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Mercedes Benz L3000
Lion Roar 1:35 set #LE35068
Review by Terry Ashley

ItaleriTamiya

This update set from Lion Roar is designed for the Italeri kit of the Mercedes-Benz L3000 truck (kit #287) and subsequent re-issue by Tamiya in Japan as kit #32402 with the additional of some equipment and figures.

The set consists of six frets of etched parts which are very cleanly etched with very fine mesh for the radiators, some extremely fine parts that will need care in handling and engine bay side doors with pre-formed cooling grills.

The largre parts in the set are for the front engine compartment with the side doors as mentioned which have very nice pre-formed cooling grills that really do look nice and are also open between the louvers.

To add these you need to cut away the kit doors from the cab side panels but as the etched panels are thinner than the plastic adding a small locating lip to ‘sit’ the etched panel on will help assembly.

Additional small etched door ‘T’ latches and brackets are provided to replace the oversized plastic ‘T’ latches destroyed as you remove the kit doors.

The Italeri kit has a full engine and radiator as well as the front radiator cover and the set provided the etched mesh for the front of the inner radiator as well as the mesh for the outer radiator panel. This consists of the etched mesh and two separate fine Mercedes Menz ‘Star’, one with just the ‘Star’ and the other with the ‘Star’ and word ‘Diesel’ added below as seen on many L3000 trucks.

Lion Roar

To add this you have to cut out the moulded mesh from the kit part but it’s best to leave a small lip around the edges of the radiator frame to sit the etched mesh on as removing all the plastic leaves nowhere to locate the mesh screen.

The MB ‘Star’ is very fine and will require extreme care when removing from the “sprue” and cleaning the resulting attachment ‘scan’ as it will distort if you just look at it sideways.

There is one issue with the radiator mesh and MB Star that replicates an error with the kit in that the star is positioned too high on the mesh section and should actually be located centrally. As the location on the Star is embossed on the etched mesh there is really nothing you can do about this unfortunately.

Fitting the etched radiator mesh and a image of the actual rediator and Star
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Actual image of radiator courtesy of Schiffer 'Trucks of the Wehrmacht' book

Also added to the front radiator is the small MB Star at the top which is also very fine requiring care and the radiator cap Star, this looks very good but is easily broken off both in real life and on the model.

Other details at the front are small brackets for the fender lights plus head light black out covers, the door handles, wiper blades, side crew steps with tread plate pattern and details for the front bumper.

Added to the rear tray are the side support brackets that require you to cut off the plastic brackets beforehand plus new etched storage boxes and brackets plus the tail light brackets and all the tool clips are provided as fine parts requiring the moulded on tool clips to be cut off.

Conclusion:
This is a nice update set for the MB L3000 with most of the finer details provided as etched parts with the side engine bay doors being a standout feature.

The front radiator grillwork is nicely done with the MB Star looking very realistic if the incorrect position on the radiator is not that much of a problem but overall this set will add those finer details to make the kit.

Recommended.

Etched and metal Parts
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Thanks to Lion Roar for the review set.



Page created November 14, 2006

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