Dougs VW Beetle

[Waspie]

An admission to kick off.
I'm just not 'feeling it' for this kit. Don't know what it is but it's just not doing it for me. It's going together ok, it is certainly well built by Tamiya.
All that said, did a few bits today. Touched up the engine following what was noticed on the pics the other day. (Then later I threw some wash and rust over it to 'try' and simulate a rusty aged engine!!! Looks like it will need more work by the images!
The floor pan was sprayed. (That is due a mucking up later). The only time I saw my Beetles floor pan nice and black was when I just finished putting a new waterproofing layer on it!! (That lasted a week or so before being soiled by Scottish road dirt!!!)
Then!! Following something Andy T did, I tried simulating the carpet!! Using what I had available I decided to initially paint on some Mr Hobby filler then stippled it. Once hard, it was given a couple of coats of black, again stippled on. Didn't look brilliant when it was wet but once dried it had the desired effect. Then once some wear in the form of mucky shoe marks, it'll be fine and dandy.
As a final act, I attached the engine to the rear chassis/floor pan.

Piccies!!
Clean floor pan and engine installed.

Clean floor and and dirty engine!!

Front seat area with stippling and wet paint!!!


Rear view of slightly soiled engine


Engine and floor pan area.


Well, 'that's all folks'!! For today! Weather forecast is looking v-good for tomorrow so another day out is scheduled. Need to get the puppy used to the car on longer journeys. All barring Mondays adventure she has been ill every journey. However, we will try Mondays formulae and fingers crossed she will be OK tomorrow too.

All comments and criticisms accepted. Tis all about learning in the end.

[tigersteve]

I'm just not 'feeling it' for this kit.

But just look at those lovely Curves all over her body!
You will soon be back in love ............

[Lee Drennen]

Seated by Rick that keeps throwing Popcorn at me watching with interest.

[Waspie]

I want to know how life is so full when you're supposed to be retired. Hardly had any time to sit and spend some time on my Beetle.
Managed a little bit today.
Assembled the front steering and hub etc.
Primed the main body shell and some internal parts. To be honest most of my time was cleaning the airbrush as I was getting frustrated removing some primer hanging on between the bowl and the button that controls air and paint distribution. Ended up with a complete strip down - every removable part was removed and there is still a small channel the needle passes through that I simple can't access.
Anyway - pics of progress today.




IF and I stress IF, I get time tomorrow, I'll apply another couple of layers of primer on the body to give a deeper grey colour.
Busy week coming up. Radiators to be installed. Not freezing this winter!!!!! Family visits and organising the Mem Sahib's next project!!

[tigersteve]

That shape still makes me smile with memories of my first car! - Come on, even in primer it's great!

[Waspie]

That shape still makes me smile with memories of my first car! - Come on, even in primer it's great!

I was looking at the new beetle yesterday and nope, hasn’t the same appeal. Something about the classic Beetle.

[Andy T]

Looking good so far but I'm with you on the airbrush cleaning. When I was using water based paints I was the same, more time cleaning than painting, especially in hot weather!

[Waspie]

Some progress made today, second coat of primer on main body parts. Front suspension fitted.
Messed about with the tyres, some sanding to roughen up the sidewalls, also scrubbed the tread a wee bit. As it's a road car I only made the side walls look worn, a bit of kerb bumping!!!! (Not that I would now - alloys don't take it like steel wheels did!!). Didn't touch the spare, it's a new tyre innit!!! With that in mind I did have a go at putting a thin blue line around the circumference of the spare. Not very well, but nothing I can do about that now!!
Also did some assembly of the rear seat, gear lever, that's gear shift for the crew across the pond!! Pedals and handbrake!!
Then!! I added more rust effect to the front suspension, floor pan and wheels. That was about as far as I could before SWMBO brought out a cooling drink. (Alcoholic fluids stopped play!!):blow-kiss-2:
Now for the death by piccy bit!!
Primed body shell and back seat plus floor pan and front suspension, rust applied!


Diferent angle and spare wheel with blue ring!!

Floor pan inside.


Front end shot!

[Allen Dewire]

Nah Doug!!! No death by piccies here, I'm afraid. It's good to see you are driving on with the bug and it is looking mighty fine. Have you found anything to use for the spark plug wires yet? Poor motor does look a bit nekkid Sir!!! Hope you are enjoying yourself between all the other distractions...

Prost
Allen

[Waspie]

Nah Doug!!! No death by piccies here, I'm afraid. It's good to see you are driving on with the bug and it is looking mighty fine. Have you found anything to use for the spark plug wires yet? Poor motor does look a bit nekkid Sir!!! Hope you are enjoying yourself between all the other distractions...

Prost
Allen

Nope, not yet Allen but I have had an idea. I have a few telephone components I spied when I was rooting through the loft today. I know some of the wires in telephone wires are mighty small so will be looking at them.
Have a few busy days ahead of me so will throw myself at it when the works done. Problem I have is I'm not enjoying this kit as much as I thought I would, difficult pushing through the lack of interest.

[Waspie]

Bad weather has had a consolation. Couldn't do a few of my jobs around the home so:

Yeaterday
Grabbed the opportunity to lay a couple of coats of colour to the Beetle. Not a lot else really, a few pics. Which it was intended to post them. But as we now know we suffered some down time on the site.

Pics after second coat applied.








Today, Wednesday.

Again thanks to the weather, managed another coat, (No 3), on the body shell and associated orangy bits.



A few questions.

1. How do you guys deal with blemishes on the paintwork?

2. How many top coats would you guys recommend?

3. Is varnish applied the same as I did with my Challenger. IE, a matt varnish, then weather followed by a gloss varnish?

Any help or comments good/bad gratefully received.

[Waspie]

Not posted for a while. Life is difficult at the moment. Hallway floor being replaced and living in a single story building with every room running off it. Also the fitters asking for the 'only' loo and wash basin be removed!! It's made life different!!
Workplace has become a storage room for everything!!
However, today I did manage to grab an hour and decided to mess up my Beetle!! fitted the rear seats to the chassis and discovered places that needed paint so that was done. Then I got to grips with making a mess of the back seat and dirtying the front seats!!
Back seat prior to attaching to chassis!! Wee bit more weathering needed!


Back seats attached and front seats dry fitted to amuse me!!!


That's it for a while, now the floor fitter has finished - my work now begins, cupboards to paint as well as all the skirting!! Doors to adjust to make for a nice fit!! So any ideas I may have had to get back in my work place has dissolved!!!!!

[Waspie]

After a long break for one reason or another I actually picked it, (the Beetle), up today. Only 30 minutes but it's a start/re-start!!
Methinks maybe the arrival of my replacement airbrush may be the trigger!!
No pics, unfortunately.
I've given the tyres/tires a bit of a rub down and scrubbed in!! Then fitted the wheels to the hubs and ended by fitting the tyres to the wheels!!
Did a bit of masking to try and get some spraying done sometime before I can fit the body to the chassis.

Question?
I want to re-coat the body shell what do you guys recommend? A wash in a mild detergent solution then a rinse off. Or give it a wipe with IPA or something?
It has sat for a couple of months and whilst it has been covered the garage isn't the cleanest of areas due to it being a garage.

[Waspie]

Methinks the Beetle isn't destined to be a completed kit. I'm thinking test bed for anything right now.

The morning started off well. I removed the front axle assembly to allow access to spray some body colour on the front of the chassis.
That came off easy enough, masked the area to be sprayed, no issues. I even managed a prime and top coat. Hurrah!!!!
Pic of the masked off section.


Then it all went wrong!!! ( Link ). Painted the body shell and disaster!! So unless I can recover the {expletive} mess - then it's destined for a messy future!!
It'll be useful to have a test kit to experiment with!!!
And then - just when I thought it couldn't get worse!! I snapped the gear lever/shift!!
Head droops!!

[Ian M]

Drill a hole in the bottom of the gear knob and add a bit of stretched sprue or wire. Gear shifter fixed.
The paint problem..... Depends how bad it is:
Just a bit; sand it back with wet and dry, rinse and repeat. Respray
Real bad; strip it back and respray.
Beyond all hope... Rust and grime. ?