Bumblebee, Autobot Transformer in vehicle form [WIP: Air-Cooled Engine of the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle]

While a large portion of the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) engine components (i.e. engine assembly/cylinder attachment and fan housing/engine installation) had already been painted, weathered and placed into the rear interior, the air-cooled engine itself wasn't finished yet as a whole. To complete the engine, I still had to paint and assemble a couple of tiny, fragile parts such as the Air Cleaner/Intake which is connected to the Warm Air Pipe, the Distributor and the Heater Hoses. This blog post chronicles the final few steps towards the completion of the Beetle's rear-engine.   

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle Air-Cooled Engine [closeup view, right]

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle Air-Cooled Engine [closeup view, front]

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle Air-Cooled Engine [closeup view, left]

Work on the Air Intake, Air Cleaner, Warm Air Pipe, Heater Hoses, and Distributor parts (see below) began only after I had put together the interior of the Beetle. This was necessary because parts of the engine like the Heater Hoses actually connect to the frame of the rear interior. The work comprised freehand red warning pseudo-letterings on the Air Cleaner; an orange-black-metal color scheme on the Distributor; and finally a grey-black wash combo for the Heater Hoses. In addition to these new additions, I also painted existing engine components i.e. the Ignition Coil in a light turquoise color while adding a touch of metallic paint to the nuts and bolts securing the Fan Pulley Cover. 

Beetle Engine Components: Air Cleaner/Intake with Warm Air Pipe (left) and Distributor (right)

Volkswagen (VW) 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) Engine Components: Heater Hoses

VW 1300 Beetle latest engine components in a scale comparison to a five sen coin and paperclip

Because all the above fragile pieces were added to the existing engine setup only after the vehicle interior had been assembled, it was a minor miracle I didn't break any of the parts during assembly. However it wasn't all plain sailing as I had struggled mightily to fit both Heater Hoses onto the rear body framework. In fact, the fit was so tight that no glue was needed in the end. Still, I managed not to break anything so all good. Well, not exactly. The true test of whether I have fitted the engine correctly into the rear will come when I secure the Beetle's exterior body onto the interior/chassis.

State of the VW 1300 Beetle Engine prior to completion, with its Ignition Coil painted in light turquoise

Air Intake/Cleaner with Pipe, Distributor and Heater Hoses all laid out prior to assembly into the Engine

Tamiya 1/24 scale VW 1300 Beetle Air-Cooled Engine [closeup, angled top down view]

Apart from the dashboard, the Beetle's rear-engine is the only other section with a significant amount of detail. In the coming weeks, I will probably work on other fairly detailed parts such as the wheels, hubcaps, rims, headlights, etc. And as impressive as the details on these will likely turn out to be, I don't expect any of them to outdo the overall wow-factor engendered by the dashboard and engine.

Tamiya 1/24 scale VW 1300 Beetle Air-Cooled Engine [zoomed out view, front]

Weathering effects on the engine and its surrounding compartment exist ...

... albeit in a subtle manner; all effects were applied using Tamiya Weathering Master sets

As reference I had used a photo I found online on what seems to be a Volkswagen Beetle (1966 Model) restoration project. With the photo as a baseline guide, I had proceeded to paint up the engine so that it had a slightly more than passing resemblance of the actual engine. While I'm sadly not knowledgeable enough to know whether the colors closely resemble those found in a newly minted engine back in 1966, I feel it's good enough seeing that my subject matter is make-believe anyway.

Reference photo of what seems to be an actual VW 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) engine

With my Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) project about halfway done, I am thinking of doing another short video to better showcase the myriad of details on the car interior and chassis. An uninterrupted 360 degree view of progress so far will likely give the average observer a better appreciation of the inherent qualities of this kit. More selfishly, it will give me a chance to play with the VEGAS Pro 15 Edit software, and get better at video editing. So if I've managed to pique your interest, even for just a little bit, then please look out for that particular video in the near future. Until then, I bid you goodbye until we meet again my dear readers. Stay safe and be well.

Tamiya 1/35 scale Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B Sd.Kfz.142 [Unboxing & Pre-Assembly Review]

Designed as a support vehicle for attacking infantry, the Sturmgeschütz had seen its fair share of battle during World War 2 (WW2). It ran the gamut from being the spearhead of infantry in epic battles on the Eastern Front to being cannon fodder in its final deployments during the desperate last days of the Third Reich. I plan to recreate a 1/35 scale painted version of this Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV), I'll be using the Tamiya 1/35 scale Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B Sd.Kfz.142 model kit.

Tamiya 1/35 scale Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B Sd.Kfz.142 plastic model kit

Choosing the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B as my next WW2 AFV project will signify a sharp departure from my previous effort in terms of both size and complexity. But more significantly, it will mark a slight change in artistic approach for painting AFVs. My earlier attempts had focused on recreating a realistic yet flat look that can be rather dull. However in this project, I am going to try my hand at an airbrush technique called Color Modulation. In short, this method artificially heightens the contrast between shadows and highlights. It works especially well for hard edges like those found on the Sturmgeschütz. It's widely agreed the end result isn't necessarily realistic but it does look better.

Side box art of the Tamiya Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B scale model kit

This Tamiya scale model kit comes with the added bonus of photo-etched parts

Plastic sprues, vinyl tracks and photo-etched parts are all neatly packed inside the box

Options for the different versions of Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B that can be build are displayed in a colored spread, which accompanies the usual black and white instructions. Sturmgeschütz variant is limited to Ausf.B but the kit allows for up to at least six different Assault Gun AFVs that existed historically; all predicated upon markings found on the water decals. These specific six were from either the 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd Kompanie of the Wermacht Panzer Division. My initial plan, subject to change, is to build a specific Sturmgeschütz that saw action on the Eastern Front in 1941.

In addition to black and white instructions, there was a colored guide showing versions that can be build from this kit

Water decals containing vehicle markings for at least six different versions of the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B

In one of the few Tamiya kits to include photo-etch parts, the 1/35 scale Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B Sd.Kfz.142 scale model kit has a small set comprising Notek light covers, grilles and antenna holders.
The kit also provides an Aluminium Gun Barrel that is touted to have been accurately reproduced to include spiral rifling. Apart from this, the other molded parts are generally made from plastic.

Photo-etched parts are available for the gun barrel, engine grilles, antenna holders and Notek light covers

Compared to the King Tiger, the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B has relatively fewer parts which translates into lesser sprues. This is to be expected as the Sturmgeschütz is so much smaller in size when compared with the German Heavy Tank. The lower part count is also due to the fact that the tank tracks provided in the Sturmgeschütz kit comprised just two elongated pieces of vinyl rubber. In comparison, the MENG King Tiger kit had sections of the track molded in individual link pieces.   

Lower hull of the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B is the largest single molded piece in the kit

Vinyl tank tracks are the only track options available for the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B

So far I've only ever build one Tamiya AFV kit namely the T-55A Medium Tank. Compared to the T-55A which had sparse interior details, the Sturmgeschütz devotes a significant amount of part count to its interior including the assault gun, which is the main component of its crew compartment. The rest of the sprue mainly consists of the outer hull sections/details, suspension system and wheels. And only one miniature figurine is included in this kit: a crew member standing upright.

Sprue A & E: Tank wheels, rollers, suspension arms, miscellanous parts

Sprue B & C: Upper hull sections, tow cables, etc.

Sprue D: Gun assembly parts, bulkhead, tank crew figure, etc.

Interestingly enough, Tamiya also included four separate suspension springs. I assume these metal springs, together with the suspension arms and rollers, provide a rudimentary suspension system for the Sturmgeschütz. But until I assemble the whole thing I cannot tell for sure. And as is standard is all Tamiya AFV kits as far as I can tell, poly-caps are also provided. These poly-caps allow the creation of smooth and secure joints without the need for glue, and are usually used on the wheels section.

Two different sizes of poly-caps and four individual suspension springs for the track wheels

In most cases, each new hobby project tends to coincide with a chance to learn new techniques. And because the Tamiya 1/35 scale Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B Sd.Kfz.142 model kit builds into a fairly flattened hull with numerous hard edges, it should in theory enable an easier and straightforward Color Modulation process. Moreover the Sturmgeschütz is relatively small in size thus requiring less work (and time) before an end result can be seen. That's the idea anyway.

You know you wants its ... gollum, gollum

More importantly however, this kit allows me to make a dent in my substantial AFV kit hoard, of which I've decided to stop adding to until I can finish at least ten from the existing pile. In short, no more buying new AFV model kits ... for now. But that new Tamiya WW2 tank kit looks really cool. No, I can't. What's one more? The missus won't notice surely. I have too much already. I ... I just can't. That's a limited edition you know. Arghhh, get out of my head. Gollum, gollum!

Bumblebee, Autobot Transformer in car form [WIP - Assembly of the Volkswagen Beetle Interior]

After the tough challenge of having to paint tiny interior details, comes the fear inducing process of having to assemble a series of fully painted and fragile parts, components and sub-assemblies of a car interior. That all consuming fear soon became a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the process of building the car's interior, I broke the Stick Shift again, not once but twice more. In addition, I also broke the vehicle frame (i.e. chassis) on the rear. The former had to be fixed with a thin, low viscosity glue while the latter was put back together with a super glue and baking soda combo. This then are the photos and story of the assembly of the Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle Interior.    

Painted sub-assemblies and components that make up the Volkswagen (VW) 1300 Beetle Interior

Small little details in miniature form, especially when they mimic real-life objects, have always held a strange fascination for me. I'm sure it's the same for you too, dear reader, for if it wasn't the case you wouldn't be involved in the miniature figurine/scale model kit hobby. So amidst all that tension of trying not to break fragile parts while applying more than enough force to do so during the interior assembly, I still found simple joy marveling at the Beetle interior. Hypocritically, I found myself both praising Tamiya's tiny, detailed parts, and cursing at its fragility. If you had been a fly on the wall, that scene of an old scale modeler oohing and aahing and cussing would've been downright weird.     

VW Beetle dashboard within the car interior; an isometric closeup view from above the right seat

VW Beetle dashboard within the car interior; a closeup view from an angled, top down perspective 

VW Beetle dashboard within the car interior; an isometric closeup view from above the left seat

So what then, did I break? Well, attaching the Front Boot Interior to the chassis was supposed to be an uneventful event. It was anything but. For some reason I had inexplicably ignored assembly instructions to glue the dashboard and front boot together before gluing the resultant sub-assembly onto the chassis. Feeling cocky I only snap-fitted both together before proceeding to glue them to the chassis. Lo and behold, the parts came apart mid-assembly and broke the stick shift into two. This I did twice before coming to my senses. I was lucky not to break the steering wheel as well. 

Front Boot Interior with the Fuel Tank, Windshield Washer Container and Brake Fluid Reservoir

Front and Back Seats of the VW 1300 Beetle, with the PVC covers painted in beige-like colors

Apart form the cover, the Front Boot is also missing the Spare Wheel which will be added later

Grooves on the Front and Back Seats were panel-lined using an oil-based, dark brown hue

Outer surfaces of the Interior were left mostly unpainted as they will be covered up by the main bodywork

When it rains, it pours. Getting the rear section of the interior to fit onto the chassis required quite an excessive application of force. And surprise, surprise, the rear bodywork frame also broke during assembly. If you look towards the bottom of the rear engine compartment (see below, fifth photo from bottom) you should notice what looks like a welded surface on the lower right corner where the yellow bodywork meets the black engine floor. That weld-like eyesore (painted over in black) is actually a byproduct from a mix of super glue and baking soda, used to create an extra strong bond.   

Tamiya 1/24 scale VW 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) Interior; an isometric, zoomed out view

Outer surface of the interior were mostly left unpainted as they'll be covered by the Beetle's main body

Note the light turquoise piece on the partially completed engine located at the rear section ...

... it's the only engine part that had work done on it at this stage (as in being painted further) ...

... and as you petrol-heads out there will know, that light turquoise piece is the Beetle's ignition coil.

Also currently missing from the Beetle's chassis are its four road wheels

All in all, putting the VW 1300 Beetle Interior together had been a rather stressful experience ...

... as it was plagued by the constant worry of fragile, painted parts being broken, which sadly did break  

In a zoomed-out view of the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) Interior (see last eight photos), one gets an even better sense of how important the intricately molded interior details are to making the car look like a miniaturized slice of real-life. It is after all the prevalent view we'll all have of the car sans the artificially zoomed-in view of a macro lens. And with that I leave you for another week, with yet another unrelated quote, this time from legendary science fiction writer Isaac Asimov ... The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.

Bumblebee, Autobot Transformer in car form [WIP - Volkswagen Beetle Boot Interior, Dashboard, etc.]

Of all the details in a scale model car, I personally believe the dashboard comes a close second to the engine in terms of the 'wow' factor. Granted that if the car's exterior was painted badly, then no one would give your scale model kit project even a second glance. But assuming you manage to do a reasonably competent (or even average) job on the external paint job, then both the dashboard and engine are the two key areas that would allow neutral observers to attune to the wonders of having the real world replicated in miniature form. And that's why we do what we do, right?

VW 1300 Beetle (1966) work-in-progress: Dashboard (with steering wheel, etc.) and Front Boot Interior

And of the two sections mentioned above, it is the Dashboard with its inherent details together with the Front Boot Interior that is the focus of this blog post. Currently, the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle's engine is about three quarters complete. There are still detailed sections of the engine such as the Air Cleaner, Distributor, Heater Hoses, Warm Air Pipe and Ignition Coil to paint. These parts will be worked on only after the Beetle's interior has been fully assembled, which is next on the to-do list. For now, what's in the spotlight is the assembly, painting and weathering of the dashboard and boot.

Assembly and color guide (Tamiya acrylic paint codes) for the Beetle's Front Boot and Dashboard

In terms of the assembly process, things could not be simpler nor easier. There was the Steering Column and Wheel as well as a handrail that needed to be glued to the Dashboard while the Front Boot Interior only needed a small chrome-plated cap to be glued onto the Fuel Tank. Any difficulty that arose was soley caused by having to manipulate extremely tiny parts with clumsy, larger-than-average hands. Thankfully unlike my recurring nightmare with the Stick Shift, which since my last post have been broken again ... twice, I didn't cause any damage to the aforementioned parts.

Molded parts of the Front Boot Interior as well as the Dashboard and its inherent details

In painting the Dashboard, I paid extra attention to what I felt were points of interest such as the Speedometer and Radio. Because the molded parts were too small, for me at least, to effectively paint clear and sharp details on it, I had to resort to some optical trickery to sort of imply realworld details. For example, I drybrushed the numbers on the speedometer to varying success and painted some green bars to simulate a radio's digital display. If you look closely at the horn at the center of the Steering Wheel, you can just about make out a face-like design that seeks to mimic the Autobot logo. As for the regular stuff, I tried to ensure panel lines and other painted bits were done 'cleanly'.

Scale comparison of the Beetle's dashboard, steering wheel and column, etc. vs. a paperclip and coin

VW 1300 Beetle dashboard sans the steering column, steering wheel and handrest/handrail

Volkswagen 1300 Beetle steering column, steering wheel and handrest/handrail

Overall color scheme and paint details was predetermined by a screen capture of Volkswagen Beetle as seen in the Bumblebee movie. For a myriad of possible reasons ranging from the use of a color filter to the lighting conditions during the filming of this scene, the dashboard yellows on the screen capture have a more earthy, ochre-like tint to them. However, the brighter yellows was seen on most candid shots of the car outside of filming as well as in some scenes of the movie. As such, I believe the brighter hue was the more accurate choice. Going forward, I expect the final colors to fall somewhere in between, especially after some weathering with umber hues that I plan to do later.

Screen capture of Bumblebee's Volkswagen form dashboard details

From the outset, total movie accuracy was never going to be an achievable target. The reason for this had been discussed at the outset of the previous blog post. So if you compared the screen capture above with photos of the painted dashboard below, you will find knobs located in places they aren't supposed to be, and not being found in places they should be. Despite this little hiccup, it wasn't a deal breaker for me as the differences are relatively minor. Moreover if you look closely during the Bumblebee movie, you would notice at least two different models of the Volkswagen Beetle was used for filming. This makes any quest for complete movie accuracy a waste of time and effort.

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle dashboard [closeup angled view from the right]

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle dashboard details [closeup front view]

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle dashboard [closeup angled view from the left]

 
For the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle (1966 model), the boot is located at the front of the car. What I have finished so far is the interior of said boot sans the spare wheel and tire. The latter will be completed together with the four main wheels/tires of the car. In the Front Boot Interior, the only details that needed painting were the Fuel Tank (large black rectangular tank), the Windshield Washer Container (large white container) and the Brake Fluid Rersevoir (small white container). As for the chrome fuel tank cap, which already came molded in a chrome-like coating, all I did was to apply a black wash.

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle front boot interior [closeup angled view from the left]

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle front boot interior [closeup front view]

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle front boot interior [closeup angled view from the right]

So with the dashboard and its inherent details (steering wheel/column, radio, handrail, etc.) as well as the front boot interior of the Volkswagen Beetle completed, the inside of the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle (1966 Model) is essentially done. I can now start strategizing how to put all those fragile, painted parts together without breaking them. Or I could just push the parts together as hard as I can and hope for the best. More likely it'll be a bit of both, with the added drama of lots of hair pulling and cussing. Maybe I should start a YouTube Channel of a grumpy old scale modeler who just cusses from start to finish. Wouldn't that be a sight for sore eyes ... not! Well, that's it for now ... until next week.