My parent's 1960 VW Beetle

[Italianhorses]

This is NUTS! Amazing attention to detail and execution!

[89AKurt]

5 hours ago, cobraman said:

Wow ! Incredible.

 

3 hours ago, Italianhorses said:

This is NUTS! Amazing attention to detail and execution!

Thanks guys.  I can be an incredible nut.  

Corian fever has made me crazy.  I figured, since back then there was no such thing as disposable plastic water bottles, and I remember there being a canteen on trips, so I found this picture of my dad with a canteen.

I used the drill press, which my dad used in his shop.  Started with a square blank, used the bench disk sander to get a basic round shape to chuck, roughed out using the Dremel, then I clamped a chisel in the table thingamajig, and turned down to shape.

I also *had to* make another piece of luggage, searched for a picture of vintage Samsonite and found a set, used the zoom feature on the laptop to get to a scale, and measured the picture, then I cut out a chunk.  Used the wine bottle foil for the corners (I'm going to need to find that brand soon and get a few bottles at this rate!).


I may need to change the color of that canteen..... 

[89AKurt]

Worked on the car today.  Ordered Bare Metal Foil just for this project, it's been years since I used it, and the last sheet was a bad batch with no adhesive, so this time it stuck and almost had too much residue to clean up.  I'm trying out these Micron pens, to add the rubber that's between the window chrome and body.  I also wanted to make the fender welts black, a detail nobody does.

I assembled the tires to wheels, made valve stems, needed some modification for the hubcaps to fit.

Next are the windows.  The day I got the Evergreen .015" clear plastic, someone started a thread showing it sucks.  Now I need to hunt down a better material, acetate?

[89AKurt]

On 1/26/2019 at 8:31 PM, lilcraigford said:

I was raised on aircooled Volkswagens and grew up with my dad's Beetle, also a 1960. [...]

I need to pick your brain again.  After I detailed the wheels, and painted all white, then put on the tires, they didn't look right.  So now that I'm really looking at the pictures, it looks like the rims were also blue.  Is that correct?

[espo]

Often the wheel centers were white and the outer part of the wheel would be painted the body color. 

[89AKurt]

Thanks.  I guess it also depends on the year, the instructions for the '66 say semi-gloss black.

This might be the last WIP that I show every freaking step of the way.  Today it was a total *bleep* up, realized that I superglued the turn signals way too far back.  I made an assumption, that the locating pins on the kit part was at the front where it's wider, but upon looking I saw it's not, then I looked more carefully at pictures again, and it's really obvious they are almost over the headlights.  Since I had filled the holes, I had tried to measure and locate, but blew it.

So of course the paint got *bleep* up.

Then a little wet sanding, using a cup of water instead of under the faucet.

Then risking the tape ripping up the clear coat, masked along the fender welt lines.  The primer will need some sanding, then color, then clear.  So one step forward, four steps back today.

[Dann Tier]

Amazing...incredible...they seem to fall short of describing your work here, bud!!!

[89AKurt]

19 minutes ago, Dann Tier said:

Amazing...incredible...they seem to fall short of describing your work here, bud!!!

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.

Too bad I couldn't hide it with the headliner.  Yes, I'm contemplating doing this out of paper.  Found a pattern too.

[Dann Tier]

4 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.

Too bad I couldn't hide it with the headliner.  Yes, I'm contemplating doing this out of paper.  Found a pattern too.

Nice!!, what about trying white athletic tape?, you can paint it any kolor once in place.

[Deathgoblin]

Amazing project.  Your detail work is outstanding. 

[89AKurt]

21 hours ago, Dann Tier said:

Nice!!, what about trying white athletic tape?, you can paint it any kolor once in place.

I'm skeptical of using any sort of tape, the adhesives can gum up, leach out, dry up, over time.  The worst is masking tape.  I've had good luck with paper, and I found a nice color and texture today at Hobby Lobby.  It can also be wet a little, which helps it conform to shape, and when dry it stays.  Stay tuned.

15 hours ago, Deathgoblin said:

Amazing project.  Your detail work is outstanding. 

Thank you very much!

[89AKurt]

Pretended I was a body shop, fixing the fenders.  Since I had to use the Splash paint through the airbrush, I did the wheels too, and made interior door frames too.  The wheels were a PITA, the paint was not staying on the resin wheels, any tape would pull off the paint, so I made a mask from thick foil glued to a stick.  It's a bit sloppy, but since I'm weathering with frozen slush, it should be disguised.

Of course I had to clear it, am happy I didn't have to wet sand.  Reassembled the tires to wheels and valve stems, this looks so much better.

Now that I'm caught up, moved ahead with another detail, the fuel pump.  I used stretched sprue, which happened to have a bubble that helped for drilling out, and the Waldon punch to make some disks.  I superglued the tiny parts together, then dipped in baking soda, then sanded to final shape.  Added a photo-etch nut just because, will use more with the copper line.  I scrounged the decal stash to make the air filter label.  I probably shouldn't post the reference picture of a 1960 engine, because I see more changes that should be done, but I do want to finish this project, the plug wires will be fiddly enough.  

[1930fordpickup]

Still shaking my head at this project. Awesome.  If this was driven around here you had to have 2 scrapers so the passenger could keep their side clear in the winter. LOL Good times .  

That Stanley Thermos and everything else are great. I can't wait for the Ford truck. 

[BERT100]

Gottta  say this is so great to see, not only what you are adding/building but to see How you do what you do.  Great save on the turn signals too.

[espo]

Just when you think this build could not possibly get and more detailed you get a wild hair and make a fuel pump. 

[89AKurt]

11 hours ago, 1930fordpickup said:

Still shaking my head at this project. Awesome.  If this was driven around here you had to have 2 scrapers so the passenger could keep their side clear in the winter. LOL Good times .  

That Stanley Thermos and everything else are great. I can't wait for the Ford truck. 

Thanks.  I can't imagine driving in the winter, but they obviously did!  I already made gloves, will also throw a blanket in the cargo.  Oh yea, make a scraper.

5 hours ago, BERT100 said:

Gottta  say this is so great to see, not only what you are adding/building but to see How you do what you do.  Great save on the turn signals too.

Appreciate it.  Yea, that sort of thing can put a project on hold indefinitely.  But I have a deadline on this one.  The Desert Scale contest also has a VW category, so that's another inspiration to complete this.

2 hours ago, espo said:

Just when you think this build could not possibly get and more detailed you get a wild hair and make a fuel pump. 

LOL  Still need to make the ski rack, make ski boots, a little bag with some chains hanging out.....

[89AKurt]

Today I made the engine lid handle, which is different than the '66.  Whittled from thick Evergreen because it's a bit more flexible than kit styrene, wire pin and it's moveable so it can be accurate by not being straight.  LOL  Molotow pen for chrome.

Wired and plumbed the engine.   This is an area I don't *really* like to do, unlike some guys who do fabulous work with wiring and linkages and such.  Made wire retainers from aluminum plate, Waldon punch used for the base.  I also refined the turn signals, something I learned long ago reading a Windfield (verify) book, was drilling holes to simulate light bulbs inside of lights.

My favorite wire is from MSC Model Products, it bends and does not spring back.  I have a stash of wires that were salvaged from dead electronic devices, the plug boots are just the insulation from a larger wire.  I Hollywood the wires to the coil and generator, not accurate but fills up the engine bay nicely.  Thin solder wire was used for the vacuum advance, I have no idea where is connected behind the carb, don't tell anyone.    Bare copper wire for the gas line, restored pictures have it, but I'm sure the factory used steel or perhaps rubber?

[MrObsessive]

Very nice little details Kurt! I saved your pic of the engine above in the 1:1 Beetle. I really liked the simplicity of these cars..........reminds me a whole lot of my '65 Dart convertible I had many years ago which was super easy to work on because everything was laid out so simple. Unlike today's cars which can be an electronic nightmare to figure anything out.

Your vacuum advance line looks fine to me. It seems like it connects somewhere underneath the base of the carb. A good location since it sat up so high.

[89AKurt]

Bare Metal Foil is done!  Bumpers are done, *had to* add a detail that anyone who wants a detailed Beetle should do, tube bumper overrider braces.
I couldn't find the little brass wire that I thought I had, so used guitar string.  Used a punch and the anvil (dad's tools) to smash down an end.

Painted those semi-gloss black, like the bumper brackets.  Pet peeve, why do they have big honking holes and raised part for the front license plate?  Manufacturers should allow you to drill holes, and have the stand-off on the stupid plate.   First pass with Molotow pen looked like BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH.

After the BMF was done, started on the glass.  I tried to use the kit windshield, gave up and am using food package.

Closer look at the added braces:

Been having a problem with the turn signals, thought taking off the excess glue would be ok, but screwed up the paint.  I should have taken off when it was fresh, but didn't want to screw up moving the parts.  Left a gouge in the paint when cutting the BMF, grrrr.....   Oh well.  Looking like I might get this one done soon!

Edited February 11, 2019 by 89AKurt

[Dann Tier]

9 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

Bare Metal Foil is done!  Bumpers are done, *had to* add a detail that anyone who wants a detailed Beetle should do, tube bumper overrider braces.
I couldn't find the little brass wire that I thought I had, so used guitar string.  Used a punch and the anvil (dad's tools) to smash down an end.

Painted those semi-gloss black, like the bumper brackets.  Pet peeve, why do they have big honking holes and raised part for the front license plate?  Manufacturers should allow you to drill holes, and have the stand-off on the stupid plate.   First pass with Molotow pen looked like BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH.

After the BMF was done, started on the glass.  I tried to use the kit windshield, gave up and am using food package.

Closer look at the added braces:

Been having a problem with the turn signals, thought taking off the excess glue would be ok, but screwed up the paint.  I should have taken off when it was fresh, but didn't want to screw up moving the parts.  Left a gouge in the paint when cutting the BMF, grrrr.....   Oh well.  Looking like I might get this one done soon!

WOW!!!...…….just WOW!!!!

[89AKurt]

5 hours ago, Dann Tier said:

WOW!!!...…….just WOW!!!!

LOL 

I continued last night, to work out window installation.  I wasn't going to glue in, have goober smears, and/or have them pop in by accident after buttoning up.  I made little aluminum retainers (made from newspaper printing plate, it bends easy without breaking like roof flashing).  For the back window, which was modified for the smaller opening, it worked best to have the tab the same dimension as the "glass", and beveling the edge to slope towards the center, made it almost a snap-in, just a little bending to keep it in.  I'm planning to cover up with headliner paper.  I can see faint scratches in the windshield, but it will be weathered with wiper tracks.  I'm still pissed about the gouge when the knife went "whip it good!"

The Tamiya glass has some distortion, not as bad as Revell or AMT kits, but some around the edges.

Edited February 11, 2019 by 89AKurt

[FabbricaP]

Wow, amazing attention to detail and even better execution! Love that body color and the wheels!

[Italianhorses]

Wait - the body is done? I was hoping you'd polish the paint. As is, especially with all the other amazing detail you add to this build, it looks a bit "orange peely" - unless this is a desired effect, of course.

[cobraman]

I love your added detail.

[ATHU]

Wow! Fantastic work so far!!