Steering and suspension

 

Now for the fiddly bit - the steerting. A couple of pre-bent lengths of brass wire are included, which have to be slotted through the plastic pivots and arm. 

I'd pre-painted everything, and let it dry for a couple of days. No point in letting soft paint gum everything up. As it was, every single hole required cleaning out with a broach as the stubs to fit in them are all slightly too large. 

Having done this, I was surprised that it all worked. If I'm honest, the setup isn't exactly robust, and I can see it all being glued up solid at some point, when part of it breaks. 

There is even movement in the front axle so the tractor can stand on uneven ground. It pivots from a support in the middle and on the back or what I assume is a gearbox thing sticking out of the front. All very clever. 

 Interesting to note, something I only spotted in the photo, the kit dates from 1995, so it's nearly 30 years old!