Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman in pieces

Missing their radiator emblems, I have had a few 247 models of the Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman lying around and unlikely to be of much interest to any collector. The model is attractive, with clever use of chrome and the deep crimson colour is particularly nice and suits the car. I had always wanted a black one, though, and an opportunity to make one came along. One of the models had almost perfect paintwork and, whilst lacking its emblem, I did have a good original box too which I thought I could sell with it and stand a better chance of receiving something for it.

As I picked up the model I noticed a rattle. Initially I thought that was something to do with the windscreen wiper mechanism. On further examination, however, I saw that the steering wheel was floating merrily around inside, having come out of its hole in the dashboard.

I expected it to be a bit fiddly but I had the idea of refitting it using some thin tweezers an working through one of the rear windows which slide down. Unfortunately the Pullman has a screen that separates the front seas from the main passenger compartment so that idea was not going to work. I had always wondered how the windscreen wipers mechanism operated so I decided that I would open up the model and then could learn about the mechanism and also make a black one.

A genius at Corgi has come up with the idea f that weird-shaped yellow cog which pushes the cream plastic bad left and white as it turns. That in turn moves a small lever left and right and that has two V sections near each end, into which the similarly shaped lower halves of the two wiper pieces fit. The wiper pieces rest on small spindles and thus rotate left and right as the lower haves move. All the wiper section is held together when the window unit is clipped over the cream interior. Quite brilliant and, from my experience, reliable too as I have not had any that jam or cease to function.

The chrome section is an excellent way to produce shiny bumpers, radiator grilles but, mercifully, Corgi did not try and use if to provide suspension too! Instead there is the good old pair of wires fitted into the base which will probably last forever.

Fixed shaped wheels on the rear axle are necessary to make the cog turn but the front wheels are free-spinning.

I don't know what flavour of paint Corgi used for the crimson on this model, though. I left it sitting in a tub of pretty strong acid for most of a day but that had no effect whatsoever. I have used the same mixture for many years and usually paint comes off on its own after an hour or so with little of no encouragement. Indeed, I often have to whip out the model fairly quickly before it eats through the metal! So I decided to leave the paint where is was and just spray on top and hope the new coat would attach itself all right.

So far so good, although the deep lines around the sunroof, boot and bonnet are causing a minor problem I shall have to attend to later.