Tamiya Volks Wagen 1300 Beetle - Any useful experiences?

I am doing the exact same thing!!

I am 38 and just finished the airbrushing on my first model in 20 years. I was really into reading about WWII and Vietnam. I was cruising the web one day and saw an awesome WWII diorama that someone had built. Well the wheels started turning and I saw the great cross over that model building and reading about WWII provided. Now all of my reading was actually research for another hobby! My first kit is an 88mm Gun. I just finished the green striped camo on the base coat of dark yellow. I bought a buttload of Tamiya and Model master paints. I had the model master Paints for a couple weeks before the tamiya paints came in and I gotts say, those tamiya paints are far superior IMO to the model master. Or I should say they are easier to produce a great result with than the Model Master ones are. I also got a Paasche single action air brush the other day and was able to lay down a killer dark yellow base coat first try. It was the thinnest, and best covered finish I have ever seen. Every detail jumped out, and the color was so uniform it looked like cloth. Anyways.. If you would like to keep in touch I would be interested in struggling thru this thing with a partner of like age. I am a machinist in my day job and have access to a full machine shop. Possibilitys are endless... Just where to find the time...

Jeff

I haven't built that particular kit yet (I do have it), but from reputation all Tamyia's kits are little jewels with perfect fit and solid engineering. You hve nothing to worry about - you'll like it !

This is a nice kit with full engine details.

Peteski

Hi Jeff,

Yes, I guess a certain interest in history, WWII in particular is quite common among model builders. I too share that interest. I haven't got myself into any books so far, but quite enjoy the "History channel" and it's various programs on that period.

I also started out, if I remember correctly, with a WWII theme, when I was around 12 or something like that with a 1/72 scale Airfix Spitfire. How ever, me and a neighbour used all our models together with small plastic soldiers that we painted and built massive fortresses and staged battles that, to our parents dismay, tended to spread all over the house :)

The building and painting (just with ordinary brushes) was what I enjoyed the most. This time around the interest in models came through my work. I work with an agency that organizes activities in a day program for adults with learning disabilities. Somebody came up with the idea to have our clients build plastic models. Kind of like a crop-out of the already existing Crafts activity. I was asked to be in charge of this new activity, which I accepted with a slight reluctance. But I soon got really into it and decided that I would take up this old hobby of mine on my own time with my own resources and with all my attention... At least when I have some time to put aside for it. The clients a work do their best, but some times when their attention span just doesn't go all the way, it is almost heart wrenching to se some of those fine models being massacred by much to much glue or random use of the paint brush resulting in frosted windows and sporadic patterns of color on what should be a very elegant luxury car. Well, they learn and I try to help the best I can. But that's how I got back into this quite interesting hobby again.

One thing I find is that it's more expensive than I remembered it to be. So my motto right now is to go very slowly. I don't want to start something that I know will get me frustrated because of lack of tools. I'm sure my long absence from model building will show up in various forms of irritation with how I handle the task of building and (mostly) painting my models. But then again, ya got to start some where got get any where.

With my humble beginnings, I'm thinking about all the different models I'd like to build and what a difference the years have made in my outlook on the results that I expect from my efforts, ha ha ha.

By the way, what was that other hobby, for which you read all those books on WWII and the Vietnam war? I wouldn't mind to, at some point, take on the task of building a diorama. I remember from when I was a kid, seeing those super cool dioramas in the window of one of the local model stores. I always was quite impressed with them and thought they must be extremely hard to build. Also, what 88mm gun is it you are painting right now?

Another question, when you airbrush, do you use Tamiya's acrylic paints, just diluted with a bit of alcohol or something?

Peter (ps: tried your snipped-for-privacy@beaverstatereptiles.com address, but got it returned)

I wasn't sure if I should have selected the Tamiya or perhaps a Hasegawa VW kit. But since I went shopping right after Christmas, even the model stores were a bit low on the supplies. So I got the Tamiya since it was available, plus also, after reading about peoples opinion about Tamiya kits in general though it might be a good choice. At one time or another I wouldn't mind getting one of those Heller Citroen DS 19 or 15 Six Traction Avant. But that will be a while...

Peter

engineering.

The Heller DS19 is a lot more troublesome to put together than the Tamiya Beetle. Not impossible, mind you -I've done it- but a lot of trouble. One rather strange thing is that the Heller kit represents a very early car (1957ish) and so references are a bit hard to come by (especially of the convertible version).

I also own the 1/24 and 1/8 Traction Avant kits, both about half assembled. The 1/24 seems to be a pretty good kit, but the 1/8 is a bear. It has working suspension, but I had to re-engineer most of it in brass, since the nylon torsion bars are way too soft and the plastic suspension bits are too weak to support the model. Hoses and wires are molded in vinyl, so if you don't like mold lines your only choice is to make new ones from scratch; not difficult with a brake line, but more trouble for radiator hoses and heater ducting (I finally made molds and cast copies out of resin, which I could glue and sand the seams on). The seat cushions are also molded in vinyl, so again, if you don't want mold lines, you have to scratchbuild something. That's where I'm currently stalled.

Steve H

Peter Gregefalk wrote:

Thanks Steve,

That's exactly the kind of experience I was looking for. I enjoy all the answers to my post, but was particularly looking for the kind of "catches" and problems you brought up in regards to the Traction Avant and also the DS

Talking about Heller, the last model I bought before I gave model building up was a Heller helicopter. The only thing I remember was that it was very big. I suppose scale 1/32 or something. It also contained a group of soldiers of which I built a few. But that's where it ended... Last year I emailed my parents back in Sweden (I'm now living in western Canada) to ask if they could, in any way, locate that model and send it over to me. Unfortunately they had no idea where it was by now. I probably gave it away in a careless moment, thinking I would never even look at that model again. I hope I'll never be so careless again :)

Peter

Hi Peter,

I have the Tamiya '66 Beetle and had the Hasegawa '66 Beetle, you picked the right one.

As you know, the Tamiya has full engine and trunk details. The Hasegawa on the other hand is a curbside and chassis details aren't as good. Also, the Hasegawa has numerous mould lines in the body that will be very difficult to eliminate when prepping for paint. I got rid of the Hasegawa.

If you ever see a Gunze '56 Beetle Oval Winder, don't bother. Even worse than the Hasegawa kit and the chassis detail makes me wonder if they even looked at a real Beetle. They also goofed on the windshield weather stripping, there is none!!! For the longest time something about the Gunze's body bugged me (no pun intended) and after a while I finally notice the perfectly smooth body around the windshield. Like some misguided 'Cal-look' job.

BTW, the Tamiya Ghia is also very nice, but the trunk is moulded shut so no trunk or spare wheel details like their Beetle.

Ken

That would have been their Super Frelon in 1/35 scale.

Hi Al,

With the information you provided I did a search on Google. After a few initial hits for A newer version of the Super Frelon, I found a Box Art site with the front of the box, exactly as I remember it. The only thing I can't recall is the Aurora name side by side with the Heller brand name. Now I kick myself for not keeping track of where that model went :)

To see the box art, click the link below:

Peter

Hi Ken,

I suppose that even though the store that I visited was quite low on VW models, I was lucky to pick the Tamiya one. Do you by any chance know if any of the Revel VW's are good?

The Revell VW is a crossbreed of years, and the tool is old old old, so there's a lot (and I mean a _lot_) of flash. I've made presentable models from it (customs, so I wasn't worried about authenticity), but basically it's a dog.

Steve H

Peter Gregefalk wrote:

Hi Peter,

I'm not a big Revellogram fan and have no Revell Beetles.

However, I did lower my defenses and buy the Revell 'California Dune Buggy' because of the buggy body. When I opened the Tamiya VW, my reaction was "Wowwww!!", the California Dune Buggy reaction was "Son of a b.....!!!" when I realized I threw away $20. I would assume my reaction to the Revellogram Beetles would be the same.

Ken

Any of Tamiya's kits are very good. You can't go wrong with them. I have several of the Revell kits, and they are pretty rough. If you know alot about Volkswagens, you can make them look pretty good, but it's a lot of effort. Their kits are pretty much a 1968 VW with a couple of mistakes here and there. For instance: front axle is early style which was changed in 65. Map pockets on door panel are way too big, Oh if you got the hardtop the kit doesn't even have doorpanels. Engine lid for the 'vert is for a 71 and up, the hardtop with the fender flares has outlines for a ragtop, last year for the ragtop was

only thing I can't

Aurora issued a number of Heller kits in the US in their so-called 'Prestige Series'. The models were otherwise identical to the Heller releases.

Don't feel lonesome. Most of us olde pharts can remember kits we should have held on to. Hindsight *is* 20/20..... ;-p