Converting a Typ 82E to a Typ 60

The KdF wheels arrived the other day,

and I simply had to start converting a Tamiya Type 82E to a Typ 60.

As mentioned in the pickup build the typ 60 is some 1,5mm lower in 1/48 scale (due to the reductiongear on the rear wheels – see the type 87 elsewhere in this group) and the conversion starts with sawing off the stubs

Sawing..

and relocated

The KdF wheels were made for me by by Djiti’s production, and I had him make 50 sets (200 wheels) as we agreed the airvent needed to be integrated into the resin, and it would look rather stupid with that located in the same position on all 4 wheels.

next I have some comparisons with the original Tamiya kit coming up, and improvements to the interior has commenced – tune in again (leave a comment and I will mention you to make sure you have the latest post)

Thanks @fiveten

Lower

Dryfitting and comparing

With the axles lowered it was time for a dryfit

looks like it is there

Comparison to a typ 82e

When parked next to each other the difference is clear.

The seatbacks are very inaccurate on these kits and needs to be filled

first some evergreen – later LqS will be used – just need to make a fresh mix of the stuff

next time the exterior gets some attention

Yes @airbum - you are making some real progress here. Seats look much better. You're going to fill in the gaps on the back with the LqS and sand smooth?

That is a lot of superb work you did lowering the body but it does look a tad higher at the front end. Is it really worth the effort to go back and lower it "a tiny bit more"? I didn't notice until you pointed it out. Am I correct in assuming the green VW is finished?

Thank you for the comments @fiveten, @eb801 and @johnb! Eric, indeed I will use LqS as filler on the chairs and shape them with sanding. Lowering the car is what sets a Typ 60 apart from a Typ 82E, the 82E being on the chassis of a Kübelwagen that is a bit higher than a beetle. Sadly the green one is not finished even though started 1½ years ago! It is shortly getting more attention though (the topic is here https://imodeler.com/groups/work-in-progress-automotive/forum/topic/vw-type-82-tamiya-1-48/)
John, I may have a spare headed your way.

Getting some air

Always on the lookout for more timeconsuming detail, I opened the rear airvents

First the insides were thinned by a dremel

creating a lot of sticky dust (due to static electricity)

and after thinning it was a few hours worth of a small scribing tool and the sawblade

the left by sawblade only – a bit of a mess, the right by scribing first, then expanding with the saw – looks a lot better.

will it be more interior next? Tune in and find out!

Indeed they look superb, my friend @airbum!

Thank you @eb801, @fiveten and @johnb. The vents turned out OK, and now I know how to make them a tiny bit better next time I build a Beetle.

Axles fixed, LqS added to seats

The axles has been trimmed to the final position and were glued in, and the seatbacks got their LqS

Having adjusted the axles as best I could, they were glued in place

and the seatbacks filled


So, with the seatbacks filled they will take some time before they are ready for more work.

What next? probably glovecompartments and other interior stuff. Tune in again to check.

Amazing work, Erik @airbum.
Looking forward to the interior details.

Thanks @fiveten, @johnb and @eb801. Minor update here, more to follow later.

Dryfit

Not really an update, just some dryfit

Well, I did work on the front compartment, but that will be for another update. I just needed to take a few pictures of the wheels for another purpose, and wanted to share them here too.

As mentioned earlier the air-fillers are located at different places on each of the 4 wheels. The front looks far too high in this picture, but that is due to some internals that will be addressed later.

Comments encouraged – tune in again later