Cal-Look Bug - Back Again! 2015.5.20

[chunkypeanutbutter]

California! Surf rock! Volleyball! Neon colors!

Here's a Bug I'm working on. It's the Revell California Wheels '68 Beetle. Not really an American '68, it's customized. So, I customized it some more.

Extractor exhaust! I love these things. It's not completely accurate, but good enough for me. The pipes were made of Evergreen rod, the thing between them and the stinger (can't remember what it's called right now ) is made from a turbo exhaust pipe piece, and the stinger itself is from an AMT/Ertl '55 Chevy Street Machine.

Here's the body. The front grilles have been filled and sanded flush. The trim on the doors has been removed, as well.

Same treatment with sanding had been done to the rear. The pan was cut since no bumper is going to be used, and without the trim it looked big-lipped.

Thanks for looking!

Edited May 20, 2015 by chunkypeanutbutter

[Ace-Garageguy]

Shaping up nicely. Clean work on that colorful engine.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[vintagercr]

Going to look sweet!

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Wheels and tires... need to find the other two wheels. They fit right onto the kit spindles, thankfully. They're from the AMT/Ertl Ford Flareside.

Custom carbs! Trying to fit these under the body is going to be a chore to say the least...

They came from a Jada VW Samba diecast, another project for another day...

[Ace-Garageguy]

Lotsa Beetlebugs run similar carbs. If the model is scaled close to correctly, getting them shoehorned in there shouldn't bee too hard.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Got the engine compartment glued together...

This is as far as the carbs will sit currently. Thinking about digging out one of my VW books or looking for pictures on how to put them further back in. There's not going to be a decklid because the shape looks kinda funny, and I like Bugs without the decklid anyways.

[afx]

Those are some wild engine color choices there Miles. Can't wait to see what the rest of the car will look like.

[Foxer]

I'm liking this.. engine colors are working! And a really nice job on the extractor .. look good to me.

[Crazy Ed]

What a Fun build. The Engine colors make me think you molded the parts out of Play-Doh!. As too the Carbs, couldn't ya just cut the Hood like Rodders'd do for a Blower or High Rise intake?

[Pim]

Thanks for posting will follow closely

[Atmobil]

Cool project, with the colors and the wheels I get the wibe of late 80s/early 90s cal look that one can see in Nigel Grimshaws book The Volkswagen Beetle from 1993 (my copy from 1998 has ISBN number 0 86288 134 X) if you don't have it you should look it up. Great photos in that book

[DumpyDan]

Looking good so far, can't wait to see more keep them pic's coming

[slusher]

Real nice work so far Miles. Keep up the good work..

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Thanks for all the kind words, guys!

How about some interior shots?

Speakers are from the Jada Samba Bus.

Just by the way the parts all clip together and stay that way without glue is a testament to ROG quality.

Here's the dash. The console in the middle is from the Uptown Escalade EXT. Looks nice here! I needed a CD player for this Bug.

The tan paint color is Rustoleum Country Accents? Taupe. Picked it up for 99¢ the other day at Marden's. Marden's is like Ollie's, but in Maine.

The steering wheel shown here is from another Jada diecast, a '66 Bug with a chopped roof. Has some nice seats, but I want the stock ones for this.

The GPS next to it is modified from the dashmount TV screen from that Escalade EXT kit.

More tomorrow!

[horsepower]

That piece between the two exhaust pipes? Think about what it does, it collects the exhaust from the two pipes, thus its name, "collector".

[chunkypeanutbutter]

That piece between the two exhaust pipes? Think about what it does, it collects the exhaust from the two pipes, thus its name, "collector".

Yep, thanks for reminding me! Brain stopped remembering some things a long time ago.

Edited April 6, 2015 by chunkypeanutbutter

[Pim]

nice love the interior the perfect balance between stock and custom

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Thought I'd ask you guys a question: has anybody here ever made eyebrows for their Bug models? I like the way they look, and think I might make some.

Also, anybody who could help me with a set of front spindles, send me a PM. Planning on doing a spindle drop, and don't want to do it with my only set.

[Brizio]

Looking good!

[johnbuzzed]

That looks neat- should be a real head-turner when it's done.

[Zarana-X]

Looks like its on it way to being a teenager's car circa 1985.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

So, found some Webers from a Datsun Z-Car, and thought I'd try those. Nope, too tall.

Dad recommended to use the stock intake with one Weber pointing back towards the back of the car. I'll have to do this, but make an intake since I lost the stock one, of course, after I decided to use the first carbs. Wheeeeeee....

Going to probably make a dual-muffler exhaust as well for more streetability, and use the stinger for dragging.

[Ace-Garageguy]

So, found some Webers from a Datsun Z-Car, and thought I'd try those. Nope, too tall.

That's probably just as well, because the Webers fron the Z car kit are 40 DCOE SIDE-drafts, and most every bug you'll see is running DOWN-drafts. They're not the same, Mount a side-draft as a down-draft and all the gas runs out. Uh oh.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I like Bugs without the decklid anyways.

This is a pretty common setup...

[Belugawrx]

Punch a couple of scoops in it...