Foxer

This continues to look better and better. I congratulate you on this design .. it is just ravishing!

Isn't Jairus devious enough to post it over there?

A small update while much detail painting is going on and the engine boys are in assembly mode... The frame is also in white primer waiting for some Sunoco Yellow paint. The doors were welded up with Archer Weld Bead decals. These are resin weld beads on decal paper and they apply just like decals. These are the 2nd smallest size ... about a 3/4" weld. I used some of the larder sized on the other door to see how they look and will probably leave them on for some variation. They were a little stiff at the rounded body molding under the windows but I knife cut and some setting solution will hopefully fix that. I'm pretty happy with the way these look under paint.

That looks great, Ed!!!! Very nice detailing and the tank is awesome looking! Cool that you drove this puppy ,, that always makes a build something special.

This is looking FANTASTIC with the paint on .. better than I imagined it would! An awesome job you're doing on this, Curt! The running gear looks great ..nice color variations. The rivets I was especially interested in because a have some Archer "weld beads" I'm applying to a drag coupe to weld the doors shut. They DO go on nice! Still have a few to apply and can't wait to get some paint over them to see how they look.

I see the wheel treatment now .. thanks for the heads up, Bob. Also, the cone type turn signals! Think I just got too excited with these parts before I really went thru it all, eheh.

As a note of interest, I just received the new Revell Samba the wheels scale out to 19.1" ! How unfortunate to miss this by so much in such an outstanding kit. Edit: I'm leaving this, but see Zoom Zoom's post below to see my error.

A really nice, ecologically sound save!! ..and it looks great to boot!!

The next modification needed was to remove the bumper guards and modify the extent of the rubber bumper moldings. The ˜56 front turn signals were conical shaped rather than the large round units on the "63 bus. These were also used on the Karman Ghia and were pilfered from a Tamiya Karman Ghia kit. The tail lights are smaller rounds ones and I used some Corvette bezels with lenses made from red lights from the parts box. Both are shown in the following photo. At the present time, the body was painted with Sand Green (light) and Palm Green (dark) paint from Model Car World and matches the 1:1 vehicle perfectly! I first tried masking the front VW emblem then hand painted it, neither of which was satisfactory. Today I received the Revell Samba and the front emblem is separate and perfect size! I also polished through to the primer on some window edges, so the body will be cleaned up and repainted. Another member alerted that the slotted wheels in the Hasegawa kit are wrong for a ’56 bus. Somehow I missed this and will be looking for some suitable substitute. The wheels from the new Revell samba would be correct, but they scale out to 19.1“ in diameter! I also have taken a number of interior pieces from the Revell kit such as the front panel covering the headlight backs and heater vent, the overhead heater panel, seat handrails and maybe a few others as I come upon them. The Revell bus interior is VERY well detailed!

This kit started as the Hasegawa Type 2 Micro Bus (1963) ’23-Window and it’s being converted to a 1956 Kombi that my Dad owned and taught me to drive on. As I looked at the first photos of the WIP I noticed the date was 2002! Yes, it has been in the works for some time and even reached finished paint stage before window edges falling under the “sanded thru plague”. The front VW emblem caused me the most trouble as it is molded on the body and was difficult to mask. About this time the first test shots of the Revell Samba Bus appeared and this looked like just what the doctor ordered to complete my Kombi! So, here’s the WIP as it has been recorded … This is the 23-window body as it started and a few photos along the way as 12 windows got filled with sheet plastic and the rear window was reduced in size. I started filling the seams with Green Squadron putty as none of the seams were that large. It's been 7 years now and no shrinkage so I guess it's safe.

hmmm .. I haven't used Brasso since cleaning my belt buckle in the Army 40 years ago .. maybe I don't want to recall that

Use it straight.

That looks really good ,,, ya can't beat real metal for that metallic look!

Interesting that it was cast those colors and also a Treehugger with NO paint! This is what they mean by Plastic Polish.

Welcome and what a great stash to wander through. Whoever that was completes projects at MY speed.. ehhe

MY kind of place! Looks just like mine AND I know exactly where everything is. There's little enough time to model as it is without dusting bottle caps!

Very nice! Building something on the bench is my idea of fun. Looks like you still had a ways to go on the 1:1.

I DO realize he carries automobiles, but the links went to pages of airplane kits. I guess I was in a spam-free mood and should have just sputtered my lips to myself making airplane sounds.

You are pulling away from me on the strip! ..###### Hemi's against a SMB. That's looking good.. is the body painted already?

Did you know that this is a model CAR forum?

Looks like you are set for maybe 40 lives as far as these fittings go!

I had to search far and wide for the cone shaped front turn signals and even tried a couple scratch builds, but they are just too small for my old hands. From photos I found on the web, I believe 1961 was the last year they were used. Then, to my surprise, I found the Karman Ghia used the same lights and the Tamiya kit on my shelf coughed them up!. Now I just need the small rear tail lights. I made a set from some Corvette bezels and carved red sprue but they aren't right. The Bezels have noticeably more rounded edges than a Corvette.

I think the darker blue adds to it, especially with the lighter showing through.

Looks real good!

Funny I never noticed the wheels! Thanks for the heads up and maybe those are another part to be lifted off the Revell kit. I suspect they may be too large to fit the Hasa bus though. Have one on order at any rate to check it all out. This would have been a much better kit to use for the '56 Kombi I pictured above, but I don't think I have the resolve to start all over. It's been on my bench for 15 years (yikes!) and would have to abandon all the body time getting the window fills right. Filling the roof and the rear 2 windows might be even easier on this multi-piece body.