VW Dave

Sadly, I missed him; apparently, he ambled through the pits Sunday afternoon after we had gone home. He told my buddy Jon that his Bones-built roadster was 'really cool.' I did get to meet automotive artist Keith Weesner, vintage motorcycle guru Matt Walksler and Willie G. Davidson at TROG, so I didn't do so bad.

I spent the weekend in Wildwood, attending The Race Of Gentlemen, and it was an absolute blast. As I'm doing a part-time gig at Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop, it was kind of a 'working trip.' I went with two cameras(three if you include my phone) and, even though my family had to leave mid-day Sunday, I still took a ton of pictures......enjoy TROG 2017

No chance of a wide-eye from RepMinCo, unfortunately. I may, however, have a spare Revell-based resin wide-eye body that I wouldn't miss, Dale.....PM or email me: plasticman1432@gmail.com If anyone is seriously considering this body kit from Norm, please drop him a line so he knows the demand is there.

How long overdue is a proper 1/24-1/25 Baja bug model.....only like forever, right? Well, the wait might just be over, thanks to a certain MD-based resin caster. Sometime in September is the proposed release date, and the pricing is still TBD, but the pre-production pieces I have in hand tell me it's gonna be a winner. I can answer most questions about it, but all inquiries/feedback/pre-order pleas should be sent to normanveber@aol.com

Clark's method doesn't alter the rear fender area at all, so yes they can....or you can lop them off and go fender-free. Out of curiosity, what Beetle kit are you using?

I also hope it gets back to you shortly, and we see more updates.....I'm loving this build!

They look even better in person, trust me. I had a guy ask me if Hideo-San sells the center cap decals separately, and had to tell him those logos are actually machined in(!) and simply relief painted.

Check out Archer Transfers (www.archertransfers.com); they make resin surface details on clear water slide decal material like louvers, weld beads, rivets and bolt heads. I've recently used their louvers with very good results.

Shardick - The artwork was done by the late Dave "Big" Deal, a close friend of Bruce Meyers and a Manx enthusiast/owner. I love this model too; looks righteous with the Revell wheels & tires, as well as the Motohashi windshield. Price aside, it's a gorgeous item. Having a real Meyers Manx in the garage, and building it in scale, the kit part wasn't going to work for me.

Sadly, the stretch method often 'flattens' the roofline of a Beetle......I've heard many 1:1 customizers compare it to chopping an egg. the link below shows a very nice step-by-step done by Chris Clark Customs: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=345410 My own scale Volksrod has a rather flat chop, but I can only take credit for saving it from the trash bin at my buddy's house and finishing what he started. http://public.fotki.com/vwdave/my_model_cars/volksrod/dscn3107.html

I don't remember the name, but I can get them locally if you have enough trouble getting them in your neck of the woods.

Or a sharpened silver pencil...another trick I learned from military & aircraft modelers

If it's lacquer, 91% oughta do the trick; I've had good luck stripping Tamiya spray with it as of late

"Tastes great...and just look at that shine!" Drama aside - I'm blown away by your paint work, Larry. Most excellent! After spraying the base color, I do my dune buggy flake and initial coats of clear with a brush; the top coats are spray clear:

If the rivets are small, I'd start with an emery board; it's too easy to go overboard with a grinding tool. After sanding, I'd blast the whole shell with aluminum oxide media to prep for new paint.

great tutorial! Looks like very realistic patina and surface rust...even on the fiberglass bed sides.

Don't be apprehensive in the least; they are among the best in the business. I ordered with 2 friends, and we split the postage(which was reasonable, btw). Shipping was faster than many stateside resin casters can even dream of, and the quality is top notch. For conversion purposes, I keep www.xe.com as a favorite; according to them, as of yesterday the US dollar was worth AU$1.057

If you're using rattle cans, I'd go with Tamiya light gunmetal and metallic black

Three thumbs up! Is that the Revell snapper kit? I love busting a slump with a quickie build, and it's even better when it comes out that nice

A tripod will also help the quality of your photos, in conjunction with the macro setting; I have a full-size tripod(40+" fully extended) and a mini tabletop one. My total investment in both tripods was about $25. The secret to good closeups, as I was told, is to let your zoom get as close as possible; I don't get my camera any closer than about 8-12"

While this idea was for just an aluminum rod single hoop in a Meyers Manx buggy, it could also apply to a whole cage: I used index card material to make a template, based on fitting to the model body(and measurements of my 1:1 Manx's roll bar), and I made a rudimentary bending jig with scrap wood from my dining room floor install and a few roofing nails.

It works great, but I've found a much cheaper alternative: Valspar 'velvet' spray paint(formerly Krylon 'Make it Suede'). It comes in several different colors, in larger cans than the SM stuff, and I get mine at my local Michaels store for about 6 bucks a can after using one of their 40% coupons. I did the interior of my V-Bucket with the Krylon stuff, in 'buckskin' color: It doesn't photograph well, but I got a nice, grainy leather-like texture on this chopper seat by shooting Make It Suede topped with Tamiya semigloss black:

Welcome from the other end of NY, Shaun; what part of Rochester are you in?

I have a partial fret of PE wing bolts I can send you, Rob; I may also have a good pair of mirrors from an AMT '70 Monte Carlo that would do the trick. PM or email me: plasticman1432@gmail.com

I'd use aluminum or brass rod for the sway bar