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Which Beetle kit fits this criteria?


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Hello, guys.... I have planned for a future project the Coyote X from the old '80s TV show. The car in the first season was based on a VW pan. I'm in need of a Beetle kit that has a full pan assembly that is separate from the body. One that carries all the suspension and drive train on the pan assembly. I'll be trying to join this with the body from the MPC kit.......

Thanks for any info.........!

1128379241_coyotex.jpg.5447a3358f289ea4540cf412d74228ae.jpg

 

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The tamiya beetle kit is th only one i know of with a correct type floor pan and has by far the bast detailed engine. The others have the rear arches molded into the pan. heres some pics of th tamiya pan. On these it has been slammed and the front axle narrowed

 

49727311813_2aa84ce045_k.jpg

49728173702_5ab1b080db_k.jpg

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I've built the Tamiya Beetle, that would be my choice.  Don't know about wheelbase dimension.   Also built the Hasegawa Bus (with modifications), no engine, do not recommend it or any bus because of how the design of a box is different than w 917 wannabe.   Have the Gunze Sangyo kit, no engine.

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the wheelbase on the tamiya bug is 100mm and its 60mm wide with the option to narrow a little more by trimming off the part under the running boards. The height of the engine once its fitted might be problem though since the rear of the body looks kinda low on your pic. Unfortunatelly I dont have any that I can measure that height on without taking a build apart. I'm going to guess it would be about 30mm from the ground on stock suspension and maybe 20mm from the frame.

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Thanks for the responses, Fellas...... This is all most helpful!

24 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

The height of the engine once its fitted might be problem though since the rear of the body looks kinda low

I have it from a very reliable source and wealth of info that the engine in the hero car wasn't the basic VW engine, it was the 411 series engine, which has a lower profile........

(If I understand that correctly)

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34 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

Thanks for the responses, Fellas...... This is all most helpful!

I have it from a very reliable source and wealth of info that the engine in the hero car wasn't the basic VW engine, it was the 411 series engine, which has a lower profile........

(If I understand that correctly)

you can find very basic versions of those engine in the revell t3 van and porsche 914 kits. The one from the t3 van fits the tamiya gearbox and is the same scale. I havent got the 914 but i beleive its 1/25 while the others are 1/24

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30 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

Revell did do a Manx Kit too.

What's in the Box? Revell 85-2366 1964 California Dune Buggy - YouTube

That's not a Manx, that's an EMPI Imp. It has a decent chassis/engine, too. Would the chopped wheelbase be long enough?

Revell also did a 1/25 Beetle in several different iterations, if the full wheelbase is needed in 1/25. 

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25 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Revell also did a 1/25 Beetle in several different iterations, if the full wheelbase is needed in 1/25.

I think what I should probably do is get the MPC Coyote kit first since I'll definitely be needing it, then I could figure out the wheelbase needed and go from there.....

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3 hours ago, stitchdup said:

you can find very basic versions of those engine in the revell t3 van and porsche 914 kits. The one from the t3 van fits the tamiya gearbox and is the same scale. I havent got the 914 but i beleive its 1/25 while the others are 1/24

The engine in the Revell 914 is a blobular six, nee 911.

Most 914s came with the VW 411/412-based 4-cylinder engine (which was also in the Porsche 912E).

It has a low profile cooling system like the earlier VW squareback and fastback 1600 engines...which is one big reason it was used in the TV Cotote.

The engine in the T3 van is probably a wasserboxer, fitted to European VW vans after '82...but I've never had that kit so I don't know fer sure.     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserboxer

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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4 hours ago, JollySipper said:

Thanks for the responses, Fellas...... This is all most helpful!

I have it from a very reliable source and wealth of info that the engine in the hero car wasn't the basic VW engine, it was the 411 series engine, which has a lower profile........

(If I understand that correctly)

You do.    :D

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4 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The engine in the Revell 914 is a blobular six nee 911.

Most 914s came with the VW 411/412 engine (which was also in the Porsche 912E).

It has a low profile cooling system like the earlier VW squareback and fastback 1600 engines...which is one big reason it was used in the TV Cotote.

The engine in the T3 van might be a water-boxer...but I've never had that kit so I don't know fer sure.

this is the t3 engine on a bug pan. its for a bug van so i had to use it instead of the earlier engine for the lower profile.

DSC06484.JPG

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