VW Type 2 Split-window Double cab

[frizzen]

My 1/14 scale VW Bay-window bus Dickie conversion looked a little lonely, so after much deliberation a Split-window truck was tracked down. Uh, because reasons...

We'll start off with a nice new (already rc) Maisto "Type 2 VW Double-cab pickup" truck in "1/16 scale" that sure looks to be the same size, or slightly bigger, than my 1/14 Dickie VW van that i've found specs and done the math on which is exactly 1/14 of real one.

So first off, there's room for improvement. A lot...



But what '50 year old' car made it through time exactly how you wanted?



Let's see that smile.



Not a bad starting point.

I was originally thinking something custom like all yellow, or blue over silver, white over green, or white over purple. The deeper into the stock options i looked, the more I like pearl white over mouse gray. Maus Grau ist schon!

First let's start to fix that suspension!
Front starts with a knuckle flip, and some clearancing, but needs the lower mounts milled lower. Rear gets some milling at the chassis to bumper interface. That gets me rear is static here, with that much possible lift at front so far.



Pulling several screws and wiggling the chassis free doesn't seem right for a hobby up-conversion to me. A set of strange head screws are put in at the back body mounts, then the chassis screw posts are modified to take magnets and become pads. The front still will use an original tab and slot.

[skeeter]

I LOVE it!

[frizzen]

Thanks skeeter!

Right now i'm still trying to get the servo in, and really hope an esc shows before the Lebanon meet Sept 14-15 so this can play. Otherwise it has to wait until january to cruise the little streets.

Since there's not a suicide rear door, it's not the earlier Binz coach-built version, so it looks like this custom 'Doka' is somewhere between 1958-61. 
The factory Doppelkabine Pritschewagen (double cab pickup truck) didn't come out until 1958, and the small Bullet front turnsignals went to the bigger Fisheye signals in 1961. 

The taillights are odd, since for those years they should have been small round, and they didn't go oval until 1962 and later. Maybe it's custom, and owner got tired of people trying to ram it at stops from 'not seeing' tiny lights...
That's a better story than shave them and redo it. 

Although a shave and redo could probably just use 3mm or 5mm leds. Probably could make front bullets into 3mm leds, but the headlights would probably need new lenses made since the white blocks a lot. Not sure if it's really worth it, but i like lights. Thoughts?

I dunno about wheels, i'm open to suggestions. I've always really liked these on stock Steelies with babymoons, Fuchs, Porsche 'gas burners', Empi wide 5 spoke, or empi 8 spoke... Something that looks 'right' classic custom stuff. If anybody has a set of pulloff wheels from a Dickie VW, let me know.

Plan to cut and change windows to clear, then probably make some interior. The rear window seems to need the current trim shaved, filled, then recut to be shrunk back toward stock, the bed floor needs better/flatter detail probably installing wood floor. Since i can't easily get up to stock ride height, maybe underbody lights, blue or purple might look good with grey/white.

And then some time much later, i'm gonna finish research on 1960s tilt deck or ramp loading car-hauler trailers. I'm really liking the single-axle racecar haulers that could pull with a sedan, station wagon, or truck. Because i think with a trailer this would be a cool outfit rolling down the strip.

Tin Bandai from 1960s

[Wombii]

Yes, we do like lights. Would the clear part of a pair of googly eyes work as lenses?
I think the low ride height will look much more natural with some smaller classic wheels on there. This is going to look very nice when done

[frizzen]

Thank you, that's brilliant! I'm hoping that i can find some which will work as lenses for these headlights and the Ambulances 'ditch lights'. If it works, the tails are getting shaved and we're going to the correct and functional lights.

I need more speed...







Truescale-rc hooked me up with some traffic cones, a toolbox, and a set of wheel ramps.

The chrome dual-port VW engine in the bed is actually an old Avon aftershave "dunebuggy" bottles cap cover.

[kaptain Jack]

This is so nice!

[frizzen]

In the city it's a pity, cause we just can't hide,
Tinted windows don't mean nothin' , they know who's inside.



If it doesn't let ya hide, strip that limo tint off! (With a dremel...)



So i made another concession to Kustom and kept the 1966-up big back window. It will show off an interior better, it already had the trim step-down. I'm not going to get all the Lowrider back out of the truck anyway, so why not leave a little show-car there. Small window is cuter, but i'd rather drive something with more rear visibility.

Thanks jack! I'm glad everybody is digging it so far.

[skeeter]

Some cool pics you have with this lil machine!

[frizzen]

I'm pretty sure you don't mean against the usual 'living room planter background', or 'on my freezer in the garage background'.
I can't take credit for the awesome Speed Shop background, Russ (truescale rc) provided the building. i just asked nicely, posed it, framed it pretty, and dropped the shutter.

I really liked the one showing a Porsche window logo, and back end of a Baja bug he has hidden inside.

Now that this meet is over, they finally delivered my speed control.

[skeeter]

I can't take credit for the awesome Speed Shop background, Russ (truescale rc) provided the building. i just asked nicely, posed it, framed it pretty, and dropped the shutter.
A great eye for detail when shooting subjects. I sometimes shoot up to 20 pics of the same subjects at meets. The boys get a lil anxious to roll out & go to work, but when they see the outcome, they LOVE em, & are glad they waited so long to begin the meets.

Now that this meet is over, they finally delivered my speed control.[/QUOTE]
That always the way it works! I just had the same problem. I ordered some more battery connections Deans plugs this time.
They were supposed to arrive 3 days BEFORE PNWSTE had the September meet. They JUST arrived me yesterday.

[frizzen]

Ok ok... Thank you!
My dad used to do some professional photography, and taught me most of what i know. Then a couple classes and some books helped polish my technique a little more. Plus i learned on SLRs while burning silver, so ya made sure you liked it before dropping the shutter. You had 32 frames a roll, make it count, and you're paying to develop them, so no double checking to see if you liked it!

The biggest thing when shooting models is getting the perspective right. I found until you get the feel for that scale, it helps to have a scale figure available. You want your cameras 'eye' to be the same height as theirs. Scale 4 to 7 feet tall is good, too far outside that and it gets 'artsy' like some car magazines, or like you're working off a boom/uphill/drone.

Shooting cars side or 3/4 shots, frame more space 'moving forward' so they have somewhere to go. It looks wrong cropping a car closer to the front. Kinda like portraits are slight offset with more room the way they're looking.

Trying to crop things out of backgrounds and maintain law of thirds is usually my sticking point unless i can pose absolutely everything. I'm still trying to learn the rules about making construction stuff look awesome.

Googlie Eyes for the win!
So we're getting lights now! Bullet turnsignals are 3mm leds. Headlights will get a filler plate and take 5mm leds. Taillights are getting shaved, redone as 61-earlier round with 5mm leds.



Headlight lens is front of a googlie eyeball, then i made a couple more bigger ones into Baby Moons to make my wheels look a little better.

[Wombii]

Yes! That looks great! Looks so much better with clear lights and the wheel mods.

[frizzen]

Thank you!

Originally Posted by 2redrovers over on 'that other board'

The split 1956 I restored for a mate has small round lights

Ok, using a dial caliper i scaled that pic on my phone to actual size on the truck, then figured out light center and step drilled to a snug fit on 5mm leds.



I think this looks a little better

[frizzen]

She's not gonna make it back to stock, so we might as well roll with it...


Looks like i need to either rough up the LEDs on my Underglow, or take a file and knock the 'lenses' off to help even out the pattern a little more. Looks much better in person, as my phone is certainly not a DSLR.

[frizzen]

Anybody else like chrome?



Several guys i work with kept telling me how great Molotow liquid chrome is... i'm impressed.

---

Cruising Lebanon meet Jan 2019

My driver wanted to play too, so loaded up the VW truck with some scale RCs. Got a LaFrance pumper, T1 VW, Cat wheelloader, Cat excavator, 2 stick radios, 2 pistol radios









Yo i heard ya like VWs, so i got ya a VW to put in your VW...

[frizzen]

Some brass came out and turned into some odd parts.



Hitch added to the back of the pan, going to need a riser for the trailer



Strange hinged parallel lever setup above my steering knuckles. Any guesses what that might do?

Also Amy decided WE needed to play with her squeaky bunny while i was taking pics

[frizzen]

Man, tough crowd...

Lowrider at full lift


Safety rails, ramp rails, and the start of a plank deck on the trailer

[Wombii]

Nice! Is the lifting servo operated?

Have you found a way to protect the mirror finish of the liquid chrome? As soon as I touch it with a finger it looks like normal silver paint.

[frizzen]

Planning on mounting a servo where the RX currently sits, with a pull cable tied to the notch in the lift arm running to the servo horn. Once i order more electronics.

They have some suggestions, but i haven't tested anything yet
http://cs.scaleautomag.com/sca/tips_.../t/127050.aspx

I've noticed it needs a couple days to dry/cure/flash before you think of touching it, but it can handle some use without going silver. My ambulance cot is still looking good, but i handled the headlights on my dads truck too soon and they look aluminum.


Unpimp the auto didn't work out how i was thinking when i started...
https://youtu.be/e1MNEqCr748

[frizzen]

Originally I couldn't find anything about movable suspension on a 'junk toy grade car'. If i had a pan car or something 4 wheel ifs, there's TONS of ideas...

Started with a brass L shape that mounts to chassis, added a tube onto that. Slid a brass rod through tube for pivot, mounted brass rod arms on pivot rod. One arm rod extended to where servo arm sits, necked down an area fo hold string. Added side plates to pivot to keep arms centered over knuckles. Made some brass pins with smooth bottoms that push on top of knuckles down to lift chassis.

Brass hingey thing ties to chassis at front steering gearbox mounts. Equipped with knuckle pushrods, and side plates to keep it over knuckles. Some mechanical advantage, string, metal gear servo.

Blue vertical servo does steering.
Black laydown servo does attitude adjustment

Also pinned the draglink onto the knuckles so if can't pop free with the vertical travel



Pfffftsss


Wrrrrrssssssss


All my friends know the lowrider
Low-ri-der ride a little lower
Low-ri-der rise a little slower