Lowering Revell’s ‘68 Beetle kit#85-4192

[Joe Handley]

 

Anybody tried to lower one of these?  Looks like the rear suspension is molded as one piece, arms, drive shafts, hubs, etc. Front  may not be to bad, at least!

 

[shoopdog]

Hey Joe, I'm just wrapping this kit up and it could sure use some lowering in the rear. I did not attempt any mods not knowing that it was going to sit as high as it does. I haven't attempted any lowering before so I'm not sure what could have been, hopefully some one can answer. Here is a pic of my ride height and will be posting in Under Glass in the next couple of days. Definitely a fun little kit.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

By far the easiest way on both ends...though not prototypically correct...is to simply cut the stub axles off and move them upwards the amount you want to lower the model.

Make clean, square cuts, and use liquid cement to put them back on...with at least an overnight drying time.

Drilling and pinning them can add strength, but it's not really necessary if you're careful during assembly.

It is possible to lower this kit like you do a real one, but it's a lot more fiddly work.

Edited July 26, 2020 by Ace-Garageguy

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

By far the easiest way on both ends...though not prototypically correct...is to simply cut the stub axles off and move them upwards the amount you want to lower the model.

Make clean, square cuts, and use liquid cement to put them back on...with at least an overnight drying time.

Drilling and pinning them can add strength, but it's not really necessary if you're careful during assembly.

It is possible to lower this kit like you do a real one, but it's a lot more fiddly work.

Turns out I used the first method you suggested about an hour or so after posting this, I did have to sand some flats into the upper pivots for front suspension since it pushed the top half of the wheel out like a pre-war GP car. The rear axles are still level, but that would only be noticed if one looked closely?

 

2 hours ago, shoopdog said:

Hey Joe, I'm just wrapping this kit up and it could sure use some lowering in the rear. I did not attempt any mods not knowing that it was going to sit as high as it does. I haven't attempted any lowering before so I'm not sure what could have been, hopefully some one can answer. Here is a pic of my ride height and will be posting in Under Glass in the next couple of days. Definitely a fun little kit.

 

I ended doing the first thing Bill suggested an hour or so after posting this, the above link is to that thread, if you need it for future reference. BTW, they never molded the tops of the door openings under the gutters, so if you ever shave those for a build of this kit, make sure to drag a #11 under the gutters from the base of the cowl to the B-Pillar at least a few times each side, did the same when I shaved off what ever that ridge in the front door gap too.

[TransAmMike]

I just started working the very same kit.  Gonna be a lowered hot rod. Good to know about the lowering, I hadn't  got that far yet.  Engine/Trans build first.