Has anyone done Tamiya's New VW ?

My model shop has this kit really really cheap at the moment to get rid off them.
Has anyone done it and can tell me what it's like.

I was thinking along the lines of a major lowering job and some huge 18/19" rims from HLJ

Hiroaki Fukuda has done one! :)
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~xr2h-fkd/scalemodels/gallery/newbeetle.htm

and the writeup:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~xr2h-fkd/scalemodels/project/vw/beetle/beetle00.htm

Thankyou Alex....i'm off to get one now !!!

Youy're most welcome! :)

Great work by Hiroaki, as always... :)

A guy in Scale Autos did an amzing one! He lobbed the roof off, lowered it, and used big rims, painting the body green with the wings in matt grey! Looked superb!

Well so much for getting just the VW when i went to the model shop :rolleyes:

3 kits later i walk out of the shop !!!!! :eek: :eek:

*Brought the VW
*Skyline R32 GTR.....was on sale to clear stock...saved $15
*Mazda RX-7R1.....was only $10..saved $35 as some one had brought
the kit and broke the steering arm in half before they even opened the kit from the plastic bag !!

Now the VW.....i have decided to lower it and add new wheels.

Now....which wheels to get.......any ideas?

Ones below are Enkei G-Zero's

These are the others....19" :) :)
I'm getting these for the Skyline and maybe another set for the VW

So what do you think
19" or Enkei's for the VW

Originally posted by primera man
Well so much for getting just the VW when i went to the model shop :rolleyes: ROFLMAO!!!!!!!

Nice deals, though! :D Wow!

This is the skyline i got.....maybe someone would like to swap it for a
41 Willy's :cool: :cool:

Originally posted by primera man
This is the skyline i got.....maybe someone would like to swap it for a
41 Willy's :cool: :cool: Well, I already have that one, but it is the one with the engine... ;)

Originally posted by jay@af
Well, I already have that one, but it is the one with the engine... ;)

I have been having a good look over the kit and it has some nice detail on the engine and inside.

So, how could you stand to part with it? You need to go meet up with Razorgtst and see his, then you'll understand. ;)

Originally posted by jay@af
So, how could you stand to part with it? You need to go meet up with Razorgtst and see his, then you'll understand. ;)

Well as much as i like it i want the Willys real bad to !!!

Originally posted by primera man
This is the skyline i got.....maybe someone would like to swap it for a
41 Willy's :cool: :cool:
Kay I'm going to the good local hobby store tomorrow, if I see the willies I'll take you up on that dar offer sir! :D

Originally posted by G-Forces

Kay I'm going to the good local hobby store tomorrow, if I see the willies I'll take you up on that dar offer sir! :D
No such beast. :( Sorry.

PM: You live in Palmerston North right?

If so:

Is this the Mr Models store in Cuba St?????

Pman, get the chromies for the bug especially if your painting it a bright green. I think that would look pretty nice! :-D

Originally posted by Jimmy_11_cars
PM: You live in Palmerston North right?

If so:

Is this the Mr Models store in Cuba St?????

Warren's on holiday at the moment so he wont be posting for a while, but he did ask me to check this thread...... he does all his shopping there

Hiroaki Fukuda has done one!

I like this car too but I'd rather wait when Tamiya will reissue kit with engine (as it was with Mazda RX7).
kits with engines rulezz!!!

Originally posted by primera lady


Warren's on holiday at the moment so he wont be posting for a while, but he did ask me to check this thread...... he does all his shopping there

Lucky for some

Originally posted by Jimmy_11_cars


Lucky for some

He's gone to visit his grandmother who hasn't got much time left

Originally posted by primera lady


He's gone to visit his grandmother who hasn't got much time left :(

Originally posted by primera lady


He's gone to visit his grandmother who hasn't got much time left

Give him our condolences!:(

Originally posted by G-Forces
:( :( :(

Oh dear:( pass on my condolences

Thanks for the kind words guys.
I haven't been here much either because my computer screen blow up and i'm borrowing one till after xmas when i'll get mine back.

UPDATE TIME ON THE VW

Will the last 3 days i've spent most of my spare time on it.
*Have the body all sanded and primmed.
*All parts are painted
*just the interior to paint
*Awaiting wheels(have to order them)

Dont know on a colour yet but im going for a major lowering job on it with 18/19" whees of some sort.
The body is so easy to paint. There is no painting of black rubber around windows as its all done on the windows them selfs.
Trying to find a aftermarket body kit for it maybe (whale-tail)

This kit is a real basic kit though.
I thought of doing it after seeing one and i thought it would look pretty cool with a "slammed" kinda look.

Pics to come later on

Nice to have you back Warren, you were missed!

Lots of potential in that kit, looking forward to pics! 5 spokes suit Bugs best!

Must be soomething in the air regarding destroying PCs! I blew my desktop up a few days ago!:( :(

UPDATE.

Finished painting the interior today.
Have decided on a deep metallic blue for the paint.

Mucked around with the ride height as well.
I'm a bit stuck at the moment on the final height of the car as i only yesterday ordered the wheels from www.hlj.com.

Will use either EQUIP 19s or the ENKIE'S. They have none in stock so i may be waiting for a while.

So i have been using a spare set of 18" OZ Racing wheels to get the set up right. I have to say it looks the part even with the 18"s.

Have not really decided on how i'm going to lower it yet so the body is just off the ground. Want a really slammed look to it....lol

Also i'll be using a bigger set of disc brakes alround.The ones in the kit look like they wouldn't stop a 3 wheel kids trike.

Hopefully tomorrow will get the body painted and most of the kit put together.

Pics???? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Just finished painting 3 coats on the body. Has turned out really well.
The paint has had a bit of trouble sticking to the door and line seems but they will be covered when the thin black lines for the doors etc are done.
The paint is Tamiyas TS53 and is a VERY dark blue....almost purple looking !!

Not the worlds most shinest paint when its dried but with a good polish it should look fine.

Sorry no pics yet untill i get back to work on Saturday to use the dig camera.

Well the lowering of this is turing out to be one MOTHERFU@@ING job !!!
Spent all day cutting, glueing testing etc etc.

The look i'm after has proved all sorts of problems.

The wheels i'm using are wider then standard and wont fit inside the guards.
So i had to shorted both front and rear ends so i could get the wheels under the guards.Took about 1.5mm out of each side.

Next...the tyres wouldn't tuck high enough up inside the guards for a Slammed look :mad:
I ended up having to cut 60% of the inner wheel arch out of each wheel to get them to fit high enough. Spent ages cutting/trimming and sanding each one to make it look like it was meant to be like it !!!.
After doing all this, the front wheels still would not sit in the guards enough, so i had to move the whole shock inwards and drill new mounting holes etc because the wheel was rubbing on the inside of the body fender :(
This also meant having to shorten all the front end again.
Finally after about 8 hours it was all looking good.
The huge BREMBO brake kit sets the wheels of nice.

pics?:D

Originally posted by Robbie
pics?:D

Hopefully tomorrow if our work camera is back

Will be an interesting one to see there mate!:D

At last i have a few pics so you can all see what i'm waffling on about.

Interior shot.
Everything Just needs to be glued into place after final touch ups

These are the wheels that i have got from the spares bin. Got some on order but they may be ages yet from HLJ.

Love those huge disc's :)

Spent most of the afternoon with the compound and the wax doing the body.
I'm really pleased with the end job :)

Another body pic :) :) :)

DOH.....Forgot the pic :rolleyes:

Last one. The photo is a bit crappy as i run out of day light but this gives you a bit of an idea as to what it will look like when finished.

Everything is just sitting there so i could get a pic and see what it will look like.
Still got all the bonnet/boot/lights etc to go. Plus the wheels to attach in there final resting place in the guards. Then just finishing touches and glueing everything into place
Im pretty happy with it so far.

Superb as usual Warren! The dark blue looks good! darker than I thought, as I was a dubious of Blue when I saw it! But turned out well!

What is the final stance going to be? I picture a slightly nose down stance, with the tops of the tyres hidden, but not the wheels!
Please tell me it won't be as low as in the final pic! That doesn't look right!

Originally posted by Guiddy
Superb as usual Warren! The dark blue looks good! darker than I thought, as I was a dubious of Blue when I saw it! But turned out well!

What is the final stance going to be? I picture a slightly nose down stance, with the tops of the tyres hidden, but not the wheels!
Please tell me it won't be as low as in the final pic! That doesn't look right! .

It should sit a little bit higher as everything was just sitting there.
The rims will hopefully be level with the fenders

Looks great! My S2000 was getting that nice smooth look untill I went through the paint to the primer :mad:

Anywho, I agree with Dan right now the ride height looks a little funny I can't wait to see it when it's done.

Are those Fujimi wheels? Do you think you can take some pics of what you needed to do to get them to fit a tamiya kit?

I am still surprised by your choice of subject Warren!
Not a bad thing, just surprised! What made you chose the VW?

Originally posted by Guiddy
I am still surprised by your choice of subject Warren!
Not a bad thing, just surprised! What made you chose the VW?

I was driving around and noticed one parked in a carpark. Was a nice blue with nice alloys on it. I was thinking how nice it may look with a set of huge rims tucked into the guards and lowered.
A couple of days later the model shop was selling the kit for half price so i thought....Why not !!!!

I love the color, its almost purple. The test wheels you are using right now look so nice with the monster brakes :D . I just hope you wont tuck the wheels, only the rubbers :p . Either way it will be one pimpin' ride ;)