I look at this, I start to fear the next couple steps as the wheels are assembled and placed. Hopefully it will all sit level. 

I'm not certain if these decals were a new type I'm not used to, or if their age just made them peel apart into more separate layers. The end result looks pretty good either way. 

Very happy that once the wheels went on, it all set level. Chalk that up to good engineering on Tamiya's part. 

Not 100% happy with how these decals came out. But once the cowling goes on, it should provide enough distraction that you can't see the backing. 

Looking at how much has gone into this so far, I'm glad that the kit has a clear body so that it doesn't all get hidden away.  

It's difficult cementing parts to the clear plastic cowling because of how the cement melts the plastic. So far damage has been minimal and what is there should be covered by decals.  

A few more details added to the cowling before it's ready to mount on the chassis.  

My daughter is convinced that it's smiling at her.  

Looks good with the cowling mounted on the chassis now. A few troublesome glue spots still showing, but hopefully not for long. 

Windshield looks better with a little paint and decal to hide the glue marks. A few more exterior details added as well including headlights, grill, and mirror. 

Rear cowling marks the start of the home stretch. A little bit of glue mark on the sides but the rear window went in pretty cleanly.  

The dual-pane side windows went together fairly well. The small amount of clear plastic damage was restricted to the inside pane, so it's barely noticeable. 

The taillights turned out very well. They have a nice finished look and the clear red turned out solid enough to hide any brush strokes but still allow the lights in behind to be seen. 

The final body assembly. I've since adjusted that passenger-side mirror that had slid to an awkward angle. Not a bad fit for the cowling, but not quite perfect. 

The left-hand exhaust didn't quite line up with the rear panel opening. That's the one thing that will probably eat at me the most, despite my attempts to fix it (without breaking it). Don't think I'll do a full-view kit again though. Clear plastic sucks. 

Decals are taking much longer than anticipated. Want to take my time though and not screw them up. A couple close calls already, especially on the BIG ones.  

There's something very satisfying about seeing all the details on the inside that are usually covered up. 

Out of everything that went into this project, I think I'm most pleased with how the taillights turned out.  

I have to say that working with clear body cowling is not something I look forward to doing again soon. Unless I get some better bonding agents. 

As tricky as small decals can be sometimes, those huge ones are even worse to work with. So much effort to get all the wrinkles out.