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VW Beetle pickup


Cpt Tuttle

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Since I don't build superbikes, I traded a Yamaha RD500 kit I had for an old tool Revell VW Beetle convertible.
When I opened the box, I didn't get very much inspiration, boring kit and lots of flash.....

Besides, I don't like Beetle convertibles very much...

So I thought, why not make something simple, yet fun, out of it? So this one is becoming a roadster pickup.

IMG_6640.thumb.JPG.acce7e8b2639ba398abbc

Since I didn't want it to look so much like a simple hacksaw job, an old Chevyvan body donated its roof for the wall in the back, since it had some slight radius.....

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  • 3 weeks later...

IMG_6667.thumb.JPG.962af41944fd1b57d1652

The body really was a terrible casting so I decided that I wanted a more "ratty" paintjob and decided to experiment a little.
First, I brush painted the body flat black, after it had dried for a week I took a 1200 grit paper and removed the worst brush strokes, then I used some fine steel wool and finally a 3000 grit polishing pad. To get some shine back without making it too glossy, I rubbed the body with lineseed oil. I think I achieved about the result I wanted.

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  • 1 month later...


Decided on wheels and tires now.
Wheels from the Revell "Mothers cherry pie" model A panel. Also the front tires, they look right at home up front on a bug...

In the rear, they were a bit too large and besides I don't think this one needs slicks... :P
Replaced them with a pair of Goodyear blue streaks.

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Carpet made of band aids, looks good from some meters away. Ford Courier bench seat (the black piping will get another coat, of course). Door panels cut from some unknown tub in the parts bin (MPC Switchers maybe), nice diamond pattern, will of course be repainted....

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The rubber on the running boards got some red too.

The big bumpers that is included in the kit won't fit the style I'm aiming for, so I found this Hasegawa (?) bumper, that I am planning to dechrome and paint white, bling is nothing for this car.
Maybe try to remove the horns too.

The dash needs another coat of paint and some detailing, but overall, I think this concept is working.
Yes, there is big gaps between floor pan and body, I know! The quality overall of the kit doesn't really encourage me to fix that either.
I am planning to paint a stock steering wheel bright red, but I think that I have to find a Hasegawa steering wheel then because the Revell wheel is very bad looking.

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I haven't built a bed yet, but I found a piece of wood that had the right dimensions so I could make a mockup for test purpouses, and I think that this can turn out quite tough looking.

I started with the bumper, i cut off the horns at the top and the bottom, then I filled them with pieces of styrene from behind and filed off the horns.....
Much sanding and painting left but good as a start, I think.

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  • 1 month later...

Looks good so far..... Similar to one I built many years ago...

 

same here

someone had a pickup truck build off one day, it had to be a RWD V8 fullsize pickup...so I jokingly said I would mod a bug to enter in and they called my bluff

 

I can post some pictures if your interested

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