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.