Revell's new '68 Beetle

[joernbs]

Please rememeber, this is a Revell of Germany kit.

EURO Spec Volkswagen 1200 A. That is a stripped down BASE model with the old 1200 ccm engine, 6 volt electrics, 12 volt extra cost option.

Usually sold without any extras in 1968. This Volkswagen was never sold in the US.

Google "1968 VW 1200 A" for Pictures.

This model has some extras, usually seen on restored beetles in Germany.

[Jouko]

Please rememeber, this is a Revell of Germany kit.

EURO Spec Volkswagen 1200 A. That is a stripped down BASE model with the old 1200 ccm engine, 6 volt electrics, 12 volt extra cost option.

Usually sold without any extras in 1968. This Volkswagen was never sold in the US.

Google "1968 VW 1200 A" for Pictures.

This model has some extras, usually seen on restored beetles in Germany.

Good point!

[Rick]

Ok...Ok... I'm picking it apart. Granted, it is a new kit, but it's just not accurate to call it a `68 as it doesn't even have fresh air heat!

By fresh air heat, do you mean the tubes from the air shroud to heat exchangers? Those parts are in there! I can see it's not a totally accurate model, but it will still build into a nice model car that'll look nice on any shelf...

Edited November 25, 2013 by Rick

[Tom Geiger]

To support Joern's post, I Googled and I found. The car below is a '68 Euro car in Switzerland....

http://www.bugbus.net/en/classifieds.html?cmd=detail&id=9344

Personally, I'm happy that Revell decided to do USA releases of the Mini and the 2 Beetles. I want them all and it saves us a lot of money over acquiring the Euro releases.

I do agree that the "California Wheels" logo isn't appropriate, it would have been better if they did a "Euro Wheels" series. Then they could have added their new Trabbie at some point!

[Rick]

Are the windows flush fit, or inserted from the inside?

Had to go check, they appear to be flush fit

Supposedly, the reason Revell has the "series" thing is so that buyers for the chains like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc. can purchase assortment lots of kits that relate to each other without having to pick them individually. The problem, though, is that kits like a bone-stock Beetle, Mini Cooper and '65 Impala convertible don't really seem to fit the spirit of the Cali Wheels line (because none have optional custom wheels, like the other kits in the series, for one thing). Seems to me it kind of defeats the purpose of having the series if Revell can't group related subjects together.

I agree

Rick

[Craig Irwin]

VW never imported type 3 notchbacks or type 34 Ghia's into the US, so I supose those cars don't exist either?

[Racephoto1]

Why the beef about the heat? After three years of Indiana winters, the salt would've rusted it out anyways. Actually a nice kit of the old Bug. I worked on a lot of these as a kid.The dual port head was the first thing we'd go for. It wasn't a lot more horsepower, but even 15 more horses in a bug was worth it.

[charlie8575]

Okay...looks nice. So what do we need to do to make it U.S.-spec, and what year would be the closest we could get once fixed?

Charlie Larkin

[FASTBACK340]

Okay...looks nice. So what do we need to do to make it U.S.-spec, and what year would be the closest we could get once fixed?

Charlie Larkin

This is a variation never imported into the states.... Never seen or heard of a 1200 A with a 1200 ccm (?) engine or 6 volt in 68.

What is this? A Swiss market car only?

[Rick]

Okay...looks nice. So what do we need to do to make it U.S.-spec, and what year would be the closest we could get once fixed?

Charlie Larkin

As far as I can tell, just add the bumpers with the over riders from the Tamiya '66, It would pass pretty easily for a '67.

[Jouko]

What is this? A Swiss market car only?

Europe, not only Swiss.

[Agent G]

I'm going to have to build this, maybe several of them.

In HS I helped a friend build a "Cal Look" Beetle, most fun I ever had with a car.

Great fun driving too, except cops in the midwest had a distinct aversion to anything like that especially in the early 70's.

G

[Zarana-X]

This kit looks really nice . I remember the confusion over this and the convertible kit when they were previewed awhile back.

It's fairly common to customize late model Beetles (usually bumpers and lights) to look older so this will shouldn't be hard to explain as custom.

To make this a "US" spec version, you could use parts from the crappy old Revell casting. It was a true '68. You would need to remove the horn grills from this, and use the old kit's bumpers (68-73), front turn signals(68-69), tail lights(68-70) and seat backs(68-69).

Edited November 26, 2013 by Zarana-X

[Foxer]

Okay...looks nice. So what do we need to do to make it U.S.-spec, and what year would be the closest we could get once fixed?

Charlie Larkin

I haven't seen this or the '70 Convertible but using both might help making a '68 or '69. The '70 bumpers for sure. I have seen the tail light housings on the '70 are molded with the body... that's unfortunate as they look like the best shaped ones in any kit.

I wonder if the '70 has IRS ... haven't seen any kit with that. It was standard in '69 but was available on the '68 Auto Stickshift.

I've been working on the '69 I had and may just get the '70 to see if it works better for some things.

[Craig Irwin]

I wonder if the '70 has IRS ... haven't seen any kit with that. It was standard in '69 but was available on the '68 Auto Stickshift.

Again, this is correct for US models, euro spec 70's were still swing axle, so it depends on just what model was modeled.

[Zarana-X]

The only Beetle kit I can think of that should have swing axle is the OOP Imai Super Beetle. It's a motorized curbside, so I doubt it has anythign usable.

Best to fab your own. The Vanagon or Porsche 944 kits may have something usable, but thats alot of money to turn those kits into parts donors.

[DustyMojave]

I had a 1965 German delivery Bug. It was bought new by a guy in SoCal. It was bought through a VW promotion called a "Fly and Drive Vacation". You went to your local US VW Dealer and order your new VW Beetle. Then travel arrangements were made for a trip to Europe through the dealer at the same time. They offered great discounts on the travel as you were buying the travel through a large volume deal instead of one person buying a package. In a couple of weeks to a month, you would fly to Frankfurt Germany, where someone was waiting to meet you with your brand new Bug. You then drove around wherever you had made arrangements to visit in Europe in your new car. When you were done, you returned to Frankfurt airport and turned your Bug over to the VW people and got on the airplane to come home to the US. Meanwhile, your Bug got packed up to come over by ship with the rest of the new Bugs being delivered to your area of the US. It would arrive at your dealer in 2-3 weeks and get prepped for you just like any other brand new Bug arriving for any other customer. The car was a German delivery car with the features that distinguished it as such. Like mine had 3-point seat belts and a locking steering column, features not found on US-spec Bugs until the 1968 year model. But as it was being sent to the US, it had US DOT lights. And since ALL Bugs delivered to the US since the beginning were "Deluxe" model, it had US features like chrome trim strips on the sides and around the windows and bumper over-riders.

In the 1970s, I had a customer who had recently retired from the US Air Force. He had been stationed in Germany for several years. He had a 1967 Bug he bought new in Germany and brought home with him when he retired. It was a 1967 Deluxe and was a 1500 12 volt, but had headlights like US 6-Volt 1966 and earlier Bugs but with H-4 Halogen bulbs and different lenses than US. Like my '65, it had a locking steering column too. Also like my '65, it had a rounded triangle etched aluminum badge on the right front 1/4 panel indicating that it was a German-market car.

Regarding swing-axle vs IRS, VW built swing axle bugs until the very end in 2003. Unless one bought a Deluxe or Super Beetle (1302 or 1303 for the English market), you still got swing axle. and 1300cc. Kinda strange that last part since it cost VW the same to build a 1600 as a 1300. Free horsepower it would seem. But since many countries tax a car based on the displacement of the engine, most people after an economy car would still buy a 1300cc.

I'm going to want a number of these kits. Both Sedan and Convertible. But I'm not inclined to build stock versions. I will build Baja Bugs and Class 11 off road racers.

[Foxer]

The only Beetle kit I can think of that should have swing axle is the OOP Imai Super Beetle. It's a motorized curbside, so I doubt it has anythign usable.

Best to fab your own. The Vanagon or Porsche 944 kits may have something usable, but thats alot of money to turn those kits into parts donors.

I looked at many VW kits to see if any had IRS and the IMAI had the old swing axle too. It was pretty easy to get a passable simulation on the Tamiya '66 by just adding a diagonal member ... not perfect but it has the look.

I never looked at a Vanagon but have many 944 kits and that's not a useable piece.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Foxer

[cooltoys1]

Is that a seperate headliner i spy in the parts layout??

[Guest]

What I find interesting since this is a Euro spec car, is a lefthand drive dash.

[Foxer]

What I find interesting since this is a Euro spec car, is a lefthand drive dash.

Euro spec doesn't mean British ... the only place they drive on wrong side of the road.

[Foxer]

Here's a German page (I translated it) with the parts for the '70 Cabriolet:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php%3Fid%3D9553

It has just a swing axle but seems to be the padded dash I can use.

And here's the '68 hardtop kit from the same site:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php%3Fid%3D9554

Interesting it has the old non-padded dash but has the '68 engine lid with the hump. This one has no louvers and the '70 has them across the top. We should be able to get quite a few years out of these two kits.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Foxer

[Tom Geiger]

In the 1970s, I had a customer who had recently retired from the US Air Force. He had been stationed in Germany for several years. He had a 1967 Bug he bought new in Germany and brought home with him when he retired.

Back in that time period the German car dealers near US military posts were used to ordering US spec cars for servicemen. The deal was that if you bought a new or used German car and used it for 6 months, it entered the US duty free as your personal vehicle. So people would order new VWs, Porsches and Mercedes in their last year of that assignment. I was a kid, a military dependent in Germany during this time period. I got to go to the Mercedes factory with friends to take delivery of a new car. Military folks over a certain pay grade qualified to have Uncle pay to bring a car to Europe, and back home again. My father had always planned on buying a Mercedes, but never did, so we shipped our '66 Valiant back home again.

There were others who bought non US importable German cars for fun, knowing they'd have to sell them when they left. The guy across the hall from us had a big Pontiac wagon for the family, but had a Fiat 500 and a German Capri over time.

We had just the opposite, and a rare site in Germany.. a 1963 US spec Beetle that was bought and delivered in the US, but made it back to Germany with a serviceman. When he left, he left the car behind and I think my father was the third owner. We used it for an around town second car, and sold it again when we left in 1972.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Tom Geiger

[crazyjim]

I plan to get the kit and try to make a baja bug out of it.

[Zarana-X]

Here's a German page (I translated it) with the parts for the '70 Cabriolet:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php%3Fid%3D9553

It has just a swing axle but seems to be the padded dash I can use.

And here's the '68 hardtop kit from the same site:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php%3Fid%3D9554

Interesting it has the old non-padded dash but has the '68 engine lid with the hump. This one has no louvers and the '70 has them across the top. We should be able to get quite a few years out of these two kits.

Beetle Sedans didn't have vents in the decklid untill 1970. The convertibles always did, as there was no room for the vents below the rear window. Up until 1969 the convertible decklids had two rows of long wents. Starting in 1970,n both used the same decklid that had 4 rows of vents. 1974 is unique as it has an additional, themostat activated, vent hidden under the license plate. 1975 and up (fuel injection) have four rows of short vents with a big gap in the middle to shield the throttle body from rain.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Zarana-X