Chuck Most Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Okay, so this one's been out a while. When it first came out, retail was right about eighty freakin' bucks. This one had a price of $77 at a local hobby shop, another one put it on clearance for $30, so I snapped it up then! I've seen this kit and similar versions of it going for about that much,too, so if you've had your eye on this one for a while, but didn't want to pony up the bucks, now would appear to be the time. Anyone who's built the Hasegawa '67 Type 2 pickup kit should be in familiar territory- this kit is similar to that one. It's a tradtional Japanese curbside kit- having no engine besides the lower half molded to the transaxle unit. Front suspension is steerable, and attaches via nylon donuts, as with most Hasegawa and Tamiya kits I've encountered in the past. The tires are no-name soft rubber, and the wheels are very nicely done, although there is no hub/lugnut detail, so the VW-branded baby moon caps are mandatory unless you'd like to perform a little plastic surgery to the wheel hubs. The side and rear doors are molded partly open, and only joined at the hinges. The instructions mention that they can be cut open and reattached in the open position, but Hasegawa points out that this kit does not include the inner door panels, which is correct. This seems to imply there is a version of this kit which does have those parts, and I have to wonder why Hasegawa did not include them. Hasegawa did include two HUGE resin surfboards (I guess they'd be long boards? ) with kit, each with a separately molded fin, and also two resin roof rack bars, as well as graphics on the decal sheet for the boards. Let's face it, any 'non-hippie' mircobus is probably a surf wagon, right? About those decals- Hasegawa's are some of the best I've ever used- they lay down well, and are pretty forgiving as far as positioning them on the model. Like most kits of this type, the body and interior are pretty well done, and that compensates somewhat for the lack of any engine detail. Detail freaks will pass this kit up in favor of the Revell Samba bus, due to its engine and opening,hinged doors. The Revell kit is fairly easy to build for how complex it is, but is still a bit off-putting to many modelers, the Hasegawa is a cakewalk to build. The Revell kit sells for about what I bought my Hasegawa example for, so if you can find the Hasegawa kit for a bargain basement price, I'd still reccomend it. The time spent not fiddling with the Revell's hinged doors and engine parts could be time spent customizing the van, or focusing on interior detail, as the interior is in plain sight with all those windows. I wanted this kit when it was almost eighty bucks, now that some places are selling it for much, much less, I'd say it's a must-have for any Vee Dub fanatic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooneyzs Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Very Cool. If I could pick that up for 30 bucks I probablywould of too... No way would I pay 80 for it HEck I just ordered a Tamiya 66 VW Bug off ebay for 21.00 for a particular bug I want to build after seeing it at a local car show 2 weeks ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Laski Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Chuck, Nice review. I picked one of these up about a year ago on ebay for about 30 bucks and I agree with everything you said. I'll tell you, the surfboards actually are pretty accurate looking and I've gotten compliments on them for their realism from actual surfers, and I think they help set the model apart. The racks on mine were a bit warped, but they still look OK, and I had to scratch a new antenna, but other than that I built it stock. I think you'll enjoy it very much. -Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) I have trouble with the current pricing on these kits being that they are so old. I started mine before the new Revell one was out but I got a Revell to steal the front logo and old turn signals off in addition to some interior details. Still, it's a well done kit and the body is in one piece. Yeah, it's still in the shop waiting for a repaint. Edited March 25, 2011 by Foxer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Pugh Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I love me a Bus! These look great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duntov Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Thanks Chuck!!! Great review.... I have my eye on one these..... I have the Revell version and would like to add this one to the stash.....thanks again!!! Regards Bill (Duntov) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygre Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 It's a very well molded kit, for sure. I reviewed the original edition for SAE back when it first came out in the '90s. Revell also boxed this kit in 2001-2002 with non-plated dog dish hubcaps. Only one edition of this kit came with interior side panels, and I believe those were cast in resin for Hasegawa. Also notice the open gaps in the doors on the one-piece body. This was done so that the doors could be cut open and positioned accordingly (or hinged, if a modeler was so inclined.) The lack of interior side panels was the dealbreaker for me as they are VERY visible whether the doors are mounted open or closed. Granted, there is a ten-plus-year difference between Hasegawa's tool and the new Revell one, but the level of detail shows that. The multi-piece body may put some off, and that may be enough reason to go for Hasegawa's offering, but the new Revell kit stands head and shoulders above in nearly all other aspects - resin surfboards notwithstanding. Just my dos centavos, mi amigos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) I made some interior panels for the Revell kit I built. I just cut some sheet styrene from card stock templates I made, scribed a groove where the trim strip was to go and painted them. The trim strip is just pieces of wire I got from some twist ties and the arm rests I carved from laminated styrene. Easy Peasy! David G. Edited March 27, 2011 by David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Some beautiful bus builds from this one, guys! Larry does bring up another strength of the Revell kit- the great inner panel detail (though it is marred a bit in places by ejector pin divots). I really like David's solution, sounds like even I could pull that off, but it does seem a bit strange Hasegawa did not provide any interior panels. I might cut this one up into a double-cab pickup, so the lack of inner panel detail may not be much of a hindrance! Speaking of which... hey, Hasegawa? How about bringing back that '67 Type II pickup kit???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygre Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I too like David's solution. Would be even nicer if such good work can be duplicated in resin as an aftermarket enhancement. I did a little research and found this, the only Hasegawa kit that offered interior panels. It was a limited edition and is pretty pricey when you find one these days. Look at it this way, guys. Most of us were never exposed to the original Revell 1959-vintage VW Microbus kit, and that had a multi-piece body that has nowhere near the more precise tolerances of the all-new Revell offering, not to mention 1959-vintage lack of fine detail. But for what it was, it was pretty decent and VERY workable. Between Hasegawa and Revell, oh boy do we have it good as far as VW Microbuses are concerned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 I've heard what a nightmare that original 1:25 Bus kit can be, and you know what? I STILL want one! Even if it's one of the later, non-stock variants. The new tool 1:24 Revell kit is actually a cakewalk to build, the only reason mine isn't done is because I lost the last few parts I had to install during a move, ( ), but I'd still love to take a crack at the old Revell kit, too. One can never have too many VW busses on one's display shelf, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VW Dave Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 If memory serves correctly, Chuck, the $80 Hasegawa kit was akin to the Gunze 'High Tech' series: full engine detail, white metal parts, opening doors and full interior panels....I've seen them, but never felt inclined to pony up that kind of coin. If anyone is into the Hasegawa kit, I'd also recommend looking for this Revell one: Inside the box, it's the EXACT SAME kit as the Hasegawa...and the price was less than half of the Hasegawa version. Wish I knew that before hacking 2 Hasegawas into donors for my Barndoor projects. About 15 years ago, I got to build a virgin '58 kit for a friend. A Gunze Beetle gave up its wheels & tires, and I fabbed the rear window 'jail bars' out of straight pins, but the rest was built OOB: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Pugh Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Wow! Another beauty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Dave... wasn't that one in SAE years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VW Dave Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Dave... wasn't that one in SAE years ago? I think it was in one of their contest issues; that picture was taken by Neil VanZile at one of the MassCar shows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 I think it was in one of their contest issues; that picture was taken by Neil VanZile at one of the MassCar shows Yep, '96 or '97, I'll have to dig them out and look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltflat1 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Found this today, Wondering if anyone else saw it. Available at Plastic Models.com very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 I'm going totally from memory on this, but I think its mostly the same as the '63 Bus and Type 2 pickup, meaning its a curbside but has a pretty good chassis and body. I don't think it comes with any interior side panels, though. Pics of the Bus- http://public.fotki.com/ChuckMost/kit-contents/hasegawa/63-volkswagen-type-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs396 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Revell has the better bus, but wouldn't mind the Moon decals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Chuck is right, and I have to say I love that kit. I've built a few and I've always been happy with the results. Plus, if you like to paint models over a weekend, this one has few parts and it builds up perfectly fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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