Hi-Fi 1:43 Maserati 250F 1954

Material: White metal, vacformed windshield, rubber tires, plastic, photo etched

This is one of the cars that Fangio drove the 1954 year

The quality of the model varies depending on the area. There is an engine included but it really isn't worth the effort to try and detail it. The body is very nice with minor fit problems in the hood

Engine
The kit comes with an engine but the castings are terrible and will need quite a bit of work to look right. Intake trumpets should be replaced. Locator pins for the engine block did not fit. various other engine bay items does make the area look crowded. Radiator is included but this can't be seen from the front since the front is blocked up
I considered removing the material in the front but there may have been problems with the bottom tray mounting to the front.
Engine parts needed quite a bit of cleanup. If possible certain hoses should be replaced as some castings were oval in cross section. Recommend keeping the hood closed

Cockpit
Very simple. not much can be done here. Steering wheel is a very rough casting. Will take quite a bit of work to make it even look half decent. If you can get a replacement go for it. Shifting gate also rough. Replace kit shifter with something better. Also replace decals for instrument panel if possible

Wheels/ Tires

Tires are rubber and are not too bad. front and rear tires are different sizes so make a mental note when installing them.
Wheels are chrome plated plastic rims with photo etched inserts. When I first looked at them they looked terrible. Since I was building the kit out of the box I had to use them (for a friend). Turned out the wheels actually look very good. Photo etched knock offs are included and they should be handed so also be sure you know where they are to go on.
Just a warning that the very delicate and will note take much bending to destroy them. Patience and steady hands are needed here. Only CA type glues can be used due to the plastic and metal parts so be careful to not glue the wheel to your hand

Suspension
Simple blobs. Not worth the effort to make them look good. Test fit this area a lot to make sure you get all four wheels on the ground

BodyBody moulding is very nice. Test fit the hood and make minor adjustments before painting. Holes for the gas caps should be drilled out and test fit to make sure they fit. The mounting point of the exhaust pipe was replaced with brass rod. The hole it was to glue into (on body) was hard to find and should be drilled out again. Gas caps were terrible castings and shooed be replaced if possible. If you had the time scratch build some out of styrene if possible that's how bad they are.
Painter body with lacquer paints and rubbed out with a polishing kit.
Various rivet holes touched up with a small (0.005mm) pen
No mirrors on the car so no problem. A photo etched Maserati emblem front grill as provided. This was glued in with white glue
Vac formed windscreen fit well

Tips
1. Intake trumpets is one area that white metal can not replicate well. There are aftermarket items but these can get expensive. especially if you are doing a V-12. In computers there is a chip socket that is soldered onto circuit boards. You can find these sockets at dedicated electronic stores. Make sure they are round sockets as there are other types. I placed the socket in a oven to soften the plastic then popped (or pried) them out. One socket has over 50 of these items

Conclusion
Not a bad looking kit. Unless you are willing to spend the time on the engine leave the hood closed. Wire wheels look very nice even though they look bad in the box. The finished kit is very heavy and sits high. As with other 43 scale kits see if you can mount it to a base so there is little handling of the model. Make sure it is secure. there is nothing worse then having your finished kit fall on the floor and break into a million pieces A very nice kit but certain areas can be improved upon. If only just replacing the wire wheels the kit will look a lot better. Some cleanup required but nothing terribly hard. Recommended kit can be built well by the beginner