Air Fix 1/32 Beetle

Have a look at the Chech Master Type 87 beetle kit or the Italeri one. Without seeing the
Airfix one, I have no clue. What I know for sure is that the fenders were opened up for desert use, and sand tires were placed.

G

I've been surfing the net and picks of wwII beetles are hard to come by. I see also the cars seems to all have had a split type rear window while this kit has a rectangular rear window which is around around circa 1950 as far as I can determine. The Airfix kit doesn't even say what year the car is! Just calls it a Model 1200 or sum such. Go figure...

Don't forget the open roof with a tarp. The regular roof may have been used, but probably not in africa.

I haven't decide how i'm going to cut the roof out yet. i'm going to either have to uswe stowage to cover the rear window, which is the wrong shape for a WWII bug, or cut it out when I cut out the roof. I'm an leaning leaning toward the second option because I may set up some ty of gun for the roof and have the roof opening start farther back. The gunner will be standing approx where the back seat is.

I just finished one about a month ago. I built it as a break from armor. I found out that it is a 1964 VW Beetle 1200cc and has right hand drive. That makes it a UK spec car. I originally bought it to use in a diorama of a REFORGER exercise, but decided to just build it.

The parts take a bit to clean up since the kit is in its 40th year. I did a pretty good job on it. It was chosen as model of the month at my local IPMS club. I also won first place and best out-of-box with it in the small car & truck category in a local show:
http://www.dougd.hispeed.com/gsmc/gcon12/gcon12.htm

It placed second in a show last week in the stock/showroom foreign car category.

It is a decent kit but not proper for a WW2 variant. A WW2 kit I recommend is the RPM VW Type 82E/Type 92 (#35099). Basically, all the WW2 VW kits (CMK/RPM/Italeri) are the same basic mold with minor parts added to make the particular variant. I recommend the RPM boxing because it includes a fairly comprehensive photo etched sheet of extremely fine detail. I bought it on sale for $5.95, normally $12.95.

In addition, I picked up the CMK resin/PE detail sets #3008 and #3009. This upgrades the interior (3008) and gives the rolled up canvas roof, open doors, seats and a jerry can. The other set (3009) adds an engine, transmission, engine hood, exhaust and engine compartment to the kit. Really dresses up the basic CMK/RPM VW.

Thanks Rob you always have the goods!lol Nice build! Yeah to convert mine would take a lot of work. i would have to remove the side molding as well. However since its suchs a small kit it snouldn't be hard. The rear window and the cowl vents are the bigges problem. The wheels are another matter...lol
What scale is that stretch limo VW?

The category listing shows it to be 1/25. I had a good time building the VW, but I figured that the true 1/35 scale WW2 ones were still fairly inexpensive and needed no modification.

$7 seems a little steep for the Airfix kit, Model Expo had them for as low as $1.29 when they were getting out of the plastic model business.

well it was at the local Hobby Town USA notorious for it's high prices! i only go in there to see what was discounted. This si the first kit I ever bought from there that wasn't on clearance!lol Since i had never seen the kit before i didn't know it was over priced. in fact i didn't know it was that old until you mentioned it in your post. The box is new and flashy and I didn't know it was a rebox. In fact I had never heard of airfix until got some airfix figs in a lot I won off e-bay and they [and their box] actually look like 20yr or more old figs! They are all one-peice like "little green army men".lol

Hey Rob nice job on the Volkswagen bug, I use to drive a 1963 all original ( show room aspect) for years after I married I love bettles! then I bought a 1957 oval window and a 1961 also and sold them for necesity, and now I' m looking for 1955-57 oval to buy.

Also I worked for 6 years in a auto parts that specilize in vw's i restored some split windows a 1949 an a 1951 and took some pictures driving a Shimwagen!! and some Kubelwagens...I'll post some pictures later. I have the two kits of CMK wating to be assemble.

Martian Gundam if the one in the picture is the model you have, you need to make to many changes for the vw 1936 split window WWII type:

The wheels are solid with the hub big and round.
The rear window is a bay window and you need a split window, like two triangles.
The front and rear bumbers are different.
All the windows are bigger and they have to be smaller.
The stering wheel and dashboard are different.
The tail lights are smaller on the old models.
The old model doesn't have a turn signal on the front fenders, they have semafhores on the sides window post.
The engine in the 1936 model is a 1100cc
and the door hatches are frezzer type on old models.


I hope I helped you on your proyect......and if you have a question feel free to ask. I love everything about vw's!!!

Gabriel Salazar

Actually i have already been "fidling" with it this evening I took a break to check the site. lol Actually i have already shaved off the trimm and the emblems and filled the location holes for the fender turn signals. { noticed from the pics i found that they didn't hvae them}. I think the bumpers are "fixable". but like you said the windows are going to be the biggest problem. Honestly I'm just going to have to leave the front windsheild alone. As for the rear window and cowl vents there is no hope so i am just going to cover it with stowage and or mount additional jerry cans over it.lol
Luckily the side vent windows are not a part of the door on the kit. Instead the vents are molded into the clear plastic window panel. So all i have to do is leave it out. It's such a small kit it's just fun and easy to screw around with [not to mention cheap!].
I have a Herbie the love bug kit so I have been researching only the later models until now. These are the ref pics i have been using today.

http://summerville-novascotia.com/Volkswagen/

http://jevwillys.net/vws/VW_at_WWII.htm

I have an in-progress Italieri 1/35 Beetle. Still needs some work but these photos may help you along in your conversion.







I started this about 6 months ago and never got round to finishing it. The big gaps above the fenders put me off I think. I will return to it one day.
Hope this helps

Thanks for the pics. I need all the info I can get. I think i'm going to get italeri kit. I see plent of room for modification.