Revell's new '68 Beetle

[Rick]

Is that a seperate headliner i spy in the parts layout??

Yes, it is!

I plan to get the kit and try to make a baja bug out of it.

I got this one, and two more on the way. I'm thinking Cal look, and Baja, like the ones I had, and at least one stock...

Rick

[Rick]

Here's a German page (I translated it) with the parts for the '70 Cabriolet:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php%3Fid%3D9553

It has just a swing axle but seems to be the padded dash I can use.

And here's the '68 hardtop kit from the same site:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php%3Fid%3D9554

Interesting it has the old non-padded dash but has the '68 engine lid with the hump. This one has no louvers and the '70 has them across the top. We should be able to get quite a few years out of these two kits.

Looks like I'll be getting a few of these too! Between the two kits, there are so many possibilities...

[DustyMojave]

Looking at the Convertible parts images:

- As noted by the German reviewer, the box art incorrectly shows a 71-72 model Super Beetle or in the European term, "1302". The body shown in the parts views is a Model 151, Deluxe LHD Convertible

-70 Convertible kit is a swingaxle. This is wrong as even ALL German home market convertibles were "Deluxe" and thus would have IRS, not the cheap model swingaxle

- The 2 dashes included, RHD and LHD are both padded, which is correct for the Model 151 of 1970 year model

- The fan shroud for the engine is incorrectly a "doghouse" shroud with the larger oil cooler in a bulge of the fan shroud on the firewall side. US market Bugs got this in the 1971 year model. My father, as a VW Field Service Engineer in 1969 and 70 worked on testing this feature which was developed to deal with added cooling demand on the recently introduced larger displacement engines of the time and trouble with overheating cylinder number 3 due to air flow blockage and preheating from the earlier style oil cooler. Road testing was done with prototypes under hot summertime desert conditions on Highway 15 on the long grade "north" from the little town of Baker, California. This feature is appreciated for other VW models. I have one on my 58 Baja Bug. It will not be visible when the body is on the chassis of the model. There is a lot else on the engine which will be difficult to deal with for Baja Bugs and dune buggies and other applications where the engine is exposed.

- The transaxle is rather poorly done and looks toy-like.

- The front axle is also poorly done and toy-like.

- A separate trunk lid with no trunk interior or hinges is rather bizarre.

This engine and trans in an Imai by Foxer looks good! for a 40hp 1200cc

[DustyMojave]

I'd also like to note that in looking at parts views of both kits, I DO NOT see any representation of a rear firewall, although the panel over the front foot well is present, even though it will not be visible in the assembled model, and the engine hood will open to view the engine and the strange opening around it.

Edit: Oops!!!!

I was passing over one of the images and I now see they both have a rear firewall. Not exactly detailed or in any way attempting to be a model of the full scale firewall, but it IS there.

Edited November 28, 2013 by DustyMojave

[Foxer]

This engine and trans in an Imai by Foxer looks good! for a 40hp 1200cc

Those were appreciated comments. I just wanted to set the record straight ... that's the '66 Tamiya I'm converting to a '69. I would have used these kits if I wasn't so far into it. I still may rob a few pieces.

[henry57]

Looks like a nice kit.

Do you have any better pics of the body?

[lordairgtar]

I might be missing the finer technical aspects of the rear suspension, but weren't they all IRS since the beginning? Wasn't a swing axle an independent suspension?

[Harry P.]

Wasn't a swing axle an independent suspension?

Technically, yes.

[Foxer]

agreed, they all have independent rear suspension. Volkswagon started it all by using the terms Swing Axle and IRS for their suspensions. This drawing shows both on the same axle. This page has some nice explanations.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Foxer

[Dominik]

Hi Budddies,

interesting diskussion about the Beetle.

I agree with most of the points. The boxart "California Wheels" for this one is not...hm...simply wrong. "European Line" would hit the nail.

This beetle was called "Standart" in Europe, the descrition "1200A". Sold with a 1200ccm engine, swing axle, less carpet and less headliner for example.

For Export there was sold the Beetle with massive bumbers, similar to the 1302, 1303 (super beetle) and some other detais on the interieur and engine.

In my view, the new tooling from RoG for this Beetle is realy realy good and dont must hide behind the Tamiya Beetle. Sure, if you look on the underbody it looks like a toy at some points. But, if it takes place in the vitrine, who is grabbing it to take a look underneath?

If you need or wish some more details from the kit, i will post it

[Foxer]

I got the 1970 VW Beetle Cabriolet and posted scans of the instructions on my Photobucket account.

The tail lights are molded with the body, unfortunately, and they are the best representations of then I've seen for American 1968 and later tail lights before those big oval ones. I may try a cast of them, but don't hold your breath waiting.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Foxer

[DustyMojave]

I got the 1970 VW Beetle Cabriolet and posted scans of the instructions on my Photobucket account.

The tail lights are molded with the body, unfortunately, and they are the best representations of then I've seen for American 1968 and later tail lights before those big oval ones. I may try a cast of them, but don't hold your breath waiting.

Regarding the tail lights, I cannot speak as an authority on European lights of 1968 and later vintage, but for US delivery cars, the tail lights are 1961-1967 vintage.

Note that I got these photos from the links above and with no intent to step on anyone's copyrights, I have included photos already introduced to this forum by someone else for the purposes of discussion.

1965 elliptical lights on the left gray Baja Bug. And 1968 - 1972 tail lights for US delivery have square bottoms as seen in this photo of a pair of US 1970 lights on the green BajaBug.

The gray one is my Baja Bug.

[Jouko]

Regarding the tail lights, I cannot speak as an authority on European lights of 1968 and later vintage, but for US delivery cars, the tail lights are 1961-1967 vintage.

Remember that this kit isn't an US delivery car. It's an European car kit.

[Dave Van]

I bought the kit.....like it.....don't really care what 'model' it is.....will make a neat modified build.

[Jordan White]

Would be nice if someone would put out a US spec '68-'70 sedan (unless there's one that I don't know of.)

[Craig Irwin]

The age old Revell VW kit is a 68 US spec. car, if you sand off the fender flairs that have been in the last few issues. I've done it so I can say there is enough plastic in the fenders to do so.

[Zarana-X]

Regarding the tail lights, I cannot speak as an authority on European lights of 1968 and later vintage, but for US delivery cars, the tail lights are 1961-1967 vintage.

Note that I got these photos from the links above and with no intent to step on anyone's copyrights, I have included photos already introduced to this forum by someone else for the purposes of discussion.

1965 elliptical lights on the left gray Baja Bug. And 1968 - 1972 tail lights for US delivery have square bottoms as seen in this photo of a pair of US 1970 lights on the green BajaBug.

The gray one is my Baja Bug.

'68-'70 had the "tombstone" shaped taillights, '71-'72 had slightly larger tombstone shaped tailights with a reflector on the side of the housing, or in their abscence, two holes like on the green car. The crescent vents behind the rear 1/4 window are telltale signs of a '71 and up car.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Zarana-X

[DustyMojave]

The elliptical lights on the gray '58 Baja are from my German delivery 1965. They are the same as the 2 new Revell kits have, as you can see from the posts above. The flat bottom lights on the green 1973 US car above (taillights are not original to that Bug) are exactly the same housing and lens as my set of 1968 lights in the garage except for the 2 holes on the side of the housing for the side reflector lens, which shows the lights came off a 71 or 72. No difference in size. It appears to me that these are the lights that the Revell kits should have, being 1968 sedan and 1970 convertible, regardless of market. I believe those side reflectors were required on US delivery Bugs and may not have been found on Bugs in other countries. US delivery Bugs 1973-1979 got bigger tail lights. I have a set here that were original on a 1974. But they are rather bigger than 72s.

[Chuck Most]

A 100% correct euro spec "California Wheels" car?

Somebody at Revell needs to wake up...

Well, this IS a reboxed Revell AG kit.

But yeah, releasing it in the California Wheels series is a bit puzzling in this context.

[FASTBACK340]

I still say this kit is a conflicting mess of parts/years..... It's a `68 version in a market somewhere? OK, good `nuff.

[Guest]

The members here from Europe say it is a European market version. I think the should know, the live there!

[Craig Irwin]

It's real simple, VW built cars to sell all over the world, and each country had its own laws on safety, lighting, bumpers, emission equipment, left of right hand steering, and so on. In 67 the US got serious with these things and VW had to meet these new requirements, so US VW's look different than the ones sold elseware, and these "improvements" were phased in at later dates for other countrys.

South African Beetles never got the new rear fenders used from 73 up for the large rear taillights, they got a metal base that made those lights work on the older fenders.

Brazilian Beetles never got the larger side windows that the rest of the world got in 65.

Mexican Beetles never switched to IRS..

French Beetles always had yellow headlights.

And the list goes on....

Edited December 9, 2013 by Craig Irwin

[martinfan5]

Well, this IS a reboxed Revell AG kit.

But yeah, releasing it in the California Wheels series is a bit puzzling in this context.

Which means that its a Revell AG tooled kit, and that the kit was tooled for European markets, not the American market, so its kind of funny people getting a little miffed over it

[Dominik]

This is the original Boxart from the kit:

it is a pure european Beetle, 1968 called 1200A or Standard .
New tooled kit from Revell of Germany.

The box "California Wheels" is unfortunate, not the piece of cake. "European Line" would hit it.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Dominik

[Duntov]

OH man----- ALL THOSE INACCURACIES!!!!!!!!!

I WILL NOT BUY ONE ----- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because they provided a kit with all those mistakes I won't be able to build this!!!!!! HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO US!!!??!?!??!

(_________________) )