1956/-57 VW Baja Bug

A couple of weeks ago I started a new VW build. This time a 1956/-57 VW (from Gunze) which I'll combine with a cirka 1968 Baja body from Kyosho. Here You can see what I started with:




First I stripped the prepainted Baja body and tested it using some desert tires from LOSI:



Next step was to cut of the entire front piece from both bodies and then narroe the Baja front using a wedge cut to make suit the Gunze body.





Even though I narrowed the front , I still had to widen the body about 1 mm below the windshield:





Then I cut off the rear fenders and air-spoiler:




And now, here's what it looks like all mocked up on the table:



It'll have sand-paddle tires in the rear and desert tires up front:




As I want this build to look a bit 70:ish, I prefere to use drum-brakes and I found a nice set of finned drums in my large box of spare parts:

Today I've been doing some more work to the body. These Gunze VW's are supposed to have a black "rubber gasket" around the windscreen. I make the gasket from strip styrene instead:



I also cut of the small marked area where the front lic.plate is supposed to be and then put a piece of plasticcard in from behind the front:

Looking good so far.

Made some progress today as well. Started modifying the front suspension. Cut down the stock axle and did some minor mods and then added new shocks:



I also found a decent pair of chairs in an old Revell Chevy kit. I just cut off the headrests. They will mount on VW stock support:



Steeringwheel from my stash:

Cool Dak Dak in the making

Thanks !

WOW, there is some great work going into this bug, should be a real beast.  (although i did like the black body you started with).

Thanks! Well, actually there was nothing wrong with the black RC-body, but I've Always loved ovals and splits! Also, the RC-body is available in resin from a caster in the US and I didn't like the idea of people thinking I'd built a resin Baja !

Front axle/suspension almost finished:

Front end's been completed:




Also made "fake" turnsignal Arrows in the B-post:

Nice.

I just had to do Another mockup after gluing the front and fenders to the Gunze Body and this is just about what it'll look like when finished:

Jeez Darryl, nearly as much work in this as restoring a real one! Looking good, what colours do you have in mind?

Deaf as wrote:Jeez Darryl, nearly as much work in this as restoring a real one! Looking good, what colours do you have in mind?

Thanks! Colour will be L87 Pearl White and grey fabric sunroof + interior. This will be a "Herbie" Baja !!!

Looking good mate , Glad to see someone else building a baja bug , i have started a bug eyed baja as well a couple of years ago buts its still ongoing . mine will be 1/24 version of tamiya's R/C sand Scorcher.

That sounds really cool! I love that blue/White Sand Scorcher but found out that there's been very few Baja Bug's built in the "Herbie style" , so that's what made my mind up

I like where your goin with this bug. keep up the great work man.

Made a Little progress today. Not much but still...

Now, there's a hole in the roof and I've widened the chassie a Little just behind the front Wheels.

This week I only had one day off work, so I really didn't have much spare time for modelling. However, I did manage to get a couple of hours in the mancave and here's the result. I've started scratchbuilding a Porsche Fan shroud for the engine, partly from a Fujimi Porsche and some other scrap parts (from a 1/8 scale Honda 750 cc bike!!!!)





As I didn't like the stock "firewall" i cut it off, and replaced it with a somewhat modified piece from another VW-kit:




I also found a simple roll-bar in my stash:

Going to be a cool Dak Dak Bug

Thanks alot! i hope so to!

I made some progress last night. Still not sure if this Engine will be used as I have a Porsche Turbo Engine on it's way home. It was given to me from a kind fellow modeler in Belgium! Thanks Marc!!!!!