Mercedes C11 details installation.
Thank you for purchasing this details kit for your Tamiya C11 model, below is a brief description of the parts and how I’ve found the best way to fit them.
All of these parts will need painting and some may been some very fine surface finish. That’s up to you and the level of detail quality you want to achieve with your model.
Please note: The windscreen wiper is very delicate, it’s made to scale and as such is very thin in places. I have tried sanding some of my test models and it’s possible but you will have to be very gentle if attempting it before painting. DO NOT bend the wiper, it will break. If it's slightly warped, warm it up in hot water and then gently straighten it and let it cool.
Please note: there are some items under the foam insert that you will need, carefully lift out the tray to find them :)
1: Exhausts.
I would suggest the first parts to fit would be the exhaust outlets.
They can be painted as desired to the level of detail you desire.
You’ll note there is a left and a right outlet, refer to the photos on the product page of my shop to see which is left and right.
Included in the set are 2 blue self adhesive hole template jigs. I positioned these on the body panel where the stock kit sticker would be.
Carefully cut out the body in the centre areas of these templates, drill, reamer, knife. All options. Go carefully and steadily, trimming the body carefully away. Ideally the holes are finished with an abrasive paper wrapped around a dowel to gentle sand the polycarbonate to match the sticker template.
Once the holes are trimmed, the blue template stickers can be removed and discarded. Well done, the stressy bit is over :)
Next up, add the Aluminium foil exterior decor.
I’ve included a piece of aluminium foil tape in the kit that’s big enough to cut both sides of the exhaust outlet. Again, refer to my photos for the trimming of these. Small sharp scissors seem the best to cut these and cut the corner radii. Don’t trim the oval hole yet and leave the aluminium long enough to stick over the rear wheel well.
Apply the aluminium foil to the exterior of the body and then with a new blade on a craft knife/scalpel, carefully trim the oval opening and the rear wheel arch.
I added some pop rivet details to my model by just pressing a cocktail stick into the foil, leaving indentations where the rivet heads would be.
Lastly, add the exhaust part to the inside of the body. Included are 2 pre-cut double-sided tape pieces. Stick this to the front fact of the exhaust part and then in turn, stick that to the inside of the body, carefully lining up the oval openings. The trimmed body panel should be ever-so slightly smaller than the exhaust part, creating that aluminium cover effect.
The sticker templates for cutting the exhaust holes, as well as the mirror stickers and alloy sheet is under the foam insert. so I hope you haven't thrown the box away yet!
2: Wiper.
The wiper comes with a 2mm hex head bolt and nut.
I found the best way to mark a centre line just under the cockpit window, carefully offer-up the wiper to the body and mark the hole position with a very fine marker or pin point.
I used a generic body post reamer to make the hole in the body. A 2mm drill works of course but be careful as drill bits can grab the thin polycarbonate.
Slide the bolt through the wiper and secure with the nut , pinch just tight enough to secure the wiper in place and apply a light dab of superglue or thread lock.
3: Front indicators.
Paint as desired. I used black for the base and orange for the lens.
A dot of superglue is all you need to secure them into the front light pods.
4: Door mirrors.
Paint these as desired. I left mine factory black but some teams would have used fluorescent paint to identify their drivers.
Included are some metal foil ‘mirror’ faces. These need to be snapped off the backing carefully and the protective film removed, the then just stick to the part face.
I used a body reamer for making the body holes. Go slow and gently. The pin on the mirror should be 2mm but the print process will vary a few 100th, I made mine just under 2mm and then gently twisted the pin into place. Securing on the inside of the body with a little shoogoo.
5: Rear air intakes.
These may be slightly warped as they are so thin. No problem, just leave them in warm (not hot water) for a little bit and you can gently straighten them, rest them under book or a weight to hold them flat as they cool. I just clamped them together in a wooden clothes peg and they levelled out fine. Don't try to bend them cold, they will flex but they are likely to snap too then.
Paint as desired then use the included pre-cut double sided tape to apply to the rear recesses. Left and Right parts are included.
By now you should have a much better looking C11 model. Some subtle but noticeable upgrades to your model.
If you park your C11 on a shelf, nothing will fall off. If you go racing and end up rubbing paint, parts might fall off. That’s racing!
Happy building!
