Ivan's Mercedes-Benz Models Blog
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A very active diecast week
Many of my former customers, that I lost after I was deployed to Kuwait, have been coming back. That's because I am the Walmart of the environmental and geological consulting business in the island; great value, lowest price! So it's time now to catch up on my diecast models collection. Last Sunday I bought 3 SLK's, then I ordered 4 cars online. Then I went on a diecast rampage throughout the island and spent over $100.0 in small-scale cars, mostly to feed my Muscle Car collection. I also got me a few model cases to keep some of my older models from collecting dust while on display. Then to top it off, I went with my dad and my kid to visit my good friend Radames Torres. He has one of the coolest 1:18 scale model collections in the entire island, and is respected by many as a collector, model car importer and graphic designer. He showed us his latest models by AutoArt and Solido among others. As it happens to many of us, he ran out of room quickly. I found out about a model fair to take place in November 6th. Then the three of us went to Sam's to check out the Maisto diecast models at $11.00! Sadly, there were no Mercedes-Benz models there. My son settled for a Porsche Cayenne and my dad for a Studebaker.
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Back when diecast models had engines
I was looking at several of my new models and noticed how for the past couple of years, the use of one-piece engine bay molds have become widespread, mainly in budget-type models. The most prominent case that I looked at is Maisto's SLK. The previous SLK has a full engine block with separate parts. The new SLK has a one-piece mold, although nicely painted and detailed, which even includes an aluminum-painted heat shield. All of my Pre-2002 releases have either a full block engine with several plastic parts attached to them, or sort of a transition between a full engine block and a one-piece mold as is the case with my Welly C Class or the Maisto S Class. Then I pulled out my Maisto's R-129 and R-230 and it struck me how budget model companies have changed their production methods in this aspect. My early 90's SL has a fully molded engine block with separate radiator, metal-colored manifolds, top cover, and pulley and belt piece. But it does not stop there, this model has fully separate exhaust system that goes from the engine block to the tip. It has a fully separate differential and cardam (which goes from the transmission to the differential, unlike the R230, with a 1-inch stud that ends bluntly just before the model attachment screw post. The early Maisto has a sprung suspension that moves the differential itself, unlike Maisto's latest R230's fake spring movement, which at closer inspection reveals it to be a separate mechanism from the one-piece differential. The transmission in the 230 is shamelessly molded into the floorpan, with not even the slightest hint of accuracy.
I looked at my 1st and 2nd generation SLK's and they follow a similar trend, but the 1st-Gen SLK is in a transition between an engine block and a 1-piece mold. The 1st Gen SLK retains the realistic movement of the rear suspension, a fairly represented engine block, transmission and differential, while the 2-Gen SLK has a 1-piece engine bay mold and no transmission, while improving upon the older SLK in brake disk realism with wheels that rotate separately from the disk.
The one-piece engine bay cover is one of the several manufacturing solutions model companies have adopted to simplify production and reduce costs. True, the R129 is crude to today's standards (let's not even talk about the Revell SL), but wouldn't it be nice if models companies found a way to accurately reproduce the engine bay economically without sacrificing model price? I think collectors deserve that budget companies went back to their beginnings and gave us models with all the detail that we've seen them produce before. Give us a balance between the two. A fairly-reproduced engine with a balanced amount of detail and color, a realistic-looking underside with an appreciable transmission-cardam and differential assembly, and realistic suspension movement. Those should be modeling standards that should never be changed, regardless of the challenges involved in production and cost control.
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Regrets
Looking at the hit counter (94,800+ today), I guess we will not make it to 100,000 hits before the end of the year as I hoped. But I am always the kind that prefers quality over quantity, so when we reach that milestone then we will celebrate. I am thinking about writing (or having a fellow member write) a Year in Review article. It's been a while since my last, and I feel it is important to recap the results of the year in terms of model releases and trends, so we and other fellow collectors can refer to it in the future.
I think it is a fine hobby the one we share. I think it is a lot of fun too. Looking back after 15 years collecting Mercedes-Benz diecast models, there are a few things I regret: I regret not buying several models that I could have bought, because I found them expensive at the time. Now I sometimes see those models at up to 10X the original price on eBay. Particularly, I regret not buying the two SLR's (Uhlenhaut Coupe and LeMans) by PMA in 1:24th scale. I had those two jewels in my hands for $85.0 each and did not want to spend the money! I regret not obtaining a domain name for this site early so I could have more site independence and greater control than what MSN allows me. I reckon I can still change that... I regret being lazy at times. The site would be so much better and informative. Finally, I regret letting my wife handle the bills. Somehow there's never money for diecast anymore! (Nov. 1, 2006)
