Something New (and Old) VW Sedan

[modellius]

good !

[Second Air Force]

Thank you!

[Second Air Force]

Finally I've fixed the body and floorpan together for the final time. Also a start has been made on adding the interior details such as rear seat and other items.

Having gotten the Beetle this far, I opened the box of the donor Kubelwagen to get out a couple of parts and decided to make a start on replacing what I'd robbed to build the Bug. Knowing what one of these kits costs today versus what I spent twenty years ago I've decided to use the Revell parts to complete the Kubel. In my former model car contest world the Kubel will be classified as a "curbside" model with no opening engine compartment. That's the only way I can use the rather inaccurate Revell engine. My plan is for the Kubel to represent the one my father drove in North Africa after Operation Torch.

[No.1]

Idea- when we start build some airplane kit, to get sample of original plane too, it is obviously useful

[Second Air Force]

I actually have a great problem here--I have two 1/16 Kubel kits. The one I just started on in the last post is the Afrika Korps version with sand tires and I also have a "standard" kit that is untouched. So, my plan is to build this Tropical version (which is what dad drove in Africa) as a display only, and eventually I'll finish the other kit with opening engine lid etc.

[No.1]

Good idea, wish you to make it

[Second Air Force]

I do have one problem with "dad's Kubel", he never saw fit to take a photo of it. He just mentioned they painted stars on it to make sure he didn't become a friendly fire casualty and that he also revived a second VW for his lieutenant. I'm collecting up pictures of various North African Kubels in U.S. custody and will simply have to build one of these, more in the spirit of what my dad had than his actual machine. He also mentioned that he was not able to take the car with him when 1st Armored moved across the Med to the Italian campaign so he and his lieutenant simply parked them and threw a grenade in each when they left Africa.

[Second Air Force]

The Tamiya Kubel kits are possibly the best-engineered models I've built yet, on a par with some of Eduard's best kits and the Zvezda Bf109s I've experienced. The body panels almost do not need glue! This morning I've set the major parts together to test fit them and they are nearly perfect! Then I built the front axle assembly, and it goes together just about exactly like the 1/1 version. Very impressive design on the kit and it was done many years ago.

[No.1]

Trully good!!!

[No.1]

Forget to ask- do you have cat to test it when complete?

[Second Air Force]

Ha! That is a great photo!!!!! I don't have a cat of my own to test it with, but our neighbor cat "Lucky" could walk over for the job. Just yesterday I went into the shed and poor Lucky was scared out of his wits when I opened the door.....I think he was hunting and I just happened to come in at the wrong time.

Here is a little progress on the Kubel. First photo shows one of the few things Tamiya missed on this kit, a small bulkhead that I built from Evergreen sheet. The opening under it is made to fit a Jerrycan on the real car. The next ones are of test fitting and assembly of a few parts.

[Second Air Force]

My final modeling production of 2017 is some small-parts installation on the sedan. First the Notek light was added to the fender and the headlight assemblies with blackout covers were placed. Then the tire pump, jack and starting crank were added in the trunk. The last effort was to dig in the spares boxes for an appropriate first aid kit and the basic toolkit and a jerrycan were placed on the storage shelf next to the rear seat. Then a trial fitting of the fabric rollback top cover that was a feature of some of these KdF sedans.

[No.1]

Good for last year!!!

[Second Air Force]

Perhaps more will be done today--I just started drinking my first cup of coffee of the new year and it is -17C outside!!!!!!

[modellius]

excellent progress I really enjoy this