Grand Prix 1958 Exoto Ferrari Tipo 246 F1 / Fourth at of Germany

Frankly, mere mortals shouldn't own this model. It's expensive, so don't tell your spouse how much you spent for it. The main reason none of us are worthy is because it's so far beyond the standards of an excellent model. CMC and Exoto rival each other in the production of intricately detailed models, particularly Ferraris, that are made from 1000+ pieces and are near perfect miniature copies of their prototypes. This model is fragile and detailed to a standard that makes it worthy of a helium-filled case. You can read online reviews of this model to get the details. Suffice to say, it substantially dis-assembles like the real car and has somewhere around 2000 individual parts. It takes a half hour and VERY careful effort just to unpack it. Then, you must assemble it. There are cunningly placed magnets and pinions to hold the pieces in place, and fastners for the bonnet that are just like the original. Don't expect to be taking this in and out of the box. It's too much work and too much danger of bending or breaking something to do that. If you do defy common sense and buy this, as I did, (got a pretty good deal on ebay), you will just enjoy the peculiar pleasure of owning it.OK, here's a tip that will make reading this review worh the time you spent: If you have a friend video your attempts to hook up the rubber line and three brass fittings at the rear of the car, it will be hilarious and go viral on You Tube. It's nearly impossible unless you superglue the first fitting, the 'L' brass fitting, into the verticle pipe behind the fuel tank. You then have to plug in the 'z' fitting, angled rearward, in the opposite direction it will need to eventually be. This alllows you to CAREFULLY slide the rear body cover with the little oval door opened, over the fitting.Then, you can rotate the 'Z' fitting forward to receive the rubber line fitting. This line looks cool but it's the absolute worst part of assembling this model, even worse than twisting the bonnet (hood for us Yanks) securing hooks into place.This assembly would tax a Swiss watchmaker. Good luck.This car is truly a miniature miracle, a monument to insane detailing, but prepare yourself for slow, patient assembly. And it won't hurt to be a good modeler if you have to replace (i.e. 'fabricate from scratch') any small detail pieces that fly off while you're putting it together. I noticed with horror that one of the round flat metal plates that secured the bonnet attachment hooks in the 'open' position had popped off into oblivion sometime in my struggle to attach the hood. I was able to make a replacement because I have 30 years of accumulated tools and skills but you may not.