mrmike Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 (edited) My new project and the return of McNally, Boston PI in a story called Beetle Beginnings. The story is not related to anyone living or deceased and is only to show what is driving this build. The Build I am using Revell's '68 Volkswagen Beetle kit, #85-4192. It will be painted in a light pastel blue paint that I will be getting later today. So far, I have cleaned the body of mold lines and will give it a good washing with Dawn dish detergent and warm water. The Story While cleaning out a closet, McNally finds an old photo album with pictures of his Mom and Dad, old friends from school like Johnny Hallis and his future wife, Teresa Burrett, pictures of the house and of the cars the family has owned over the years. One picture brought a smile to McNally's face, a picture of his first car, an old '68 Volkswagen Beetle. He had bought the car from the Estate of Everett Harold Tomlinson who had stopped driving at the age of 90 years old and the car sat in the garage for three years until his death from old age. The family wanted the old car gone as it was old and archaic. They hated the old car as it brought images of the good and the bad times that Everett had lived and suffered through. Young McNally had brought his father along that Saturday to sign for the Beetle with his son. The lawyer for the Estate, Alfred R. Manicottis signed the bill of sale after Young McNally and his father, Officer Raymond McNally had both signed the document and the money was then exchanged, $200. Johnny Hallis' father owned a wrecker service and he towed the Beetle to McNally's house and he help park the old car in the back yard next to the garage where young McNally will work on it to get it running again. He'll drain the old gas, perform a tune-up, and get the car ready for State Inspection. But, cleaning out the trash and junk inside the old Beetle will send young McNally down a path of discovery that he has no idea about. McNally will return... Edited August 9, 2018 by mrmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Michael...... I really like this idea of yours to have an interesting story attached to the build of a scale model motor car, and I am considering doing something similar with my 1958 Hooper & Co diorama build. I did follow the story that you ran with a previous build and the process adds a great deal to the build itself I find. My building has an interesting history and very often during the build I have found myself giving names to the figures and thinking about what these people may have been doing during the 1950's. Thank you for the inspiration and I shall follow your work in progress. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I like the story as part of the build presentation, too. Interesting and original. You have me wanting to know what happens next. I also have a soft spot for old Bugs. My first car was a '62 with a '58 engine that leaked oil as fast as you could pour it in. I was a broke college student, and keeping that little car running, and later hot-rodding it, led me down a "path of discovery" into the workings of internal combustion engines (and vehicle systems in general), and the rest, as they say, is history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 26 minutes ago, Anglia105E said: Michael...... I really like this idea of yours to have an interesting story attached to the build of a scale model motor car, and I am considering doing something similar with my 1958 Hooper & Co diorama build. I did follow the story that you ran with a previous build and the process adds a great deal to the build itself I find. My building has an interesting history and very often during the build I have found myself giving names to the figures and thinking about what these people may have been doing during the 1950's. Thank you for the inspiration and I shall follow your work in progress. David Thank you David! I like to write a story based on my creation of McNally, Boston PI. I have only done one other story based on a completely different character called Mr. Allen. The stories give me an incentive to build a kit that resides in my stash a lot soon than later and maybe one that might not get built at all. Besides, I do like this little part of me that gets to create something out of my imagination. 17 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said: I like the story as part of the build presentation, too. Interesting and original. You have me wanting to know what happens next. I also have a soft spot for old Bugs. My first car was a '62 with a '58 engine that leaked oil as fast as you could pour it in. I was a broke college student, and keeping that little car running, and later hot-rodding it, led me down a "path of discovery" into the workings of internal combustion engines (and vehicle systems in general), and the rest, as they say, is history. Thank you Bill! My original story is much longer than what I post here. I don't want to overwhelm my build with a story that could become much more interesting than the build. I too, have a soft spot for VW Beetles, especially if they were rodded in some way. Some were way over the top rodded and I started to lose interest in them and only liked them for their reliability and economy. My Aunt Marge had an old Beetle and it was fun watching my father trying to get the Beetle into reverse (gotta push that lever down) and moving the car out of the driveway so he can go to work. She and my Uncle Fred had met up with some friends and rode with them to a party out of town and she left the Beetle in the driveway and the keys behind on the kitchen counter in case the car had to be moved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PARTSMARTY Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Old beetles are cool !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Oh yeah, Beetles in New England winters ... a '68 and '69 I barely survived in, not to mention the '54 in I had in Germany. Know I know why they made so many in Brazil. ... watching, and reading, this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Well, I have changed my mind on the paint color. The only pastel blue I could find is Testors Enamel and I am very down on Testors Enamels right now. Not enough pigment in the paint for my liking and, of course, the drying time. I prefer the lacquers from Tamiya or Model Master/Testors. I have decided on Tamiya TS-23 Light Blue for now, but I may venture out into the heat today and search Home Depot and some auto parts stores for a can of pastel blue if I can find one at a reasonable cost. McNally will return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballroad Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I will be watching your post, enjoyed your one on the 32 Ford also, just joined the forum, reminds of my 68 and 73 Beetle, one had to own one to appreciate your story to share... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 (edited) Thanks Perry! The Story Almost a week has gone by and young McNally has been picking away at the old Beetle. He pulled the back seat, disconnected the battery and took it into the garage and place it on the bench in a metal tray, hooked it to a battery charger and will let it sit there for a day or two. The gauge on the charger shows the battery taking a charge. He'll wait until Sunday afternoon when he can pull the wheels off the car to inspect the brakes. He'll inspects the rest of the suspension and takes notes of what will need replacing. It is now Sunday afternoon and Dad is working, Mom has gone visiting her folks on Beacon Hill, and McNally grabs a trash can and pulls it over to the Beetle, opens the passenger door and starts throwing away some old books and magazines a couple of old empty boxes and then he sits in the passenger seat and opens the glove box. He pulls out three packets of now brown ketchup, a bunch of salt packets, some old receipts, an ice scraper, a bottle of dried up touchup paint, the old registration, and the owners manual. He looks through the manual when a picture falls out into his lap and he picks it up and looks at it. It is old and somewhat faded and of an older gentlman sitting and a young child standing on a large boulder with a lake in the background. He puts the picture in his pocket and will make an attempt to return it to its rightful owner. The Build I had another reason to go out today, my living room A/C took a dump on me and I went out and bought a new portable unit so I am not lugging that one in and out of the shed and throwing out my back. While I was out, I stopped at Home Depot and looked at their spray cans and found Rust-oleum Gloss Spa Blue for under $4.00. It looks like a pastel blue to my eye so I'm gonna give it a try! McNally will return... Edited June 30, 2018 by mrmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 The Story After school, young McNally gets a ride to see Attorney Manicottis to ask about the picture he had found in the Beetle's Owner's Manual. The Attorney says he'll ask the family about the picture tomorrow when he meets with them about other Estate matters. He then walks down to City Hall to check into registering the VW. While he was there, he went over to Birth Records to find any info about the rest of the family. The Build Well, I guess you get what you pay for. I didn't like the way this paint layed down on the Volkswagen body. Since I have to go shopping tomorrow, I'll stop at a couple of auto shops and look for paint. This stinks since I do like a metallic paint and this VW requires a solid paint. The body, hood and trunk are now taking a Easy-Off bath. McNally will return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 After a good washing and sanding, I'll re-prime the VW body, let it dry for a day and re-paint with Tamiya TS-23 Light Blue. It's not the color I want, but it is close. Sometimes you can't have everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 The Story Young McNally returns home from school this Friday and he is not scheduled to work at Piccolo's Hardware tonight. He changes his clothes and goes outside to work on the Beetle. He decides to wash and polish the old car to see just how bad the body and paintwork really is. With a bucket full of warm soapy water and a sponge, he starts scrubbing and it reveals a decent re-paint at some point in the old car's life. An inspection reveals that the left rear fender was replaced which may have required a re-paint of the car, at least for Everett, the former owner. The Beetle only had 83,000 miles on it and he is sure that the majority of the miles were put on when the car was young. But, in the back of his mind, the old picture was there reminding him that he needs to find the owner of the picture and who the people were in the picture. After drying the Beetle, he gets out the polish and starts rubbing the finish, bringing out the shine in the old repainted body. He finishes polishing and waxing the Bug when his Mom pulls into the driveway with her car and a load of groceries. He helps her bring the groceries into the house and then he cleans up and helps with dinner. The Build I spent about an hour putting the engine together this afternoon. You can tell that this is a Revell of Germany kit inspite of the Revell USA packaging. This is fine with me since this VW kit is a very nice kit with positive mounting points and really good molding. I was going to wire the engine, but now that the engine has been assembled, I think it's a little too late for that now. McNally will return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfan Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Cool build! You always have the nicest things. I'm on a Porsche and VW kick right now, so this very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballroad Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Reminds me of the 73 VW I bought used at the local Chevy dealership, its interior was full of leaves, they gave it a "fluff and buff" looked much better.I remember how shocked I was to discover the battery under the seat with a little plastic cover for the positive cable to prevent shorting out the battery, then the real corker was the windshield washers powered by the spare tires air....? Keep the story going, love it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewetwo Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Looking good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 Thanks Gary, Perry, and David! The Story will keep on going as I do have a ways to go with it. This is just the beginning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 The Story Young McNally takes a seat at the dinner table with his mom. Tonight, they are having fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes. His Mom asks about his day and he tells her about school work and the Beetle. He mentions the picture he found in the owners manual and he shows her the picture. She says that she doesn't recognize anyone in the picture or anything in the background. McNally says he has asked the Tomlinson attorney about the picture and he will ask the family about it. Young McNally hopes to be able to return the picture and move on with the Beetle. His Mom knows that he can become a little narrow-minded once he starts focusing on a subject, and this picture is no different. He tells his Mom that all he wants to do is return the picture to the rightful owner, but little does he know what he will find as he digs up information on the Tomlinson family. The Build I have never weathered a model before, so this is my first. I wanted to weather the chassis and the engine a little to show some wear from years of use. I started with Acryl Rust and I dry-brushed it onto the chassis. I installed the engine and dry-brushed some Tamiya X-19 Smoke onto the engine with a little Acryl Rust. McNally will return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 The engine and chassis looks very realistically weathered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballroad Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Yup, looks great just like the bottom of all the cars around here! I worked in auto repair for years and have seen my fair share of rust and dirt, that looks like real stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 (edited) Thank you David and Perry! It's good to know that I am on the right path for weathering. Edited July 9, 2018 by mrmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 The Story Young McNally is in his room doing his homework and studying when he hears the doorbell ring downstairs. His Mom answers the door and he hears her talking to someone, but he is focused on his homework and he doesn't pay any attention to what is going on downstairs. That changes when his Mom calls upstairs to him to come down to the living room. He is then introduced to Richard Tomlinson, Everett's son who wants to see the picture and young McNally gets the picture from his room and brings it down to show Richard. Richard looks at the picture front and back and says to throw the picture away and he leaves to the house with McNally and his Mom looking at each other and wondering what just happened. There is a small waste can next to the coat rack by the front door and McNally tosses the picture into the trash and goes back upstairs to continue studying. The following morning, young McNally is putting his books into his back pack and he finishes getting dressed for school. He goes downstairs for breakfast and puts his pack by the front door and he sees the picture in the trash can. He pulls the picture out of the trash can and places it inside his back pack and then goes into the kitchen for breakfast. He will try to find out more about the picture after school. The Build I finished the chassis this morning, complete with weathering. The body, trunk, and hood have been re-primed and will be painted soon with Tamiya TS-23 Light Blue. McNally will return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmike Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 The Story Young McNally goes back to City Hall after school to search birth records and to find any other notices of intent by the Family and the Executor of Tomlinson's Estate while looking for any clues and people he can ask about the picture in his possession. He also discovers that Richard Tomlinson works as a stock broker for Taggert, Mathews, Collins and Associates and they are in a cash flow issue as reported by the Boston Globe newspaper. It was reported that layoffs and even a possible closure of the brokerage might happen. The Police and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating the Brokerage. This must be bad news for investors and stockbrokers alike. He gets home in time to help his Mom get supper on the table. His Dad is working tonight, so it is just the two of them again. After dinner, he helps clean up the table and puts the dishes into the dish washer and then he takes a glass of water out onto the back deck and he sits there and stares at the Beetle still up on blocks. He thinks about the work he has done on the car and the work still needed, then he turns his mind towards the picture and the information he has amassed since he found the picture. He wonders about where all this is going and what he still needs to do. The Build Paint was flying today as I got all the body parts into three mist coats and two wet coats of paint. Last night, I attempted to make a Hurst VW shifter with reverse lockout. Not bad, but it could be better. I may try again with a shifter from my parts box. McNally will return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballroad Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Looking real nice,isn't that some really nice spray paint, I don't think I will ever use anything else...Hmmm. shifter lockout, let's see, oh yes, push down on the knob for reverse, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldmopars Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Ballroad said: Looking real nice,isn't that some really nice spray paint, I don't think I will ever use anything else...Hmmm. shifter lockout, let's see, oh yes, push down on the knob for reverse, The shifter he is replicating is the Hurst(or clones) that had a finger pull lock out. Stock VWs you had to push the shifter down, then move into reverse. The Hurst style you pulled up on the finger pull and over, not down. These were very popular in the 80-90's, I had a couple in my many Bugs. Looking good MrMike. After owning 36 Aircooled VWs, I have a soft spot for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 One of the problems with the shifter on the old Type !'s was the bracket supporting the shifter rod. This was a very thin almost "Tin" type of bracket with an even thinner part hanging down that the shift rod was supported by. After years of pushing down on the shifter into reverse they often would fail. Not an expensive or hard part to get from VW, but a pain to have to deal with. I fashioned a bracket out of welding rod. Lasted a couple of years until I sold my '67 Type 1 Baja Bug. Couldn't afford a Hurst Shifter at that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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