After the unfortunate bankruptcy of Eaglemoss back in July 2022, current and new builders of this ‘Eaglemoss’ 1:8 scale 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL partwork model were left without knowing if it would ever return.
Well, after many months of behind-the-scenes work sorting out legal, licensing, and logistics hurdles, the actual manufacturer of the parts (PCT/IXO) is now offering the model again directly from their website with worldwide shipping expected to start by May 30, 2023!
For ex-Eaglemoss subscribers: While IXO is only selling the 300 SL as a FULL KIT on their website, they do plan on offering discount codes to ex-Eaglemoss subscribers sometime around the end of February 2023. These codes will reduce the price of the full kit relative to the number of issues that each customer already has in their possession. This effectively means that these builders will only pay for the issues they need to finish the model.
As this partwork model is an Eaglemoss/Hero Collector/Die-Cast Club product, I want to inform my visitors about the recent disturbances and the possible future of Eaglemoss and these products.
I have had many visitors ask about the tools and supplies that I use to build my partworks, so I have created a ‘Shop‘ over at my main build site with Amazon links to most of the items I have used along the way. All proceeds go towards supporting my site costs, not for profit. I hope you all find this helpful!
This Eaglemoss/IXO 1:8 scale Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing partwork model consists of hundreds of parts, but there are even more screws! I have put a small page together that lists the number of parts and screws in each phase as well as running totals for the entire build.
I got an interesting surprise in the mail a few days ago. Eaglemoss sent me this Clear Acrylic Cover for the Display Base.
I had no idea it was coming and I was charged $87.85 for it. Apparently, they are calling this a Special Issue for this 300 SL partwork build. Usually I get an announcement email from Eaglemoss about any specials that are offered during a build, and I am given a few weeks to opt out of them. Neither of these things happened with this one. While Eaglemoss customer service insists they sent the email (they could not give me a date), I never received it (including checking my spam and trash folders). But, it gets better…
On the same exact day, I received a Burago 1:18 scale die-cast model kit of a 2009 Nissan GT-R as part of my GT-R build:
I didn’t receive an announcement email for this either and was charged $58.90 for it without any way to opt out. I also didn’t receive shipping dispatch emails for either item. Ironically, up to this point, I have received every other Special Issue announcement email correctly, and then all of a sudden I somehow don’t get two emails obviously sent at the same time? I have to admit: something feels very shady about all of this!
I can’t even send these unwanted items back to Eaglemoss for a refund because I have to pay the return shipping and it would cost more than the items do (the Cover alone would be $80 to $150 due to the box size). Also, I would not be refunded the original shipping and handling. Luckily, I have a friend who builds/collect 1:18 scale models, so I think he will take the Burago kit. However, I am going to have to eat it on the clear acrylic cover and I can’t even use it or sell it. It arrived with a large crack in it due to the poor packing material protection and subsequent box damage. The outside of the box was not even marked ‘Fragile’:
UPDATE Jan 7, 2020: I called Eaglemoss again after I saw how much it would cost to ship this cover back. After a lot of resistance, they finally agreed to issue a refund for the $87.85.
UPDATE Jan 19, 2021: Eaglemoss did it again. They charged me $87.90 today for another Clear Acrylic Cover for my James Bond DB5 build, also without any offer email or a way to opt out. This time I saw it coming and called them immediately. They said I should just refuse the shipment and return to sender and I would automatically get a refund. This cover was delivered to me on Feb 2 and I told the postal carrier to send it back, which he did. They got it back on Feb 8th and I am awaiting this refund too.
UPDATE Feb 12, 2021: I still have not received a refund for EITHER of these clear covers.
UPDATE Feb 25, 2021: A few days ago, I received the next delivery of 300 SL parts, but Eaglemoss forgot to include the magazine. I called them to ask to have it re-shipped out. Once that was done, I asked them about these refunds. The lady at customer service said this 300 SL one was already refunded back on Jan 7th, but I still had not see it hit my credit card. Something was not right. After a bit of back and forth, she finally transferred me to a supervisor. I was then connected to Christina L. who was incredible! To my total surprise, Eaglemoss customer support is well aware of my build sites and uses them heavily to help support their customers… crazy!
Christina and I talked for well over an hour about these clear cases, the GT-R model, my refunds, the missing opt-out emails, the builds, my sites, needing more US social media support, returning products, the build delays, the shipping problems, and many more issues that I and a lot of other builders have. Then today, I finally received full refunds for both the 300 SL cover and the unwanted DB5 cover I refused delivery on! It turns out the ‘Special Issue’ charges/refunds are in a different billing account and are not automatically pushed back to the credit card.
While this is wonderful in my case, I reiterated that I was not alone and others were being charged for these things without ever receiving the ‘Special Issue’ emails to opt out (I haven’t received three of them now). Thankfully, she has opened a ticket with the Eaglemoss IT department to investigate. Hopefully this will solve the problem for everyone!
Once again, I have not received any issues in more than a month (since mid-July). I spoke to Eaglemoss and they said that Phase 52 is currently out of stock and will not be available until at least October 13. At minimum, we have another 3 month delay with this build.
Unfortunately, this continues to be a troubling trend for all of my part work builds. Delays from lack of availability is very common and not just with Eaglemoss. My DeAgostini and Hachette builds suffer from the same problem. Anyway, the build is on hold for now…
UPDATE Nov 14, 2020: I spoke with Eaglemoss and there is still no ETA on the next shipment. Four months with nothing and counting!
UPDATE Dec 8, 2020: I finally received a shipping notification for this model. However, it will contain Phases 51, 60, 62, and 63 so we will not be able to progress in the build much until the missing Phases arrive.
UPDATE Dec 19, 2020: I received a second shipping notification for Phases 64-67. I have still not received the ones from the 8th above.
By recently completing Phase 50 of this Eaglemoss/IXO 1:8 scale Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing partwork model, we are now exactly halfway through the build! Therefore, I figured I would take a moment to share my thoughts so far. Please note that while the header image above depicts our progress up to this point, it does not include the Hood, Grille, and Front Bumper which have yet to be installed.
First of all, I truly appreciate the extensive details of this model. From the pre-printed and pre-applied labels to the paint and finishes on the various parts. The interior carpet feels authentic and adds a nice touch, although I feel it should have covered the entire floor pan. The engine is nicely crafted, the steering wheel folds down accurately, and the suitcases even open. And, the tubular chassis is a real work of art!
I also enjoy the instructions, stories and information shared in the magazines. The instructions are clear and offer many tips and have not contained many errors. The rest of the magazine includes everything from the history of Motorsports and racing cars to the greatest drivers and tracks in history. There was a lot of work put into these magazines and it is worth recognizing.
Unfortunately, the build has also had some problems. This includes malformed, bent, and missing parts. There is so much metal included with the model that I have found myself having to bend or twist many of these parts to fit correctly. I am aware that items can be ‘damaged’ in shipping, but this just feels like bad Quality Assurance. I do eventually get the pieces to fit, but I shouldn’t have to. You will run into fitment issues throughout the build and just have to work through them.
Another thing is the inconsistency of part deliveries. While my experience building many partwork kits has shown that all of them suffer delays at one point or another, it does not make it any less aggravating. It takes over 2 years to build most of them and they cost a lot of money. I would think that these publishers would have the logistics under control by now.
Overall, after considering everything about this 300 SL model, I am still very happy! It is a great build with tons of details and accompanying information. I have deep admiration for this car in real life and am looking forward to completing the build in the coming months.
If you are building any of the die-cast metal large scale models out there, you are probably familiar with the pain around driving screws into metal parts. In my experience, some of these screws have a tendency to bind up, strip threads, or simply snap off. Not only does it cause frustration, but it could cause a long delay in your build waiting for replacement parts.
For a while now, I have read about other builders that were using a little oil on their metal screw threads to help reduce the risk of damage and the effort needed to seat these screws fully. Up until this point, I had taken my time to carefully pre-thread metal screws, but it turns out they were on to something. I recently picked up some 3-in-One Multi-Purpose Oil (from the WD-40 Company) and it has changed everything!
I simply dip the tip of each metal screw into a tiny drop of this stuff and they go right in and without any drama. I should have done this sooner! If putting a little oil on the end of a metal screw is not feasible, you can also use a toothpick or other small tool to apply the oil directly into a screw hole before installing the screw.
To hold the oil, I use this fantastic 4 oz dispenser bottle with a built-in pump and metal lid. I fill it up and pump the lid when I need a little oil to work with. Additionally, it has a nice wide base to reduce the possibility of spills:
I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of this oil (or other similar lubricant). It will surely save you time and headache!
Building the 1:8 scale Mercedes-Benz 300 SL from Eaglemoss/IXO Models
