DavidG Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 I’ve been building one of Revell’s 1/24 ’68 VW Beetle, California Wheels edition. This is a really nice model. The pieces all fit well and there is certainly more than enough detail to keep me happy. I want to lower it and put some Porsche alloy wheels on it. For those of you who are not into VWs, you should know that the Porsche Fuchs style wheel is like the Holy Grail for VW perverts such as myself. I’ve always loved them and have never had the coins to actually put a set on any 1:1 VW I ever owned. So I figure, since building model cars allows us all to live somewhat vicariously, I should put some alloys on this model I’m building. So off I went in search of a model to donate the wheels and I found two. One was Revell’s Performance Porsche Slant Nose model. But when I opened the box, I found that the Porsche model was SO nice that I didn’t want to take the wheels away from it. I kept looking. Then I found this old Revell VW Street Machine on ebay. It showed the Fuchs wheels on the box and, when I got it, sure enough – it had the wheels I was looking for. This model is nowhere near the quality of the California Wheels VW even though they are both Revell offerings. In fact, it’s rather cheesy. To make matters worse, the VW body has flared fenders. I hate hate hate VWs with flared fenders. They have always looked really red-neckity to me. I thought to myself, What am I going to do with this? Then it occurred to me that I might make a very cool Class 5 pre-runner out of it. It would take some scratch building and so, I figured that this could be my first attempt at scratch building something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 So here's what I've gotten done so far: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 (edited) I started by trimming away the rear clip. I didn’t want it to look like so many Baja kits we all saw back in the 70s and 80s. I wanted it to look like a genuine Class 5 car if possible. I think the little bitty bobbed fenders get that look. I also took out the wing windows because no self-respecting Class 5 car has any side windows anyway. Then I sanded off the chrome side moldings. Next I wanted a complete fiberglass type tilt front end. So I gingerly (and I do mean GINGERLY) started bobbing the front end in the hopes that it would give me the look I had in mind. Unfortunately, as you can see, I broke the driver’s front fender. I’ll have to figure out how to correct that. I scored my cut lines with an X-acto knife and then just kept rescoring those lines until the cuts were complete. (I wonder if there is a better way. Hmmmm) Next on my list will be to scratch build the roll cage and frame. I also want to build a long travel front and a beefed up long travel IRS. I have no idea how I’m going to do all of this but I’ll take it one step at a time. Edited May 26, 2014 by DavidG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Cool idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W. Verts Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 David, really neat and one of the things on my short-list to ge done. I also bought that pink "thing" and thought the same thing- that this body is gettin' cut up! We need good motors tho' (my personal stick). In real life I've owned three sets of those wheels, and I never used a set. Not one. Sad. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 bad55 stan Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Should be a little ripper mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Red-Neckity? Now that's a new one. I'll be watching this with interest. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOODBANE Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I have been looking for a good baja kit. I will be watching this build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Cool start on your project.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brizio Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 Well, I told you folks that I was going to begin my scratch building efforts with this project! Today I started on the roll cage. I'm so not happy with it! We'll see what it looks like when the glue dries and I get some sanding and filing done on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 Red-Neckity? Yeah, down here in Tennessee, we just make words up! It was either that or Red Necky - which I didn't at all like the sound of.... LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Edman Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 cool build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W. Verts Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Hickbillies are what I call us... Yep. And Hickbilly ingenuity can do GREAT things. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarana-X Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Good idea. I have an unfinished Baja built out of Revell's old convertible Beetle. The tooling fort these kits date back to '68 and they've been re-released a lot, including their dune buggy kits which share a lot of parts and are pretty bad, unless you're a fan of vague inaccurate detail, flash and mold lines thicker than ridges on a Ruffles potato chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Dave where I come from in Missouri the term "hoosier" was not meant as a term of endearment. Imagine my surprise when I moved west and discovered it meant "someone from Indiana". Dale you're definately hillbilly over there by the Ozark mountains and all. I'm a city guy but just south of there are where, the "flatlanders" live. I'm told the hillbillies and flatlanders shall never meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbike-shaun Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 David, great work so far good luck with this, ill be following.Shaun.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack_Mechanic Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I will be eagerly watching this build! I had a Baja Bug back in the day,and it looks like you are off to a great start! Oh,and Dale.....Amen! Hickbillies are what I call us... Yep. And Hickbilly ingenuity can do GREAT things. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 Ok, here's an update. As I stated earlier, this is my very first attempt at any type of scratch building. This especially holds true when it comes to roll cages. I also need to point out that, I live in a smallish city with only one genuine hobby store and it caters to mostly RC dune buggies and rock crawlers. Other than a few kits for sale, there is virtually nothing in the way of supplies for the scale modeler. Nashville is about an hour away for me and I just don't get down there very often. Of course, I'm originally from Nashville and lived there most of my life. I used to get all my stuff from Philip's Toy Mart in Belle Meade. About a week ago, I went to Nashville and I was amazed at what Philip's DID NOT have! They are swinging more and more towards model railroaders and pre-school kid's toys. They are carrying only a small fraction of the stuff they used to carry back when I lived in Nashville. Both the local hobby store here in Clarksville and Philip's in Nashville have nothing for scratch building. We do have a Hobby Lobby here in town and so, I went over there to look for some styrene sheets and rods. Hobby Lobby had nothing! They didn't have any brass either. After searching the entire store I finally bought some of this supposedly easy to bend copper rod to see if I could make it work. Well, it is easy to bend. Actually, it's TOO easy to bend and it bends when I don't want it to. But I gave it my best shot considering it's the only material I had available. It tried soldering it. WHAT A JOKE! That was a major frustration. I then tried glueing it with several different adhesives - all with dismal results. Building scale models is supposed to be relaxing and therapeutic. It's not supposed to keep me cranked up and ready to kill something. lol. Finally, I used some JB KWIK on it and it worked. It's looks TERRIBLE but I figure that I can sand and grind and file off the excess JB Weld until I get the look I want. It will eventually all get painted and covered with the body so maybe I should not be so OCD. Another prob that I had was that I couldn't get the roll cage square. I cut patterns from index cards and also drew out how I wanted the roll cage to look. Then I took the pan (that's chassis for non-VW people) from the kit, cut off the rear bulk head. glued in the forward bulk head and drilled holes where I wanted the legs of the roll cage to sit. I got a block of wood and transferred the holes for my pan's roll cage to the block of wood. I made the roll cage's legs too long so that they now extend through the pan and into the wood. When I'm finished mocking everything up, I'll pull everything off the block of wood and cut the legs to the proper length. So here are some photos showing what I've got so far: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W. Verts Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 What a great effort with so little to work with- keep it up. Question- is it just the picture or is the back hoop of the frame really long? Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Looking good so far. You made it work with next to nothing, I'd say you have exemplary scratchbuilding skills. Never again question your talent. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 29, 2014 Author Share Posted May 29, 2014 (edited) Question- is it just the picture or is the back hoop of the frame really long? Dale, the hoop looks really long right now. But that is actually the beginning of the engine cage. I actually made this sort of a hoop attached to a hoop. Starting with the main roll bar and working back, the first hoop will live inside the car body. The 2nd hoop will stick out behind the car but that's where the engine is. Stay tuned and it will make sense as I build more. (Well, hopefully, it will make sense. LOL) Looking good so far. You made it work with next to nothing, I'd say you have exemplary scratchbuilding skills. Never again question your talent. G Ok, what do you want? Haha. Thank you for the kind words. Edited May 29, 2014 by DavidG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbike-shaun Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 David whenyoutried the ca glue did you try "kicker"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted May 29, 2014 Author Share Posted May 29, 2014 (edited) No I didn't. I've actually never used the kicker. No one here has it and I ..... ok, I didn't know it existed. There is one advantage to the JB Weld for this application. While I tried fish mouthing all my joints, they didn't always fit all that well. With the JB Weld, I can slather it on, cover it up and it will stick fine. At my level of frustration, this is a GOOD thing!! Edited May 29, 2014 by DavidG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderbread Kustomz Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 That's freakin awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.