Mercedes 190 SL: Complete (#7 for 2018)

This 1960 Revell kit, in 1/25 but with a bilingual English/German instruction sheet typical of Revell's 1/24 offerings, had a number of quirks that made it a challenge. All parts, including tires, were molded from red plastic; the body was a multi-piece design that had to be assembled after paint; detail was fairly poor. Except for a strip of 0.010" acetate, there were no clear parts, and no decals. Nonetheless it was an interesting build and one that will sit well next to my other vintage Mercedes Benzes. Photos were taken before the taillamps and front turn signals were installed; as with my Tamiya 300 SL, I am going to leave the bumpers off.



I made a few modifications. The stock tires, tall skinny Firestone Phoenix 6.40-13 units molded with the rims in red plastic, were replaced with wider Goodyear Polyglas tires of about the same height. Not period correct for a 1957 model, but a likely upgrade that an enthusiastic owner might have made, even if this particular set (from the AMT parts pack) are probably larger than might have been specified. I also skipped the hubcaps, going for the steel rim look instead. The new tires are taller and I had to lower the suspension to maintain a half-decent stance; still the ride height is probably stock.



Body assembly required gluing on the right side body panel (two fenders and a door), then attaching front and rear panels with holes for hood and trunk, then the left side panel, all over the completed chassis. A challenge! Revell's VW van is also put together this way, as are a number of other older kits.



The windshield, which consisted of a strip of 0.010" acetate within a frame and chrome surround, got turned into a cut-down roadster screen without a frame, I also ditched the hardtop roof and installed a soft top cover from the parts bin.



Engine detail is poor and I added a distributor to try to smarten it up. The valve cover looks like no Mercedes valve cover I have ever seen, and the carbs are wrong -- it should have a pair of double-barrel sidedraft units from Stromberg, where the kit has what looks like a pair of single barrel units (or a single double-barrel unit). Mercedes was always fairly conservative about adopting new ideas, and while the cylinder head had 4 inlet ports, it looks from online photos like the #2 and #3 exhaust ports were siamesed. That being said, aluminum overhead cam heads were standard going back to the immediate post-war era, if not earlier, so



Neither the hood nor trunk lid, both of which open, are particularly good fits,  although the mounting approach is nice.



I know this review sounds negative so far, but it is an interesting build of a forgotten classic. Making it into a slightly customised roadster was a fun exercise. Everyone has focused on the 300 SL, especially the Gullwing, but the 190 SL was an important part of the mix as it took basic sedan bits and added better carburation and a stylish body, all at a reasonable price.



Part of the size difference is due to different scales, but the 190 was quite small. I'm not sure what's next; this build eliminates a long-standing WIP but there are plenty more on the shelf. Stay tuned.