Drift Cobra Racing Car Puzzle - Wooden 3D Puzzles for Adults to Build with Powerful Spring Motor - Wood Mechanical Models Building Kit Retro Hobbies for Men - 370 Pcs

Do not pass this one up due to the price! It is a good value for what it provides. The quality of a U-Gears kit is better than most other brand kits I have experienced. Not a single piece broke during assembly. But there are plenty spares included. The 108 page instruction manual provides clear photographic details of assembly with available videos of critical and/or complicated steps. I enjoyed every hour of this build. The details are too numerous for this review, but when wound up and started, not only the wheels turn, but the engine pistons all function, and even the radiator fans turn. The instructions call for several timely tests of each function as you complete steps of assembly. They have even provided solutions for common issues found during a test. This is definitely not for beginners.

Difficult Build. Beautiful end result. My main complaint is when a part needs to be a mirror image of a previously built part, the instructions just give you a range of part #'s instead of step by step instructions. I'm somewhat dyslexic when it comes to diagrams, so this caused me some problems. After tearing it apart a couple of times, I finally got it right. Also, the tabs on the seat cushions were much too large for the holes they needed to go into. After a little sanding, shaving, and waxing, I got them together. All in all, it was a good project. Not recommended for beginners.

This was the most fun model I've ever put together, including Metal Earth. There are so many movable Parts on it, so it's a challenge but at the same time the directions are so well done that when you see an error it's your fault because the instructions show exactly what to do in full color. It runs good but my shifter is loose so I have to make sure that the gears are engaged correctly in order for it to run. The windshield wipers are really cool, they are fragile so you have to be careful while you are assembling the car. All the features work very good and it's very fun to show. Very complicated so patience is needed. I did sand off all burrs, and it's a good idea to wax all moving parts and where they touch a flat surface. The waxing they say to do but it's up to up to figure the best way to do it. I used the wax stick that comes with it for the flat surface and a toothpick and lit tea candle for the gears. Rather like painting the melted wax on. In the picture I show some of the things I needed. The wood glue is for one time I broke the tool they give you (which is essential) and another time one of the parts broke a little bit when I took it out. But those were both my fault. Otherwise no glue is needed but good to have on hand. I started using a razor blade to help break the wood free on the delicate parts. They do give some extra part including both whipers. Overall I would love to put this model together again using some wood stain in colors just to see how it would look with some red or turquoise. This, in my opinion is truly an exceptionally fun model to assemble and show.

Was very excited to get this 1. I built about a dozen of the steel models like the scropion giant mantis wasp etc and wanted to build a wooden 1. So i chose this 1. Everything went great for the most part. Pieces were easy to remove from the cards. Pieces went together easy enough and not too hard. Seemed well made. Everything was going perfectly. That is until i got to the end. Card number 8 which is the rear body section. Not sure if this was an issue with anyone else but the parts only on this section were extreamly hard to remove. To the point several parts cracked or chipped. A couple completely snapped and had to repair it with super glue. I was able to finish it in the end and it was fully functional with no visible signs of damaged parts, but that last part was very frustrating.

This is an amazing piece of engineering. Experience needed in prior Ugears assemble so yoiu can be familiar with instructions and parts. This is an advanced kit. Many parts, many small parts. All fit together amazingly. Not quite yet completed. Body left to go, chassis assembled and it RUNS. Experience with automobiles will help in assembly and in understanding how things work. Fun kit. Lots of spare parts, could have used a couple spares that were not provided but a bit of glue fixed the problem. Must carefully follow instructions and logic when putting in the spring which drives all of the drive train -- fans, engine, differential, and half shafts. Now completed and would give six stars. Everything works -- transmission forward and reverse, doors open and close, windshield wiper works, suspension works, hatches open and close. Car runs about 12 feet on rug, forward and backwards, runs further on hardwood floor. Take your time, use fine sandpaper and good wax/paraffin and rub it in. As you add new moving parts driven by the windup spring, break them in -- several short runs in forward and reverse. Have fun.

One of the funnest models that I have built in a while. I'd consider myself and intermediate modeler, and this was plenty challenging. It is well designed. The instructions are good. And it actually runs! For a wooden model with LOTS of moving parts and gears, the fact that it actually works is pretty cool. Well worth the investment of money and time. Highly recommended.

These puzzles are always a challenge but great when they are done. They all require patience. One thing that I have learned putting these puzzles together is first wax everything that has to go into a hole regardless of when they say to do it. But sanding sticks and small file kits. I find that I have to file a hole on occasion to enlarge it. Get instant glue. I just found a great glue at Home Depot called JB SuperWeld that comes out great and has a setting light on the other end of it. When you have a puzzle that has wafer looking material, make sure you wet it before trying to bend it. If you are going to do more of these puzzles keep the extra pieces. I found that I have used them on other puzzles. Also on this puzzle, there is one flaw. When it comes to the wire spring, I had to operate and actually cut a thin hole into the stem and bend the wire end to fit in the hole. Then I had to glue it. When you wind this up the spring was slipping so I turned it over and was able to get into the bottom easily to do this fixing. Now the spring does not slip, and it runs great on the floor.

I'm weaning myself away from Legos, I admire them but price keeps rising. I decided to go for more of a challenge with wood puzzles. The first company I tried was regretfully a hugh mistake. Thin wood very prone to breaking, glue definitely a staple, poor cheap instructions, sloppy fit. I won't state what company it was but if you go with UGears you won't care. This Cobra was a challenge but in a satisfying way. There were a couple challenges to master, one being the spring to affix to the very tiny slot the the center post. All parts were laser perfect, part no.s we're next to the parts, not on them, wood was quite thick, grain was clear & uniform. Mating. of parts was perfect no forced alignment necessary. Now that this is completed, the UGears Grand Prix D-9 awaits. My tips: these are not to be meant as speed builds. Take your time and enjoy the journey. Follow the instructions meticulously, take frequent breaks and sand, polish and wax!