Now that this thread has resurfaced, it may be time for a brief update. I brought the kit down off the shelf last week to perform a proper inventory of parts and things are much worse than I had previously assumed. The AA gun is missing entirely, there are parts missing for the 88mm deck gun, one of the dive planes is MIA and all of the railings are beyond repair.
I made the mistake of complaining about the missing parts within earshot of my wife. "Well, you wanted a monster, Herr Doktor," she replied. "There it is - now go breathe life into it!" She walked away with her best 'evil laugh'. Despite her warped humor, she raised a valid point - I wanted a big project and it's entirely up to me to come up with solutions.
I have ordered some brass tubing and wire to replace the broken railings; the missing weapons can be replaced with a CMK set which also includes new periscopes and bits for the conning tower; and the missing dive plane is a fairly simple shape which I will have to scratchbuild. I am also lending a bit of consideration to the Archer rivet set (I don't feel any need to count those, but it will definitely help in the long run) and a set of propellers to replace the goofy looking bits in the kit.
I have started research into the Type VII-C, but judging by the list of modifications I have drawn up, I probably won't be getting into the actual build until sometime in March. At that point, I should have time to at least start things during the spring break at the college. Of course, I will try to post photos once I have done something other than inventory and daydreaming.
Again, thank you all for your support!