UGEARS Mechanical Models Roadster VM-01 3-D Wooden Puzzle

Of all of the wooden model kit companies, I do think that UGears is my favorite. One wouldn't necessarily think that, though, because I believe I've left nothing but 4-star reviews to date.This kit deserved fives stars, and I'm going to nitpick every little thing I didn't like.The gear shifter is a weak part in the finished assembly. I kind of saw this coming and gave it a few tests during assembly. It did break, but I was able to glue it back together in a way that was more solid.The hood/bonnet pieces were difficult to find. About half of them are in the middle of other pieces, so by the time you get to that point in the assembly, you have a bowl full of random parts from where you have to find your desired pieces.That really is about it. Everything works as it should. It's not as zippy as a couple of other UGears kits I've assembled, but that's fine. It's going to sit on a shelf, for the most part.I thought that the fenders and hood would be the coolest parts of the assembly, and I was right. I'm a huge fan of how it saved those parts until last. Towards the end of assembly, I found myself slowing down to prolong the experience. Keeping in mind that I was staining pieces as I assembled, I'd literally go look at it, think "I should apply the last coat", and then decide not to because there were only a couple of steps remaining.I recommend this one. It's an expert level kit, so if you've put a few together, I highly recommend this one.

I've done several Ugear as well as the other major brand. Satisfaction level on this one: 9.5Great little model with but a few difficulties to manage. Runs great. I love how different the rubber band power source for each of their products are engineered completely different.Suggest some of the unused board real-estate be used to provide duplicates for the more fragile items such as the side mirrors and the flex license plate.Fun build.

Tips first; Wax. Wax and sand. And if you're wondering what. EVERYTHING! If you question for even a second whether you should wax/sand a piece, DO IT! Also, if you have a means to accurately "free tie" the rubber bands and have them stay the right length, please share this forbidden magic with the world. I ended up just cutting them, threading, gauging the tension, then tying them off. Seemed to work pretty well. Should your shifter appear stuck, especially after getting the wheels on, try lifting the rear off the ground. The axle needs to free spin a bit to slide into a gear change. Have a pair of tweezers handy for page 35, step 6. And for the love of everything TAKE YOUR TIME. It's not a race, it's a hobby. Anyway...Insane detail and ingenuity is the name of the game yet again with a UGears kit. This was only my 3rd wood kit. One from Rokr, and two from UGears now. From the functioning V8, steering wheel, and front suspension. To the four speed transmission (drive/reverse, high/low). The fact that the entire kit is done without any metal parts (Rokr used a few steel bits, not to detract from some other wonderful models) these Ugear kits are amazing. I'm a bit of an odd duck that can get lost in fascination regarding "useless genius" and "artistic engineering". Which, let's be honest, these epitomize.As much as I loved it, I absolutely would not recommend it as your first kit. I spent roughly 36hrs building this one. There are several parts that are VERY tricky. And points in assembly that might drive you nuts. Like setting the roller bearings (Yes, roller bearings... WOOD ROLLER BEARINGS! Are you kidding!?) But after all the gearing, chassis, engine, and winding mechanism is in place, and you give it a soft wind watching everything spin as intended... you WILL giggle like a little kid. Just maybe start with the Wolf VM-01 first. Get a feel for it and see if this is a hobby for you. But be forewarned, if it is, it can be VERY addictive.Now if you'll excuse me, there's two more models still in the plastic setting next to me calling for some fine attention!P.S. Yes my "work bench" is a bamboo cutting board with a cheap mouse pad as a parts mat set in my lap. Don't judge, it lets me relaxe on the couch and half watch TV as I tinker away! 😉

This was a fun product to build with over 400 pieces, so it takes a while.4 stars because it is Rubber Band Powered vs metal springs. A great many of the many moving parts are governed by rubber bands which must be shortened to a smaller size by tieing and cutting the excess. Difficult to get tied to the proper size, and too many moving parts with many gears.I have some bugs with mine to get worked out. It isn't shifting to forward as it should, even tho all components worked smoothly and properly during construction. My fault I'm sure, but I bought it more for looks rather than runnability.A very nice UGEARS Kit except for the rubber band situation.

This is a great little model, fascinating and fun. With 439 pieces, it’s pretty challenging but well worth the effort. You’ll be cutting toothpicks and tying rubber bands to size, so don’t be impatient. I suspect it will take much more time than the 15 hours they say. Great Ukrainian company. Give them an order. (I would just hope they will find somewhere else to get their parts cut. Anywhere but China.)

before i put the roadster together, what i did to prep was:>wood colored some of the panels to make it have a dark/honey looking>let those dry for a dayAfter this, it took me about 10hrs or so to put the car together over a few days. The result looks really good with the painted panels. I advice anyone who puts this together to prep certain panels with wood color first. the result will look 10x better than if it was not colored.See the attached picture. it makes the roadster pops out due to the gradiant.