rockpopandchips Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) Im venturing into new areas of the site as Im normally a scifi builder and this will be my first car build since I was a kid. I used to drive about in a beetle in the early 90`s and a very unusual one a that, at, it was a light blue 1969 1500cc semi auto, the reg was MEG 999F, standard form apart from the quad tail pipes ( dame it was loud) and I used to dream of owning a CAL look Bug and after the better half bought me the 1/32 airfix kit for Christmas I thought I best get it built before I start anymore robots. So I will be doing my best to come up with what I wanted my bug to look like back in the 90`s. It will have the boot and bonnet handles removed, the wing seams smoothed out , lowered and some big fat rims and tiers fitted, so will see what I can do with it. First impressions on the kit is that is bloody awful, nothing fits well and the flashing is something else, details are not great so removing a few might be a good idea. My VW history is a bit rusty but I think the rear window is the wrong size for its year. So Im on with preparing the body work and modding the seat so they have a bit more of a laid back driving poison and Im thing long and hard about what to do with the wheels. Do I just buy some slot car wheels or make good the kits wheels? Not a lot to show but here are some WIP pics. Trying to add an bonnet and boot seam, I will keep at this and the Volks crest badge might have to go and front indicators have to go. Some filler needed here! and that rear wind is the wrong size for the year the is supposed to be, rear wing seam smoothed out. The rain gully has has some sanding down but I think I need to make is smaller still, its still really out of scale. Working on the seats, one OOB and the other modded for the chilled out driver, might try and add a high back to then as well. The skinny wheels are going to have to go. That it for now. Edited March 15, 2017 by rockpopandchips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastieBoy73 Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 The kit looks to be based on a 1960s 6v Bug, mostly... The wheels? They don't even look like they belong to a car. Best of luck with it, I'll look forward to seeing it completed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 Thanks beastieboy, a littel bit more work done. Modding the bumpers, minimised the the running board and also sanded down the rain gully to a more resonable size. Big bore exhuast going on as well. Front bumper it not as simple as the back having to into parts and then fit back together before sanding into shape. Starting to look a bit more CAL...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richellis Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Looks good, I'd get the bumpers pulled in to the body a bit for the Cali look! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 24 minutes ago, richellis said: Looks good, I'd get the bumpers pulled in to the body a bit for the Cali look! They sticking out a bit much still, will do. Just ordered some slot car Porsche steel wheels, i hope they are going to fit in the wheel arches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastieBoy73 Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 (edited) Enjoying this build, it's prompted me to start an old IMAI Bug 1303 Bug cabrio today. I'm going 'stock' with my build. Was hoping to build a replica of the Cal Look bug used in movie Boyz N The Hood but turns out the car used in the movie was a 1302 (flat windscreen). Edited March 18, 2017 by BeastieBoy73 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 (edited) I will look out for the wip of the 1303. Not much has happened as i needed some wheels before i started to butcher the axles to lower the suspension, but they have arrived so i can brake out the cutters. Not sure if i should strip the chrome and repaint or not? The new tyers are 7mm the originals are only 3mm wide. Edited March 21, 2017 by rockpopandchips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastieBoy73 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Nice 356 style wheels... How will you go about lowering it? I had planned to lower the 1303 by redrilling the holes for the axles so the wheel sit higher in the arches but it turns out the kits can be motorised and if I modify it then the gear on the rear axle will miss the gear on the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 11 hours ago, BeastieBoy73 said: Nice 356 style wheels... How will you go about lowering it? I had planned to lower the 1303 by redrilling the holes for the axles so the wheel sit higher in the arches but it turns out the kits can be motorised and if I modify it then the gear on the rear axle will miss the gear on the motor. Lowering the back should be easy, I will apply some heat and bend the rear axle, is should also give a bit of camber to the wheels as well. The front axle I have just re drilled the mount that fit to the bulk head and refitted it but now the wheels are bout 0.5mm to high inside the arches, so I will have to do some more tinkering. Once I have had a go at the backend tonight I will post some more pictures. I have sprayed the first 2 coats of paint as well and I need to do some sanding.....oops. keeping the 1303 motorised sound like a good plan, may be fit some LED`s lights as well to give it some more life. You could have the hazard lights flashing, that would be very life like..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastieBoy73 Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 5 hours ago, rockpopandchips said: Lowering the back should be easy, I will apply some heat and bend the rear axle, is should also give a bit of camber to the wheels as well. The front axle I have just re drilled the mount that fit to the bulk head and refitted it but now the wheels are bout 0.5mm to high inside the arches, so I will have to do some more tinkering. Once I have had a go at the backend tonight I will post some more pictures. I have sprayed the first 2 coats of paint as well and I need to do some sanding.....oops. keeping the 1303 motorised sound like a good plan, may be fit some LED`s lights as well to give it some more life. You could have the hazard lights flashing, that would be very life like..... Early days for me in the modelling world. I'm still trying to concentrate on not gluing my fingers together. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 (edited) No expert myself i just chop and glue stuff back together and hope for the best most of the time. Here you can see the new holes i drilled for the front axle but i drilled them a tad to low. For the back i havent attach the shoxers for wheel mount so i could bend tge axles. Worked out better than the front. Happy with the rear ride hight but thr front is still to low and a to wide. I think i will cut of the wheel mounts and remount then. Edited March 22, 2017 by rockpopandchips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 (edited) So cut the front wheel mount, refitted and drill hole for new wheel axles. This is like real modeling for me..... Looking much better. Just for interest that metal rod the handle end of used sparkler. Edited March 22, 2017 by rockpopandchips 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastieBoy73 Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Looking good. Same colour as my 1303... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, BeastieBoy73 said: Looking good. Same colour as my 1303... Cool, same colour as my real bug back when I were a lad. The spray job look terrible in those pictures, a session with the wet and dry tonight I think. Edited March 23, 2017 by rockpopandchips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Slow process but its comming along, this is my attempt at aged leather seats. Body work needs a little more wet sanding before the final coat of blue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 Just got a like on this build and thought I best link to the finished build, it did take a full rebuild and a nod to the sci-fi. Cheers Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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